From eighteen to twenty-three, I was his. Five long years. We were intimate more times than I could count, but he never gave me a proper title. Because he had a dating standard that was almost obsessive— Height 5’6″, weight 105 lbs. Naturally dark, long, straight hair, fair skin, a beauty mark near her eye, dimples when she smiled… Thirty-seven points in total. Every single one had to be met. He said: “If I haven’t found my ideal partner by the time I’m twenty-three, then I’ll be with you.” I didn’t believe such a girl existed, so I agreed. I waited year after year, until his twenty-third birthday. He tagged everyone in our SnapChat group: “Seven tonight, at The Grand Gala Lounge. You guys are finally meeting my girlfriend.” My Ins exploded instantly. Everyone was congratulating me: “Five years! You finally made it official!” “Alice, you finally succeeded!” I put on a full face of makeup, changed into his favorite white dress, and arrived at the private room half an hour early. The moment the door opened, he walked in, his arm around a girl’s waist. 5’6″, dark, long, straight hair, fair skin, a beauty mark near her eye… perfectly matching his ideal partner criteria. He looked down at her, his gaze so gentle it stung: “Let me introduce you. This is my girlfriend.”
The private room fell into a terrifying silence. All eyes were on me. My knuckles were white from gripping my wine glass, my throat felt squeezed by an invisible hand, and even breathing became difficult. Finally, someone broke the hush. “Alex, you’re serious?” Alex leaned back lazily on the sofa, then lowered his head to kiss Bethany’s hair: “Of course, I’m serious. Those thirty-seven dating standards? Did you think they were just for show? I declare, I will marry no one but Bethany in this life.” “You’ll marry no one but her? What about Alice?” Someone couldn’t help but ask, “She’s been with you since she was eighteen…” Alex seemed to smile, lifting his gaze slightly to look at me, his eyes so unfamiliar it made my heart tremble: “I never asked her to wait.” “My dating standards were always public. If she didn’t meet them, is that my fault?” Hearing that, my heart felt like it had been brutally stabbed, the pain almost making me double over. But I knew, all eyes were on me, waiting for my reaction. So, I forced myself to straighten up and raise my wine glass, my fingertips so cold I could barely feel the temperature of the glass. “You’re right, you never made me wait. I chose to, so I have to accept the consequences of my own choices.” I forced a smile, “Alex, congratulations on getting what you wished for.” Alex raised an eyebrow, lifting his glass in a gesture: “Thanks.” He took a sip of his drink, his Adam’s apple bobbing, “There are plenty of other guys out there. Don’t waste your life on me, Alice. Try to like someone else.” I closed my eyes, my heart felt like it was being sawed open, instantly mangled and bleeding. I was only five years old when I first met Alex. He looked like a prince from a fairy tale, playing the piano in a little suit. From then on, I became his inseparable shadow. They grew up together. At their high school graduation party when they were eighteen, they both got drunk and shared their first intimate moment. Waking up the next day, I was nervous, thinking years of liking him had finally come to fruition. But he just handed me a piece of paper. He said these were his ideal partner standards. The paper was densely packed with thirty-seven requirements, from height and weight to hair color and skin texture. It even specified a beauty mark near the eye and dimples when she smiled. “Last night was an accident.” He lit a cigarette, saying casually, “Alice, you have two choices.” My fingers gripped the bedsheet tightly, my heart slowly growing cold. “First, pretend nothing happened.” He exhaled a smoke ring, “Second, we both enjoyed last night. We can be bed partners, and if I haven’t found my ideal partner by the time I’m twenty-three, we’ll be together.” I tremblingly took the paper. Thirty-seven standards, like thirty-seven knives, each piercing my heart. Not a single one described me. “I choose the second option.” I heard myself say. Because I didn’t believe such a girl truly existed in this world, and that Alex would happen to meet her. Because I liked him too much. So, even if there was only a one in a million chance, I was willing to bet everything. For these five years, I was with him, kissing in the back rows of classrooms, passionately entwined on rooftops, indulging in changing rooms. Everyone knew I was his, but he never admitted it. Just yesterday, he