I listened to Isaac's dismissive retort, ​​"Who wants to celebrate with her? She doesn't care about me at all. What's there to celebrate?!"

"Only you're kind enough to speak up for her. If you ask me, she deserves to be ignored—"

"Isaac." I suddenly interrupted Isaac. 

Just like always, whenever Isaac was around, Alma was there too. 

No matter how many times I had made a scene, no matter how many times I had argued, Isaac always sided with Alma, complaining that I was immature and narrow-minded.

Even though I loved taking photos and sharing them every day—especially with Isaac—the only one who ever responded was Alma.

And whenever I got upset and told Alma not to touch Isaac’s phone or invade our privacy, Isaac would snap at me, saying, “Can’t you stop thinking such filthy things?”

"Who wants to see the stuff you share?"

"Every day it's just pictures of flowers and grass, or stray cats and dogs on the street. Anna, can't you come up with something new?!” 

“I'm getting so annoyed with you. I have important things to do every day, I don't have time to deal with you all the time!"

But that time, I seemed to have lost the energy to continue arguing with Isaac. 

I only told him this when Isaac was waiting for me to back down.

 

"Isaac, didn't we break up?" I said on the other end of the phone.

After a few seconds of silence, Isaac's voice rose and he yelled at me. "Anna, you really think you're something?!"

"You think I really wanted to call you? If it weren't for Alma—"

I cut off, "Then don't call."

I already guessed what Isaac was going to say. He was going to say that even this call was because Alma persuaded him. 

He'd already given me a way out and I had to do as he asked. If I didn't take the bait, I'd be ungrateful.

But I didn't want to back down anymore.

I told Isaac, "I don't care what you and Alma do. I just want to tell you, Isaac, we've broken up."

That day, my stomach hurt so badly I curled up in bed, begging Isaac to take me to the hospital. I was trembling with pain, my face pale, clutching Isaac's hand, pleading with him to take me.

Isaac agreed.

He hurriedly found my medical insurance card, grabbed his coat and was about to carry me out when he suddenly received a call from Alma.

“Isaac, what do we do? Grandma’s gone again!”

“What if something happens to her? What if she dies, Isaac?”

“Isaac, I’m scared. Can you come stay with me?”

I remembered everything.