Chapter 3

3

“Fine,” Brandon snapped. He grabbed his jacket and stormed out the door.

After finishing my breakfast, I went back to our bedroom, grabbed the luggage I had packed the day before, and headed to my parents' house.

When they saw me wheeling my suitcases through the door, my mom asked if Brandon and I had fought.

I tried to tell her everything was fine, but tears betrayed me and poured down my face.

In my parents' eyes, I had always been the cheerful optimist who could smile through anything.

Seeing me sobbing so hard that I couldn't catch my breath, they panicked and kept asking what had happened.

After crying for fifteen minutes, I slowly calmed down and told them the entire truth.

My dad slammed his fist against the table with a loud bang. “I told you that guy was no good! I never approved of you two being together!”

My dad had never liked Brandon. He always felt Brandon carried himself with the haughty arrogance of an artist who couldn't care for anyone else.

Later on, my parents witnessed Brandon ditching me for Chloe several times, which only deepened my dad's disapproval.

Yet I was too stubborn to listen back then. My dad stopped pushing, only telling me that whenever I felt wronged, I could always come home.

My mom asked cautiously, “Are you going back to him?”

I shook my head. “No way. I'm going to divorce him in a few days.”

My parents looked at me with worry, clearly finding it hard to believe.

I offered them a gentle smile. “Mom, Dad, I'm really okay.”

Only after I reassured them multiple times did they believe I truly meant it.

My dad was so thrilled that he joked about buying fireworks to celebrate.

Around ten o'clock that night, Brandon finally called to ask where I was.

“At home.”

“I don't see you anywhere! We haven't even split up and you already have a new place?”

“At my parents' house,” I replied coldly.

“Nora, what is this supposed to mean, running off to your parents?” Brandon demanded angrily.

“If I don't stay here, were you going to take care of me during my recovery?”

Brandon hesitated for a moment. “I can take care of you.”

I scoffed. “Save it. You'd better go take care of your precious Chloe.”

“How many times do I have to explain to you―”

“Save your breath. You two are just friends. I get it.”

“If that's all, I'm hanging up.”

Before he could respond, I ended the call and switched my phone to Do Not Disturb mode.

I had heard Brandon's line about Chloe being just a friend so many times that my ears were calloused.

Hearing it again didn't hurt anymore.

Even if we stayed together, Chloe would always linger in our lives like a shadow.

And Brandon would only abandon me for her more frequently in the future.

Why would I continue degrading myself like that?