My boyfriend dumped me. Funny thing, the guy at the table next to us just got dumped by his girlfriend. Talk about fate. I immediately slapped the table, ready to drag this guy down to City Hall? The guy looked up, and—even funnier— 1 "Nora, we need to break up." Today was the seventh anniversary of when Ethan and I got together. But the second I sat down, those were the words I heard. I looked up, barely believing it, staring at the familiar face across from me. We’d already decided to get married by the end of the year. I thought he asked me here to propose, not to break up? "Why?" My vision blurred. My voice came out hoarse. "I just don't love you anymore." Ethan said it so bluntly, so matter-of-factly. I couldn't even see a flicker of guilt in his eyes. "You jerk! We're done!" Before I could even process the hit, the woman at the next table grabbed her water glass and threw it right in the face of the man sitting opposite her. Well, I thought, guess today’s a popular day for breaking up all over the world. I stood up, looked Ethan straight in the eye, and said, "Fine." I don't know what possessed me, but right there in front of him, I walked over to the guy who just got soaked. "Hey handsome, getting dumped on the same day? Must be fate. How about we just cut our losses and get married?" The drenched guy turned his head, his eyes holding an expression I couldn't quite read. When I got a clear look at his face, I froze. Damn it! Why is today so unlucky? This was Caleb freaking Moore. The guy I crushed on hard back in high school, captain of the basketball team. The same guy who, when I confessed my feelings in a letter, basically told me I was way out of his league. The untouchable golden boy. Apparently, even golden boys get dumped? I didn't expect him to agree, but then he actually— "Okay," Caleb said, a slight smirk playing on his lips. Even soaking wet, he was ridiculously good-looking. The moment he said it, Ethan’s face turned sheet white, then an ugly shade of purple. I walked back over, linked my arm through Caleb’s, and shot Ethan a defiant look over my shoulder. Then, bold as brass, I walked out with my new "boyfriend." Walking out of that restaurant, I felt like a proud swan myself. But the second we stepped outside, I instantly deflated back into a frog. "Thanks for that. I owe you dinner sometime." Caleb glanced sideways at me. "So, you weren't actually serious about that marriage proposal?" "..." "When exactly is 'sometime'?" I pressed my lips together, gave him a frantic, dismissive wave, turned, and ran. Seriously? Seven years of my life, down the drain just like that. He says "I don't love you anymore," and it's over. And the 'golden boy' who once shot me down so brutally? No way was I getting tangled up with him again. 2: Nora, Don't Cry I bought booze and called my best friend, Chloe, for a session to mourn my dead relationship. Ethan, that absolute dog. He was the one who said he loved me. Now he's the one saying he doesn't. But back then, he was also the one who jumped into that river without a second thought to save me. How could just a few years change everything so much that he could toss me aside like this? Tears just kept streaming down my face. "Nora, don't cry." Chloe looked at me sympathetically. "I told you from the start, getting together was kind of rushed. That whole 'damsel in distress falls for her rescuer' thing is straight out of a bad romance novel, you know?" "Ugh, I'm not even that sad," I croaked, my voice thick with self-pity. "I just feel like I dated him for years and didn't even get any good perks out of it. What a rip-off." Okay, that part was true. Ethan wasn't bad-looking, just a notch below my old crush, Caleb. "Good thing you didn't 'get any perks'," Chloe quipped. "What if he was bad in bed? Then you'd really feel ripped off, right?" Chloe always knew how to hit the nail on the head. Just then, my phone buzzed violently. I picked it up. It was a picture message from an unknown number. A photo of Ethan with his arm around some woman, heading into a hotel. From the back. The room number was crystal clear, practically burning my eyes. Wasn't this just a slap in the face? Furious, I downed the rest of my drink, my eyes wide. Chloe was just as outraged. "Well, I'll be damned! So it wasn't that he couldn't perform? Turns out he just couldn't perform with you!" "Chloe." "Yeah?" "I can't let this go." "Alright, girl. Let's go get some payback!" We were instantly on the same page, hailing a cab straight to the hotel. 3: I'm Serving Justice! Standing outside the hotel room door, fists clenched, I reared back and kicked the door—hard. Thump! The door didn't budge, but Ethan heard the noise and opened it. Seeing me, his eyes widened with obvious confusion and panic. Seven years, and this was the first time I'd ever seen him look like that. So, the whole "I don't love you anymore" was bullshit. Cheating was the real reason! "Nora? What are you doing here?" Ethan physically blocked the doorway. I glanced at Chloe beside me. Best friends: useful in times of crisis! Chloe immediately understood, lunging forward and grabbing Ethan’s arm. "Nora, get in there! Ethan, if you dare push me, I'll scream bloody murder!" While Ethan was flustered, I quickly ducked under his arm and slipped inside. The room was empty. The large bed was pristine. But I could hear