"How could I ever marry her? She's just some obsessive girl, good for nothing but fun."
The man inside spoke carelessly, causing a round of mocking laughter from the group.
His words cut into my heart like a knife. I pulled back my hand from the door, as if I was holding on to the last shred of my dignity.
"Dylan, you did it.
This time, I'm truly done with you."
I didn't expect that when I decided to marry someone else, he came begging like a madman, saying he regretted everything.
I always thought my love for Dylan would last a lifetime.
I never imagined it would all end on this night.
At 3 a.m., he called, demanding I come pick him up from the bar.
He was always so selfish, never caring how late it was or whether it was safe. He'd just boss me around without a second thought.
Sometimes, I felt so helpless. I didn't even want to go.
I had no choice, did I? He was the one I loved, after all.
"Are you really going to go this late?"
My roommate and best friend, Abigail Stewart, rolled over sleepily and mocked softly.
"You're going out alone in the middle of the night? And Dylan's fine with that? What a great guy."
I tried to explain for Dylan, "He's drunk."
"Pfft, only you would put up with him like this."
I smiled helplessly and quickly rushed to the bar.
As I hurried there, what I overheard at the bar entrance was the last thing I expected.
In his mind, my love, my kindness, and my unconditional devotion were all just because I was obsessed.
And a woman like me was only good enough to be toyed with.
Huh.
How ridiculous.
Turns out, all the love I gave with my whole heart was nothing but a game to him.
I let go of the door and stood frozen at the entrance.
Ring ring!
My phone rang sharply, breaking the quiet of the night.
I picked up, and Dylan's impatient voice on the other end nearly made my ears hurt.
"Evelyn, why aren't you here yet? Did you die on the way?
"If you're going to die, could you hurry up? If not, get over here. Do you know how long I've been waiting?
"If you don't show up soon, don't bother coming.
"You can't even do something this simple. What's the point of you?"
Dylan's endless complaints made my already cold heart feel even colder.
He really didn't care about me at all.
The truth was in the little things all along, but I was too blind to admit it.
He just took my kindness for granted, never giving anything back.
This time, I wasn't going to indulge him anymore.
I gripped my phone tightly and took a deep breath. "Dylan, let's break up."
On the other end, it seemed like he hadn't heard me. He shouted again, "Evelyn, what did you say?"
"Dylan, I said we're breaking up."
This time, in the stillness of the night, my voice was crystal clear.
Dylan seemed stunned momentarily, then finally replied, "Haha, Evelyn, are you drunk, or am I? Are you breaking up with me?
"Fine, if you want to break up, let's break up. I've been sick of you for ages.
"But this time, you better stick to your word. Don't come crawling back to me like a dog, begging!
"I don't take back trash!"
His words were colder than the night wind.
This time, my heart didn't hurt anymore.
Once I let go, it didn't seem as hard as I thought it would be.
I heard myself respond, "No, Dylan. I don't love you anymore. I won't come back to you again."
Chapter 2 When Love First BeganWhen did I first fall in love with Dylan?
It must have started when I was 18.
We were classmates in college. From the moment we started freshman year, I was drawn to the boy with bright eyes and a clean, crisp look.
There seemed to be nothing wrong with him.
He was good-looking, smart, and the kind of guy many girls had a crush on.
But he was aloof, and most girls gave up after failing to win him over.
Only I stayed persistent.
I brought him breakfast, bought him drinks, and saved his seats. Anything I could do for him, I did.
I even stood in line all night to buy him limited edition sneakers for his birthday.
All because he liked a post about those shoes on Twitter.
My teenage crush was bold and passionate. I wanted to give him my whole heart.
Back then, many people mocked me, saying I wasn't bad-looking and came from a good family. Why was I acting like a lovesick puppy?
They wondered if Dylan had saved my life or something.
They were right. In a way, Dylan had saved my life once.
From the first moment I saw him, I recognized him as the boy who had helped me long ago.
The crescent-shaped scar on his forehead, hidden by his hair, was something I could never forget.
Sadly, Dylan didn't like me. He was always so cold toward me.
He had a high school sweetheart, a girl who had left the country.
He wanted to follow her, but his family couldn't afford it.
I'd also heard that his high school rival had gone with her.
That guy wasn't better than Dylan in any way, except for one thing.
His family was wealthier.
Maybe because of her, Dylan had a special resentment for people from wealthy families.
Every time I saw him, if I wore anything with a designer label.
