At our fourth engagement party, Chloe Collins abandoned me again to run to her ex-boyfriend. Every single time, she used the same excuse, leaving me behind to be the laughingstock of the town. But this time, I didn't want to stop her. This was our tenth year together, and I was just so tired. "Chloe, if you walk out that door today, we are done. Let’s break up." "I hope the two of you will be very happy together." Chloe’s face instantly hardened. "Why are you being so petty? Are you still mad because we accidentally kissed last time?" "I already apologized to you! Julian is not like you. He’s innocent and fragile! Besides, he has no one else but me!" She spun around and walked out. I didn't argue. I blocked her on Snapchat, Instagram, and every other platform, and posted our breakup online. When the spotlight hit me, I felt a wave of dizziness. Watching Chloe’s figure disappear around the corner, I let out a bitter laugh. The whispers of the guests rushed into my ears. "Is the engagement called off again? How many times has this been? Do they think our time is a joke?" "Seriously, she dumps him for another guy over and over, and he still stays. He has absolutely no self-respect!" "There’ll definitely be a fifth time. Ethan Miller will never let her go." I had heard these exact words countless times over the past ten years. Every time, I would just smile, pretend nothing happened, and clean up her mess under everyone's mocking stares. But now, looking at the half-empty hall, I suddenly found it all so pointless. My ten years of devotion were pointless. My stubborn persistence was pointless. Years ago, Chloe’s family was on the brink of bankruptcy and desperately needed money. That was the only reason she lowered herself to be with a "simp" like me. No matter how cold she was to me over the years, I did my best to cherish her. I always thought that one day she would see my worth and truly accept me. But it had been ten years. Even a heart of stone should have melted by now. Yet, she hadn't changed at all. I sighed and decided to make one last call, just to see. After a dozen rings, she finally picked up. Her voice was dripping with impatience. "Are you trying to harass me to death? Don't you know I'm taking care of Julian?" "Can you stop throwing tantrums and look at the time? Why did I end up with such a pathetic guy like you?" "It was just one kiss when we got drunk! Are you really going to hold that grudge forever?" Her screeching voice echoed through the silent banquet hall. I saw someone in the audience burst out laughing. My face burned with humiliation, but I cleared my throat and spoke into the mic anyway. "He’s a grown man. What could possibly happen to him? This is our fourth engagement party, Chloe. It won’t take much of your time to just come back and finish it." "Once this is over, you can do whatever you want. I won’t bother you ever again, okay?" As I said those words, I couldn't help but laugh at myself. How could a man beg so pitifully? But before she could answer, Julian’s voice suddenly came through the speaker. "Chloe, are you done yet? The bathwater is ready. It's going to get cold soon!" The entire hall fell into a dead silence. Everyone looked at me with pure pity. My hands shook uncontrollably, and my eyes turned red with fury. This was the "emergency" she was talking about! Running off to take a bath with another man! The call was abruptly disconnected, but I couldn't calm down anymore. I typed the words that had been suffocating me for years and sent them. [Let's break up.] She didn't reply. She was probably too busy enjoying her night with Julian. Just thinking about that image made me want to throw up. I was the biggest clown in the world. I opened Instagram and saw that Julian had just posted a new update. In the photo, Chloe was fast asleep in a bed. Julian’s caption read: *“So glad you’re always by my side.”* It was a blatant provocation. What was even harder to ignore was that both of them were clearly shirtless. My chest felt like it was crushed by a massive boulder. But in that exact moment, my ten years of obsession evaporated into thin air. I posted a picture of a clear blue sky on my Instagram feed, officially declaring the end of our relationship: *“Single and free. I no longer have to worry about whose bed you’re sleeping in at midnight.”* Let it end here.
The next morning, I was woken up by Chloe violently banging on my door. "Open the door! Who do you think you are? How dare you post that on Instagram to threaten me!" "It was such a small thing! My parents just called and screamed at me because of you. Are you happy now?" The moment I opened the door, she furiously threw her designer bag right at my face. The sharp pain brought tears to my eyes. But she didn't care about my pain. The only person she ever cared about was her precious ex-boyfriend. I wiped my eyes and looked at her coldly. The hickeys on her neck were too obvious to ignore. In the past, I would have lost my mind and started a screaming match. But now, I just wanted to get this over with. "I made myself very clear. We’ve both been exhausted for ten years. It's over." "Since you and Julian love each other so much, I won’t stand in your way anymore." Seeing how strangely calm I was, she finally realized she might have gone too far. She touched her nose guiltily and softened her tone, which was rare for her. "Okay, okay. I know I messed up yesterday, but it was an emergency." "Look, I won’t go anywhere today. I'll stay home and keep you company, okay? Stop being mad." "When we were in college, he was the one who defended me when those rumors spread. I always felt like I owed him." I held my cold coffee mug and didn't say a word. A person's patience has limits. I had told her that countless times. Too bad she never listened. Seeing that I was still silent, she resorted to her ultimate weapon. She leaned in close, trying to press her lips against mine. This was her go-to move. In the past, no matter how angry I was, as long as she kissed me, I would immediately back down. But this time, it was different. Right before our lips touched, I pushed her away. I stood up, frowning. "I told you, I've reached my limit. I loved you, Chloe, but that wasn't an open invitation for you to walk all over me." "If you feel like you owe him, there are a million ways to repay him. Don't use that as an excuse for your own selfish desires." This was the first time I had ever rejected her. Chloe froze in shock. She stared at me in disbelief. Just as she was about to speak, her phone rang. Julian’s voice whimpered from the speaker. "Chloe... I finally get it now. My presence is ruining your relationship with Ethan. It's all my fault..." "I'm leaving town. I called to say goodbye. Thank you for everything." Chloe immediately panicked. She grabbed her bag from the couch and rushed to the door. "What are you talking about! This has nothing to do with you! I don't even care about him that much anyway!" "Don't do anything stupid! I'm coming to find you right now!" I watched her run out, feeling absolutely nothing. This exact scene had played out hundreds of times. One call from him, and I was instantly abandoned. She would never change. Perhaps feeling a bit guilty, she stopped at the door and coughed awkwardly. "Wait for me to come back, and we'll talk. I'm just worried he might do something reckless." "You understand, right?" I didn't say anything. I just gave her a slight nod. She looked relieved, smiled, and ran out. Where she went had nothing to do with me anymore. We had already broken up.