the distinct sound of a shower running in the bathroom. I marched straight to the bathroom and threw the door open— Inside, sure enough, was a woman with fair skin! Seeing the woman showering inside, my brain just exploded. Deception! Betrayal! All these emotions mixed with heartbreak shattered inside me like ice. "Nora Zhao, are you crazy?" Ethan, seeing what happened, shoved Chloe aside forcefully and rushed towards the bathroom, clumsily shielding the woman behind him. I just stood there, staring at the cheating pair, watching their faces shift from pale green to white, then flush red with anger and embarrassment. "Nora Zhao, you... I..." Suddenly, I realized the woman looked familiar. Ha! Of course. It was the same woman who dumped the 'golden boy' just yesterday. Ethan getting involved with his partner? Was that a coincidence? Thinking about it, that anonymous text message suddenly made sense. It must have come from him. Caleb. Looking closer, I noticed the woman's features, especially her eyes, were slightly similar to mine. Curved, just like mine. I laughed bitterly. "Ethan, is it because of her? Seven years, you just throw it away? Was I just her stand-in the whole time in your eyes?" Asking this, I felt like I'd hit the truth. My voice was trembling. Ethan didn't answer, just couldn't meet my eyes. His evasiveness felt like an admission. I lunged forward, smack, smack, landing two hard slaps across his handsome face. When I went for a third, he grabbed my wrist. I don't know what I said that set him off, but he gripped my hand tightly and dragged me forcefully out the door. Chloe tried to argue, but he shoved her out too. The door slammed shut with a deafening bang, unleashing all my fury. Damn it! That cheating bastard used me for seven years, and now he thinks he's justified?! "Ethan, get your ass out here!" "Ethan, you bastard! Who the hell do you think you are? Playing substitute games with me?" "Ethan, come out, you spineless, cheating scumbag!" I hammered on the door with all my might, but Ethan stayed hidden like a turtle in its shell. Chloe pulled me into a hug. "Nora, that's enough. Let's go home first. He's clearly got no shame left. We'll figure out how to get even later." I took deep, ragged breaths. "Chloe, you're right. We messed up earlier. We should have brought baseball bats before coming into the hotel. I should have used that jerk's head for batting practice!" Under the curious and gossipy stares of everyone around, Chloe dragged me out of the hotel. Back at my place, she sighed and hugged me again. "If you really need to cry, just let it out. We did just waste seven years of your youth." I'd already cried all my tears outside the hotel. Right now, I just wanted to be alone, to cool down. I went to my room and threw myself onto the bed, venting my frustration. Just then, a notification popped up on my phone—a message request on a social app. I glanced at the request message: It's Caleb Moore. Figured it was him. I accepted the request. But I didn't message him first. Instead, he sent a message: Saw it? Finding out you were cheated on right after the breakup? Must hurt, huh? Pot, meet kettle, I thought. Finding out you were cheated on then getting dumped isn't much different from my situation, is it? "Yep," I replied curtly. Caleb, however, didn't seem fazed by being cheated on. He started a video call. On screen, he was wearing a crisp white shirt, looking as composed and elegant as ever. So, swans and frogs really are different. Even after being humiliated, a swan's inherent confidence is unshakable. "What do you really want?" I couldn't help but ask. He smiled. "Want to get even?" I hesitated, then asked tentatively, "Are you suggesting we team up? To get revenge on this lovely pair?" "Yep," he replied, mimicking my earlier tone. His smile was devastatingly charming. Then, his lips moved as he slowly told me a little story. That's when I learned that he and Ethan were childhood friends, grew up together. And apparently, whatever Caleb liked, Ethan also liked. Back in high school, Ethan had already stolen a girl Caleb was interested in. This time, he was just using the same old playbook. And according to Caleb, his situation was even worse than mine. He and the woman had only kissed twice in their entire relationship. Then Ethan swooped in, and boom – she was pregnant. The reason Caleb showed up at the restaurant yesterday was because he suspected he was being cheated on and went there to catch them in the act. He hadn't expected to walk right into my breakup scene with Ethan. The woman had apparently been sitting at a nearby table the whole time, planning to watch my entire breakup unfold. But when Caleb arrived, she got defensive and, in a fit of pique, threw the water in his face. After hearing all this, I actually felt calmer. Lying on my bed, memories of Ethan flooded my mind, but all I felt was indignation, no sense of loss. And so, almost on autopilot, I replied to Caleb with a single word: "Okay." Even if Ethan had some twisted reason for pursuing me relentlessly back then, the fact remained: he played with my heart for seven years. That was undeniable. Besides, his habit of stealing other people's partners just to prove a point? That needed to stop. This wasn't revenge. This was... serving justice!
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