Chapter 4
While scrolling through my phone during lunch break, I was surprised to see that Zachary had updated his SnapChat.
It was just a photo, without any caption.
The photo showed a dining table with several dishes and two place settings.
In the corner of the table, a hand was visible, wearing the watch I had bought.
I knew Zachary too well. He deliberately posted this photo of him having dinner with Chloe just to provoke me.
But I no longer felt that anger and jealousy.
I wouldn’t immediately pick up the phone and angrily question him anymore.
I just glanced at it and continued scrolling through other people’s updates.
In the evening, I received a call from Zachary.
“I’ll pick you up after work,” he said, his voice devoid of any emotion.
My first reaction was to refuse.
“No need, I’m working overtime today. I’ll be back late,” I instinctively lied.
“Until what time?” he continued to ask.
“Um, eight o’clock,” I pressed on with the lie.
“Okay, I’ll wait for you downstairs at eight,” he said and hung up.
To maintain the lie, I didn’t leave after work. Instead, I took out my exam materials and started studying in the office.
At eight o’clock, I packed up my things and went downstairs with my bag.
As soon as I walked out the main entrance, I saw the familiar car parked not far away.
I walked over and opened the car door to find Chloe sitting in the passenger seat, flashing me a smile.
“Olivia, I just had dinner with Zachary, and he’s giving me a ride home on the way,” Chloe said.
“Mm-hmm,” I nodded, opened the back door, and got in.
Whenever Chloe was in this car, I never sat in the front passenger seat.
I had argued about this more than once, but Zachary clearly favored Chloe, and I couldn’t do anything about it.
He said Chloe got carsick, so she was just sitting in the front. He asked why I had to be so petty about such a small thing.
I said the front passenger seat was reserved for girlfriends, but he just sneered at me for being fussy.
I had never won against Chloe on this issue.
But every time it happened, I would be upset.
However, now, I didn’t have the mind to care about it at all.
After a full day of work and two hours of studying, I felt drowsy as soon as I sat in the car.
“Zachary, the crayfish we had today was so delicious. Let’s go to that place again next time,” Chloe said excitedly.
Zachary: “Mm, if you like it, we’ll go again next time.”
“But every time we eat crayfish, I have to trouble you to peel the shells for me. You don’t find it annoying, do you?” Chloe’s tone was playful.
“I don’t. I’m used to it.”
“Olivia, Zachary is so good at peeling crayfish. I trained him when we were in college,” Chloe suddenly turned to look at me. “How about that? Shouldn’t you thank me?”
Thank her? Thank her for what?
For training Zachary to peel crayfish?
But he had never peeled crayfish for me.
I remember watching a TV show once where a female celebrity said she loved eating crayfish, but if no one helped her peel them, she’d rather not eat them because she didn’t want to peel them herself.
The first time I went to eat crayfish with Zachary after we got together, I also acted coy, asking him to peel the shells for me.
He paused, looked at me with a half-smile, and said, “Don’t you have hands?”
The one who loves more is always the humble one. I immediately fell silent.
After that, I never mentioned peeling crayfish in front of him again.
I looked up at Chloe.
The light in the car was dim, but I could still see the smugness and provocation in her eyes.
She was always like this, subtly provoking me to get angry, then waiting for Zachary to scold me and protect her.
Time and time again, she never tired of it.
However, at this moment, I wasn’t stirred by any emotions, nor did I have any interest in confronting her.
“Oh, well, thank you then,” I said perfunctorily.