Chapter 2

I got up, put on my clothes, and walked toward the door.

Ethan called after me, “Where are you going?”

I did not answer and lowered my head to put on my shoes.

Under Chloe’s threatening stare, he finally apologized, though his tone was reluctant.

“What I said just now... I guess I went too far.”

But I did not stop and walked straight to the door.

This time, Ethan completely lost his patience.

“Are you done or not? Where can you even go in the middle of the night? Just because of that mess with your mom, the whole world has to tiptoe around you, is that it?”

Before I could answer, Chloe ran over and grabbed me, her grip so tight it hurt.

Her eyes were red, and tears had already fallen.

“Sophie... I’ll give you an explanation. Don’t be impulsive. Don’t do anything stupid.”

I lowered my head and looked at her hand, then smiled faintly.

Then I pulled my hand out of her palm.

“Chloe, the stupidest thing I’ve ever done in my life was letting you move into this apartment.”

My voice was as calm as stagnant water.

“Ever since we were kids, I gave you whatever you liked. You said you liked my dress, so I bought you the same one. You said you wanted to get into the same college as me, so I risked getting disciplined to pass you answers. Now, if you like my boyfriend and this bed, I can give them to you too.”

Chloe’s tears fell, and she opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

I looked at her calmly.

“Are you satisfied now? If you are, stop clinging to me. I have nothing left to give you.”

After saying that, I opened the door and walked out.

The early autumn wind poured into the hallway, and I shivered, but I did not stop.

The streetlight shone above me, dragging a short shadow across the ground.

I lowered my head and looked at my slippers, where the pink bunny ears were already dirty at the tips.

Through my blurry tears, the memories I had tried so hard to hold back surged up on their own.

When we first got together, Ethan treated me very well.

He knew that after my mom died beside me, I was afraid to sleep alone and did not dare turn off the lights.

So he specially bought an apartment in the same complex where Chloe rented.

Back then, Ethan said, “Chloe lives nearby, so when I’m on business trips, she can come over and keep you company.”

Later, Chloe kept saying she was worried about me being alone, and her occasional overnight stays turned into frequent sleepovers.

In the end, she simply ended her lease and moved into the apartment Ethan and I shared.

After Ethan found out, he said, “It’s good that you two are together. Saves everyone from running back and forth.”

From beginning to end, I never felt anything was wrong.

Until the matching couple mugs in the living room somehow became a set of three.

The toothbrush holder also gained another spot.

The pajamas, slippers, and even the new bedsheet I changed later were all the same style as Chloe’s.

She always smiled and tugged at my arm, her voice sweet and sticky.

“Sophie, let’s buy them together. Best friends should have matching bestie sets!”

Even our mutual friends joked, “Sophie Bennett, you’re so lucky. You got a boyfriend and a girlfriend as a bonus.”

I did not understand it back then and wholeheartedly thought I had won both love and friendship.

Only now did I realize that even they had been more clear-headed than me.

They had realized earlier than I had that there had always been a third person in this relationship.

I wiped away my tears, took off those slippers, and threw them into the trash can beside me.

Standing barefoot in place, the chill spread from the soles of my feet through my entire body.

I took my phone out of my pocket, found a number, and called it.

“Aunt Clara, I’ve made up my mind. I’m willing to go abroad with you.”