Chapter 3

Actually, Jake had returned once, a week after he left the country.

At that time, I had just been discharged from the hospital. Although my gastritis had improved significantly, my body was still very weak.

That day, he seemed to be in a bad mood. He bought a bunch of red wine and, ignoring my equally ashen face, simply walked around the living room, drinking silently.

I knew it must be about Chloe, since she was the only one who could ever affect his emotions.

He drank quickly, and his cheeks soon turned a bright red. By the time I had finished washing up and came out, he was alone in the living room, muttering to himself.

Having just recovered from being ill, I wanted to let him sleep in bed, but I didn't have the strength. All I could do was fetch his pillow and blanket from the bedroom and place them beside him.

Just as I was about to turn around and leave, he suddenly reached out and pulled me into his embrace.

"Andrea, you'll always be by my side and always love me, right?"

I didn't know why he suddenly asked me this question.

Still, I obediently answered him.

I was not sure how much time passed, but he eventually leaned on my shoulder, breathing evenly. I thought he had fallen asleep.

Just as I was about to push him away, a woman's voice suddenly came from Jake's phone on the coffee table.

"Jake, is this the girlfriend you talked about? What did you say when you were chasing me?"

At that moment, my blood seemed to freeze, sending a chill through me, as if a bomb had exploded in my mind, rendering me incapable of thought.

It took me a long while to regain my senses, only to realize he had been talking to Chloe.

No wonder he had behaved that way.

No wonder he had asked if I would continue to love him as always.

No wonder he had been silently drinking alone.

Jake pushed me away, then casually placed his hands behind him on the sofa.

"Yeah, do you think I'm just shamelessly trailing behind you, Chloe? See? I am also liked by someone."

"Even without you, my life can still be very happy."

"By the way, I haven't told you yet. We've been together for seven years, and it looks like we'll soon be getting married. Remember to come to our wedding."

The phone on the other end couldn't bear to listen anymore and quickly hung up.

I hadn't expected that Jake would first acknowledge me as his girlfriend in front of someone else and that it would be Chloe. His tone carried no joy, sounding more like revenge.

In this drama between the two of them, I felt like a clown, merely meddling in their affairs.

After hanging up, Jake let out a slight sigh of relief, then carelessly lay down on the floor, a man who usually valued cleanliness, displaying such uncharacteristic behavior for the first time.

Actually, upon reflection, everything about tonight was unusual, wasn't it?

It was as if he was gambling everything on a possession of love.

I covered him with a blanket and then returned to the bedroom. I left the door open, which was why I could hear Jake's sobbing from outside, clear as day.

Just as I was about to drift off to sleep, a phone rang in the living room. Quickly, Jake answered it.

"Okay."

After hanging up, Jake took a shower and then crawled into bed, holding me tight.

He thought I was asleep and whispered apologies in my ear, over and over.

"We are destined to meet, but not destined to be together."

Sleepless, I lay awake in his arms all night.

I didn't need to ask. I knew that the call was from Chloe. She wanted Jake to break up with me. If he broke up with me, she would choose to be with him.

And in this gamble, Jake did indeed win.

But he lost me, and to him, losing me was far less significant than gaining Chloe.

This wasn't the first time he had to choose between me and Chloe, so I knew what his answer would be.

The next morning, he told me, "Let's break up."

I nodded obediently, calmly acknowledged his words, and asked him for some time to pack my bags and move out.

It was as if he was holding my hand for the last time, reluctantly caressing the back of my hand over and over.

"No need," he said. "I will transfer the ownership of this apartment to you as compensation."

After saying this, he changed his clothes, placed the keys on the coffee table, and left without hesitation.

That same day, I met Joshua, Jake's good friend. It was he who had taken me to the hospital when I was unconscious and took great care of me for nearly a week.

In his arms, I cried my heart out, releasing all the pent-up emotions and grievances of the past few days.

Every time Jake was with Chloe, he would send Joshua to keep me company, as if this could somehow make up for his neglect. But he didn't realize that his debt to me was irreplaceable.

It was also for this reason that I had known Joshua for seven years.

I knew he was gentle and treated me well, even not minding that I had loved Jake for seven years.

So, when he asked me out, I didn't refuse.

He held me tightly and told me.

"Losing you is his loss. You deserve better."

All the grievances and bitterness of these years seemed transparent to him, and I buried my head in his chest.

Chasing after Jake's footsteps all these years was truly exhausting.

This time, I was ready to stop.