Everyone knew the only reason I became Phillip Luther's girlfriend was because Cindy Layton had gone abroad.

They were all waiting for the drama to unfold.

They waited to watch Phillip dump me the moment Cindy came back.

But what they didn't know was, I was waiting too. Waiting for Phillip to break up with me.

***

At the City Hall at 5:30 p.m.

The last divorced couple left. A clerk came to Caroline Lear and asked sympathetically, "Excuse me. We're getting off work. Is the person you're waiting for still not here?"

Clasping the marriage application form tightly, Caroline replied softly, "Please wait a moment. I'll make one last phone call."

She took out her phone and called Phillip.

She had called him 12 times. And this time, without exception, he hung up.

Caroline locked her phone screen silently, apologized to the clerk, and left the City Hall.

As the doors of the City Hall closed behind her, she paused for a moment.

The next second, she tore the marriage application form and tossed it into the trash can.

She and Phillip were supposed to register their marriage today. Yet this was the third time he had stood her up at the City Hall. Enough. Caroline wouldn't give him another chance to do it.

Just because she loved Phillip didn't mean he could trample her self-esteem and make her miserable.

Caroline thought, "Phillip, my love for you ends now."

After she got into a cab, she logged in to Line.

The latest post was from one of their mutual friends: "Glad to know my old friend Cindy is coming home. Welcome back! Best wishes for you!"

In the photo attached to the post, Phillip, who was out of touch all day, was seen sitting beside Cindy.

Cindy was his first love and childhood sweetheart.

She used to be Caroline's best friend.

The three of them grew up together. Cindy had returned from abroad, yet Caroline was the last to know.

She took a deep breath and tapped "Like."

Before Cindy reacted, Caroline's superior sent her a message. "Mast Group's case is yours."

She immediately perked up, replied with a "Got it," and looked at the driver.

"Sorry, change of plans. Please take me to Douglas Accounting Firm."

Over $15 million was involved in the Mast Group case. She'd rather work overtime than stay home alone.

By 10 p.m., the city lights were glowing through every window.

Caroline finally left the office and caught a cab home.

The house was pitch dark. Cold and silent.

She was used to it, though. She freshened up and went to bed.

But before she fell asleep, the doorbell rang.

Caroline opened the door and froze.

Phillip was dead drunk, leaning heavily on Cindy.

This sight stabbed Caroline's heart like a blade.

A few seconds of silence passed. She finally said to Cindy, "It's been a long time."

"Indeed," Cindy smiled. Then, she asked, "Why didn't you come to my welcome home party?"

She was still the same—serene and elegant in her white dress, long black hair flowing straight down her back.

Caroline replied in her usual tone, "Today was supposed to be the day Phillip and I got our marriage certificate."

The air seemed to freeze.

Cindy's eyes flickered. Then, she put on an apologetic expression and remarked, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get in the way."

"It's fine. No big deal."

Caroline glanced at Phillip and thought calmly, "I wasn't planning to marry him anymore anyway."

She took one step back to make way.

"Want to come in?"

Cindy was surprised by the invitation. She declined politely, "No, thanks. I've just come back. There are tons of things to do. I'll leave Phillip to you.

"He gets awful headaches when he drinks. Don't forget to make him some hangover in the morning. Add some honey."

Then, she paused and gave a meaningful laugh. "Oh, silly me. You're his girlfriend now. Of course, you already know that, right?"

Her words were like thorns.

Of course. But she didn't have to tell Caroline that. Caroline had a crush on Phillip for ten years. She knew everything about him.

Caroline remained demure. She chuckled, "You dumped Phillip after receiving an offer from an overseas research institution. I'm surprised you still remember his habits."

Cindy froze on the spot.

Caroline closed the door and helped Phillip to the bedroom.

Then, she wet a towel in the bathroom. When she wiped Phillip's face with it, his eyes snapped open.

Before Caroline knew it, he kissed her passionately.

She tried to push him away, but he was too strong.

Under the dim light in the bedroom, two figures intertwined.

Caroline accidentally scratched Phillip's back with her fingernails.

He let out a low groan and, still dazed, muttered by her ear, "Cindy, stop."

