After five years of a clandestine romance with my best friend’s brother, he announced at dinner that he was bringing his girlfriend to meet us. My heart swelled with anticipation, certain he was finally ready to make us public. But to my shock, he truly did bring another woman. He had his arm around her, a joyful smile lighting his face. "Come, Elara, say hello to your sister-in-law." After she left, he drove me home as he always did. In the Maybach, where countless absurd nights had unfolded, I asked him, "Jasper, you have a girlfriend now. What about the five years I waited for you?" His hand tightened on the steering wheel. "Wait? Did I ask you to wait?" He spoke dismissively. "Elara, don't ever love someone with such fierce devotion again. It's... unsettling." His words were casual, as if my sacrifice of everything for five years was somehow my fault. Suddenly, I felt a profound sense of futility. I simply smiled and replied, "Alright then, goodbye." 1 Under the dim streetlights, Jasper leaned against his car, finishing his last cigarette. He ground the stub under his heel. In the span of five minutes, he checked his phone ten times, replying to nine voice messages from the woman on the other end. The last message was to Georgia, my best friend—and his sister—informing her that he had safely brought me home. Jasper lowered his phone, turning to me with a smile. Clearly, his conversation with the other woman had put him in a good mood. His tone with me, too, softened considerably. "Elara, you're a grown woman now. You understand the concept of a clean break, don't you?" He ruffled my hair, an intimate gesture that seemed utterly at odds with the serious topic of separation. He had never taken me seriously. Even five years ago, after I’d gotten drunk and ended up in his bed, he had just leaned against the headboard, smoking a cigarette, the wisps of smoke blurring his flippant expression. "You like me?" I nodded frantically, only for him to let out a light chuckle. "Fine then, let's be together." He paused, his gaze drifting. "But we can't tell Georgia. I'm afraid she'd try to kill me if she knew." He spoke casually, yet I, laughably, took him at his word. From that day forward, I remained by his side like a humble appendage, devoid of any true identity. I believed that with time, he would come to see me differently. But the truth proved how utterly, tragically wrong I was. He continued to circulate among countless women, and I was merely a fleeting amusement when he was bored. I lowered my gaze, my peripheral vision catching Jasper responding to another message on his phone. The woman saved as "Girlfriend" in his contacts had only gotten his number at a bar's front desk two days ago. I suppressed the bitter ache in my heart, taking several deep breaths before asking the question I had pondered for five years, but never dared to voice. "Jasper, why can anyone be your girlfriend, except me?" Jasper froze, then spoke, a hint of genuine struggle in his voice. "It's not that you can't... it's just that I regretted it the day I agreed to be with you." His gaze seemed to search my face, a rare seriousness in his eyes. "For these five years, I tried to see you as a normal woman, but I couldn't. It's as if... everyone else could be my girlfriend, but never you." On the silent street, he was more earnest with me than ever before. His eyes, reflecting my figure, held a mixture of tenderness and cold indifference. I quickly averted my gaze, terrified he would see the sudden redness in my eyes. "I understand. Thank you for driving me home tonight, brother." I used the familiar term, a painful habit. "It's getting late. I'll go inside now." I moved to leave, but he caught my wrist. Jasper gently wiped away my tears, his face etched with a look that said, "Just as I expected." "Still such a crybaby. Why not try harder to stay by my side?" His voice was laced with a mocking challenge. "Maybe, for Georgia's sake, I'd even humor you for a while longer." He spoke playfully, but I couldn't believe him anymore. In his right jacket pocket, a square shape was visible – the outline of the discreet protection he used with his conquests. I took a step back, forcing my voice to sound calm. "No, brother. Enjoy your night." Without waiting for his reaction, I turned and walked straight into the apartment complex. I moved quickly, my ragged breaths misting in the cold night air. I thought I wouldn't cry anymore, but once I unlocked the door and stepped inside, I looked down from my