was clutching my waist, saying: “Alice, so soft. I never want to let you go.” But now he casually said: “You go try to like someone else…” Just because he was afraid I’d cling to him. My heart felt violently squeezed. I tilted my head back and drained the glass, the burning liquid searing my throat. “Don’t worry, I won’t cling.” I heard myself say, my voice so faint it was almost inaudible, “I’ll keep my word. I’ll make a clean exit.” I turned to leave, but then I saw Alex gently helping Bethany drink some milk. A little milk stained her lips, and he leaned down to kiss it away: “Silly girl.” That scene felt like a knife twisting in my heart. I stumbled out of the private room, only to be blocked by a few drunk men in the hallway. “Hey beautiful, wanna exchange SnapChat IDs?” The heavy smell of alcohol washed over me. Someone’s hand touched my waist. Someone from the private room shouted: “Alex! Alice is in trouble!” Through the gap in the door, I saw Alex, his head still down, his voice lazy: “I have a girlfriend now. Her business has nothing to do with me.” As he spoke, he pinched Bethany’s cheek, “If I go help another girl, would you get mad, sweetie?” “Of course I would!” Bethany pouted playfully. Alex smiled, dotingly: “Then I won’t help.” “After all these years, you really didn’t like her?” Someone asked, unwilling to give up. Alex chuckled softly, his voice clear, each word like a knife piercing my heart: “She didn’t meet a single one of my dating standards. How could I like her?” Those words completely shattered my last shred of dignity. I violently pushed past the drunk men in front of me and stumbled out of The Grand Gala Lounge. The cold wind on my face, tears finally broke free like a dam. I didn’t call a taxi. I walked home for two hours against the wind. When I got home, I looked at my disheveled self in the mirror— My makeup was smudged, my dress was wrinkled, my eyes were swollen like peaches. This wasn’t me, nor should it be. Mechanically, I took off the ruined white dress and tossed it into the trash. Just as Alex had coldly discarded our five years of shared history. Then, I picked up my phone and dialed a number. “Mr. Davies, I’ve thought about it. I accept the London Symphony Orchestra’s offer.”
There was silence on the other end for a few seconds before Mr. Davies’ surprised and delighted voice came through: “Why the sudden change of heart, Alice? You said before you wanted to stay in the country for someone you liked very much, and didn’t want to go abroad…” “He doesn’t need me anymore.” I cut him off, my voice so calm it even surprised myself, “And I don’t need him either.” Mr. Davies was perceptive enough not to ask any more questions: “In that case, once you’ve sorted out the paperwork, come over. The orchestra always welcomes talent like you!” After hanging up, I gazed out at the gradually brightening sky. A month ago, when that long-dreamed-of invitation arrived, I was so excited I didn’t sleep all night. I’d been playing the violin since I was a child, and getting into the London Symphony Orchestra was practically every music student’s dream. But when I went to Alex’s family estate and saw him leaning alone on the sofa, smoking, looking lonely. The words “I’m going to London” simply wouldn’t come out. When Alex was sixteen, his parents died in a plane crash. I was in a neighboring city participating in a violin competition at the time. After hearing the news, I rushed back overnight. At the funeral, Alex stood there all alone. The first thing he said when he saw me was: “Alice, from now on, I’m all alone.” I cried and hugged him: “No, you’re not. You have me. As long as you need me, I’ll always be by your side.” Since childhood, girls who liked Alex could line up from the school gate to the city center. But I was the only one who truly grew up with him. I’d seen him with his eyes red in the practice room, I knew he hated rainy days because they reminded him of his parents’ funeral… So, I went nowhere, staying by his side day after day, year after year. But now, they would go their separate ways. As dawn broke, I started to organize everything related to Alex. They grew up together, shared the same glass of milk. Read the same comic books, napped in the same bed… I had carefully cherished everything related to him. Like preserving the most precious dream of my youth. Now, I pulled all of it out, item by item, and placed them into a cardboard box. Including the hair clip he gave me when I was eighteen. The cake mold he handmade for his twentieth birthday. The hand warmer he bought me last winter because he thought my hands were cold… Everything, along with my love for him, bundled up, ready to return to him. When I arrived at Alex’s family estate, Mr. Henderson, the old butler, opened the door. He saw the box in my hands, and his eyes immediately darkened. “Ms. Alice, Mr. Alex has taken Ms. Bethany shopping.” I froze for a moment, then smiled with a sense of relief: “Please, could you give this to him for me?” The butler took the box, looking as if he wanted to say something but held back: “Ms. Alice, is there really no possibility for you and our young master? After all these years…” “No possibility,” I said softly, “He’s found his true love, and I’ll find mine too.” With that, I turned and left, without a single trace of regret. After processing my visa, I remembered London’s damp climate and decided to buy some warm clothes at the mall. I walked into a high-end clothing store and spotted a beige trench coat. Just as I was about to ask the clerk to wrap it up, a familiar voice suddenly came from behind me— “I like this one too! Sister, our taste is so similar! Both in clothes and in men, we’ve fallen for the same thing.” I turned around and saw Bethany standing behind me, smiling sweetly. Before I could even speak, Alex’s voice came from beside her: “What if your taste is similar? Whether it’s clothes or people, they only belong to you.” He walked over, pulled out his black card, and told the clerk, “I’ll buy this coat for ten times the price. Also, wrap up all the new arrivals in the store in my girlfriend’s size.” The clerk was overjoyed and quickly agreed. They no longer cared that I had been the first to pick it out, turning to arrange the purchase. “Alex, that’s too extravagant!” Bethany clung to Alex’s arm, pouting playfully. Alex looked down at her, his eyes full of adoration: “A man’s money is where his heart is. I’m just happy when you spend my money.” Bethany looked up, asking: “Will you always be this good to me?” Alex pinched her cheek: “Of course. Not just this life, but the next life, and the one after that, too.”
I watched the scene quietly, my heart throbbing slightly. This was the first time I’d seen Alex like this. It seemed he truly loved this girl who perfectly matched his ideal partner criteria. I knew Bethany was deliberately trying to take the coat. And I knew that as long as Bethany was around, no matter what clothes I looked at today, Alex would buy them for her at an inflated price. So I didn’t want to argue with them, nor did I want to watch their intimacy. I turned to leave. But just then, the piercing fire alarm suddenly blared throughout the entire mall. “Fire! Run!” Thick smoke instantly filled the air. The crowd erupted into chaos, screams rising from all directions. I was shoved by the crowd, unable to stand steady. I looked up, only to see Alex instinctively shielding Bethany in his arms, running towards the emergency exit without a backward glance. He didn’t look at me, didn’t even check if I was safe. “Ah—!” I was pushed to the ground, my elbow slammed hard against the marble floor, the pain so intense my vision blurred. Before I could even get up, I was trampled several times by the panicking crowd. A crisp “snap” came from my right wrist bone, the excruciating pain almost making me faint. Even worse, I was pushed towards the escalator. Losing my balance, I tumbled down the moving stairs! “Thud!” The back of my head hit a step hard. Warm liquid trickled down my forehead, blurring my vision. I curled up on the ground in agony, my ears filled with chaotic screams and footsteps, yet no one stopped to help me. In a haze, I saw Alex holding Bethany, gently comforting her at the emergency exit. She seemed to say something, and Alex shook his head, his voice clearly carrying over: “I’m your boyfriend. Whether something happens to me or not, it has nothing to do with me. Now that I have you, I need to keep my distance from other girls.” With that, he scooped Bethany into his arms and left without looking back. I watched their retreating figures, my vision gradually blurring. My last thought before losing consciousness was that he hadn’t lied. He truly had never had any feelings for me. When I woke up again, I found myself in the hospital. I lay in the hospital bed, my left arm in a cast, my right arm hooked up to an IV. The chaos at the mall had resulted in a broken right hand, a mild concussion, and multiple soft tissue contusions. The doctor said I needed at least two weeks of rest. My phone screen suddenly lit up; it was an update from Alex’s Ins. Before this, his Ins profile was blank, even his profile picture was the default gray. But ever since he got together with Bethany, he’d changed to a pink couple’s profile picture. The background was Bethany’s selfie, and his feed was updating like crazy. The latest post, from ten minutes ago: “Peeling shrimp for my darling, she complained I was too slow [pouting emoji]” The picture showed Bethany pouting, a plate full of peeled shrimp on the table. The comment section exploded: “OMG, is this Alex? Did he get possessed?” “Remember how the campus belle brought you breakfast for a month, and you didn’t even remember her name? Now you’re peeling shrimp?” “Turns out he wasn’t aloof, he just hadn’t met the right person!” Alex replied uniformly: “Only for her.” My finger hovered above the screen. In the end, I didn’t tap ‘like’. I quietly exited Ins and locked my phone. *** **截断点** Three days later, I was ready to be discharged. The sunlight outside the window was bright, shining on the pristine white sheets, making my eyes sting. The nurse pushed the door open: “Ms. Alice, your discharge procedures are complete.” I nodded, slowly propping myself up. My right hand was still weak, so I clumsily used my left hand to pack my things. Just as I reached the hallway, I heard a commotion. Alex rushed in, carrying a blood-soaked Bethany, followed by a group of medical staff. “Save her!” Alex’s voice was hoarse and unrecognizable, “Quick, save her!” I’d never seen Alex like this. His white shirt was stained red with blood, a cut on his forehead was still seeping, and his eyes were bloodshot. He was frantic, vulnerable, hysterical… Clutching Bethany tightly, as if holding the most precious treasure in the world.
“Mr. Alex, please calm down. We’ll do everything we can to save her…” Alex’s voice trembled, then he roared: “Get your director here! I want the best doctors, the best equipment! Money is not an issue!” Soon, the entire floor was cleared, and top medical teams rushed in from various places. I stood at the corridor corner, watching Alex pace like a trapped beast outside the operating room. “Alex, you’re hurt too. Go get your wounds treated first.” Alex’s friends tried to persuade him. “Get out!” Alex shook them off, his voice trembling, “I’m not going anywhere until Bethany is out of danger.” “Alex, this car accident was an accident. If she hadn’t insisted you speed on that winding mountain road…” “Shut up!” Alex slammed his fist against the wall, “It’s my fault for not protecting her.” The operating room door suddenly opened, and a nurse hurried out: “The patient has a ruptured kidney and needs an immediate transplant, but there’s a shortage of donors…” Alex immediately rolled up his sleeve. “Take me for a compatibility test now.” “Alex! Are you crazy?!” His friends were shocked and stopped him, “You’ve only been with Bethany for a few days? Is it worth it?” Alex’s gaze was frighteningly cold: “If something happens to her, I won’t be able to live either. Not just a kidney, if it saves her, I’d even give my heart.” Those words pierced my heart like a knife. I staggered back two steps, accidentally knocking over a potted plant in the hallway. With a loud crash, Alex turned his head and finally saw me. The moment our eyes met, Alex’s expression stiffened for an instant, but quickly returned to normal: “You… what are you doing here?” I raised my right hand, which was still in a cast, “The day of the mall fire, I fell down the escalator.” Alex’s expression was momentarily strained, but he quickly recovered: “Oh. Well, get some good rest then.” With that, he turned and followed the nurse for the compatibility test, not sparing me another glance. I watched his retreating back and suddenly remembered when he was fifteen. Alex had a persistent high fever, and I snuck off campus overnight to buy him medicine, resulting in me breaking my leg. At the time, Alex held me and said: “Alice, from now on, I’ll protect you.” But now, he couldn’t even bother to ask “Does it hurt?” The compatibility results came back quickly: a perfect match. Alex signed the consent form without a word and entered the operating room that same afternoon. Through the glass window, I watched the two people lying side by side on the operating table. Alex turned his head and gently kissed the forehead of the unconscious Bethany. This scene finally broke my last line of defense. The difference between love and not loving could really be this stark. It took me eighteen years to try and get into Alex’s heart, and Bethany took only a few days to get all of him. I gave a self-deprecating smile. The last bit of admiration I had for him finally vanished completely.
Back home, I dialed the real estate agent. “I want to sell the villa on Willow Creek Drive, as quickly as possible.” That was the house my parents left me. During college, my whole family immigrated to Canada, but I insisted on staying behind. My father was so angry he smashed his coffee mug: “For that Alex boy, you’re abandoning your own parents?” I was so naive back then, thinking that as long as I stayed by Alex’s side, he would eventually turn to me. Now Alex had found the love of his life, and it was time for me to completely let go. The house quickly found a buyer. The day I signed the contract, I received an unknown call. “Ms. Alice, I’m Bethany.” The voice on the other end was soft and sweet, “Could we meet?” At the coffee shop, Bethany was wrapped in thick bandages, her face pale but still delicate. She got straight to the point: “Alex was already injured, and he donated a kidney to me. His appetite has been really poor recently, which is slowing down his recovery. I want to cook something for him…” “So?” I stirred my coffee, not looking up. “I heard he used to love the chicken soup you made.” Bethany bit her lip, “Could you… teach me how?” My hand paused. I remembered Alex always wanted my ginseng chicken soup whenever he was sick. Once, I had a high fever but still forced myself to cook a pot for him, only to faint in the kitchen afterward. “He likes you so much now, he’d be happy with whatever you buy him.” I said faintly. Bethany shook her head: “I just want him to taste his favorite flavor.” She clasped her hands together, her eyes watery, “Please. I know I was wrong for taking your coat before. Please be the bigger person and don’t hold it against me. Just teach me.” In the end, I agreed. I stood at the kitchen entrance, watching Bethany clumsily handle the ingredients. She cut her finger while slicing ginger, scalded her hand while pouring hot water, but stubbornly kept starting over. “Why are you so insistent?” I couldn’t help but ask. Bethany wiped the sweat from her forehead, a sweet blush coloring her cheeks: “Because he’s worth it.” She began to recount all the good things Alex did for her. Driving at three in the morning to buy her a strawberry cake she suddenly craved. Planting twenty cherry trees in the yard just because she casually mentioned liking cherry blossoms. Staying up all night when she had a fever, taking her temperature every half hour. She vaguely woke up to see his eyes red from lack of sleep… “Compared to how good he is to me, making a bowl of soup is nothing,” Bethany’s eyes sparkled, “He said I was his ideal partner, the one he’d waited twenty-three years for, the only person he wants to marry in this life.” I listened quietly, my heart feeling like it was being slowly cut open by a dull knife. I remembered how I used to pour my heart and soul into Alex. When he had a high fever, I went out in the rain to buy him medicine; When he was in a bad mood, I stayed up all night drinking with him; On his birthday, I ran all over the city just to buy him his favorite limited-edition sneakers; But Alex was always distant with me, even吝啬 a simple “thank you.” I thought it was just his nature and foolishly believed that with time, I could warm his heart. Now I finally understood. Alex wasn’t incapable of love. He just didn’t love me. When he met his true ideal partner, he loved more passionately and deeply than anyone. After the soup was done, Bethany looked at the scalds on her hands, biting her lip in annoyance: “I need to go treat my hands first, otherwise Alex will worry about them for ages.” She handed me the insulated container, “Could you please take the soup over?” The chicken soup in the container was still steaming hot. I stood at the hospital room door, hearing Alex’s gentle voice from inside: “Bethany? Where did you go? Why aren’t you coming in?” The moment I pushed the door open, the smile on Alex’s face froze. The expectation in his eyes turned to surprise, finally settling into coldness. “What are you doing here?” I lowered my gaze, trying to maintain a calm expression, and placed the soup on the bedside table: “This is…” “Take it away.” Alex interrupted me coldly, “I won’t drink anything you’ve made.” He leaned back in the hospital bed, his face still a bit pale, but his eyes as sharp as knives: “Alice, I have a girlfriend now. I don’t want any involvement with other girls, especially since we used to have that kind of relationship.” “You can say I wronged you, or that I’m heartless, but I just want to give Bethany a sense of security.” I closed my eyes: “You misunderstood. This soup isn’t mine. I just…” Before I could finish, Alex interrupted again, his gaze falling on the familiar insulated container, “I made myself very clear. Bethany is the only one in my heart. I won’t even