I spent two years in a relationship with a guy younger than me. He was handsome, full of energy, and charming. Just when I was thinking about taking the next step, we had a fight. In a fit of rage, the man who used to sweetly call me "Babe" let his mask slip. "Old hag." Later, at his loud, crowded birthday party, I happened to be dining at a nearby table with a new man. He saw me and rushed over like a lunatic. "Babe, let's stop this cold war, okay?" I smiled at him calmly. "Sorry, we’re already broken up." "Oh, by the way, don't call me Babe anymore. You should probably call me... sister-in-law." 1 The moment the words left his mouth, we both froze. "Old hag." I never thought I’d hear those words come from Liam’s mouth. "I... I didn't mean that." Liam’s face softened a bit, but his words remained stubborn. "Annie, I'm barely twenty-two. Do you really expect me to be as dead inside as you are?" I suddenly felt exhausted. Liam was young. Vibrant. He was still in grad school. After we moved in together, he went out drinking every two or three days, often stumbling home at 2 or 3 AM. I didn't have his energy. Between the pressure at work and his late nights, I was barely sleeping. Every time the door creaked open, every drunken stumble in the hallway, ruined my entire night. For months, my nerves had been frayed, fatigue eating away at me. I tried to talk to him, to ask him to cut back on the pointless partying. But in his anger, the truth slipped out. "No wonder the guys call you an old hag. You're just a buzzkill who won't let anyone have fun." In that instant, I was stunned. It was like I was looking at a stranger. The silence stretched for minutes. Liam’s phone buzzed. A male voice on the other end urged him on: "Liam, bro, where are you? Did Annie lock you in?" "No way, Liam! Is the old hag actually grounding you?" That second voice belonged to a girl. I knew her. She was the "princess" of Liam’s friend group. Cute face, disgusting personality. "Shut up," Liam snapped, frowning as he hung up. He looked at me, his tone slightly softer. "I won't come back tonight. I won't disturb your sleep." Slam. The door closed. I stared at the door for a long time before looking down. It was only a four-year age gap. When things were good, I was his sweet "Babe." When he was angry, the truth came out. To him, I was just an old hag who was four years his senior. 2 Liam didn't come home that night. I took half a sleeping pill and actually got some rest. My biological clock woke me up at six. I heard the front door open. I washed up and walked out to find Liam just returning. He was holding bags of my favorite breakfast from the bakery down the street. Seeing me awake, he pulled a small velvet box from his pocket like he was presenting a treasure. Inside was a necklace I had left in my online cart for months, too hesitant to buy. "About last night... I said something stupid. Don't hold it against me, okay?" That was Liam. Dating a younger guy wasn't easy. We fought a lot over the last two years. He was generous with gifts—flowers, luxury items I wanted but wouldn't buy for myself. Usually, a little coaxing and a gift would smooth things over. But this time, I knew. I couldn't let it go. "Old hag." Those two words had torn through the illusion of our love. It was repulsive. Liam thought this was just another small spat. He thought his usual tricks would work. But I just felt tired. "I'm not mad anymore," I said flatly. "Go get some sleep." Liam let out a sigh of relief. After he went into the bedroom, I left the necklace on the entryway table. This sweet date couldn't fix the slap in the face he gave me last night. 3 For the next few days, Liam focused on his studies. His schedule became almost normal. Until the weekend. He tested the waters. "It's Sarah's birthday. We're going to Karaoke tonight. Won't be late." Sarah. The girl who called me an old hag on the phone. I knew exactly what she was about. "I haven't been to Karaoke in a while," I said, looking at him. Liam froze. "You... want to go?" "Can't I?" I rarely joined his social events. In the first six months, the "honeymoon phase," he dragged me along. But I realized quickly that those loud, chaotic environments weren't for me. Eventually, our social lives separated completely. The last time I saw his friends was months ago, at Liam’s birthday. "It's going to be loud. I'm afraid you won't like it," Liam mumbled, trying to find an excuse. I shook my head calmly. "It's fine. I'm off tomorrow. I want to relax too." Liam looked uncomfortable, but he agreed. Before we left, he picked out a trendy, oversized hoodie for me. "See? Now you look a few years younger." I smiled faintly but didn't speak. His friends often made fun of my age behind my back. "Robbing the cradle," they'd say. Or they'd joke that Liam was smart for snagging a "sugar mommy" early. In the beginning, Liam would drink them under the table for those comments. "Say one more word about my girl and I'll end you," he'd slur. Back then, he really didn't care about the four years. But now? It had become his biggest insecurity. 