Chapter 1

At my three-month prenatal checkup, the doctor told me the baby no longer had a heartbeat. They scheduled me for a procedure to clear the loss.

The day of my procedure, Brandon's first love lost her pet cat.

He abandoned me at the clinic and rushed over to comfort her.

I waited alone at the clinic for three hours. The only thing I received was her new Instagram post: “No matter when I need you, you're always there.”

I tapped the like button and left a comment: “Wishing you two a lifetime of happiness. Match made in heaven.”

In the middle of the night after I commented on Chloe's post, Brandon bombarded my phone with calls.

The second I answered, his furious voice exploded through the speaker.

“Nora, what the hell is that comment supposed to mean? What kind of drama are you stirring up now? What will people think of Chloe if they see that? You know she and I are just friends! I've told you a million times, yet you're still throwing these childish tantrums!”

I glanced at the digital clock on my nightstand. It was three in the morning.

Outside the window, the darkness felt icy and hollow.

“Did you call me in the middle of the night just to lecture me?”

Brandon paused for a second on the other end, his tone growing even more self-righteous. “What else would it be? I already told you, Chloe and I are just friends. She was devastated, so shouldn't I be there for her? You get jealous over nothing. Delete that comment right now. It looks pathetic.”

I had heard that exact excuse so many times that my heart was completely numb. It was calmer than still water.

“You're right. You should stay with her.”

Hearing my calm voice, Brandon barked one last order. “Delete it immediately.” Then he hung up.

Naturally, I didn't delete it.

This was our seventh year together. Back then, I was the one who chased him.

In college, Brandon was the heartthrob of the music department.

He had top-tier talent and striking looks, but he treated everyone with cool detachment.

Rumor had it that several campus beauties had tried to win him over, only to be rejected.

Yet I succeeded.

He had been a campus legend, so winning him over made me famous across the university.

Back then, I was also considered a prodigy in the design department.

During my freshman year, I won a major national design award.

Before meeting Brandon, I didn't care about his reputation at all. I figured he was just another guy. As my mom always said, good men were everywhere.

Then, in my sophomore year, my best friend dragged me to an orchestra performance, and I fell hard for him.

I chased him shamelessly for six months, bringing him coffee and saving library seats every single day.

Finally, on his birthday, we officially became a couple.

Later, his roommate let it slip that Brandon had an unforgettable first love. At the time, I didn't take it seriously.

Then, two years ago, Chloe returned from abroad.

Brandon claimed she was unfamiliar with the city and needed someone to look after her.

From that moment on, whenever we planned a date or he had a bit of free time, Chloe would call him away.

One night, right in the middle of our intimacy, he actually pulled his clothes back on and left just because a lightbulb in her apartment blew out.

Every flimsy excuse she gave was enough to make Brandon drop everything and run to her side.

Over time, all of his spare hours belonged to her.

We fought countless times over Chloe.

A few times, the word “breakup” reached the tip of my tongue, but I swallowed it down.