I didn't have many belongings in the apartment. Most of the stuff belonged to Chloe—her clothes, her jewelry. It was easy to pack. What was funny was that even though we had been together for ten years, we slept in separate bedrooms. I had never even stepped into hers. I thought I never would, but since my car keys were on her desk, I had to open her door. The moment I walked in, I froze. The pastel-pink room was filled with photos. From their teenage years up to pictures taken just months ago, the only two people in those frames were Chloe and Julian. Anyone walking in would think this was a bedroom for a married couple. But I was her actual boyfriend. I was the man who was supposed to spend the rest of his life with her. I thought my heart was numb, but my fists clenched so hard they shook. As I backed out of the room, my heel accidentally hit the button of a recording plushie on the floor. "Julian, when are you going to take me away? Being around him every single second makes me feel absolutely disgusted!" Chloe's sweet, whiny voice echoed through the room. *Disgusted?* So she felt disgusted being with me? Then, Julian's lazy, arrogant voice played. "Just bear with it a little longer. Once you marry him, all his money will be yours. We won't have to work a day in our lives!" Instead of rejecting this disgusting plan, Chloe laughed happily. "You're so smart! When that happens, no one can stop us." "Julian, I love you so much. Do you love me?" After a pause, Julian let out a dry, awkward chuckle. "Of course I love you. You're the only woman I'll ever love." The recording stopped. There was a sticky note on the plushie, written in Chloe’s handwriting: *“I am the love of his life.”* I didn't even know how I walked out of that apartment. My entire world felt like it was crumbling. I used to think she was just a spoiled girl who didn't know how to love. But from the very beginning, she was just plotting to take my money and run away with another man. My years of devotion were nothing but a joke. I used to think of this apartment as our home, the anchor that kept me going. It turned out the anchor was made of cardboard. With trembling fingers, I opened my chat with Chloe. It was a wall of blue bubbles—just me talking to myself. She had never once replied to my care or love. The only times she messaged me were to ask for money or to tell me to stop causing trouble for Julian. I remembered the first time I met Julian. He had poured a cup of hot coffee over his own head and blamed me. Chloe had slapped me in front of everyone. "Do you have to make his life miserable? What did he ever do to you! Why do you hate him so much!" "I thought you were a sweet, understanding guy. It was all an act!" I had tried to explain, but she only looked at me with cold disgust while Julian smirked from her arms. The memories flashed before my eyes. I closed my eyes tiredly, took one last look at this place, sighed, and walked out.
My peaceful life only lasted for two days. When I walked into the living room of my family's house, I was surprised to see Chloe and her parents sitting on the couch. The moment her parents saw me, they pushed Chloe forward. "Apologize to Ethan right now! How did I raise such a clueless daughter!" Then, they turned to me with fake, oily smiles. "Ethan, dear, please don't take it to heart. We just spoiled her too much!" "You know she truly loves you. Otherwise, why would she stay with you for ten years? A woman’s best years are her twenties, after all!" I glanced at my parents sitting across from them. They were sipping their tea silently, but their faces were filled with annoyance. Chloe had crossed the line too many times. My family had a reputation to uphold. She had dragged my dignity through the mud over and over, making us a laughingstock. My parents had been done with her a long time ago. If it weren't for my stubbornness in the past, her family wouldn't even be allowed past our front gates. Seeing that none of us were speaking, Chloe reluctantly walked over to me. "Fine, fine. It’s been days. Why are you still holding a grudge?" "My parents already consulted an astrologer. They said next month is the perfect date for our wedding. I promise I won't run away this time." She reached out, trying to hug me. I stepped back, dodging her, and spoke coldly. "How many times do I have to say it? We are over. Don't ever bother me again." "I've moved all my stuff out. We are done." Chloe finally snapped. In the past, no matter what she did, a little baby voice and a hug would make me forgive her. She was absolutely sure I would never leave her. But this time, my attitude was rock-solid. For the first time, fear crept into her eyes. "What right do you have to dump me? I’ve been with you since I was so young! Do you know how valuable my youth is?" "And I already apologized! What more do you want?" Looking at her entitled face, I wondered how I could have been so blind. Even now, she didn't think she did anything wrong. Her parents quickly chimed in. "Yes, Ethan. Every couple fights. You can't just throw away ten years of love over a small argument!" "It’s not like she cheated on you! She was just worried about a friend!" Now I knew why Chloe was so messed up. What kind of decent child could grow up in a family like this? Once they finally shut up, I took out my phone and played the audio I had recorded from the plushie in Chloe’s room.
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "NovelMaster" app ? search for "449001", and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster