Chapter 3

Of course, I had to talk tough. If I was going to lose, at least I'd keep my swagger.

But now, how did I suddenly get labeled as some kind of loose woman, and all because of a few text messages?

There was definitely more to this story.

The reason I hadn't reached out to Robert Yates these past two months was simple. I just wanted some space.

It was only after we got together that Robert let it slip he was actually a doctor.

The worst thing about dating a doctor? He's all up in your business, telling you what to do and what not to do.

Other couples would be out holding hands, grabbing a ice cream, on a blazing hot day.

But Robert would always stop me, going full doctor mode, saying cold drinks are terrible for your body in this kind of weather, then hand me some weird ginger jujube tea instead.

When I ordered takeout, I was all about the spicy stuff, grilled skewers.

But Robert would go on and on, listing all the ways I could end up with health problems if I ate that kind of food.

It freaked me out so much I'd cancel my order on the spot.

So when he broke up with me, I was totally baffled.

But at the same time, I was like, 'Finally, I can run wild in a paradise of fried goodies, late-night BBQ skewers, ice-cold beer, and spicy crayfish.

'No more holding my nose and choking down those weird herbal brews his hospital cooked up.'

All that big talk was just for show, so Robert wouldn't come looking for me and catch me stuffing my face with midnight snacks from roadside stalls.

For the past two months, I was that emo drama queen on my feed, posting all those classic breakup ballads.

But honestly, now that Robert wasn't around to boss me around, I was doing whatever I wanted, no rules, no restrictions.

I'd devoured every single ready-made meal from the store down the street.

I was binging on anything, icy desserts, steaming hot snacks, greasy junk food, and pulling all-nighters like it was my job.

And finally, I landed myself in the hospital.

I was planning to stuff myself silly, then shamelessly hit him up again and try to get back together.

But of course, fate had other plans. Here I was, running into him right here in the hospital.

If I'd known I was going to run into my ex, there was no way I would've worn my Hello Kitty cartoon underwear set underneath.

Hello Kitty's huge eyes were staring out from right across my soft chest, and honestly, it looked super goofy.

But whenever I used to see Robert, I always dressed to kill, pulling out all the stops to keep his eyes glued to me.

Lace, bows, curve-hugging silk, blinged-out thongs, if it was sexy, I wore it.

If Robert ever found out my real taste was this cutesy, I'd be mortified.

While I was freaking out inside, Robert just gave me a cold, clinical order. "Get on the bed, lift your shirt, and pull your pants down."

I clung stubbornly to my clothes, refusing to let go, my face burning with embarrassment.

"Come on, I've seen every part of you before. What are you even shy about?" Robert said, totally casual.

Seeing that talking me into it wasn't working, Robert just rolled up his sleeves and started doing it himself.

'No way, not happening. I twisted and squirmed like a maggot, desperate to escape his hands.

All that noise got Mom's attention. She walked in and saw me flailing like my life depended on it, trying to escape his grip and crawl off the hospital bed.

She shouted, "What are you so embarrassed about? Doctors don't care if you're a guy or a girl. I's all about getting you healthy!"

Then Mom rushed over, pinned me down, and said, "Dr. Yates, hurry up and check her already."

"I want another doctor," I yelled, my voice cracking with embarrassment.

"Do you know how hard it is to get an appointment at this hospital? I spent three days glued to my phone just to grab this slot, and now you want to leave?" Mom shot down my hopes instantly.

She went on, "Weren't you the one who said you wanted to marry your boyfriend and be together forever? Are you really going to drag this illness out and keep him worrying all the time?

"He's already working himself to death every day. Do you really want to give him even more to worry about? I thought you loved him."

In my mind, the breakup with Robert was just a fake. So of course I never bothered telling Mom about it.

Back when I was still with Robert, all the things Mom was saying now were just my own rosy daydreams about our future together.

All those promises about growing old side by side sounded so sweet back then, enough to make anyone get all mushy inside.

But now, the more Mom went on, the gloomier Robert's face got.

He probably thought Mom was talking about the guy who knocked me up.

Just thinking about having to explain all this to Robert later made my head hurt.

Suddenly, Robert's phone started ringing, cutting through the awkward silence.

'Man, talk about holding a grudge. If he was really over it, would he seriously still have that as his ringtone?'

Without missing a beat, Robert turned off his phone, but I caught a glimpse of his wallpaper.

It was a picture of us together. Only now, he'd made it black and white.

'Is this his way of holding a funeral for our relationship?' Suddenly, I realized Robert was actually serious about breaking up.