4 We got to the Karaoke bar around eight. Liam immediately melted into the crowd of his friends. They greeted me politely, but their eyes were cold. Sarah, the birthday girl, saw me and made a dramatic face. "Annie! Who bought you that hoodie? You're, like, twenty-eight. Trying a bit hard, aren't we?" "Sarah." Liam's voice carried a warning. "Annie looks great. Don't be rude." Sarah huffed, then shoved the guy next to Liam out of the way and clung to Liam’s arm. "Come on, Liam! It's my birthday! Don't just sit with Annie. Come play dice with me!" Liam didn't pull away. He glanced at me, his expression relaxed and handsome. "Babe, I'll be right back." "Okay." The room got loud fast. These kids, with no real jobs or stress, drank and screamed over the music. I sat silently with a drink, watching Liam’s voice get louder. When he won a game, he high-fived Sarah, their bodies pressing together naturally. Noise. Chaos. Everything I hated. After the honeymoon phase, I had calmed down. I realized our differences weren't "complementary"—they were cracks in the foundation. Different schedules. Different hobbies. I wanted to rest on weekends; he wanted to party. I tried to keep up, but it just left me exhausted. I had thought about breaking up before. But I naively believed that love conquers all. "Liam! Why did you push me?" Sarah's whiny voice cut through the noise. Liam was drunk now. Sarah was clinging to him like ivy. But when her arm brushed his, Liam pushed her away. His rejection was loud and clear. "Get off. You're not Annie. My Annie isn't this... young." 5 Sarah pouted, pretending to be mad. "What? Are you saying Annie is old?" Liam mumbled something I couldn't catch, except for one sentence. "She's twenty-eight." Sarah beamed. She glanced at me, her eyes full of triumph. She was a sophomore. Eight years younger than me. She was definitely "tender" compared to me. Our fights lately always circled back to sleep schedules and age. He’d started tagging me in TikToks of younger, "hotter" girls. When I got upset, he’d say, "They're young and pretty. What's wrong with looking?" Yeah. Everyone was young and pretty. Except me. I was old and dead inside. I quietly gathered my things. As I walked out, a few people noticed. "Annie, you heading out? Don't worry, we'll take care of Liam," a guy by the door said. I nodded perfunctorily. Nobody wanted me there. Including Liam. Just like I didn't fit in this room, I didn't fit in his life. Age, personality... we were just wrong. Two years of trial and error, and the result was failure. I called an Uber. The night wind hit my face, making my eyes water. The driver, a woman in her thirties, saw me in the rearview mirror. "Rough night, honey? If he's not the one, dump him. You're too young to waste your time being sad." I wiped my eyes. She was right. Why suffer? Better to cut it off. I opened Liam’s chat. I didn't hesitate. "Liam, let's break up. Let's end this on good terms." 6 The next morning, I took all my saved vacation time and booked a trip. I had just finished a huge project, and my boss gave me a $2,000 bonus. Fifteen hours later, I landed in a foreign country. My phone buzzed. It was Liam. "Annie, what is wrong with you? Breaking up out of nowhere? Do you know all my friends saw that text?" Seeing the new scenery, my mood lifted. My voice was calm. "If you're embarrassed, you can tell them you dumped me." I didn't care about my reputation. When I started dating a guy four years younger, people talked. A little more gossip wouldn't hurt. "Annie, that's not the point. Why are we breaking up?" Liam was suppressing his anger. Why? There were too many reasons. I was too lazy to list them. "Liam, I don't want to date a younger guy anymore." I didn't want to be called an "old hag" behind my back by the boy I loved. It hurt too much. "You pursued me, remember? Were you just playing with me?" Liam gritted his teeth. Right. I chased him. We were at the same university. Before I graduated with my Master's, I had a brief campus romance. Liam was hot, rich, and a gentleman. I thought I had won the lottery. But nobody is perfect. I enjoyed his youth, so I had to pay the price: his immaturity, his lifestyle, and the endless stream of girls hovering around him. I had paid enough. "Yeah, my bad. Liam, I apologize. But we're done." My calmness must have infuriated him. "Fine! Break up then! Annie, don't you dare regret this!" I thought about it. I wouldn't.
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "389810", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel