At our 100th engagement party, Landon Stewart once again abandoned me without hesitation. We’d been together for seven years. At the previous 99 engagement parties, he always said his childhood friend Madelyn White wasn’t married yet, and he couldn’t betray their promise. Clutching the ring in my hand, I couldn’t help but ask for the first time: “If Madelyn never gets married, will you keep staying by her side forever? What about me? What do you take me for?” Landon’s face instantly darkened. He snatched the ring from me and threw it out the window: “Madelyn and I promised each other since childhood that we’d get married together. How can I abandon her? Besides, Claire Thompson, do you really care that much about a piece of paper? We’ve been together for seven years. Without that paper, would our feelings be any different?” I stood in the center of the chapel, my hand still positioned to slip the ring onto Landon’s finger, but the ring had already been thrown out the window. Landon’s indifference toward marriage cut deep. I felt like someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over me—bone-chilling cold. I’d already endured 99 scenes like this. From age 23 to 30, I’d been with Landon for seven years and held 99 engagement parties. Today was the 100th. At all 99 previous engagement parties, he’d refused me, using his childhood friend Madelyn’s unmarried status as an excuse. Madelyn would always call at the crucial moment, saying she was in distress and needed Landon’s company. Sure enough, Landon’s phone rang again. Seeing it was Madelyn calling, Landon immediately answered. Before he could speak, Madelyn’s sobbing voice came through clearly for everyone to hear: “Landon, my condition is acting up again. Please come keep me company, okay? Only when you’re by my side can I feel better.” Hearing Madelyn’s artificially sweet voice made me sick. Ever since Landon and I got together, Madelyn claimed she had separation anxiety disorder and could only avoid episodes when Landon was with her. How could there possibly be such a strange condition that only affected one specific person—Landon? But Landon believed it completely. So Madelyn could summon him with a single phone call anytime, including during our engagement parties. Landon hurriedly comforted her: “Madelyn, just hang in there a little longer. I’ll be right there.” His words echoed through the hall. After speaking, he turned to leave, but I grabbed his wrist. The relatives and friends below were all talking, their scrutinizing eyes seeming to nail me to a pillar of shame. Today wasn’t just our 100th engagement party—it was also my 30th birthday. People say that women enter a different phase after turning 30. So I deliberately chose my 30th birthday for our 100th engagement party, hoping to enter a new life stage with Landon as I began this new age. I’d originally thought this engagement party would finally go smoothly. I never expected Landon to reject me just as ruthlessly and want to abandon me once again. I clenched my fists, nails digging into my palms. To give myself a chance to completely give up, I looked at Landon’s impatient expression and said: “Landon, we’ve been together for seven years. This is already our 100th engagement party. Stop joking around.” Landon let out a cold laugh, his tone dismissive: “So what? Madelyn and I have over twenty years of history together. Doesn’t that count for more than our seven years? I’ve already told you 99 times, and this is the 100th. Listen carefully—if Madelyn doesn’t get married, I won’t get married either. That’s the promise we made as children. Now that Madelyn has separation anxiety and can’t be without me, there’s no way I could abandon her at a time like this. Besides, do our feelings really need to be proven by a piece of paper?” I wanted to say more, to try to change his mind, but Landon forcefully shook off my hand and strode out of the hotel. Just like the previous 99 times, his retreating figure was so resolute, giving me no chance to stop him. Watching him walk away, I finally couldn’t hold back—my eyes welled up with tears. I thought: “Landon, you say Madelyn can’t be without you, but have you ever thought about me? You’ve already abandoned me, leaving me to face our relatives’ and friends’ mockery alone 100 times. Can I just be cast aside like this?”
The relatives and friends in the audience all felt deeply saddened by the situation. After our fifth failed engagement party, hardly anyone was willing to come and celebrate with us anymore. Holding onto the hope that this engagement party would definitely succeed, I kept praying and once again invited all our relatives and friends, wanting them to witness the happiness between Landon and me. But once again, I was abandoned right in front of them. The moment Landon rejected me, my family felt deeply ashamed and left the scene. Landon’s family had always looked down on me, and seeing this unfold, they seemed quite pleased. After Landon left, they departed as well. At that moment, only my friends remained at the venue, looking at me with pitying eyes. Just then, my phone buzzed. Opening it, I saw Madelyn’s latest Instagram post. The caption read: [With you by my side, I’m no longer alone.] The photo showed Madelyn leaning against Landon’s chest, with half of Landon’s face visible in the upper right corner. In the photo, Landon’s eyes were gentle and tender, completely different from the impatient man at the engagement venue just moments ago. Looking at this photo, I felt like a part of my heart had collapsed. I think our seven years of entanglement should come to an end. I had always been bothered by Madelyn’s presence. When I first got together with Landon, I had confirmed with him that if the person he liked was Madelyn, he could tell me directly, and I wouldn’t cling to him. But every time, Landon would blame me for being too harsh, accusing me of tainting their pure friendship. “Can’t you keep your mind clean? Madelyn and I are just good friends. “Madelyn suffers from separation anxiety. If no one stays with her, she’ll have an episode. I promised I’d stay by her side until she gets married. How could I abandon her? Can’t you be less petty and stop acting like a woman who only knows jealousy?” I had heard this speech at least a hundred times. Countless times during my dates with Landon, Madelyn could call him away with just one phone call, claiming she was having an episode and needed his company. Didn’t Madelyn have any other friends? Didn’t she have family? Was Landon some kind of miracle cure? Would she get better just because he showed up? I believed this was simply Madelyn’s excuse to steal Landon away from me. What was ridiculous was that Landon never thought there was anything wrong with this, choosing her over and over again, abandoning me each time. Until today, at our sixth engagement party, he still chose to leave without hesitation. I hastily wiped away the tears from the corners of my eyes, forced myself to see each friend home, then returned alone to my empty house. Sitting in the living room, I opened bottle after bottle of wine that had been prepared to celebrate our engagement and drank them all. Looking at the table covered with empty bottles, I took a photo and posted it on Instagram with the caption: [Turns out, from beginning to end, I’ve always been alone.] My friends all knew that Landon had abandoned me again today and left caring comments. [Claire, the other friends and I will be there for you.] [There’s someone better waiting for you.] Just then, my phone buzzed. I opened it to find a message from Landon: [What are you doing? I told you, Madelyn is having an episode. Can’t you be more understanding?] Looking at his message that showed no concern whatsoever, I laughed bitterly and grabbed another bottle of wine, downing it in one go. The alcohol probably burned my stomach with a fiery pain, and tears involuntarily welled up in my eyes. When Madelyn needed company, no matter what Landon was doing or where he was, he could rush to her side immediately. But when I needed company, all I got was his blame. Despite our seven years together, it seemed I had never recognized my place in his heart. That night, for the first time, I didn’t sit in the living room waiting for Landon to come home. In the past, I worried that when he came home late to a pitch-black house, he might feel like he didn’t belong, so I would always leave a light on and sit on the sofa waiting for him. Even though I often waited until dawn, I didn’t mind. Gradually, I developed chronic headaches. Today, perhaps because of the alcohol, I slept unusually deeply. The next morning, I woke up early. Sure enough, Landon hadn’t come home all night. This time, I didn’t call to question him like before, but instead made myself breakfast. After eating quickly, I prepared to go to work. Just as I was about to leave, Landon came home. Seeing the empty dining table, Landon looked somewhat surprised. “Where’s my breakfast?” Landon had stomach problems. In the past, regardless of whether he had come home the night before, I would always prepare breakfast for him, worried that skipping breakfast would upset his stomach. But today, I simply continued putting on my shoes and replied indifferently, “I already ate. You can order takeout.” Perhaps sensing that I was angry, Landon came over and put his arms around my waist, his tone much gentler than yesterday. He said, “Claire, I know it’s wrong of me to keep refusing the engagement. But Madelyn has no one to stay with her, and I really can’t feel at ease. You wouldn’t want me to marry you while worrying about someone else, would you? “Once Madelyn finds someone to spend the rest of her life with, I won’t have to worry about her having no one when she has episodes, and I’ll be able to marry you wholeheartedly. Isn’t that better? Madelyn and I are really just friends. Please don’t be upset with me, okay?” In the past, when Landon explained things to me so patiently like this, I would have forgiven him long ago. But this time, I just felt annoyed. I was truly sick of hearing such explanations. Pushing Landon’s hands away, I headed straight for the door. Before leaving, I said coldly, “I understand. I’m going to be late for work, so I’m leaving first.”
With that, I left directly. As soon as I arrived at the office, I received news that our department would be sending two people to overseas branches for training. Colleagues in my department were all signing up. Since joining this company after graduation, I’d had three opportunities to go abroad for training, and this was the fourth. Most of my fellow new hires from the same batch had already gone. After studying for a year and returning home, they all got promotions and raises. But I couldn’t bear the thought of a long-distance relationship with Landon, so I never applied and missed several good opportunities. Now that I think about it, I realize I’m already 30, but my life is a complete mess. In terms of relationships, I kept giving and chasing after Landon for seven years, only to endure 100 failed engagement parties. He wouldn’t even promise me a vague wedding date, always saying he’d get married after Madelyn got married. Career-wise, I’m still a bottom-level employee. My peers have long since moved into management positions, while I’m still stuck at the entry level. I think it’s time to make a change. I also signed up for this training program with my supervisor Eleanor Robinson. I’ve been working under Eleanor since I started at the company. Seeing me choose to apply this time, she seemed surprised. “Claire, have you finally come around? Did you discuss this with your boyfriend?” I shook my head. “This is my own decision. I want to advance further in my career.” Eleanor patted my shoulder with relief. “That’s right. Your own career is what’s most reliable. You can’t just immerse yourself in romance. I’m sure your boyfriend will understand.” I remained silent and didn’t say anything more. That day, I focused on my work and surprisingly didn’t think about Landon anymore, nor did I constantly pick up my phone to check if he’d sent me any messages. The moment I decided to sign up for overseas training, all I thought about was whether I’d be selected, not whether I’d be separated from Landon. Yesterday, the moment Landon abandoned me for the 100th time, I was completely done with him. Surprisingly, before leaving work, I actually received a message from Landon: [I’ll pick you up after work today for dinner to make up for your birthday yesterday.] I thought about it, then agreed. Perfect timing—I could make things clear with Landon today. Whether I go abroad or not, our relationship can’t continue. After work, I’d just stepped outside when I saw that familiar car. I opened the back door and got in. Landon frowned deeply. “Why aren’t you sitting in the passenger seat?” I didn’t speak, instead looking at the cartoon sticker on the passenger seat that read “Madelyn’s Private Seat.” Ever since Landon bought this car, whenever Madelyn was around, the passenger seat was always hers. I used to make a fuss about this, but Landon thought I was being unreasonable, saying it was just a seat. He felt that because Madelyn had separation anxiety, sitting closer to him would make her feel much better. So he blamed me for lacking compassion. Later, I stopped wanting to ride in his car because I didn’t want to make myself unhappy. I never expected that even when Madelyn wasn’t here, she’d still leave her mark to make me uncomfortable. If this were before, I definitely would have felt hurt. But now, I feel indifferent about it. Seeing the sticker, Landon looked somewhat embarrassed. “Madelyn has a childlike personality and can be quite possessive.” I nodded in understanding but made no move to change seats. Landon glanced back at me, and seeing that I wasn’t budging, he seemed like he wanted to say something but ultimately remained silent and started the car. During the drive, Landon kept trying to make conversation with me. I knew this was his way of making peace. From his attempts to be nice this morning to now actively starting conversations, it was already impressive that he’d kept it up for a whole day. In the past, if I didn’t respond after one of his peace offerings, the situation would flip to him getting angry and me having to comfort him. But today, my mind was entirely focused on whether I could get the opportunity to study abroad, so I only responded to him occasionally. When we reached our destination, I discovered it was an observatory. Landon excitedly put his arm around my shoulders. “I heard there’s going to be a meteor shower tonight, and this is the best viewing spot. When I was little, Madelyn and I…” At this point, Landon paused, and only relaxed when he saw I showed no reaction. He continued, “I know yesterday was your birthday, but I really can’t agree to the engagement. I brought you here to see the meteor shower as an apology, okay? Please don’t be angry anymore. I even prepared a gift for you.” With that, he pulled out a box and handed it to me. I opened it to find a bracelet I’d been wanting for a long time. Unfortunately, I didn’t need belated gifts, nor did I need a man whose heart belonged to another woman. I took a deep breath, about to bring up breaking up, when Landon’s phone rang. Seeing Madelyn’s name on the screen, Landon immediately answered. Madelyn’s voice came through: “Landon, where are you? I feel terrible. Can you come keep me company? I think I’m having another episode.” Hearing Madelyn’s dramatic voice, I let out a scoff. Over the past seven years, I’d witnessed this act far too many times. Initially, I believed in Madelyn’s condition and even felt sympathy for her. But who would sympathize with me? Ever since Madelyn claimed she had separation anxiety disorder, she’d been brazenly inserting herself between Landon and me. On Valentine’s Day, Landon and I had planned to go to the beach to set off fireworks, but Madelyn said she was having an episode and insisted on coming too. In the end, I sat on the sidelines watching Landon and Madelyn hold hands while setting off fireworks together. There were countless similar incidents. As she repeatedly ruined my alone time with Landon, I couldn’t help but become suspicious of her condition. I even consulted a psychologist about it. The doctor told me that separation anxiety disorder wouldn’t be nearly as severe as Madelyn claimed. Only Landon would believe her time and time again. At that moment, Landon immediately grabbed his car keys, ready to leave. “Claire, Madelyn needs me. Wait here for me, and I’ll come back once Madelyn feels better.” After saying this, he tried to lean in for a kiss, but I dodged away. Landon seemed like he wanted to say something more to me, but Madelyn’s moaning continued coming through the phone. Not daring to delay, he opened the car door and left. Watching the dust kicked up by his speeding car, I felt like I was back at the engagement party. I’d experienced this scenario far too many times, but I never expected to go through it again after deciding to break up. Looking at the pristine bracelet in the box, I smiled and then threw it into the darkness. What did it matter that Landon had specifically chosen a birthday gift based on my preferences? In his heart, the most important person would always be Madelyn. Shortly after Landon left, a meteor shower erupted across the sky. He was right—this really was the best viewing spot. Meteors streaked across the sky one after another, looking absolutely magnificent. Watching this rare spectacle, I felt an unprecedented sense of peace. When I stopped focusing all my attention on Landon, I realized how much beauty there was in life. I took a photo of the meteor shower and posted it on Instagram with the caption: [Appreciating nature’s wonders alone.] The next second, Madelyn also posted on Instagram. In the photo, Landon was looking down at a bowl of soup in his hands. Her caption read: [Anytime, anywhere, with you by my side.] I knew this was Madelyn deliberately provoking me, trying to make me angry. She was waiting for me to call and confront Landon, so she could enjoy the feeling of being protected by him. For seven years, she’d done this over and over again, never getting tired of it. However, I felt no anger now, nor did I want to play the fool and demand explanations like I used to.
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