Caroline froze.

A sharp pain twisted through her chest. She closed her eyes in silence, helplessly enduring it.

Afterward, she glanced at Phillip, who had already fallen asleep beside her. Forcing herself up despite the soreness, she opened the nightstand drawer, took out a pill, and swallowed it.

Her stomach felt like it was on fire. Numbness washed over her. She lay back down next to him and eventually drifted into a heavy sleep.

The next morning.

As soon as the alarm went off, Caroline woke up. The spot beside her was already empty.

She quickly got out of bed to wash up, only to run into Phillip at the door, about to leave.

He stood tall in a perfectly tailored suit, expression unreadable. "Don't forget to take the pill."

Caroline froze mid-step.

A familiar ache tugged at her chest.

Instead of telling him she already did, she replied carelessly, "OK."

Phillip didn't want her baby.

And Caroline didn't wanna give birth to his children, either.

Hearing her reply, he went on toward the door. Then, something occurred to him. "I was busy yesterday and forgot to go to the City Hall. Let's go again some other time."

This was the third time he'd said that.

Caroline didn't know what else to say except, "OK. When you can make the time."

She took it surprisingly well. Phillip couldn't help surveying her. Then, he left home without a word.

As soon as Caroline got to the company, she found the administrative supervisor and said, "Please cancel my marriage leave application."

The supervisor was confused. "Why? Weren't you getting married? Was the wedding postponed?"

Caroline shook her head. "No. The wedding is off."

Looking at the supervisor's surprised eyes, she handed over a pile of documents.

"One more thing. I've applied to be transferred to Germany. I'll set off next month."

Astonished, the supervisor asked, "Are you sure? You have no resources in Germany. You'll have to start from scratch."

Caroline smiled and said earnestly, "Domestic posts for top executives are full. If I want a higher position, surely I'll have to start from scratch."

Back in her own office, Caroline opened the file of a case and began working.

She didn't get off work until 9 p.m.

When she got home, Phillip was focusing on his iPad, typing.

His casually rolled-up sleeves revealed his sturdy forearms.

Seeing that Caroline was back, he put down the iPad and looked at her calmly. "Cindy has returned. Did you know?"

"Yeah."

Caroline met his eyes calmly. "You were drunk last night. She brought you home."

Phillip froze.

Then, he raised his brows slightly and changed the subject. "It's her birthday in a few days. She wants to invite you to her birthday party."

Caroline stared at him and asked, "If she wants to invite me, why are you the one asking me?"

Phillip answered in composure, "She works in my institute now. Besides, it's just a message."

Caroline sneered. A faint mocking look appeared in her eyes.

As far as she could remember, when Cindy went abroad five years ago, Phillip had sworn he'd never work with Cindy again.

Now, Cindy had returned. Phillip acted as if he had forgotten his vow.

Unwilling to mention the past, Caroline only said, "Noted." The conversation was over.

Several days later, on Cindy's birthday.

Phillip left home early in the morning.

After freshening up, Caroline walked to the closet to get dressed. Looking at the closet filled with white clothes, she was stunned.

Suddenly, she realized how humble she had been in this relationship. She had loved Phillip enough to imitate Cindy without knowing it.

Cindy loved whites. So, most of Caroline's clothes were white. In fact, her favorite color was bright red.

Now that she'd decided to leave Phillip, her life would turn a new leaf, and it would start with the change of her outfits.

She went through the closet and found a bright red fishtail skirt at the bottom. She bought it five years ago. It accentuated her contour perfectly.

She looked in the mirror. This feeling was strange yet familiar. Then, she wore her straight hair up high and applied bright red lipstick.

At lunchtime, Caroline came to Cindy's birthday party on time.

At the door to the private room, she overheard a shrill voice. "What? Cindy, you invited Caroline? Why? Can she even pick on our conversations?"

"Right. She's just a graduate of an ordinary university. We all went to Ivy League universities and are postgraduates at least. If it weren't for Phillip's sake, she wouldn't be entitled to come to this party."

"Phillip, Cindy is back now. Tell us honestly. Between her and Caroline, who is it gonna be?"

Caroline paused.

She knew Phillip's friends didn't like her.

