Chapter 1

I come across an announcement while scrolling through my social media feed. The suspense thriller that my boyfriend, Thomas Sheridan, and I didn't get to watch in the movie theaters is now available for streaming.

Remembering that Thomas has a subscription to the streaming service, I ask him for his login details.

However, Thomas rejects my request.

"I don't like sharing my streaming history. Besides, you're always watching those brainless romance flicks. I don't want the app to recommend those movies to me."

My heart twists painfully upon hearing his words. I silently fork out 100 dollars to pay for my own annual subscription.

When the afternoon rolls around, I stop by my best friend, Lydia Wakeford's place to grab some things. She's curled up on the couch, watching a show on her tablet when I arrive.

A notification suddenly pops up on the screen. "Your progress is being synced with the main account, 'Tom.'"

I'm briefly stunned before I ask, "Are you using Thomas' account?"

"That's right. He gave me his login details when I asked. He must have agreed to my request because of you. I'm so lucky."

Their lists of recommendations and streaming histories are neatly displayed on the tablet.

Thomas isn't willing to share his personal sanctuary with me, but he has already welcomed another into it with open arms.

During dinner, I'm just about to tell Thomas and Lydia how I want to spend my birthday tomorrow when I hear them talking about movies.

"The movie that we watched a few days ago is still playing in the movie theaters, Tom," Lydia says. "Why don't the three of us watch it together? What do you think?"

Thomas places his fork down and nods. "Sure. But Riley's scared of horror movies. It'll be better if it's just the two of us."

"Alright then," Lydia says, sounding a little regretful. "I'll watch a romance movie with you next time, Riley."

I nod silently.

Thomas and Lydia continue to discuss movies as they sit at the dining table. Neither of them remembers that it's my birthday tomorrow.

I suddenly feel like I'm the onlooker who's watching their romance unfold.

Chapter 1

I still stopped by the grocery store the next day after work. I pushed the shopping cart as I slowly made my way through the aisles, grabbing the ingredients that I needed to prepare a meal as always.

When I passed by the candle rack, I hesitated. In the end, I still grabbed a box.

Truth be told, I didn't have to celebrate my birthday. It was just that when I was 24, my boyfriend, Thomas Sheridan, had shown up outside my office with a bouquet of flowers. He sounded utterly serious when he said, "I'll celebrate your birthday with you every year from now on."

I had believed him at that time.

After getting home, I bustled about in the kitchen until the sun went down. I placed the cake in the middle of the dining table. The entire apartment seemed a little more lively after I lit the candle.

Then, I sat down and waited. I continued waiting even as the sky beyond the window gradually turned from light to dark.

It was almost 8:00 pm when I finally received a message in the group chat.

"Almost home. There's traffic downstairs," Thomas wrote.

I stared at the message for a few seconds before placing my fork down. I didn't mind waiting a little longer since Thomas said that he was almost home.

However, there were no sounds of movement beyond the front door even after ten minutes had passed.

I looked down and scrolled through my phone. The first thing I came across was my best friend Lydia Wakeford's new post on her social media account.

There were two movie tickets in the photo. The caption read, "Entered the wrong hall and accidentally watched a romance flick. But it was good! Five stars and highly recommended."

My fingers slowly turned cold as I read the caption.

Although Thomas was so against the idea of watching a romance movie with me, he was more than willing to do so with Lydia.

I barked out a self-deprecating laugh and placed my phone on the table. I then looked down and cut the cake. I used a tissue to wipe the cream that got smudged on my fingers before picking up my fork and digging into the dishes on the table that had already gone cold by myself.

…

The front door finally swung open at around 9:00 pm.

Thomas walked into the apartment with Lydia trailing behind him with a big smile, holding a cup of bubble tea and some movie merchandise.

His expression darkened slightly when he realized that I had already started eating. "Why did you start eating by yourself?" he asked.

I looked up at him and retorted, "You told me that you were already downstairs an hour ago."

Thomas tossed his keys on the cabinet and said lightly, "There was a traffic jam. It's perfectly normal for us to be a little late."

"He's right," Lydia chimed in with a smile. "We weren't late on purpose."

As I looked between the cup of bubble tea that she was holding and the candle that had nearly burned out on the table, I suddenly lost the energy to even be angry at them.

"Do you remember what day it is today?" I asked Thomas.