balcony. Jasper was still standing in the same spot, lost in thought. I knew he was waiting for my room light to turn on, only then would he leave, reassured. But how could he so brazenly hurt me, yet still feel entitled to be kind? I drew the balcony curtains, then sank to the floor, finally letting out the sobs I had been holding back. I cried until my eyes felt dry, weeping out all the grievances and unspoken resentments of the past years. My phone chimed. It was a message from Jasper. [Elara, while you're young, go out and see the world.] [There are plenty of other fish in the sea. Don't waste your life on me.] [Also, get some rest.] In the pitch black of the night, the three parallel messages on the screen grew increasingly absurd. Suddenly, I felt a profound emptiness, as if the obsession I had harbored for five years had simply vanished with those three sentences. I wiped away my tears, typed a few words on the screen, and sent them. [Okay, I will.] After a moment of thought, I called my mother. "Hello, Mom. I've agreed to the alliance with Alistair Hayes. Seven days from now." 2 After hanging up with Mother, I collapsed onto the bed, utterly drained. Despite repeatedly telling myself not to dwell on the past, reason could control my mind, but not my heart. I couldn't help but remember the first time Georgia introduced Jasper to me. I recalled him in a black tracksuit, throwing a three-pointer. Every girl on the basketball court shrieked for him. But he ran straight to me, taking the half-empty water bottle from my hand. He asked Georgia, "Which little sister is this? I haven't seen her before." No one could fail to be captivated by such a first encounter. And neither could I. I plunged headfirst into it. For him, I severed ties with my family. For him, I accepted being an unnamed, secret lover for five years. But later, I learned that my supposed romantic first meeting was merely a common occurrence. He had said similar things to every girl. "What? You're getting married?" Three days after separating from Jasper, Georgia, learning of my breakup, had dragged me out for dinner. She was stunned by my bombshell announcement. She sat beside me, her eyes clouded with worry. "Elara, I don't know who this jerk you've been secretly dating for five years is, but you can't just pick someone random and marry them because of a scumbag!" I smiled. "I'm not that fragile. Marriage is the result of careful consideration." I took a sip of my water. "And he's not just 'anyone.' He's... well, an old family acquaintance. We just haven't seen each other in a long time." I wasn't lying. It wasn't merely a marriage alliance with Alistair Hayes; it was fulfilling a childhood betrothal arranged by our parents. If I hadn't met Jasper midway, I suppose I would have been Mrs. Hayes long ago. Georgia's worry didn't lessen. She truly cared for me. I pinched her cheek. "Alright, don't be sad. You'll be my bridesmaid on the wedding day!" "Bridesmaid for what?" The door to the private room opened, and Jasper strolled in nonchalantly. His female companion had changed again. True to his word, his side was open to anyone, except me. Jasper stopped in the center of the room, his gaze sweeping over the space before landing on me. "Who's getting married?" I squeezed Georgia's hand, who was about to answer, and vaguely replied, "Nothing. What are you doing here, brother?" The young woman behind Jasper bounced forward, an innocent look on her face. "I asked Jasper to bring me. I wanted to meet his family and friends." She offered a sweet smile. "Hello everyone, I'm Luna." I wasn't sure if it was my imagination, but Luna's gaze felt oddly hostile when it landed on me. Georgia, being guileless, didn't think much of it and pulled Luna aside to pick songs. Jasper sat beside me. In the dim light, he swirled the wine in his glass. "Are you starting to look for a boyfriend now?" I glanced at him. "Are you so concerned about my love life, brother?" Jasper chuckled, leaning closer, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Isn't this just follow-up service? If you really can't find a boyfriend, I can help you find someone. Don't worry, he'll be nothing like me. At least he won't make you deliver contraceptives while you're running a fever, and he won't bring so many women in front of you. I guarantee he'll be devoted to you. How does that sound?" I stiffened, my hand unconsciously tightening around the glass. So, Jasper wasn't oblivious to how much his actions had hurt me. He simply hadn't cared, or perhaps, he had seen me as nothing more than entertainment. I drained the wine in my glass, then turned my head, smiling as I looked at him. "No need for that trouble, brother. I'm getting married." 