Phillip was the leader of the domestic young theoretical physicists and the youngest professor of a top university.

Phillip's colleagues proclaimed themselves high-level intellects. They looked down on her because she didn't have a remarkable diploma. In their opinion, she couldn't hold a candle to Cindy and didn't deserve Phillip.

Caroline didn't consider herself inferior to anyone. But not to put Phillip on the spot, she had endured these people every time.

But this time, she'd put up with no one.

After a deep breath, Caroline pushed the door open and walked in.

Caught badmouthing her behind her back, the people in the private room displayed no trace of embarrassment. A man quipped, "Oh, Carol is here. We were joking."

The others snickered. Caroline sneered, "It was hilarious. I doubt your yearly salary is as much as my monthly pay. What makes you feel so good about yourself?"

Deathly silence engulfed the room. Everyone gaped at Caroline, who used to let ridicule slide without firing back.

The man's face turned now red, and now livid, with embarrassment and anger.

Phillip looked at Caroline and commented flintily, "Caroline, that's not funny."

Caroline turned to him.

When they insulted her, he listened silently as if he had lost his tongue. As soon as she retorted, he was talking.

The reason was simple. He shared the same opinion of her as his friends.

He despised Caroline because of her diploma and thought she didn't compare to Cindy. Most importantly, being with Caroline, he thought he was making do.

Caroline felt she couldn't breathe. Smiling, Cindy came up to smooth things over.

"Why. Caro has always been like this since childhood. Don't take it to heart, everyone."

Her words stunk of hypocrisy.

If it were before, Caroline would've bickered with her. Oddly, she couldn't care less about Cindy after she decided to leave Phillip.

Caroline sat down with a sneer. "Yes. I have a hot temper, after all."

Cindy was surprised that Caroline didn't argue with her.

The others didn't speak until a while after Caroline sat down.

A man raised his voice deliberately and said, "Sean, your subject is a national project this time. Millions of dollars have been granted as your research funds.

"Someone, on the other hand, makes money by underhanded means."

Caroline didn't wanna waste her breath talking to these people. This was probably the last time she saw them, anyway.

But still, when she noticed that Phillip remained nonchalant to the man's remark, she smiled bitterly inwardly. How pathetic she was.

When they started eating, Cindy picked up a spicy chicken wing. With knitted brows, Phillip said, "Spicy food is bad for you. Did you forget you have gastritis?"

He had little common sense. Caroline used to leave notes to remind him of everything.

And he didn't give a hoot about trivial things in daily life. However, he remembered everything about Cindy.

Caroline didn't feel like eating in the first place. Now, she lost her appetite completely.

When the gathering was over, Phillip paid the bill. Then, he and Cindy walked in front, and Caroline followed.

Caroline suddenly remembered this was how things had been between the three of them before Cindy went abroad.

After Cindy left, Caroline became Phillip's girlfriend and could finally walk by his side.

She had thought everything had changed.

To her dismay, Cindy's return restored everything to what it used to be.

The three of them stopped at the entrance to the hotel. Phillip asked Cindy earnestly, "Will someone pick you up?"

Cindy nodded, "My older brother will arrive soon."

Just then, a car stopped at the entrance.

The car door opened, and a child ran to Cindy. "Aunt Cindy, happy birthday."

When the boy saw Phillip, he said, "Phillip, you haven't visited me for a long time."

Caroline was dumbfounded.

Phillip looked at her. Then, he rubbed the boy's head and said to Cindy, "Let me know when you get home."

Cindy nodded before turning to Caroline.

She wasn't showing off. But the look in her eyes seemed to be saying, "See? Although Phillip and I broke up five years ago, I'm still closer to him than you are."

Phillip watched the car drive away. Then, he turned around and said to Caroline, "Let's go."

After a pause, Caroline followed him.

They got into the car. Phillip explained, "I used to see that boy often. It seems Cindy didn't tell him we broke up."

Caroline turned to him. With the lights off, half of his face was in the dark. The other half was obscure. She couldn't tell his mood.

Thinking of Phillip's words, she chuckled.

The boy misunderstood. Phillip could've cleared things up with one sentence, but he said nothing.

