Chapter 2

2

A week later, I returned home.

I dragged my suitcase through the front door, only to find a crowd of people sitting inside.

It was Linsey and her group of friends.

And… I looked at Nolan, who was sitting right next to her, looking refined and composed.

Someone told a joke.

Linsey laughed and leaned against Nolan.

Her cheeks were flushed, just the way they used to be when she joked around with me.

Nobody noticed my arrival.

Right, my "arrival."

This was my house, yet Nolan and Linsey were acting like the host and hostess.

I walked into the living room with an expressionless face.

Rowan was the first to spot me.

"Silas?"

Everyone turned to look.

Linsey's eyes widened, as if my early return was a complete shock.

She instinctively let go of Nolan's arm, which she had been holding tight.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming back early?"

She frowned, looking at me with reproach.

Of course.

She always did this―strike first to gain the upper hand.

"Do I need to report to you when I enter my own house?"

I kept my face cold, dropped my bag, and bent down to change my shoes.

You could have heard a pin drop.

The friends must have sensed the tension, and they started trying to smooth things over.

"Silas, we heard you went to Iceland to see the lights alone?"

"Why didn't you take Linsey with you?"

"Linsey was so bored this week, she had to hang out with us the whole time."

The offhand comment was the spark that ignited the powder keg.

I glared at Linsey. "Is that what you told them?"

She hadn't just stood me up; she was lying to our friends?

Telling them I ditched her to go on a trip by myself?

Linsey's eyes flickered, and she instinctively ducked behind Nolan.

"I… well, I missed my flight anyway, what was I supposed to do?"

Nolan didn't let her down, either.

He reached out to pat the hand Linsey had wrapped around his sleeve, stepping up to defend her.

"Silas, is it? Nice to meet you."

He stood up and offered his hand, wearing a mask of polite hypocrisy.

I watched the performance with cold eyes.

He didn't mind being ignored.

"I didn't know you two had a trip planned. I just asked Linsey to pick me up."

"But then a thunderstorm hit, and the planes couldn't land. Linsey was worried about me, so she stayed and waited."

Nolan's words seemed to give Linsey the backbone she needed.

She stood up, too.

Defiantly, she said, "That's right. Nolan's plane was stuck in the air, and I couldn't even think about anything else. I… I just accidentally missed our flight."

Our friends looked on, stunned by the revelation.

I didn't need to say a word; they obviously thought her excuse was ridiculous.

But because they were all friends, they just looked at each other, staying silent.

I even caught Rowan giving me a look of pure sympathy.

It was funny, really.

Silas, you really are pathetic for still holding out hope.

From the very first day we started dating, Linsey was always the winner.

The one who loves more is the one who loses the hardest.

She had never bowed to me once.

Not even at this moment.

She didn't see anything wrong with what she'd done at all.

"Then why didn't you answer my calls?"

I tried to keep my voice from trembling.

I looked at Linsey, who was hiding behind Nolan again.

"My phone was out of power…" she whispered, looking guilty.

"Oh? The airport is so huge, and you couldn't find a place to charge it?"

"Maybe I should write them a letter of recommendation."

Perhaps it was the first time they'd seen me this cynical.

Linsey bit her lip, her hand tightening around Nolan's shirt again.

As if he were her shield.

And I was the villain trying to hurt her.

The scene was so laughable I almost laughed out loud.

Nolan curled the corner of his lips, smiling at me triumphantly.

He donned his signature gentle mask, patted Linsey's head, and scolded her with fake indulgence:

"Silly girl, look at you not paying attention to the time."

Then, he turned to me. "Sorry, Silas. Linsey is just forgetful. She was so scared something happened to me that she lost track of your flight."

"After I arrived, she remembered. But she was afraid you'd be mad, so she didn't dare reach out."

"Silas, you care about her so much, surely you can understand, right?"

He was grinning, his every word a form of moral blackmail.

As if everything was my fault.

Linsey missing her flight was just her being forgetful.

Not answering the phone was because she was scared I'd be upset.

And if I made a fuss, I was just being cold-hearted.

I asked myself―ten years of dating, and I rarely ever gave her a cold shoulder.

But looking at Linsey, who was nodding along to whatever he said while cowering behind him, I just felt tired.

I felt like I was meeting her for the first time.

She felt so like a stranger.

She used to lean on me just like that.

But looking at the man standing in front of her now, I finally understood.

Ten years of love―it was all just a joke.

Exhausted from the long-haul flight, I had no desire to argue. I waved a hand and headed toward my bedroom.

"Where do you think you're going?!"

Linsey barked at me.

I turned and tilted my head toward her.

I was too tired to even speak.

"I'm not even holding that stunt you pulled against you."

"We have a house full of people here, and you can't even be bothered to say hello when you walk in?"

"And now you're just going to retreat into your room? Do you have no manners?!"

I opened my mouth, stunned that I lacked the energy to fight back.

Not because she was right.

I was just beyond speech.

After a long silence, Rowan, who had been holding her breath, finally spoke up:

"Linsey, Silas just got off a long flight, he's probably exhausted. Maybe we should head out and let him rest."

See? Even a casual friend could see it, but Linsey couldn't.

Was she heartless?

No, she just didn't love me enough.

After fooling myself for so many years, I finally saw the truth.

I gave Rowan a grateful nod and said politely to the group, "Sorry, I'm a terrible host."

"Make yourselves at home."

Ignoring Linsey's rising anxiety, I turned and walked into my room.