Chapter 1

For a moment, everyone in the room held their breath, their eyes fixed on me.

I simply smiled faintly.

A few moments later, I broke the silence.

“Go on, don’t ruin the game.”

*

It was Chloe’s birthday, and the private room was packed with our college friends. I sat on the sofa, feeling sharp in my suit.

My girlfriend, Chloe, was currently singing a love song with her male best friend.

“Noah, when are you finally going to marry our Chloe?” Maya, one of Chloe’s friends, teased from the side.

I was about to speak when I witnessed a scene I would never forget.

My girlfriend and her male best friend embraced tightly.

“Kiss! Kiss!”

All our college friends cheered in unison.

Their attention was completely drawn to another matter – a game Chloe and Noah were playing.

Chloe had lost, and the loser had to kiss the other person.

Of course, Noah had come up with that rule.

Noah was Chloe’s ex, and her ultimate crush.

In recent years, he’d suddenly reappeared as her “male best friend,” but it was clear he had an ulterior motive.

“Oh… I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Chloe said, feigning shyness, but her eyes were full of longing as she looked at Noah.

Noah returned her gaze with the same intensity.

Their eyes met, brimming with affection.

“Come on, everyone, don’t you see her boyfriend is right here?” Maya tried to intervene.

Noah looked at me, a victorious smirk playing on his lips.

Everyone else in the room held their breath, their eyes on me.

I kept my smile in place and broke the silence: “Go on, don’t ruin the game.”

“Look at Liam, he’s so cool about it! That’s the kind of boyfriend you need!” Chloe’s friends, clearly eager for more drama, egged them on again.

I couldn’t be bothered to watch them, so I just drank my drink alone.

“He said he doesn’t mind, so let’s continue,” Noah said, looking incredibly smug.

Chloe, though, seemed a little taken aback, as if she couldn’t believe I’d said that.

Then a flicker of anger crossed her face, and she glared at me: “Liam, I’m coming for you when we get back!”

In the end, they kissed passionately.

“Whoa!”

The people around them immediately erupted in cheers.

My heart was a mess, my mind replaying everything that had happened between Chloe and me.

The nervousness of my first confession to her, the joy when she accepted me, the careful way I treated her.

Her smiles, her tears.

In the end, none of it belonged to me.

Something stolen eventually has to be returned.

It was just a pity for my two years of devotion.

I sighed, disappointment clouding my eyes.

I knew Chloe had been waiting for this moment for a long time.

Chloe, you must be so happy right now.

Getting what you’ve always wanted must feel good.

Just like how I felt when I successfully won Chloe over.

But sadly, it was all in the past now.

A woman who doesn’t love me isn’t worth keeping.

From that moment on, I made a decision deep in my heart.

I would take back all my love.

“Liam, what’s wrong with you today?!”

After the party, Chloe feigned a pouty anger.

Of course, she was still such a good actress.

She’d crossed the line, yet she still pushed the blame onto me.

The truth was, she didn’t care about me anymore, even if she once had.

I’d known it for a long time, I just hadn’t wanted to believe it.

In college, Chloe was delicately beautiful and full of charm, lively and cheerful. One faint smile from her was enough to make anyone fall for her.

She was incredibly talented, excelling in everything from music and dance to academics, and she was the president of the dance club. Her figure was perfect, and her grades were consistently at the top of her class.

A girl like her was practically flawless.

She was proud, beautiful, and gifted, untouchable.

Suitors lined up from one end of campus to the other, and I was one of them.

From the first moment I saw her in freshman year, I was instantly captivated and fell deeply in love.

To make her notice me, I studied hard and improved my grades.

I learned calligraphy and dancing, just to have common topics with her.

I constantly followed Chloe’s news, showing her affection again and again.

Bubble tea, pastries, fruit—they never stopped. I sent countless designer bags and necklaces.

I just hoped she would spare me a glance.

But she returned every single gift.

Right, how could the campus queen, recognized by everyone, change her mind for a few gifts?

She was so proud, and her pride was exactly what I loved about her.

But she ignored me completely.

Back then, she was confident and radiant, devoted to only one person.

That person was the campus heartthrob, recognized by everyone – Noah.

In college, Noah was handsome, with outstanding grades, and he represented the school in many competitions.

He could sing and dance, and played a mean guitar.

Whenever the school held an event, his appearance would inevitably draw screams from countless girls.

He even had his own fan club called the “Wind Chasers.”

Noah had many admirers and was definitely a popular figure on campus.

No wonder Chloe was so infatuated with him.

One was the campus king, the other a recognized talent – truly a perfect match.