Instead, he explained it to her.

It was funny.

Caroline looked out the window.

Sensing her quiet, Phillip turned to her. Her bright red dress caught his attention.

With a frown, he remarked, "Don't wear red dresses again. Red doesn't look good on you."

Caroline felt like her heart was tied in a knot.

Didn't red look good on her? Or did he just want her to dress like Cindy?

Caroline closed her eyes and kept quiet.

Vexed by her nonchalance, Phillip fell silent and kept his eyes on the road.

When they got home, Caroline went to the study.

She was going to Germany. She needed to learn the language. Luckily, she knew some German, and it wouldn't be too hard for her to master it.

She didn't learn it behind Phillip's back. But he raised no question, seemingly not interested in knowing what she was doing.

The next day, an agreement was reached in the first phase of the Mast Group case.

Caroline held a cocktail party to celebrate. Many guests were from the financial industry. The party went well. For the first time, she got drunk at a party.

Frowning, Caroline's close friend Valerio Hanford said, "Why didn't you keep an eye on her? She's drunk. What do we do now?"

Valerio and the others looked at each other, stumped.

"Does Caroline have a boyfriend?"

"I don't think so. How about giving what's his name a chance? Isn't he into Caroline? Ask him to take her home."

Valerio smacked her tongue dismissively. She was gonna drive Caroline home personally when the latter's phone rang.

The caller ID was Phillip.

Valerio answered the call and put Phillip on the speaker phone.

His voice was cold.

"Caroline, where are you? Why aren't you home yet?"

Despite his flinty tone, his identity was plain.

Caroline had a boyfriend.

Everybody was stunned.

Only Valerio frowned at his cold tone. "Hello. This is Caroline's colleague. She's drunk. Can you come and pick her up?"

The other end of the line was quiet for a while.

The coldness in his tone intensified when he spoke again. "Address."

Someone told him the address, and Phillip hung up.

Caroline's colleagues discussed it out of curiosity.

"I've been coworkers with Caroline for years. I never knew she had a boyfriend."

"Me, either. Caroline works overtime often. No one picked her up once."

Valerio looked at the flushed-faced Caroline and sighed.

When Phillip arrived, Caroline's head cleared a little. She was sitting on the couch absent-mindedly.

He stood before her, and she just stared at him quietly.

Phillip surveyed her carefully and demanded coldly, "Is it worth it?"

Was it worth it to get so drunk for a job?

The muddle-headed Caroline subconsciously wanted to say, "Of course, it is."

Sensing his displeasure, she didn't reply. Instead, she clutched at his clothes and mumbled, "I wanna go home."

Phillip felt inexplicably irritable. After saying goodbye to Valerio, who was eyeing him, he carried Caroline in his arms and left.

Caroline fell asleep as soon as she was put in the passenger seat.

Phillip glanced at her.

She wore a white blouse beneath her trench coat. His knitted brows became smooth again.

Sure enough, white looked much better on her.

Red was too seductive.

When they got home, Phillip carried Caroline into the bathroom to sober her up. Unexpectedly, she grabbed his tie and pulled him closer.

Kisses showered him on his face and Adam's apple.

Desire filled his eyes. Eventually, he held the back of her head and kissed her back.

Then, quiet was restored to the room.

Lying in bed, Caroline sobered up but was too exhausted to turn over.

Phillip came out of the bathroom slowly. Now that his urges had been released, even the look in his eyes became soft.

Suddenly, his phone rang.

It was a call from Cindy. He answered it immediately.

Cindy cried, "Phillip, I was cooking, and the wok caught fire. What should I do?"

Phillip tensed up. "I'm on my way!"

He hung up and went to get changed. Sensing Caroline's stare, he lied, "Something came up at work. I need to head out. Don't wait up."

Before Caroline could respond, he got dressed and left.

The door was closed. Once again, desolation permeated the house.

Without a word, Caroline shut her eyes, feeling deeply humiliated.

They had just had sex one minute before. The temperature of their bodies still lingered on each other. And now, he rushed to someone else.

Time elapsed.

Caroline's phone rang.

She picked it up. Again, it was Cindy.

