Chapter 1
Zachary had made the reservation for this restaurant in advance.
Last month, on Chloe’s birthday, Zachary took her to watch the sunrise by the sea.
When I angrily confronted Zachary about it, he accused me of being paranoid, saying it was just a group of friends, not just the two of them.
We gave each other the silent treatment for half a month because of that.
Yesterday, Zachary sent me a screenshot of the restaurant reservation.
I knew this was his way of extending an olive branch.
Every time we argued or stopped talking, I was always the one to break the ice, the first to speak to him again.
After we made up, he would give me a gift or show some affection, coaxing me a little. I would be over the moon, forgetting all the unpleasantness and fully rekindling my passion for him.
This is how we’ve been getting by these past few years.
He’d hurt me, then give me a little sweetness, and I’d forget everything.
The temperature of our relationship was entirely in his control.
I was like a kite in his hands, the string firmly in his grasp.
Depending on his mood, he manipulated my emotions.
Shame on me for being so weak, always quick to forgive and forget.
My love was too humble.
But yesterday, when I saw the screenshot of the reservation he sent, I didn’t feel the usual joy.
In the past, just the fact that he remembered my birthday would have been enough to make me feel cherished.
After all, every year on my birthday, I had to remind him several times a day for days in advance before he would remember to buy me a gift.
This year, I had forgotten my own birthday and hadn’t reminded him, yet he remembered on his own.
Yesterday at work, when I received his message, I was surprised to realize it was my birthday.
I replied, “Okay, see you at the restaurant tomorrow night.”
I turned off my phone and continued working, instead of basking in the sweetness of his gesture for hours like I used to.
Tonight after work, I received a message from Zachary: “See you at the restaurant later.”
After work, I arrived at the restaurant first.
The reservation was for 7 PM, and I got there at 6:30.
By 8 PM, Zachary still hadn’t shown up.
I called him, but there was no answer. I sent messages, but got no reply.
At 9:30, the waiter asked if I wanted to order, saying they would be closing at 10:30.
I nodded.
I slowly ate my steak alone and had some red wine. At 10:30, I walked out of the restaurant.
While waiting for a cab by the roadside, I scrolled through SnapChat and saw Chloe’s post.
The text read: “You are my sense of security.”
The accompanying photo showed Zachary’s profile as he sat on a sofa.
The moment I saw the picture, I felt no anger, no hurt, no sadness.
My mind was completely calm.
Instead, I felt a sense of achievement, as if I had long ago guessed the answer to a riddle.
See? I knew it.
Every time he stood me up, it was because of Chloe.
Strangely, this time, I didn’t feel sad at all.