Chapter 1

In the third year of our long-distance relationship, I stumbled upon Ethan's alternate account.

In his post, he shared a story about being saved during his youth.

At the end, he asked in distress:

[What should I do if I can't forget my first love? It's seriously affecting my feelings for my girlfriend.]

The comments section had criticism and mockery.

Some offered advice too.

One comment said: [Sleep with your first love once, and you'll realize she's nothing special.]

Ethan didn't reply, but he liked the comment.

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When I received Ethan's message.

My mind was still stuck on the post I'd just seen.

My heart felt like it was blocked by a stone, heavy and suffocating.

Ethan sent me several photos.

"Had a team dinner today, happened to come to that trendy restaurant you mentioned before."

"The food's pretty good. I'll bring you here next time."

Coming back to my senses, I called Ethan.

His voice carried a smile. "Serena? What's up?"

"There's a long weekend coming up. Are you coming back?"

Ethan hesitated for a few seconds.

"I have work commitments this holiday. I won't be able to keep you company."

My heart sank a little more. I changed the subject.

"Who are you having dinner with?"

He paused on the other end. "Company employees, three or four people."

The dishes in the photos looked exquisite and delicious.

The portions weren't much—not enough for one person to finish, but too little if there were many people.

Just right for two.

I asked jokingly, "Is that enough food? You're not on a date with someone else, are you?"

Ethan sounded a bit helpless.

Even without seeing him, I could imagine him frowning.

"What are you overthinking now?"

"Do you need me to put someone on the phone to prove it to you?"

Long-distance relationships severely lack security.

Over these years, no matter how much I checked up on him, I never involved other people.

As long as Ethan said something, I believed him.

But this time was different.

I picked up my cold tea and took a sip. "Sure."

The phone went silent.

A light, cheerful female voice came through, growing closer.

"Ethan, I won a couples bracelet in the lucky draw. Help me put it on."

Ethan coughed uncomfortably, his words coming fast and urgent.

"Didn't you want to go to the beach? You can go with friends. I'll reimburse you."

"I've got something to deal with here. I'll contact you later."

The implication was clear.

He wasn't coming back, and he didn't want me to visit him either.

Ethan had always been generous with me.

Almost as soon as he hung up, he transferred money to me.

I stared at the dark screen for a while.

Suddenly I remembered that when I saw restaurant recommendations recently, one mentioned giving a mystery box gift for good reviews.

My fingers moved, opening a review app.

The latest review was from ten minutes ago.

[My boyfriend took time out of his busy schedule to bring me here! Love it.]

The photos matched the ones Ethan sent me exactly.

The last picture.

It was a girl's selfie, smiling brightly, intimately holding onto an arm.

I couldn't sleep that night.

Following that review's user ID, I found her account on another social platform.

There wasn't much content, but the contrast was stark.

In the past, everything was full of complaints.

Rent was too expensive, neighbors too noisy, working part-time was exhausting, her boss was always picking on her.

In the photos she posted, you could vaguely see peeling, moldy walls in her place.

Crumpled dresses piled on a worn-out sofa.

Until a month ago.

She moved into a high-end apartment, spacious and bright, elegant and grand.

Her closet was filled with all kinds of clothes, plus several expensive handbags.

The boxed lunches from before became various Japanese cuisine, Western food, and specialty restaurants.

In the scattered comments, someone asked if she'd struck it rich.

[I ran into a neighbor boy from before. He's doing really well now.]

[Wow! A reunion romance with a younger guy?]

She replied with a shy emoji.

As dawn approached, I booked a ticket on the earliest flight.

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