Chapter 3

3

Jade followed me inside, her face dark with the intent to argue. Suddenly, her phone rang. It was Silas. She glanced at the screen and immediately prepared to leave.

She threw a cold sentence at me over her shoulder. "You should really think about your attitude!"

I wasn't affected by her words at all. I fell asleep the moment my head hit the pillow. The next morning, I was woken up by the clattering of dishes in the dining room.

I walked out to find the table covered in a steaming hot breakfast. Jade was just taking off her apron. She smiled when she saw me.

"My parents just landed this morning. Some of our relatives are here too. I've arranged for them to stay at the hotel nearby."

"I made this breakfast just for you. Why don't we eat and then head to the hotel together?"

In five years of dating, I never knew Jade could cook. That was until I saw several empty takeout containers in the kitchen trash can.

I also remembered the screenshot of Silas's Instagram story from last night. He had posted a picture of a candlelit dinner. The dishes on the table in front of me were identical to the ones in his photo.

I chose not to swallow this humiliation in silence. As Jade sat across from me with a bright smile, I spoke up.

"Don't you get tired of eating the same thing twice?"

"What?" Jade froze, the fork halfway to her mouth. I met her startled gaze and showed her Silas's social media post on my phone.

Jade opened her mouth, her eyes shifting uncomfortably. "Silas has a weak stomach. We didn't even touch these dishes. Since I paid for them, I didn't want them to go to waste, so I brought them back."

She spoke with such conviction, as if I were the one causing trouble for no reason. I took a deep breath. I had no appetite left.

Jade took a sip of juice and tried to explain. "Silas has already submitted his resignation. After our wedding, he's going abroad for further studies. I only had dinner with him because I'm his boss and his friend."

"It was just a normal farewell. Besides, he's sick and all alone. It's quite pitiful, really."

"Caleb, don't let some irrelevant person affect our relationship, okay?" She knelt in front of me, holding my hand with pleading eyes.

My throat tightened. I felt a weight in my chest. In the end, I said nothing. I dumped the entire table of food into the trash and followed her to the hotel.

As soon as we got out of the car, I saw Jade's parents and her extended family at the entrance. I adjusted my emotions and prepared to greet them. Then, I heard her aunt shouting.

"Jade! Where is Caleb? Didn't that boy say he wanted to have a drink with your uncle last time?"

I froze. Jade's father quickly grabbed the aunt's arm and whispered something. The aunt slapped her leg and laughed at me. "Oh, look at me! My eyes are failing in my old age. I didn't even recognize you, Caleb!"

The atmosphere turned awkward. Jade's mother stepped in to smooth things over, and the group moved into the private dining room. However, as soon as we sat down, Silas arrived.

The moment he walked through the door, the weird tension vanished. He was greeted with smiles. The waiter brought out wine and liquor. Silas immediately started drinking and chatting with the elders.

I was completely ignored. Jade pulled my hand awkwardly. "I know you're allergic to alcohol. But my uncles love to drink. That's why I asked Silas to come and help."

I nodded calmly and grabbed my coat. "Then you guys enjoy yourselves. I won't get in the way."

I suddenly remembered last month when Jade said she was going on a business trip. I saw her ticket to our hometown. I wanted to go with her to visit the elders, but she refused.

She said she was busy with work and didn't have time for me. She told me not to follow her and cause trouble. It was obvious she had taken Silas home instead.

She had introduced him to the family. She had even allowed them to assume he was her partner. All these "little things" were starting to suffocate me.

Jade chased me out of the room. She frowned deeply. "My relatives are all here. Where are you going?"

"Isn't Silas enough for you?" I asked. Jade's face grew even more impatient.

"What are you talking about? It's your own fault for being useless with alcohol. If you weren't allergic, I wouldn't have needed Silas."

"Are you really going to be this dramatic? Do you even want to get married or not?"

The last time we fought until we almost broke up was over the 1.88 million dollar bride price. My parents had convinced me that Jade was a good girl. They said we had been through five years together and I wouldn't find anyone who loved me more.

But now, I felt that losing her might be for the best. I stared at the face that had become so unfamiliar.

"You're right. I don't want to get married anymore."