Jacqueline once again missed my birthday party for assistant Eric Burch, which led me, Lawrence Gentry, to voluntarily apply for a three-year overseas assignment. She casually came across the application form and scoffed at it without much thought. “Trying to make me jealous with these tricks again? Can you stop acting like a child? You’re an adult, for heaven’s sake. “I’ve told you before, we have nothing between us. I’m just worried that Eric, a fresh graduate, might feel out of place, so I’m going to keep him company. “I’ll come and keep you company in a few days.” She tore the application form up and tossed it in the trash, then suggested that we take wedding photos as compensation for her absence. But it was already too late. On the day of the shoot, I was already sitting on a plane heading abroad. However, I heard that Jacqueline, usually cold and distant, went a little crazy. Dressed in a wedding gown, she hysterically screamed my name over and over at the airport. “Lawrence, I can’t believe you’re still playing these petty tricks. If it weren’t for Debra Hanna from HR telling me about this, I might have actually believed it. “Don’t you know? Someone who really wants to leave wouldn’t make it such a public spectacle.” Jacqueline snorted, then tore up the overseas assignment application form in a few quick moves and threw it into the trash without even blinking. I remained silent, but inwardly, I found it a bit amusing. Tearing it up didn’t matter to me. It had already been submitted. She had signed it herself last night. But at the time, she had been out dining with Eric, probably not paying attention. When she was with Eric, she was always completely absorbed in him. Debra from HR was just a kind soul, and she was probably trying to help by informing her of this. She probably thought I was trying to threaten her, but that wasn’t the case. At the time, she wanted me to stay in the city with her, so I missed out on many overseas opportunities. Now that her heart belonged to someone else, I wasn’t planning to waste away by her side anymore. Just as I was about to speak, there was a knock on the door. Jacqueline ignored me and turned to open it. “Jacqueline.” Eric smiled, standing in the doorway, and greeted her. Then his gaze shifted to me, and his smile grew wider. “Oh, Lawrence is here too. Sorry, I would’ve stayed downstairs if I’d known. Didn’t want to make you feel uncomfortable.” His tone seemed sincere, but I could hear the underlying provocation. After all, once I discovered the unusual relationship between Jacqueline and him, I confronted her many times. But every time, she shrugged it off and continued as if nothing had happened. The worst incident was when she spent the night with Eric. I couldn’t take it anymore and asked her about it. Jacqueline slapped me hard and called me dirty-minded, demanding that I publicly apologize to both her and Eric. That was the moment I finally gave up on her. I stopped caring, but she and Eric thought I had just matured and treated the whole thing as a rebellious phase of mine. I ignored them and turned to go back to my room. But Jacqueline, unusually, stopped me and softly said, “Eric’s parents are coming in a couple of days. He’s worried his room might be too shabby, so I’m going to help him get it ready. “You know, these young guys can’t take care of themselves. If I can help, I will.” I was a bit surprised. It took me a moment to realize that Jacqueline was trying to explain herself to me. She used to never do that. I would always have to ask her, and she’d get annoyed with me for being so curious. But now, I no longer cared about what they were going to do. “Oh.” I nodded. I originally wanted to remind her to stay safe, but then I realized she wouldn’t listen even if I did. So, I swallowed the words back down. “Lawrence, why don’t you come with us? It’d make us feel better.” Eric spoke up at that moment. I looked at the smile on his face, clearly knowing he was doing it on purpose. He had suggested this before. But every time he did, it only made Jacqueline dislike me more. Even though I didn’t care about her opinion anymore, I wasn’t going to make things uncomfortable for myself before leaving. Just as I was about to refuse, unexpectedly, Jacqueline paused for a while and nodded. Eric’s smile faltered for a moment. But it didn’t last long. His smile returned, even brighter than before. “Alright then,” Jacqueline said. “At least you can help carry some things. We bought so much. Eric might not be able to carry it all.” I found it amusing, with a sense of realization. “No, I have things to do later. You guys go ahead.” I answered softly, my tone devoid of any emotion. Jacqueline didn’t care, giving me a disdainful glance before saying, “I gave you a chance, but you disappointed me,” then she left with Eric. Eric looked smug, waving at me as he left. “Lawrence, I’ll leave with Jacqueline.” His words were clearly annoying to me. But Jacqueline seemed completely unaware, resting her arm on his shoulder. She laughed lightly with him, asking how he was going to take her out for a meal after she had helped him so much. Their closeness no longer stirred anything in me. I had known since Eric joined the company that this day would eventually come. Back then, Jacqueline made an exception to hire him and brought him as her assistant. Over the past two years, he had made many mistakes and caused the company to lose millions of dollars, yet every time, Jacqueline would point the blame at me without hesitation. I couldn’t hold back any longer and argued with her, but she remained unshaken. “Lawrence, don’t you think he’s a lot like the old you? “You worked so hard to get to your position, now that you see a young guy just like you, shouldn’t you help him out?” It wasn’t until later that I realized, after that moment, that no matter what I said, it was all in vain. Jacqueline’s heart had already changed. My phone rang. I checked it and saw a message from HR. [The list for overseas assignments is confirmed. Please come to your post in three days.]