Caroline's gut feeling told her this call wasn't that simple.

Listening to the ringtone, she decided to answer. The first thing she heard was Cindy's affectionate voice.

"Phillip, let's get back together.

"You're still in love with me, aren't you? Otherwise, you wouldn't have abandoned Caroline and come to me after getting my call."

Caroline couldn't breathe.

Her hand couldn't help tightening on the phone.

Phillip said in a husky voice, "I indeed still love you."

Then, the phone was hung up.

The cold light of the phone screen reflected upon Caroline's pasty face.

Should she be sad because Phillip had left her for Cindy?

Or should she be heartbroken because Phillip forgave Cindy again and again even though she had dumped him for her career?

Caroline lay in bed quietly. Something rushed back into her head. Something she had thought she had forgotten.

It was the first year after Cindy went abroad. That year, Phillip won a major prize in physics for the first time.

Holding a bouquet, Caroline came backstage to surprise him. Unexpectedly, she overheard Phillip's conversation with his alumnus.

"Your and Cindy's project won a big prize. Aren't you gonna go abroad to win her back? Don't tell me you're gonna spend the rest of your life with Caroline. Except for that gorgeous face, Caroline doesn't deserve you."

Phillip was silent for a long while.

Then, he replied, "I'll think about it."

The next day, he lied to Caroline, "I need to go abroad for an academic seminar. I'll be back in one week."

Although Caroline was his girlfriend, she couldn't bring herself to ask bluntly, "Are you going abroad to see Cindy?"

She was afraid that if she asked, Phillip would dump her.

So, with red eyes, Caroline said, "I'll be waiting for you to come back."

That was a long week for Caroline. Then, Phillip returned.

He had never consumed alcohol before. But that day, he was stinking drunk.

Resting his head on Caroline's shoulder, he said, "Caro, it'll be just you and me in the future. You won't leave me, right?"

The indescribable pain Caroline felt was still vivid in her memory. Holding Phillip, she promised, "I'll never leave you."

She was as good as her word for the past five years.

She had thought her true love would move Phillip eventually, and he'd love her back. However, that seemed hopeless. She was too exhausted to carry on now.

Caroline's eyes reddened.

"Phillip, I'm sorry. I have to break that promise," she sighed.

She was leaving.

She would no longer wait for him to love her back.

Caroline went to work early the next morning.

She was told a manager from the German company would come to inspect their work today. Afterward, he wanted to visit Mount Rainier.

As an employee going to Germany, Caroline had to go with him.

The man-made project was enormous. Several hours passed, and they had only toured half of it.

Tired, Caroline sat on the steps, huffing and puffing. Suddenly, there was a bottle of water before her.

She looked up! It was Phillip.

Caroline was dumbstruck. Was she delusional?

He opened the bottle and fed her. After drinking some water, she felt better and asked, "What are you doing here?"

Phillip didn't answer.

Instead, he said to the man beside him, "This is my girlfriend Caroline Lear."

Then, he said to Caroline, "This is Ricky Fanshaw, a researcher from Texas."

Smiling politely, Caroline extended her hand. "Nice to meet you."

Ricky shook her hand with a broad smile. "Likewise. Phillip, you didn't tell me your girlfriend is so stunning. You're a lucky guy. Say, where does she work?"

Phillip halted and then answered, "A small firm."

Caroline looked at him, her brows arched.

She was aware that Phillip had no idea where she was working.

They had been together for five years and she had never changed her job. But Phillip didn't care about that at all.

So, Caroline added, "I'm working at Douglas."

Ricky was startled to hear that and then gave Phillip a thump.

"How could you call that a small firm? That's one of the four major accounting companies in the world!"

Phillip felt shocked.

He glanced at Caroline with mixed feelings and then fell into silence.

Ricky didn't think much. He was really pumped about mountain climbing. "I'll head forward. Let's meet up there!"

He just left after Phillip said okay.

Now only Phillip and Caroline were left behind, walking ahead slowly.

Phillip's face tensed as if he were lost in thinking.

Caroline heaved a sigh and said directly, "I'm working for Douglas as the fund manager, responsible for fund investment and management."

Phillip looked down and asked, "Why are you saying this to me?"