He frowned. It seemed as if he had truly forgotten. However, a few minutes later, his expression stiffened when he finally recalled what day it was—my birthday, the same day that he had confessed to me years ago.

"Do you still remember what you told me?" I asked quietly as I looked at him.

Thomas said nothing.

Noticing that something was amiss, Lydia hastily tried to smooth things over. "It probably slipped Thomas' mind because work's been crazy recently. The two of you have been together for so long. He definitely didn't mean to forget!"

I slowly turned to look at her. "Is that so?"

Lydia was stunned.

"How was the romance flick?" I asked softly.

Silence descended upon the living room the moment the words left my lips. Thomas' face twisted while Lydia's smile stiffened.

Chapter 2

Lydia's eyes reddened. She bit her lip and murmured, "If you mind my presence, I'll just leave."

She then turned to grab her bag.

Thomas reacted almost instantaneously, grabbing her to stop her. "Why are you leaving?"

He then turned to look at me, his voice colored with impatience. "You should know where to draw the line, Riley Yeldham."

I almost started laughing as I looked at him.

It was my birthday, but I had to wait for him for so long. And what did I get in the end? Nothing except for the fact that he had accompanied someone else to watch a romantic movie.

I hadn't even said anything, and yet he was already defending Lydia as if I had terribly wronged her.

Lydia's eyes began to water. "I don't want you two to argue because of me."

Thomas softened his tone and replied, "This has nothing to do with you."

He was still holding onto her when he said those words.

My heart felt as if it was being twisted as I stared at his hand. I lowered my head and swept my gaze across the apartment.

Lydia was the one who recommended the throw blanket on the couch to me. The half-empty can of soda in the fridge was hers. The coat on the balcony also belonged to her. She had left it behind when she last dropped by. The stomach medication and earphones in the drawer of the coffee table were also hers.

Thomas and I were the ones who were living in that apartment, but Lydia's traces were everywhere and even more than mine.

I suddenly recalled an incident in the past.

I wanted to put my aromatherapy diffuser in the living room, but Thomas rejected my idea, saying that the smell was too strong.

But when Lydia brought a bottle of fragrance over one day, he said that the smell was pleasant enough to keep.

I didn't take it to heart at the time. Only then did I realize that the problem had never been the different scents. It was just that the items belonged to different people.

I looked up at Thomas and asked, "So, in your eyes, I'm causing a fuss. Am I right?"

Thomas' expression darkened. "I can't do anything if you insist on thinking that way."

He always reacted the same way. It was as if I was the one who was being immature whenever I got upset, as if I was the one who was causing trouble whenever I said something.

Lydia sniffled and muttered, "Forget it. I just won't come over anymore."

She then turned and left the apartment.

Thomas didn't hesitate for even a second before he chased after her.

The front door clicked shut, and the apartment fell dead silent.

I stood rooted to the spot and didn't move for a long time.

A corner of the cake had collapsed. The candle had gone out. The dishes were thoroughly cold now. The bottle of red wine was still sitting quietly on the dining table, totally untouched.

I slowly sat down. My eyes reddened as I stared at the candle wax on the tabletop.

Truth be told, Thomas accompanying Lydia to the movie theater wasn't the first time that I had lost to her. I lost every single time whenever he had to choose between us because he would always choose her.

I couldn't even get a single word of apology out of him, even though I had sat and waited for him for so long and prepared a feast.

I sat for a long time before I finally grabbed my phone and called my boss, Emily Langley.

The company had an overseas project, and they had already asked me twice if I was interested in joining.

I never agreed because I couldn't bear to let go of this relationship—couldn't bear to let go of Thomas. However, at that moment, I was struck with a realization that it was pointless for me to stay.

After the call connected, I said, "Hello, Ms. Langley. I want to join the overseas project."

Emily was stunned before she asked, "Are you sure?"

I looked around the apartment, taking in the items that didn't belong to me. I hummed in response and said, "Yes, I'm sure."

…

Thomas didn't come home that night.

The next day, I started the handover process. During lunch break, I sent Thomas a message, wanting to explain the situation to him. But it failed to deliver.

I was stunned for a few seconds before I realized what was going on.

Thomas had blocked my number.

I got the same results when I tried to send a message to Lydia. Finally, I opened our group chat and noticed that I had been removed from it.

An absurd sensation spread through my chest.

Chapter 3

I returned to the apartment to grab my passport and documents after the overseas project's list of members was released.

