Chapter 3

I got back to my apartment.

Packed cardboard boxes were stacked up in the hallway, and the living room looked completely empty.

Only then did I realize that after seven years of dating, there were barely any traces of Austin in my apartment.

Just a pair of dusty slippers and a coffee mug he used once.

And I was the one who bought both of them.

He had never given me a decent gift.

Yet, for Brooke's birthday, he went out of his way to order a massive bouquet of her favorite red roses.

When I asked him about it, he always said, "Those materialistic things are pointless. Real partners don't care about fancy gifts."

I had questioned him. I had expressed my frustration.

But he simply replied, "I only buy gifts for your boss to make you look good in front of her."

I laughed at my own stupidity.

My phone vibrated. It was my mom calling.

"Hey, Chloe. Have you and Austin decided on a wedding date yet?"

Not long ago, our parents had met.

My parents were very happy with him, but when it came to setting a date, Austin said he wanted to focus on his career first and that there was no rush.

At the time, though disappointed, I tried to be understanding of his career goals.

But now, I only felt relieved.

If a man constantly drove his car to another woman's house before marriage, how could I ever trust him to come home to me after?

"Mom, we're not getting married. I'm breaking up with him."

My mom’s voice instantly grew tense. "Why? Did he cheat on you?"

"No. I just realized we're not right for each other."

Silence fell over the line.

After all, everyone knew I had loved Austin desperately for seven years.

I was the one who chased him first.

To get close to him, I joined the outdoor hiking club he liked and hung out at his favorite coffee shops just to "bump into" him.

After graduation, he got a job offer in Los Angeles.

Without a second thought, I turned down a prestigious recommendation from my professor and took an assistant job at Brooke's company just to be in the same city as him.

My mom was so angry she didn't speak to me for three days, but I only told her, "Mom, if I lose him, I'll regret it for the rest of my life."

Back then, Brooke even joked with me:

"Chloe, you are completely whipped. He’s got you locked down."

Brooke used to be a good boss. She looked out for me, and we got along like friends.

But no one expected that she would eventually enjoy my boyfriend's undivided attention without a single shred of guilt.

I opened Instagram and saw Brooke's latest post. It was a video of her romantic dinner.

The location was tagged at the high-end French restaurant I had mentioned to Austin dozens of times.

The candles flickered, the plates were artfully arranged, and a live piano played in the background.

Every time I asked Austin to take me there, he would say, "We're saving up for a wedding, Chloe. Can you be more practical? A single dinner there costs hundreds of dollars. We can have a candlelit dinner at home."

But now, just because Brooke wanted French food, he took her to the exact restaurant I had been dreaming of.

I sank onto the couch, feeling utterly exhausted.

Last year, when I bought a heavy wardrobe, I called Austin to ask if he could help me assemble it.

He said he had a team-building event and told me to hire a tasker.

To save money, I spent the entire night assembling it myself by watching YouTube tutorials. I ended up cutting my hand on a sharp screw.

Yet, when Brooke bought new cabinets, Austin took a half-day off from work to help her.

"It’s heavy lifting, and Brooke is living alone. As her friend, I should help out," he had said.

I remembered watching him sweat as he worked on her furniture, realizing he looked like a complete stranger to me.

It wasn't that he didn't know how to assemble furniture.

He just didn't want to waste his time on me.