Chapter 3

3 The overseas assignment was confirmed.

My friend, Chad, flew in to have a farewell dinner with me.

My phone buzzed; it was Ryan.

In the past, I constantly looked for clues between Melissa and Ryan. Even though it always hurt, I couldn't stop looking for details about their interactions. So I'd stubbornly set Ryan as a special follow.

At a party, he posted a selfie with his arm around someone. Though the woman in the dress didn't show her face, I recognized Melissa.

The caption read: "Childhood sweethearts, aren't we practically family?"

Melissa had liked it.

She never posted anything, never liked or commented.

Only when we fought over Ryan did she show some rebellion.

In the past, I would have called her, rushed over to be that "family."

Now, I simply liked the post and then unfollowed both of them.

"What are you daydreaming about? Don't tell me you're going home to take care of that woman again," Chad joked.

I laughed and closed my phone, "Never! I'm sleeping over at your place tonight, buddy."

The next morning, I found several missed calls from Melissa.

There was also an unread text: "It's late, why aren't you home?"

A little while later, she added another text: "I didn't stay long at the party."

In the past, if she went to a party, I'd be home early to prepare hangover soup. I'd take off her shoes, change her clothes, feed her soup, clean up any messes after she got drunk. There was no way I'd let her come home to an empty house.

I replied, "Hanging out with Chad, what's up?"

After a long time, she replied, "Nothing."

I enrolled in an intensive IELTS boot camp, and I didn't go home for a few days.

Unusually, Melissa texted me, "Dinner tonight?"

We needed to clear some things up.

This dinner was a perfect opportunity.

I replied, "Okay, I'll be home after work."

She immediately replied, "I'll pick you up."

I didn't reply; Janet called me to discuss the overseas assignment details.

At 5:30 pm, she texted, "I'm waiting downstairs."

I went downstairs but her car wasn't there.

I double-checked; she'd parked across the street.

"Did you change offices?" she asked.

"Yeah."

I'd changed offices a long time ago.

She hadn't picked me up in a while, so she didn't know.

I wanted to tell her, but after asking a few times for a ride, she'd get annoyed: "You're a grown man, can't you find your way home? I pick up Ryan because he's sick! Why do you have to compare yourself to a sick person? You're always trying to make me admit there's something going on between us! Unbelievable! Get out of the car and calm down!"

So I didn't tell her, afraid she'd think I wanted another ride.

I went to the back seat.

Her hand on the passenger-side door froze.

"Lee," she called my name.

I'd already opened the back door, "What?"

Her face was tense, "Why… are you sitting in the back?"

I was taken aback.

The passenger seat was always for Ryan.

He said he had claustrophobia and only felt comfortable in a place with a clear view.

I'd fought with Melissa about this.

But she'd thrown a glass, looking at me incredulously: "Why are you competing with a sick person? Are you trying to make me admit there's something between him and me?"

We'd had a month-long cold war.

After that, I stopped arguing about the passenger seat.

"Oh, habit, I'll just sit here."

"No!"

She seemed anxious. I paused.

"You… sit here."

I just paused, "Okay."

A flat tone, like we were colleagues, no need to argue about this.

As I got into the passenger seat, her gaze followed me.