On my birthday, Caleb Thorne proposed to me. But before he could put the ring on my finger, Chloe Vance snatched it and put it on her own hand. Caleb smiled indulgently. "Chloe's just being playful again." Silence fell over the room. Everyone waited for my reaction, the official girlfriend. They expected a catfight. A scene. Instead, I popped a confetti cannon, raining colorful streamers over them. "A match made in heaven," I said with a smile. "Wishing you a lifetime of happiness." 1 Caleb looked at me through the falling confetti. Chloe hugged his neck happily, acting like a spoiled child. "I love this ring! I want it!" Caleb seemed to wake from a dream, finally realizing this was my birthday party. He pulled Chloe's hand down, explaining anxiously. "Chloe is just joking around." The guests were our mutual friends. They started joking to ease the tension. "Tory, you're the star tonight. Don't get mad at irrelevant people." Irrelevant? I looked at Chloe standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Caleb. They were childhood sweethearts, a perfect pair. She raised her hand, showing off the ring on her middle finger. It fit perfectly. Silently declaring that I was the irrelevant one. I raised an eyebrow and met Caleb's gaze. "The ring is on. Is it time for the honeymoon?" Caleb's face changed. He strode over to me. "Tory, Chloe was just curious and wanted to try it on. Be more generous." "I grew up with Chloe. She has a child's heart. Why do you have to make things difficult for a kid?" Everyone's expressions turned awkward. Chloe wasn't six, nor sixteen. She was twenty-six! Calling her a child? Did he think we were all blind? Chloe took off the ring. "Caleb, how can you say that about Tory? She wasn't making things difficult for me. Tory, here's your ring back. Happy Birthday." She tossed the ring toward me. The round band rolled to my feet. The atmosphere turned weird. Everyone was confused. I was the victim, yet Caleb defended Chloe, even getting angry at me in public. Caleb looked at me, his eyes cold, seeing right through me. It felt like a bucket of ice water was poured over my head. I calmed down instantly. In the past, I would have never stayed calm. I would have fought Chloe tooth and nail. Then I would have had a huge fight with Caleb, maybe even a cold war. Then he would have a valid reason to disappear for days, no news, until I bowed my head and apologized. He tamed me, step by step. I bowed my head so many times that he no longer cared about my feelings. After all, in a relationship, the one who falls in love first... Loses. 2 Caleb and Chloe grew up in the same gated community. Chloe was naturally mischievous and loved causing trouble, but Caleb thought she was innocent as a child, always cleaning up her messes without complaint. In college, even though they never officially announced it, everyone assumed they were a couple. So, when Caleb suddenly gave me a bouquet of roses and asked me to be his girlfriend... I was stunned. I thought it might be a Truth or Dare punishment, or a dream. But I liked Caleb so much that even if it was a dream, I was willing to sink into it. Reality treated me well. Caleb really became my boyfriend. I could secretly hold his hand in the library, date him in coffee shops, and spend every important holiday with him. But all of these required my initiative. I thought he had never dated before and didn't know how to take care of people. Until I saw how he took care of Chloe. Turns out he wasn't incapable. It's just that the person being meticulously cared for... wasn't me. 3 The birthday candles were lit. Friends urged me to make a wish. I came back to my senses and blew out all the candles directly. Seeing this, Caleb frowned impatiently: "Tory, what tantrum are you throwing now? Don't think just because it's your birthday I'll let you have your way!" I stood up, holding the table. "Then I'll let you have yours." I walked around the table, ignoring Caleb's dark face, and walked straight out of the private room. As the door closed, I heard Chloe's affected voice: "Oh no, it's Tory's birthday after all. Is it bad to make the birthday girl angry? Should I go apologize?" Caleb suppressed his impatience, his tone gentle. "Let her go if she wants. Who's going to indulge her temper? Come on, let's play!" A door separated us. Inside was a crowd's revelry. Outside was one person's loneliness. Caleb had never been so gentle with me. In front of outsiders, he never showed any bias towards me. They always did everything couples do in front of me, under the guise of friendship. Chloe had no sense of direction, so he tirelessly