3 The atmosphere in the private room fell into an eerie silence. Jasper's brows furrowed tightly, his deep-set eyes tinged with anger. He spoke, his voice stiff. "Elara, I don't like this kind of joke." I simply smiled at him, in no hurry to explain. Just then, Luna approached with a glass of wine. Whether intentionally or not, her foot slipped, and the wine in her glass splashed entirely onto me. She immediately clapped a hand over her mouth, her voice delicate. "Oh dear, I'm such a clumsy oaf! Sister, are you alright?" Jasper's face darkened. He shot me a cold glance. "What's it to you? She's just in the way." "Brother, what are you saying? What does this have to do with Elara?" Georgia shielded me, her voice indignant. "Aren't you usually her biggest protector? Why are you acting like a firecracker today, annoyed by everyone?" She was about to say more, but I stopped her. "It's alright, Georgia. It doesn't matter." Without acknowledging Jasper's sullen expression, I rose and headed to the restroom to clean up. Outside the restroom, I saw Luna's reflection in the mirror. She stood behind me, her eyes filled with provocation. "You're the one Jasper called a pathetic cling-on for five years, aren't you?" Her voice was a low taunt. "Do you know how he described you? He said you were terrifying, like a shadow he couldn't shake off." Though I had tried to put the past behind me, hearing such demeaning words made my heart ache. I took a deep breath and turned around. "Is that so? Well, I hope your time by his side lasts longer than mine." Luna's triumphant expression stiffened, her pretty face beginning to contort with anger. She suddenly grabbed my hand, a chilling smile on her lips. "It was only five years, wasn't it? In the end, Jasper kicked you away like a stray dog!" Her voice was sharp, a cruel satisfaction in her eyes. "Elara Sterling, the one who stays with Jasper until the end can only be me!" Jasper arrived just in time to see me slap Luna hard across the face. "Jasper, I just wanted to apologize to Sister, but I don't know why, she..." Luna clutched her cheek, tears welling in her eyes but not yet falling, a picture of fragile vulnerability. Jasper's expression was calm. He looked at me, asking only one question. "You hit her?" My palm stung with a dull ache. Luna had truly hit herself hard to frame me. I met Jasper's gaze. "What if I said no?" Jasper stared at me, silent for a long moment, then suddenly chuckled. "Elara, you're becoming increasingly naughty." He shook his head, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "Lying, and even telling me you're getting married?" He paused, then leaned in, his voice a low, teasing whisper. "If you're getting married, does your husband know you're still jealous over another man, hitting other women?" He seemed to be in a good mood. He raised Luna's chin with one hand, his thumb tracing her cheek. "Such a pretty face. Wouldn't want it ruined. Come on, I'll take you to the hospital." He put his arm around Luna, preparing to leave. "Wait a moment," I called out, stopping him. Jasper turned, raising an eyebrow at me. I walked up to him and held out my hand. "Give me back the bracelet I gave you." I pointed to the wooden bracelet on his wrist. The beads were meticulously handcrafted by me when I was young, one by one. Jasper used to wear it everywhere. Jasper's smile froze, his brows furrowing into a deep frown. He stared at me in silence, the heavy, low pressure around him like the calm before a storm. Luna, too, was too intimidated to speak. Then, Jasper let out a low chuckle. He raised his wrist, feigning confusion. "This old thing? I've been meaning to get rid of it anyway." With a forceful tug, the sturdy red cord cut a red mark on his wrist. He mercilessly flung the bracelet to the floor. The scattered wooden beads bounced and rolled across the floor, making dull thudding sounds. "Pick it up yourself," Jasper said coldly, before sweeping Luna into his arms and striding away. I lowered my head, looking at the scattered wooden beads on the floor. I had wanted to bring closure to the affection I had harbored in my youth. Now, it seemed, it was no longer necessary. I took a deep breath, stepped forward, and resolutely walked over the broken bracelet.
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