Along with the message came a list of instructions. I read through everything carefully, then started packing up my things at home. Since I had to leave anyway, it was better to handle it myself than let Jacqueline and Eric throw everything out. I took out the custom-made guitar I hadn’t touched in years, tested the strings, and found it still in perfect condition. Jacqueline knew I loved playing instruments. We actually got close because of a performance at a university event. Back then, I would often play songs she liked for her, and we would travel together, strolling through the mountains and fields. But as time passed, reality became harsher, and the pressure of life grew. Jacqueline no longer wanted to hear me play, so I put everything away and focused on work. Later on, our life became more comfortable, but she drifted farther and farther away from me. I once invited her to travel with me, but she was clearly annoyed. “Lawrence, how old are you? Can you stop acting like a child? Focus on your career, okay?” But later, I found out that she and Eric, using business trips as an excuse, went to arcades to play claw machines, to internet cafés to game, and even went boating on the lake. So it wasn’t that she thought we were too old. She just thought I was too old. I dug out all my old instruments and contacted a friend who had always wanted them. When he heard I was giving them to him, he was surprised. “Seriously? You wouldn’t even sell them to me for a high price before. What made you change your mind?” I gave a simple explanation. “I’m going abroad. These things are too much to take with me.” “Going abroad?” He was shocked. “Are you going with Jacqueline?” “No, just me.” I briefly told him about my overseas assignment, but my friend was still a bit confused. In the end, he said he wanted to meet up for a meal and catch up. I didn’t turn him down. After hanging up, I continued sorting through my things at home. Jacqueline had always wanted to take down the photo wall. She disliked the childish couple figurines, the couple sofa, the matching couple rings… Before I knew it, it was already evening. Even though I didn’t have many things, after living here for five years, I still didn’t manage to finish in just one afternoon. Jacqueline still hadn’t returned. I didn’t cook dinner and wait for her like I used to, asking when she’d be home. Instead, I took my things and went to meet my friends. There were three or four of them, and we hadn’t seen each other in nearly a year. They were all shocked when they saw me. “Are you losing weight? You look even thinner than the last time we saw you.” I smiled but didn’t explain. After a few drinks, everyone loosened up, and the conversation flowed. When the topic of my departure came up, one of my drunken friends angrily spoke up in my defense. “Lawrence, I’ve been wanting to tell you this for a long time. You should’ve left Jacqueline ages ago. Just look at you now. How much has she tortured you? “If she hadn’t taken your research, you’d be way better off now. Your company doesn’t even have her position anymore! All of us have been telling you, but you wouldn’t listen.” The other friends quickly tried to quiet him down. “He’s drunk. Don’t take it personally,” one of them said, covering his mouth while explaining to me. I understood why he was reacting this way. After all, I used to defend Jacqueline without question. We hadn’t seen each other in so long because they had once criticized Jacqueline in front of me. At that time, I didn’t believe it and left angrily. But it was also that moment that made me realize how badly Jacqueline had been playing me. “It’s alright. Jacqueline and I are about to split.” Saying that I raised my glass amidst everyone’s shocked stares. “Thanks to you guys for trying to convince me. I’ll drink to that.” At first, my friends were worried I was hurt and tried to say more, but when they saw my calm expression, they finally relaxed. After the gathering, I returned home and was about to unlock the door when it suddenly opened from the inside. Jacqueline stood there, leaning against the wall, looking a little off.