Chloe relentlessly pursued her crush. When Noah broke up with his girlfriend, Chloe seized the moment and made her move.

Finally, on the first Valentine’s Day of sophomore year, Noah accepted Chloe’s confession.

This golden couple, famous throughout the school, officially started dating.

And I, holding a bouquet of flowers, ready to confess my feelings to Chloe, could only watch, disheartened, a mere bystander.

The news of campus king Noah and dance club talent Chloe dating quickly spread to every corner of the campus, becoming a romantic legend.

Unfortunately, good times don’t last. Though Noah was handsome, he was a massive playboy.

He was flirting around constantly, and Chloe soon found out.

On her birthday, Chloe cried her eyes out.

She took her cake to the rooftop and happened to run into me, who was studying for an exam.

I showed her every bit of concern, comforting her endlessly.

Every day, I tirelessly brought her tea and water.

Finally, I won the goddess’s approval.

Chloe became my girlfriend.

At first, she was indifferent to me, and wouldn’t let me make any intimate gestures;

I didn’t force it. At the time, I felt incredibly happy just to be the boyfriend of the goddess Chloe.

I cherished her like a priceless gem, loving her immensely.

I gave her meticulous care, took her traveling to relax, took her out for meals and shopping.

Even when work was busy, I’d always update her.

I’d come home on time every day to cook, treating her like the most precious thing.

Slowly, she started to accept me.

She asked about my joys and sorrows, smiled at me, and even began to care about my preferences.

I believed that during that time, she did love me.

But love that has to be begged for is ultimately hard to sustain.

Nourished by love, I became more ambitious.

I worked hard, striving to improve my performance.

I wanted to work hard enough to buy our own marital home, to truly give her a warm home.

I even fantasized countless times about having a child with her.

A family of three, sharing meals, living happily together.

Everything back then was so beautiful.

I felt like I was dreaming, and then one day, the dream ended.

Her Prince Charming had returned.

Noah inexplicably reappeared in our city, in Chloe’s life. On the street, their eyes met.

Just that one glance, and I knew Chloe’s heart no longer belonged to me.

But I still couldn’t let her go, couldn’t let go of these years we’d spent together.

I chose to deceive myself, maintaining this hollow relationship by feigning ignorance.

Gradually, she started coming home early and leaving late, sending flirtatious texts with Noah, growing annoyed by my concern, and meticulously dressing herself up.

I looked at Chloe in the mirror and knew I had lost.

We had been together for two years, and to please her,

I’d bought her countless expensive pieces of jewelry, clothes, and bags.

But she had never really dressed up for me. She told me we were family, no need to care so much.

Now it seemed she just thought I wasn’t worth the effort.

A woman dresses up for the one she wants to please, and clearly, I wasn’t that person for her.

All she cared about was Noah.

I struggled, unwilling to give up, telling myself she was just wavering, and if I was good enough, she would come back to me.

Until that birthday party, when she kissed Noah.

I knew my dream had to end.

That day, when I got home, I ignored Chloe.

I walked straight to the living room and slept on the sofa.

Bang!

A loud slam of the door echoed through the apartment. Chloe was clearly angry.

She didn’t understand why her number one worshipper suddenly stopped worshipping.

Actually, it was just that I no longer loved her.

Love is like that: when I love you, you are a flower, a sea, the wind, the clouds, all the beauty in the world.

When I don’t love you, you are just you, and you have nothing to do with me.

I had a wonderful sleep. Without the burden of love, my mind suddenly felt much clearer.

It was the most peaceful sleep I’d had. No worrying about Chloe being unhappy, no enduring her bad temper, no fearing Noah would steal her away.

All I had to think about was whether I was happy.

The next morning, Chloe had made breakfast.

At the dining table, she kept staring at me.

I quietly ate. Her cooking was still as bad as ever.

Only because she said housework made you age faster, I’d pretty much handled all the chores over the years.

She was only responsible for eating, playing, and looking beautiful.

Back then, I thought life was perfect.

Now, thinking about it, it just felt ridiculous.

“Liam, don’t you have anything to say to me?”

Chloe broke my train of thought. She finally couldn’t hold back.

She was the goddess; in her eyes, her personally making me breakfast was a huge gift. I should naturally be delighted, walk down her pre-set steps,

Answer her questions, and beg for her affection.

I knew she wanted to ask why I hadn’t cared yesterday.

But it didn’t matter anymore. I didn’t want to waste words.

“The food’s a bit salty.”

I dropped those four words, turned, and walked out the door, leaving Chloe stunned.

The weather today was exceptionally good, just like my mood.

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