He'd mock me mercilessly.
"Evelyn, are you so insecure that you hide behind these expensive brands?
"Evelyn, those shoes are hideous. Chanel? They make me sick.
"Evelyn, your bag looks worse than a shopping basket from the supermarket. Ugly people should study more instead of trying to stand out!"
...
Dylan's harsh words made me uneasy. His relentless taunts were so unlike the gentle boy I remembered.
When I finally found the courage to ask about the past, he blinked and smiled teasingly.
"So you were that girl who got kidnapped back then? No wonder. You were dumb as a kid, and you still are now."
His words weren't kind, but I was thrilled to know he remembered me.
He hadn't forgotten me after all.
He didn't like me wearing designer clothes? Fine, I wouldn't wear them anymore. No big deal.
I could just wear something cheap from discount stores.
Now that I knew I hadn't mistaken him, I treated him even better.
The boy who used to be so kind had turned into someone so sharp and prickly. The society must have done this to him.
I didn't blame him.
Dylan didn't treat me any better after recognizing me.
He remained as distant as ever.
Things changed in our senior year when Dylan's father got very sick. He had a severe kidney disease and needed a transplant.
Fortunately, Dylan's kidney was a match.
He could donate a kidney to his dad.
Unfortunately, they didn't have enough money for the surgery.
I always knew Dylan's family was poor, but I didn't realize just how poor.
His family lived in a small rural village where his parents were farmers. He was the only one in his family to go to college. Their pride and joy.
He had no real way to make money even as the most successful one.
Dylan had a lot of pride and didn't want anyone to know about his family's situation.
That's why, even though he used student loans to pay his tuition all four years, he never applied for financial aid.
He hid it so well that none of his classmates knew the truth about him.
In fact, because I often gave him brand-name shoes and clothes, people even thought he was a rich kid.
Senior year was hectic for everyone, and Dylan was no exception.
That year, he started a business with a few classmates. He didn't want me involved in their startup, so I could hardly find him.
Unfortunately, I was dealing with family issues at the time. It was already too late when I found out what was happening with him.
I found Dylan late one night at a bar.
He looked so miserable.
He was on his knees, trying to sell more drinks, serving those bloated, wealthy men.
I couldn't believe that someone as proud as him would lower himself like that.
My heart ached so much I could barely breathe.
I rushed over and grabbed his hand, trying to pull him out of there.
When Dylan saw me, his eyes were filled with shame he couldn't hide.
"Evelyn, what are you doing here?
"Are you here to laugh at me?
"Well, congratulations. You've seen it. I'm done. My dad is sick and needs a lot of money. My startup has failed, and now all I can do is sell my dignity to survive.
"I have nothing left. Are you happy now? Evelyn, just leave. I need to make money."
His words shattered my heart. I hugged his stiff body and said, "You're not alone. You still have me. Dylan, come with me. We don't have to do this. If it's money you need, I'll give it to you. I'll give you everything."
My words made Dylan's body finally relax.
He seemed so exhausted. Slowly, he leaned against me.
I paid for his father's expensive medical bills, arranged for the best hospital room and doctors.
After Dylan donated his kidney, I took care of him in every possible way.
Those days were hard.
In my memory, they were also some of the most beautiful.
During that time, Dylan stopped being so harsh with me.
After losing a kidney, Dylan was incredibly weak.
I spared no expense, sending him all kinds of tonics and herbal medicine. With my care, he finally recovered in time for graduation.
After the graduation ceremony, I received a bouquet of daisies.
They were from Dylan.
I hadn't realized he even knew I liked daisies.
As the breeze blew, the scar on his forehead became faintly visible.
He looked at me with bright eyes and softly said, "Evelyn, will you be my girlfriend?"
Chapter 3 Origin and DestructionI reached out and touched the scar. "I do, Dylan. I'm willing to be your girlfriend."
That day, we officially started dating.
Unfortunately, my family didn't approve of me being with him.
My parents knew that Dylan had helped me before, so they didn't stop me from helping his father with his illness.
But they didn't want us together.
Dad tried to reason with me, "Evelyn, you two are too different. You're from different worlds, and you won't be happy. I don't approve of you being together."
I knew Dad was looking out for me. At that time, I couldn't listen.
If Dad said we weren't a good match, I figured I'd just help Dylan rise to my level.
I knew Dylan had ambition and wanted to start his own business.
His last failure was due to bad luck and a broken funding chain.
But now, I was here to help him.
