Chapter 2

The last update to the cloud storage was three days ago.

I looked at his emotionless eyes and slowly nodded, not exposing his lie.

I wanted to leave us both with some final dignity.

Seeing that I didn't argue with him like before, he smiled and pulled out a necklace from his pocket, presenting it before my eyes.

The diamond-studded moon pendant made my eyes sting.

I accepted it expressionlessly and turned to walk into the bedroom.

I tossed the necklace into the nightstand drawer.

Then I removed the ring engraved with a moon pattern and placed it inside as well.

Besides the necklace with the moon pendant, there were bracelets, bangles, earrings...

I used to not understand why he liked moon patterns. Now that I knew Luna's name...

I couldn't help but connect everything.

Closing the drawer, his somewhat excited and expectant voice came from the living room: "Wear the jewelry I gave you at the wedding, okay? A whole set with moon patterns, it'll definitely look beautiful..."

"Just stay home obediently, I'm heading out to the reunion now. Last time before the wedding, might come back a bit late, don't wait up."

I didn't respond, hiding in the bedroom like a snail.

Silently thinking to myself that we would never have a wedding.

As the sound of the closing door echoed, I walked out and threw the cake in the trash.

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted the cabinet nearby. Inside lay all the labels I'd torn off from cake boxes over five years.

Like a silent mockery of my one-woman show.

What I treasured so much I couldn't bear to throw away the wrapping was garbage another person could discard without a thought.

I opened the cabinet and threw everything inside away.

Then I started packing for going abroad.

Besides clothes and jewelry, all I could take were simple daily necessities.

While rummaging through boxes and cabinets, I discovered quite a few more things.

Over these five years, the gifts I'd given Ethan were all randomly stuffed in various corners of the house.

Many had even expired, their packaging never opened.

No wonder when I asked him about them, he was always evasive, saying he couldn't bear to use them.

Thinking about it now, he probably just left them too carelessly and couldn't find them.

His daily necessities all came from the same foreign source.

The country where Luna lived.

I threw them into the trash one by one, along with my love for him and my past humble self.

The moment I zipped up my suitcase, Ethan's friend called me.

"Sophia, Ethan's had too much to drink. Can you come pick him up? I'll send you the address."

Through the receiver, Ethan's hoarse voice called out "Luna."

With pleading, with devotion, with the joy of regaining something lost.

But no trace of drunkenness.

My breath hitched, my heart stopped instantly.

The other person quickly covered the phone and hung up.

I placed the suitcase by the wall, hesitated for two seconds, but still called a cab according to the address Ethan's friend sent.

One last time. Since I'd decided to leave, I didn't want to leave with regrets.

When I reached the private room door, the teasing and laughter inside filtered through the gap to my ears.

"How come Luna came back today? Could it be she heard some news about our Ethan? Tonight we definitely won't let you come for nothing!"

Through the glass, I clearly saw an unrestrained and wild expression on Ethan's face I'd never seen before.

His expectant gaze was firmly locked on another woman's face.

And that woman's face — I had just seen it countless times on his computer.