detoured to pick her up from work. Chloe made a mistake and got fired, so he hired her to be by his side. His passenger seat belonged to Chloe. His spare time, whenever Chloe needed it, was given without hesitation. Whenever I felt my territory was invaded and got angry, he said we were partners for life, Chloe was still a child, and told me not to be so petty. But seeing Chloe's things appear in our home always made me panic. Until tonight, when Caleb let Chloe put on the engagement ring meant for me. It completely turned me into a clown. Caleb turned my love for him into a blade and stabbed me with it. I took out my phone to call a car, but a message popped up. It was from a friend, a photo of a tipsy Chloe being held in Caleb's arms. "Tory, Caleb is going too far. Does he even know he's your boyfriend?" Does he know? He should know. Otherwise, when Chloe got drunk, he wouldn't just hold her. He should have carried her away, to be intimate in private... The night wind blew, bringing dust. My eyes suddenly hurt and stung. I rubbed them, but realized I wasn't crying. My heart didn't ache to the point of suffocation like before. It was as if the world had gone quiet. So, this is what it feels like to stop loving someone. 4 Back home, it was already past midnight after washing up. Caleb didn't send me any messages. I didn't urge him to come home like usual. Instead, I opened a message from my supervisor, Sarah. "Tory, really consider the overseas assignment. It's a company opportunity, very rare. Just three years. Can't your relationship survive three years?" Sarah was my senior from college and my boss. Recently, the company had an opportunity for overseas assignment and further study. She recommended me. I declined, saying my English wasn't good. But she saw right through me. I was love-struck. I couldn't bear to leave Caleb alone in the country. At graduation, our mentor asked about our wishes. Classmates talked about making millions, owning houses and cars, starting companies... I held Caleb's hand and said seriously: "I want to have a home with Caleb!" Later, we bought a house. But I couldn't even get him to come home. In the chat box, I typed and deleted. Before I could send anything, Sarah called me. "Tory, I really believe in you. Once you return, you'll enter management. And it's a team, you won't be fighting alone." "Sarah, let me think about it." Hearing the hesitation in my voice, Sarah got excited. "Okay, think about it. I suggest you start preparing, review your English. Departure is next month, plenty of time." I had no talent for English. I struggled just to pass in the past. As for speaking, Caleb helped me back then. Now, I have to rely on myself. The English books at home were all bought by me for Caleb. I knew this place too well. I grabbed the book I wanted easily. I naively thought I knew Caleb just as well. I laughed at myself. He's indulging in tenderness; he doesn't need my concern. I read for a while, eyelids heavy. Sleeping groggily, I heard the lock turn, then footsteps. Caleb was back. "Tory." He called me a few times in the living room, then pushed open the bedroom door. Seeing me asleep, he sounded unhappy. "Tory!" I frowned, rubbing my eyes and sitting up. "You're back?" He froze. Usually, if he came back this late, I would be waiting in the living room, questioning every detail, suspecting his relationship with Chloe, arguing, making a scene. This was the first time things didn't go as he expected. But his face was dripping with gloom. I straightened the quilt. "Go shower and sleep. It's late." "After you left, Chloe got drunk, so I took her home, and then..." "Oh." I didn't wait for him to finish, lying down and covering myself. He stepped forward. The smell of alcohol mixed with women's perfume invaded my nose. "She went too far with the ring. Another day I'll..." "She's just childish and playful." I stuck my hand out from the quilt and waved it. "Go shower quickly, I'm sleepy." "Tory, what exactly do you want?" He suppressed anger in his tone. I opened my eyes, puzzled. "What do I want?" "You..." He fell silent, which was rare. Usually, facing my questions, he would tell me to shut up in annoyance. I wrapped the quilt tighter. "Don't overthink it. Work tomorrow." With that, I closed my eyes, pretending to sleep. He stood silently for a few minutes, then turned and left. He slammed the door recklessly, venting his anger. I knew he was mad, and I knew why. He rarely softened towards me, and I ignored it. So he decided to make a scene. Thinking I would go coax him like before.
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