Since my parents didn't support us, they cut off my access to money several times.
So, I sold my bags, my jewelry, anything I could to help him.
I even lowered myself, using every connection I had to secure resources for him.
I helped him transform from an unknown college graduate into an admired new business mogul in just five short years.
Now, he's successful and accomplished.
After all, I gave, even a stone would have warmed up to me. I thought Dylan would marry me finally.
Or at least break up with me respectfully.
But I never expected him to humiliate me like that.
To him, I was nothing more than a disposable woman.
"Dylan, I've long since repaid your kindness over the years.
Now, it's me who doesn't want you anymore.
I've always been decisive. When I say it's over, there's no turning back."
After blocking Dylan on WhatsApp, I dragged Abigail out of bed to help me move my stuff out of the so-called home we shared.
Honestly, I'd been so pathetic in this relationship, turning this place into a love nest just for us.
But Dylan had barely spent any time here.
That morning, we sat in the car and watched the moving company take all my things away.
Abigail yawned and looked at me seriously. "You're serious this time, huh?"
I nodded. "Absolutely."
Abigail laughed. "Evelyn, you're my kind of girl. Quick and clean. That jerk never deserved you. Forget him. I'll introduce you to someone better tonight."
I chuckled. "Please, no. I'm so over the idea of dating right now."
"So, what do you want to do?"
"I'm going home. It's been so long since I've had a proper breakfast with my parents."
"Fine, I won't get in the way of your family time. You've stayed at my place long enough. It's time to go home. Evelyn, I didn't mention it last time. But your dad didn't look too well. You should really check on them."
My dad's health wasn't good?
Abigail's words hit me like a ton of bricks. I was such a jerk. What kind of daughter was I?
I had done so many stupid things all because of that scumbag, Dylan.
Because of Dylan, my parents and I have been in a quarrel for a long time.
They never liked Dylan. Every time we met, it ended in arguments.
Eventually, I got tired of it and started going home less and less.
I didn't even realize my dad's health was deteriorating.
After saying goodbye to Abigail, I rushed back home.
It was still early, and my parents hadn't left for work yet.
They were surprised to see me back.
I was equally taken aback when I saw my dad.
It had only been a month, but he seemed to have aged. He had more gray hairs and a paler face.
My dad was the first to speak, "What made you come home today? Hmph, been so long I thought you'd forgotten the way."
His tone wasn't great, so my mom quickly smoothed things over, "What are you saying? This is her home. She can come back whenever she wants. She doesn't need to report to you! Evelyn, come over here. Let's have breakfast together."
My mom walked over, holding my hand, guiding me to sit down.
But then she noticed the tears on my face and looked startled.
"Evelyn, why are you crying?
"It's all your fault, Leo! Why did you scold her?"
My dad panicked when he saw me cry, fumbling over his words, "I... I didn't scold you, Evelyn. I didn't mean to. I'm bad with words... don't cry, sweetheart. I can't stand seeing you cry."
I couldn't help but laugh through my tears.
His jumbled words made me laugh, but then I grew worried again. "Dad, are you okay?"
"I'm fine, really. Strong as ever."
I wasn't convinced. "But Abigail said last time she saw you, you didn't look well."
He momentarily thought, " Ah, I wasn't feeling great back then. It's just my old issue. My herniated disc flares up when there's too much stress at work.
"Evelyn, would you consider returning to help me with the business?"
My dad looked at me hopefully. I knew he'd wanted me to help out for a while.
Before, I didn't want to take over because of Dylan. I didn't want to hurt his fragile ego by outshining him.
But now, it was time for me to step up and take responsibility.
When I nodded, my parents were overjoyed.
We sat down for a long-overdue family breakfast. Afterward, I told them about my breakup with Dylan.
My dad couldn't stop smiling. "Good, it's for the best. I'm finally at peace now."
My mom was even more excited. "You broke up? It was long overdue. I never liked him. How could he not appreciate my precious daughter?
"And don't even get me started on his parents! He's so petty, always trying to take advantage of people. What a joke.
"If it weren't for the fact that he helped you all those years ago, I wouldn't have tolerated them. Evelyn, you've repaid your debt to him, so let it go. It's time to move on."
I nodded deeply. "I know, Mom. I'll move forward. I don't owe him anything anymore."
Chapter 4 I Need to Focus on My CareerI said I'd come back to take over for my dad, but managing the huge Adams Group isn't so simple.