Caroline replied calmly, "Then you can introduce me to your friends next time instead of knowing nothing about me."

She was not just Phillip's girlfriend.

Phillip frowned and said grumpily, "We're in totally different industries. How would I know what Douglas is?"

After being quiet for an instant, Caroline sighed with laughter, "Right, it's like we're in different worlds."

Her smile faded quickly. Then, she looked ahead only to find her supervisor waving at her from there.

"Alright. That's it. I'll go and say hi to my supervisor."

Caroline quickened her pace and went forward.

Having arrived at the watch tower, Caroline walked to her supervisor.

Her supervisor looked at Phillip meaningfully and asked, "Is that your boyfriend?"

Caroline nodded. "Yes."

"Are you okay with going to Germany alone?" her supervisor asked teasingly.

At that moment, Phillip also arrived and looked at the mountain peacefully.

His strikingly sculpted features were just the same as before.

Caroline chuckled and looked away first.

She knew that Phillip couldn't speak German. Hence, at the moment, she replied right in front of him in German, "Yes."

Later, they got off Mount Rainier together. Caroline saw her colleagues off properly.

As she turned around, only Ricky was left. He pointed at the store. "Phillip has gone to buy some beverage."

Caroline nodded.

Ricky was talkative. He said, "This time, I'm not here just to climb the mountain. Actually, it's mainly for the opening test of the Cosmic Art Gallery, the branch of Stellar Museum. Your boyfriend has spent five years on this project. The gallery will be open tomorrow. You'll come, right?"

Caroline recalled that she had seen Phillip checking the gallery's website. She said directly, "He didn't tell me about this. And I need to attend a meeting tomorrow afternoon. I can't make time for that."

Ricky was stunned. He immediately took out a ticket from his bag and said, "Well, he probably has forgotten it. You're his girlfriend. How could you miss that?"

Caroline took the ticket with a complicated expression.

When Phillip came back, he passed a bottle of water to her and asked casually, "What did Ricky say to you?"

Caroline subconsciously shook her head. "Nothing."

The next morning, Caroline sat on the sofa and watched Phillip dress himself up since he got up.

He put on his fine suit and did his hair delicately as if to attend a wedding.

"I've got things to do today. I may be back a bit late," said Phillip before he got out of the door.

Apparently, he didn't mean to invite her to the opening ceremony.

A bitter feeling welled up inside Caroline and then she said calmly, "OK, wishing you all the best for the gallery opening today."

Phillip was dumbfounded for a moment. "How did you know..."

But his phone rang before he finished his words.

He glanced at his phone and then forgot that quickly. He picked up the call and said gently, "You're already there? So soon? I was thinking about picking you up earlier..."

Cindy's voice came from the other side of the call. It was a bit vague.

The door was closed then.

Caroline took out the ticket from her bag and stared at it for a while.

In the end, Caroline called her assistant, saying, "Postpone this afternoon's meeting. I can't make it."

At 2 pm, Caroline walked into the gallery.

It had been five years since she came here before.

The last time she was here, Phillip confessed his love to Cindy in the old gallery.

Back then, Caroline was among the crowds. No one knew that the venue was actually decorated by her.

What about today?

Was this grand opening ceremony prepared for anyone?

The opening ceremony had already started. Caroline stood in a corner.

As the light shone on the stage, Phillip got on there.

He was tall and straight. As he walked, he gave off an imposing air, causing many female audience's attention.

Phillip took the microphone from the host and spoke, "This gallery themed with cosmos is jointly built by Washington Government and our lab.

"This project took me five years."

He paused and then shifted his eyes to Cindy, saying gently, "I've once promised to explore the universe with somebody. We haven't met for five years. And this gallery is the gift I prepared for her.

"Thank you for coming, Cindy."

An applause broke out among the audience. All of them were touched.

Only Caroline froze in situ, watching Phillip reach out his hand to Cindy and hug her under the spotlight.

She couldn't stand watching this anymore. As she turned around, she met Ricky's embarrassed face.

Ricky glanced at the two people hugging on the stage and then looked at Caroline. He wanted to say something, but Caroline had walked around and left as if she had been there.