glance at other girls’ attempts to show affection.” He reached out, grabbed the insulated container, and without looking, tossed it into the nearby trash can. The “thud” echoed, as if it had landed directly on my heart. “Alex, what are you doing!” Bethany’s voice suddenly came from the doorway. She rushed in, bandages still on her hand, “That’s the soup I begged her to teach me to make all day!” Alex’s expression instantly changed: “What?” “I can’t cook at all. I wanted to make you something nutritious, so I specially asked her to teach me.” Bethany’s eyes welled up with tears, “I even cut my hand chopping vegetables…” Alex immediately sat up from the bed, disregarding the pain from his wound, and bent down to retrieve the insulated container from the trash. He fumbled to open the lid, scooped out a bowl, and was about to drink it.
“Don’t drink it! It’s dirty!” Bethany quickly stopped him. “It’s not dirty.” Alex shook his head, his eyes incredibly gentle, “How could something you made with your own hands be dirty?” He gulped down the soup, praising how delicious it was, as if he hadn’t been the one to disdain it just moments before. I stood by, watching Alex’s happy expression. I suddenly remembered a time when I had a fever and, despite feeling weak, cooked a bowl of noodles for Alex, who was staying up late playing games. But because I was so hungry, I took a bite myself. As a result, he threw the bowl and noodles into the trash right in front of me. Back then, Alex had severe潔癖, and he would disdain anything I touched. But now, he was actually eating something he picked out of the trash. Just because it was “handmade” by Bethany. I gave a self-deprecating smile, unsure if I was laughing at him or at myself. As I turned to leave, I heard Alex’s gentle voice from the hospital room: “Sweetie, don’t do these things anymore. You getting hurt hurts me more than my own injuries…” I closed my eyes and quickly left the hospital. In the days that followed, I stayed at home packing my luggage. I folded my clothes one by one into my suitcase. Each item I packed felt like sealing away a memory from the past. My phone screen occasionally lit up with notifications from our mutual friends’ group chat. He took her to various galas, introduced her to family and friends, eager to announce to the world that he had found his ideal partner. The pictures in the group chat, one after another, displayed their intimacy. Alex with his arm around Bethany’s waist, his eyes so gentle they could drip water. Alex leaning down to adjust Bethany’s skirt, his movements careful and tender. Alex publicly kissing Bethany’s forehead at the banquet, drawing cheers and whistles… Everyone said Alex was truly in love this time. I scrolled through them quietly. Strangely, the pain in my chest gradually grew fainter. Like a wound that had scabbed over; it might still throb faintly, but at least it was no longer bleeding. Two days before my departure, I met a few close friends at The Grand Gala Lounge for a farewell. “Alice, are you really leaving?” My best friend, Chloe, held my hand, “Not coming back?” “No, I won’t be back.” I took a sip of wine, “The London Symphony Orchestra is my dream. From now on, I’ll focus on my career.” The private room suddenly grew quiet. My friends exchanged glances, hesitating to speak. “That’s good too,” Chloe finally broke the silence, “A change of scenery, a fresh start.” I smiled, raising my glass: “To new beginnings.” After a few rounds of drinks, I got up to use the restroom. Passing by the adjacent private room, a familiar voice made me pause. “Alex, are you crazy? You’ve only known her for less than a month and you want to propose? Didn’t you used to say people who rushed into marriage were idiots?” I instinctively stopped, peeking through the half-open door. I saw Alex leaning back in his chair, a rare, gentle smile playing on his lips. “That was before I met Bethany. When Alice was chasing me, I thought she was crazy too. How could anyone be so fixated on another person?” My fingertips dug into my palm. “Until I met Bethany.” Alex’s eyes suddenly softened, “The first time I saw her, I knew I wanted to spend my life with her. When she smiles, I’m happy; when she cries, my heart aches. My emotions are completely tied to her. My gaze always follows her involuntarily…” He paused, then pulled a velvet box from his pocket: “I’ve been planning this proposal since the first day we got together. I’m so afraid she’ll belong to someone else. I have to make her my wife as soon as possible.” The private room erupted in gasps. “It’s normal for hormones to be running high, but you’re too deep! At least spend another six months together…” “I can’t wait a day.” Alex’s voice was firm, “I’ve never longed for marriage and a family so much.”