“Did you go out for drinks? “I called you so many times. Why didn’t you answer?” I took out my phone and realized Jacqueline had tried to call me several times. I guessed the place was probably too noisy earlier, so I hadn’t heard the calls. I told her the truth, and her expression softened a little, but she was still a bit annoyed as she muttered. “Do you know how long I’ve been waiting for you? “Come back and make me something to eat. I’m starving.” I was a bit surprised. Whenever she went out with Eric before, she would always say she’d be back soon, but every time, they ended up eating out together. I’d wait until it was late until the meal that I’d carefully made had gone cold, then reheated it, only for it to get cold again. Eating the cold food made my heart feel just as cold. But when I expressed my frustration, she would get impatient. “Why are you waiting for me? I’m not a kid. Can’t I take care of myself?” I snapped back to reality and smiled faintly. “You’re not a kid. If you’re hungry, just figure it out yourself.” “I figure it out myself? Then what do I need you for?” Jacqueline scoffed, retorting. But maybe because she had fun this afternoon, she didn’t really care about my words. “Fine, since you were drinking, I won’t make you cook a full meal. “Just make some soup to warm up my stomach. “Eric’s stomach problems are acting up again. He took medicine but it didn’t help. I remember the soup you made before worked really well. Can you make some for him now?” It was only then that I realized why she had come back. Her stomach had been bad for a while, and I had taken a class to learn how to make warming soups for her. I even experimented with improving the taste so she would want to eat. I had intended to take care of her, but now, I had become nothing more than a free caretaker, making soup for another man. I couldn’t help but sneer. “I can’t make it. “If he’s sick, he should see a doctor. What if something goes wrong? Who’s going to take responsibility?” I used to make lunch for Jacqueline every day, but eventually, she started sharing it with Eric. That afternoon, when Eric wasn’t feeling well, it was obvious it was because he had stayed up too late, but Jacqueline blamed me. She said the food I made wasn’t clean and docked my pay to give it to Eric instead. Jacqueline seemed to recall this, and her face became a bit awkward. She was about to say something, but I walked past her and went into the bedroom. Jacqueline quickly followed me. “Lawrence, I get it. Are you mad about what happened this afternoon with me and Eric? “Just say what you need to say. Why are you being so sarcastic?” It was always the same. Whenever she couldn’t argue with me, she’d accuse me of overthinking and complain that I didn’t communicate with her. But I had talked to her seriously many times, yet each time, she would explode, think I was being unreasonable, and then refuse to continue the conversation. Seeing that she was about to enter the room, I locked the bedroom door. That completely annoyed Jacqueline, and she started banging on the door. “Jacqueline, stop making a scene. Just go to bed.” After saying that, I ignored her, washed up, and went to bed. In the middle of the night, I woke up feeling thirsty. When I got up to get some water, I noticed my phone screen was lit up. I unlocked it and saw several messages from Eric. [Lawrence, Jacqueline’s at my place. She came to take care of me because my stomach was acting up.] Then there were a few pictures. The background was Eric’s rental place, and Jacqueline was wearing pajamas and an apron, standing in the kitchen with a focused look on her face. It was only then that I realized Jacqueline hadn’t been resting in the bedroom. Instead, she went to take care of Eric in the middle of the night. I felt a pang of heartache. I’d never asked her to cook for me, but now, she was willingly doing it for another man. I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. And I knew exactly what Eric was doing. He was trying to provoke me. This kind of thing had happened too many times before. It didn’t really matter anymore. After two days, I would no longer have anything to do with them. I turned off my phone and went back to sleep, soon drifting off into a dreamless slumber. The next morning when I woke up, Jacqueline had already gone home. She was sitting on the couch, holding a tablet, looking a little tired after staying up all night. Back when she used to stay up talking with Eric, she would look just as worn out. I wanted to ask if she was okay, but she’d gotten angry and snapped at me for nitpicking. I didn’t feel like getting into an argument, so I ignored it, washed up, and casually greeted her as usual. She seemed distracted, muttering to herself. “Why does it feel like something’s missing around here?” I didn’t respond. The things that were lost were things she never really cared about before. So, she noticed something was off but couldn’t pinpoint what. I didn’t pay it any mind and was about to leave when Jacqueline suddenly called out to me. “Lawrence, why is there a ticket charge in your account’s payment details?” It dawned on me then. The tablet was logged into my account so she could see some of my purchases. I paused, about to say something, but just then, the phone rang. Jacqueline glanced at the caller ID, her eyes lit up, and she got up to go to the bedroom to answer it, no longer concerned about me. I let out a scoff, but I was already used to it. A few minutes later, she came back out of the bedroom, grabbed her coat from the hanger, and spoke to me in a commanding tone. “Eric’s parents are here. I need to go pick them up. When you get to the office, help us ask for some time off.” I smiled faintly. “I’m not going to the office today. “I’ll be dispatched abroad tomorrow, and that flight ticket is for tomorrow.”