She got out of the gallery and returned to the office.

Now, she sort of regretted attending the ceremony. She should've gone to the meeting.

Caroline drove home after she finished her work.

As soon as she parked her car, she saw Phillip and Cindy walking together under the dim street lamp like a loving couple.

It occurred to Caroline that Cindy was living next door.

And it was Phillip who helped Cindy find the apartment.

Caroline approached them slowly and heard their conversation.

Cindy said shyly, "Thank you for the gift. I love it very much."

Phillip replied gently, "I'm glad that you like it."

As they strolled, they arrived at Cindy's apartment building. Phillip watched Cindy go upstairs.

But Cindy didn't move a step. She bit her lower lip and said, "It's so late. Thank you for walking me home.

"If Caroline finds out about this, she'll surely be mad."

Phillip slightly frowned.

Cindy was smug deep inside when Caroline's voice sounded, "It's OK."

Caroline appeared from a tree aside and then looked at Cindy.

"You're friends, aren't you? It's not a big deal to walk you home, is it?"

Cindy's face turned purple and finally cracked into a smile. "Yeah, I've thought too much."

Caroline took a look at Phillip and walked forward.

Very quickly, Phillip caught up with her quietly without explaining at all.

No sooner had Caroline returned home than Valerio sent her a message, "We're gonna throw a farewell party for you this Friday. You must come!"

Caroline smiled.

She raised her head to look at Phillip and asked with composure, "I'll go to a party this Friday. Do you care to come?"

Phillip was a bit surprised.

This was the first time that Caroline had invited him to her party.

As he met her calm eyes, Phillip's heart skipped a beat. He subconsciously agreed, "OK, I'll go."

On Friday, Caroline came to the party on time as soon as she clocked off.

Her friends all surrounded her. One of them said, "It'll be hard for us to meet you when you're in Germany. We're gonna miss you."

Caroline smiled sincerely and hugged her. "Rest assured. When I make a name for myself in Germany, I'll take you there for vacation."

Her friend finally burst into laughter.

Valerio looked at the door and asked in confusion, "Didn't you say your boyfriend would be here too?"

Caroline was about to speak when Phillip's voice came from behind.

"Did we miss anything?"

Caroline looked back only to find that Phillip was here with Cindy.

Everyone was shocked to see the scene.

Phillip explained unhurriedly, "Cindy heard I'd come to a gathering with you. She wanted to join us. Would you mind it?"

Caroline's lips twitched.

Of course, she minded it, but Cindy was already here. What could Caroline do?

"Come on. Help yourselves," Caroline said resignedly.

The gathering turned out rather awkward.

Phillip served dishes to Cindy in front of Caroline's friends and even said, "Here you are. This is your favorite dish."

Valerio couldn't help but snort, "Phillip, your girlfriend's favorite dish is too far away. Why don't you serve it to her too?"

However, Phillip didn't know which dish it was.

Caroline understood he didn't know what she liked to eat at all.

"It doesn't matter. I'll fetch it myself." She smiled embarrassedly and grabbed a clamp.

The meal ended in a weird atmosphere.

Valerio didn't want to let Cindy off, so she advised, "Now we're full. Why don't we go play some games?"

Caroline was stunned.

She knew that Valerio was doing this for her sake, but that was not necessary at all. After all, she'd break up with Phillip tomorrow...

So, she meant to reject Valerio but to her surprise, Phillip nodded.

Then, they headed to a board game club.

Valerio volunteered to be the moderator. After they each got a role card, they closed their eyes.

The game proceeded fast. The situation got quite clear a few rounds later.

There were two werewolves in total. Phillip played the role of a seer. He found the first werewolf.

Caroline was the medic. As she announced who she was, she made it to the last round.

Coincidentally, Caroline, Cindy, and Phillip were left.

Caroline looked at Phillip and said, "You've checked my role. As long as you and me both vote Cindy, we'll win then."

Cindy knew that her identity had been exposed. Instead of defending herself, she said coquettishly, "Phillip, I'm really not the werewolf. Just trust me this once, OK?"

Valerio rolled her eyes. "Alright, it's time to vote."