I stood outside the door, feeling as if all the blood in my body had frozen. So, more than a decade of companionship really couldn’t compare to their one month of knowing each other. I turned to leave, but accidentally bumped into a waiter carrying a tray. The sound of shattering glass startled the people in the private room. Alex pushed the door open. Seeing me, his face instantly changed. “Alice? You heard everything?” He asked, frowning. I nodded frankly. Alex’s expression grew complex: “Since you know, then you should understand how much I like Bethany.” “Don’t try to ruin this proposal. You can’t stop it…” “Don’t worry.” I cut him off, a faint smile gracing my lips, “I won’t be there the day you propose.” I paused: “Because…” That day was also the day I was leaving the country. Before I could finish, Alex’s phone rang, Bethany’s exclusive ringtone. He answered, his tone instantly tender: “Honey, I’m with my friends. I’ll be right back…” I took advantage of his call to turn and leave. My back was perfectly straight, my steps steady, as if I had finally shed a heavy burden. After Alex hung up, he realized I was gone. He looked down the empty hallway, vaguely remembering me saying something earlier. But his mind had been entirely focused on Bethany’s call, and he hadn’t heard clearly. Never mind, it probably wasn’t important anyway. He didn’t dwell on it and re-entered the private room. The day Alex decided to propose to Bethany was also the day my visa paperwork came through. Back at the villa, I contacted the agent again and signed the sales contract with the buyer. After completing all the handover procedures, I boarded the car with all my luggage. On the way to the airport, my phone vibrated. It was a message from our mutual friends’ SnapChat group, live-streaming Alex’s proposal. 【Look, Alex rented out the entire amusement park!】 【The fireworks show is so thoughtful, it’s Bethany’s favorite Disney theme!】 【I heard the ring is custom-made, a full five carats!】 I exited the group chat and opened my conversation with Alex. The last message was from a month ago, when he said to me: “Alice, I miss you.” My fingers hovered over the keyboard for a long time. Then, I slowly typed a line of text. “Alex, I wish you a successful proposal. I will fulfill your wish and never see you again.” The moment the message was sent, his status immediately showed “typing…” Alex replied quickly: “Just don’t bother me in the future, that’s all. As for seeing each other, how can we avoid it if we’re in the same city? I’ll treat you to dinner after the proposal.” I looked at the message and suddenly laughed. He still thought I would cling to him, even now. I didn’t reply. I just blocked his account. A boarding announcement sounded. I took out my phone’s SIM card and gently snapped it in half. The small card that had been with me for years broke into two pieces and was tossed into the trash. Inside the cabin, the flight attendant smiled and guided me to my seat. “Madam, this flight is bound for London Heathrow Airport, estimated flight time eleven hours and twenty-five minutes.” I nodded and fastened my seatbelt. The plane slowly taxied, accelerated, and finally lifted into the sky. Outside the cabin window, the city I had lived in for twenty-three years grew smaller and smaller, eventually disappearing beneath the clouds. I suddenly remembered when Alex was sixteen, after his parents’ funeral. He stood there in the setting sun and said to me: “Alice, from now on, it’s just the two of us.” I slowly closed my eyes. Alex, from now on, I won’t be by your side. From this day forward, our paths diverge, and we shall never meet again.
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