Thomas still hadn't come back or called me. It was as if he was waiting for me to yield first. However, I had no plans to go along with his whims this time.

I opened the drawer to look for my passport and came across a stack of ticket stubs and itineraries. I originally planned to just tidy them up, but my plan flew out the window when I saw a particular plane ticket.

I still clearly remembered the departure date.

I'd been running a high fever at the time. When I video-called Thomas, he told me that he was on a business trip and was so swamped with work that he didn't even have time to eat.

Worried that he would develop stomach issues if he continued to go hungry, I had specially ordered a food delivery for him.

However, at that moment, I could clearly see the other name on the paper. The person who had gone on the business trip with him was none other than Lydia.

My fingers froze over the paper, and I stood rooted to the spot.

A long time passed before I finally navigated to Lydia's social media account. I then began to scroll through her previous posts. When I finally reached that particular date, I saw a photo of them together.

They were in a foreign country. The streets were packed, and the lights were glowing.

Thomas and Lydia were sporting the same scarves as they stood next to each other, looking like a perfectly normal couple.

Lydia was smiling brightly while Thomas stood next to her and looked down at her. His tender expression made me feel as if I was looking at a stranger.

The caption read, "Thank you for checking off an item on my bucket list with me."

I suddenly recalled that I had once told Thomas that I wanted to travel too as I stared at the caption.

We were curled up on the couch at the time, watching a variety show. I had casually told him that we could plan a trip together once his work slowed down.

Thomas didn't even bother looking up from his phone when he said, "It's a hassle to apply for leave. I don't see the need to trouble myself over something like this."

I had told myself at the time that he was just too busy.

Only then did I realize that it wasn't that Thomas didn't feel the need to go on a trip with me. He just didn't think that I was worth the effort.

…

That night, Emily sent me the list of members for the overseas project.

I frowned when I saw Cory Wyatt's name.

Cory had a tendency to speak out of line when he was talking to me, but I shut him down every single time.

In the past, he still held back a little because he knew that I had a boyfriend. However, he had grown bolder recently. It was likely that he had figured out that my relationship with Thomas was on the rocks.

For the past few days, I would always find him waiting for me outside the office after I finished work. He would ask to send me home, claiming that it was on the way.

I ignored him every single time.

…

One night, I noticed Cory following me again after I left the office. When I picked up the pace, he would quicken his footsteps as well.

I turned and headed into the underground parking lot, wanting to lose him by using the other exit. What I didn't expect was for him to follow me into the parking lot.

My heart skipped a beat, and I immediately dialed Thomas' number. My first and second calls were ignored. He directly rejected the call when I called him for the third time.

My palms were sweating profusely as I hastily sent a message to him.

"I'm being stalked by Cory."

However, my message was also totally ignored.

The sounds of Cory's footsteps were getting closer.

Disgust roiled in my stomach when he called my name from behind me.

"Drop the act, Riley. I know that you've been dumped."

I ignored Cory and continued walking. However, he caught up to me in just a few steps and blocked my path.

"I know that you were pretending to be aloof in the past because you didn't want him to find out. But he doesn't want you anymore, so it's also pointless for you to keep up the act."

I whirled around and tried to make a break for it, but Cory grabbed my wrist and stopped me in my tracks.

My phone clattered to the ground. The screen was still displaying my unanswered calls to Thomas.

I frantically thrashed around. My voice was trembling when I said, "Let go of me."

Instead, Cory started dragging me toward a corner, asking, "Why not consider getting together with me? I'll definitely treat you better than him."

My knee slammed against the car door. The pain was so overwhelming that my leg was beginning to turn numb.

Just as Cory was about to pin me against the wall, a fierce voice cut through the air.

"Stop!"

I whipped my head up.

Emily rushed onto the scene with a team of security guards, who pinned Cory on the ground within seconds.

My knees buckled, and I crumpled to the ground.

Emily hurried over to my side and helped me up to my feet. Her voice was steady when she said, "Don't be scared, Riley. The police will be here soon."

Later, I found out that Emily already had an inkling that there was something strange about Cory. When I didn't reply to my messages that day after work, she decided to check the surveillance cameras. Realizing that something was amiss, she swiftly led a team of security guards to look for me.

I was still shaking violently even after the police took Cory away. I kept thanking Emily over and over again when we were on the way to the hospital.