Even though I didn't waste my time after graduation, working at Dylan's company, his business is nowhere near the same league as Adams Group.
The little management experience I had was practically nothing here.
So, to train me, my dad assigned me a mentor.
Joseph Carter, a new executive at our company, was a high-profile hire my dad brought over from Wall Street.
And my role? I was assigned to be his secretary.
After spending a day at home, I went to the Adams Group to report to Joseph.
Upon meeting him, I was surprised by how young Joseph was.
His sharp features and striking eyes carried the energy of youth along with the cool authority of a leader.
Strangely enough, there was something familiar about him.
"Hello, Mr. Carter."
"Hello, Ms. Adams. Are you ready?"
Joseph's stern expression softened into a smile.
I breathed a sigh of relief, thinking working with him might not be too difficult after all.
I smiled and nodded. "I'm ready. You can assign me some work."
"Alright then, I won't hold back."
Joseph's eyes crinkled with an even bigger smile.
And he didn't hold back. After adding my work account, he sent several gigabytes of work documents to my inbox.
"Go through these and write me a summary by the end of the day."
I was speechless.
"Is there a problem?"
Could I say yes?
This mentor seemed a bit like a taskmaster.
Resigned to my fate, I took the files back to my desk to start reading.
By the afternoon, I was going cross-eyed from reading, when my phone suddenly rang on the desk.
It was an unknown number.
Groggily, I answered, only to be greeted by a furious shout.
"Evelyn, how dare you! Who gave you permission to block me?"
It was Dylan, with his usual irritating tone.
It was hilarious. I had blocked him for two days, and he only just realized he couldn't reach me.
He really didn't care about me at all.
"Unblock me right now, or I'll ensure you can never contact me again.
"And why haven't you been to work these past two days? Do you even know what responsibility is? I knew it. Ms. Adams has no dedication to anything..."
Rubbing my temples, I interrupted his endless complaining, "Dylan, we broke up. Did you forget? I've already quit your company. I won't be coming back."
"What? You're really breaking up?"
I heard him chuckle softly on the other end.
"Evelyn, I'm giving you a way out. You'd better take it now, or there won't be one later.
"And when you come crawling back to beg, I won't take you."
His arrogant attitude finally ignited my anger.
As if he wouldn't want me anymore.
Why did he think I'd ever want him back?
"Dylan, who do you think you are? Do you think I would cringe at you? You're giving yourself way too much credit.
"A decent ex should act like they're dead, and you're offering me a way out? Who do you think you are? You must think you're something special.
"Remember this, Dylan. This time, I'm the one who's done with you. Don't bother me again. Now get lost."
I hung up without a second thought and immediately blocked his number.
What the hell did I ever see in that guy?
Such bad luck.
After handling that, I looked up angrily. It was only to find Joseph standing in front of me, staring in shock.
Oh.
This was a bit awkward.
He had just witnessed one of my rare outbursts.
How unfortunate.
Joseph's hearty laughter broke the awkward silence. He picked up my cup and poured me some water. "Ms. Adams, that was fierce! Losers like him belong in the trash."
His lighthearted tone lifted my spirits, which had sunk after dealing with Dylan.
That's right.
I should be happy I dumped that jerk.
By the end of the day, I finally managed to finish a report and handed it to Joseph.
It wasn't good enough.
And so began my unfortunate overtime.
After a grueling overtime session, I got home. I took a relaxing bath, and then my WhatsApp lit up.
It was Abigail.
[Evelyn, breaking up was the right choice. If you had waited any longer, that jerk wouldn't just be insulting you. He'd be cheating on you too.]
Dylan cheating on me?
Was it the sly secretary or the flirty receptionist?
The pictures Abigail sent cleared up my confusion.
Unfortunately, it was neither of them.
It was a woman in a white dress, with a sorrowful expression.
She was holding a bouquet of white roses, and Dylan was gazing at her with a smile.
His eyes were full of unmistakable affection.
I immediately recognized the woman, Camila Nelson, Dylan's high school sweetheart who had studied abroad.
She's back!
Abigail called me right after.
"Evelyn, did you see that jerk's post on WhatsApp? It's disgusting. He didn't waste any time, did he?"
"Nope, I blocked him."
"Oh right, I forgot. I'll screenshot it and send it to you."
Abigail was quick. I opened the image and burst out laughing.
[My one and only sweetheart, Camila. After all these years, it's still you, always you.]
The picture was of two hands tightly clasped together.