She froze for a moment, her hands still on her shoes. After a beat, she seemed to realize something, then suddenly laughed. “What are you talking about? I’ve already withdrawn your transfer request. You’re not going anywhere.” I was about to explain, but her tone suddenly turned cold. “Lawrence, you were doing fine a while ago. What happened? Why are you acting up now? “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re trying to do. Once was enough, but if you keep having trouble like this, I’m going to get fed up. “Well, I have to admit, this time you’ve been convincing. You even went ahead and bought a plane ticket to fool me.” I didn’t say anything more. She didn’t believe I would leave, so no matter what I said, she wouldn’t believe it. If that was the case, then there was no point in arguing. I stayed silent, but in Jacqueline’s eyes, my silence looked like guilt. She was more convinced than ever that I was doing this on purpose. With a cold snort, she grabbed her bag and was about to leave. After walking a couple of steps, she suddenly seemed to remember something, stopped, and turned back to look at me. With a resigned sigh, she said, “Lawrence, I know why you’re acting like this, but I really have to go this time. I promised Eric the other day, and I can’t break my word. “Be good and stop causing trouble, okay? “After today, I’ll listen to you and cut back on my contact with him. “By the way, you wanted to get married, right? Once all this is settled, I’ll go with you to take wedding photos, and we can talk about the wedding details. How about it?” As she spoke, she reached out and gently patted my head as if trying to calm a well-behaved puppy. I found it a bit funny. She said she couldn’t break her promises, but for Eric, she’d canceled on me more than once, leaving me waiting by myself. She said she’d reduce contact with Eric, but that agreement was made a long time ago. Yet, she still broke her word more than once. Every time, her ace in the hole was taking wedding photos with me. I kept believing her, time after time, and getting disappointed again and again. She thought this method of controlling me, like a dog with a carrot and stick, worked perfectly for me. But what she didn’t know was it was only because I still had hope in her. Now, after not loving her anymore, I suddenly realized how laughable all those promises had been from the very beginning. But I didn’t expose the truth. I just nodded. “Okay.” Jacqueline was pleased, smiling brightly. “Lawrence, it looks like you finally understand that threatening me won’t get you anywhere. “Only if we both try to understand each other can we go further together. “Stay home and wait for me. I’m making an appointment now. Tomorrow, we’ll go take wedding photos.” With that, she turned and headed downstairs. I watched Jacqueline’s back as she disappeared around the corner, then went back to my room and threw everything I didn’t need into the trash can downstairs. Soon, the room was spotless, with no trace left of my presence. As soon as Jacqueline returned, she would discover the truth. But she didn’t. All night long, Jacqueline sent me photos of herself with Eric and his parents. She sent pictures of the scenery and of the restaurants they went to together. She said some of the places had great views, perfect for wedding photos. I didn’t understand what she was trying to do. But I still went along with it. Anyway, it was the last time. I probably wouldn’t hear from her again. The next morning, after replying to Jacqueline and telling her to get some rest, I grabbed my suitcase and took a taxi to the airport. Just as I was about to board the plane, I received a call from the wedding company, confirming the wedding photo shoot schedule. It turned out Jacqueline was serious this time. But I didn’t want to do it anymore. “I’m sorry, but the shoot is canceled.” After apologizing, I hung up. I took one last look at the city I’d lived in for five years. This time, I didn’t hesitate. I walked up the stairs to the plane. From now on, Jacqueline and I would have no future together. I just wondered, when she found out that she was the one left waiting this time, what kind of expression she would have.
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