Chapter 3

3.

I didn't understand why Preston was angry.

He stood me up for an entire day, and I was still expected to welcome him with open arms?

The old me might have done that, but now? It just felt… pointless.

Preston started giving me the silent treatment again.

But unlike before, I wasn't a nervous wreck. I didn't chase after him in the middle of the night, searching the city.

Once I stopped caring so much, I found that I slept better.

I woke up the next morning feeling refreshed and went to work.

My colleagues noticed.

"Wow, Chloe! You look amazing today. Something's different."

"Thanks."

I was happy. Suddenly, work felt more engaging. Before, my mind was always consumed by Preston, and I just went through the motions.

That evening, Preston did something he rarely did―he came to pick me up from work.

Seeing him, I was a bit surprised.

He always complained that picking me up was too much of a hassle.

After we got together, he took the car we bought, and I only asked him for rides so we could spend more time together.

But Preston hated it.

"Do you know how tired I am after a full day? And then I have to go out of my way to get you? Why do you always need something from me?"

But he was the one who suggested picking me up in the first place.

I just agreed to his offer.

Preston smiled at me.

"Chloe, get in."

"Okay."

I got in the car, habitually taking the passenger seat.

As soon as I sat down, I saw a small sticker on the dashboard.

"Sophie's Seat―Do Not Touch ??"

Preston saw me notice it. His face flushed with embarrassment as he frantically tried to peel it off.

"Chloe, Sophie was just joking around. Don't worry about it."

He was actually explaining himself to me.

I reached out and stopped his hand.

"Don't bother. I'll sit in the back."

With that, I got out and moved to the back seat.

Suddenly, the air felt fresher. Sitting in the front, I had felt a strange sense of suffocation.

Preston drove me to an Italian restaurant.

He always loved spicy food, especially Sichuan. To please him, I learned to eat it, but the truth was, I couldn't handle spice at all.

Today, he was making a rare compromise for my tastes.

I should have been happy, but I was just… calm.

Inside the restaurant, Preston sat across from me and placed a jewelry box on the table.

"Chloe, about yesterday―I'm so sorry. I had it all planned. The lake, the walk on the beach, everything. But Sophie called. She wasn't feeling well."

"Yeah, I get it. She's sick. Obviously, that's more important."

I nodded, my voice flat.

My words didn't seem to make him feel any better.

He was upset, which I found bizarre. I wasn't fighting with him, and he was still unhappy?

Just as Preston was about to say something, his phone rang. It was Sophie.

"Preston, my stomach… it hurts so bad. Am I dying? I'm so scared…"

Sophie's pained voice came through the phone.

"I'm on my way. Just hang on."

He hung up and looked at me, torn.

"Chloe, Sophie's not doing well. I have to go check on her."