Emily held my hand and simply said, "It's not your fault."

I looked down, allowing the tears to spill down my cheeks.

A notification popped up on my phone, informing me that Thomas and Lydia had updated their social media accounts.

They had taken a photo at one of the locations in the movie. They had even written down their wishes and hung them up on the wishing board.

"I hope that I get to experience this feeling with you every year."

Their words made me sick.

Chapter 4

The doctor had just finished examining me when Thomas and Lydia rushed to the hospital. He explained that I hadn't suffered any severe damage, but both my wrist and knee were injured, so I needed to remain in the hospital for them to monitor my condition.

I sat on the chair in the hallway, clutching my medical report. My entire body felt numb.

Thomas hurried over to me the moment he spotted me. "How are you feeling, Riley?"

His face was pale. His voice was tight when he asked, "Did you get hurt? Why didn't you inform me sooner after something like this happened?"

My heart felt cold as I looked up at him.

Lydia stood to the side. The smile had disappeared from her face. "It's a good thing that nothing too serious happened. How scary."

I didn't say a word.

Truth be told, I had felt momentarily dazed when I saw the flicker of panic in Thomas' eyes. It was almost as if he cared about me, as if the last few years that we spent together weren't all fake.

I swiftly crushed those thoughts.

When a police officer approached me to take my statement, Lydia suddenly asked, "Did he try anything with you? Or did he already… Don't be scared, Riley. Be brave and tell us everything. We'll definitely make him pay for what he did to you."

She didn't finish her sentence, but I knew what she was trying to imply.

Silence descended upon the hospital room.

I slowly turned to look at Lydia. My mind had gone blank. I didn't understand how she could ask such a question.

However, what made my heart feel even more hollow was how Thomas didn't immediately stop her. Instead, he just stood there and looked at me with a hint of hesitation in his eyes. It was as if he was waiting for me to answer, as if he also wanted to know if anything had happened.

I suddenly felt incredibly cold. It turned out that, in their eyes, the fact that I was nearly ruined was something that could be talked about, something that they could casually question me about to satisfy their own curiosities.

I lifted my hand and pointed at the door. My voice trembled as I said, "Get out."

Lydia was stunned. "I didn't mean it like that. I was just asking."

My breathing turned ragged as my hands began to shake.

The doctor and nurses rushed into the room. They then asked everyone to leave so they could calm me down. Later, the doctor told me that they had no choice but to sedate me due to my severe reaction.

…

I was just about to fall asleep when I heard the sounds of an argument coming from beyond the door.

Suppressing his fury, Thomas snapped, "Don't you know that you'll hurt her by asking her those questions?"

"I didn't do it on purpose," Lydia blubbered through tears. "I'm just bad with words."

The sounds of the argument began to fade into the distance.

I didn't have the strength to continue listening to them.

…

I fell into a deep sleep.

The hospital room was very quiet when I woke up. The only source of light came from a small lamp.

Feeling extremely parched, I got up from the bed, wanting to call a nurse. When I reached the door, I peeked through the gap and noticed that there were people in the hallway.

Lydia was crouching next to the wall. Her shoulders shuddered as she cried.

Thomas stood before her. He was silent for a few seconds before he bent down and pulled her into his arms. He coaxed her in a hushed voice, patting her back to soothe her. His practiced movements suggested that he had comforted her in the same way countless times in the past.

I didn't move an inch as I stood behind the door. At that moment, something hit me. It didn't matter whether I was the one who felt upset or got hurt. At the end of the day, the person who Thomas would pull into his arms would never be me.

I slowly let go of the door handle, padded back to my bed, and sat down. The lingering feelings that I still had for Thomas completely disappeared right then and there.

…

I completed the hospital discharge procedures the next morning.

Emily personally dropped by the hospital to pick me up, informing me that Cory had been fired.

The police would continue their investigations, while she would keep an eye on the procedures of the overseas project on my behalf, promising that she wouldn't allow this incident to affect me.

I nodded and thanked her before making my way out of the hospital with her. I had just left the inpatient department when I heard someone call my name from behind.

I didn't turn back.

…

Thomas had been one step too late.

My room was already empty when he arrived. Only then did he remember that he had blocked my number a few days ago. He unblocked it and tapped on our chat, wanting to send me a message.

However, the first thing he saw was the message that I had failed to send to him a few days ago.

"Let's break up."

The color drained from his face in an instant.