Without a doubt, Caroline and Cindy pointed at each other and looked at Phillip at the same time.

Phillip thought for a moment and then said sternly in front of everybody's gaze, "I think Caroline is the werewolf."

Caroline was stunned.

Before she could come to herself, her friend sneered, "What the heck? How can you play the game this way? What's the point of racking our brains to think about a line? Let's all get through by acting cute."

Cindy's eyes turned red at once.

She darted a sorrowful glance at Phillip and then looked at everyone. "I don't know what I've done to make you dislike me so much. Since you don't wanna play with me, I'll leave then."

Then, she just ran out of the door.

Phillip immediately got up and scolded Caroline coldly, "It's just a game. Why are you so serious about it?"

He meant to run after Cindy.

Caroline subconsciously grabbed his arm. "Don't go."

Her friends were there. If Phillip just walked away, she'd be really embarrassed.

Phillip's eyes flickered. Obviously, he had thought of that too.

But in the end, he still broke free from her hand and said politely, "This is on me. Help yourselves."

Then, he turned around and left without hesitation.

He still left her behind for Cindy.

Caroline looked at Phillip dully, her heart struck by bitter disappointment.

Everybody quieted down.

Valerio apologized, "Sorry, Caroline. I didn't see this coming."

Caroline came around and forced a smile.

"It's OK. I know you did that for me. But today, you're here to send me off. We're happier without them, aren't we?"

Under the light, her eyes were deeply bloodshot.

With a smile, she raised her glass. "Cheer up! It's a good thing that I can go abroad. You should wish me good luck. Just say..."

Having pondered for a bit, she said tearfully, "I'll get what I want!"

Everybody exchanged glances and their eyes turned red.

They all clinked the glasses!

"Hope you get what you want!"

After the party, Caroline received the ticket issuance information for the flight that her company had purchased for her.

Dear Ms. Caroline, the 7399 flight from Washington to Germany, which you were on, will depart on time at 17:20 on January 24, 2025. Wishing you a safe journey.

That would be the day after tomorrow.

January 24th, that was the date when she officially left Phillip.

Caroline didn't want to think anymore, so she simply packed up her luggage.

While tidying up, Phillip returned home.

He did not mention the matter of the board game club just now, and Caroline did not ask about it either.

However, Phillip clearly saw her packing her luggage, but he didn't react at all.

"You go ahead, I went to sleep."

He didn't care about what Caroline was going to do, nor did he know that Caroline would never leave him, so he was confident and fearless.

Even though I knew Caroline would leave, I still didn't care.

Caroline was tidying up when suddenly she came across two forgotten theater ticket vouchers from the bottom of a suitcase.

She remembered that this was a few months ago when she and Phillip won it in a lottery at the theater entrance. With this ticket, they could watch a play for free.

They had already agreed to go together, but Cindy went back to her country, so no one remembered about it anymore.

Caroline raised the ticket and called out to Phillip, "Let's use this voucher tomorrow."

Phillip casually said, "Okay."

Caroline then took the ticket and placed it in the most prominent position on the table.

After watching the play, there was truly no more connection between them.

The next day, Caroline and Phillip went to the theater, and coincidentally, they were showing the adaptation of Tennessee Williams' classic play "A Streetcar Named Desire".

The most iconic scene of this play was the monologue of the male protagonist.

He said: Every man has two women. If you marry a red rose, the red turns into a mosquito blood stain on the wall, and the white becomes the moonlight in front of the bed. If you marry a white rose, the white becomes a grain of rice sticking on the clothes, and the red becomes a cinnabar mole on the heart.

When Caroline read this paragraph, she became fascinated and even her eyes became moist.

She couldn't help but put herself in.

Cindy was the white rose in Phillip's life, pure and beautiful.

And myself...

Caroline couldn't help but look at Phillip.

In the dim theater, he was completely absorbed in replying to the messages on his phone.

On the phone screen, the words "Cindy" pierced Caroline's heart: "What are you doing? I'm so bored, can you come and keep me company?"

Wait a moment, I will come over immediately.

Phillip quickly replied to the message and, feeling something, looked up to see Caroline's calm face.

He wondered and asked, "What's wrong? Is the play not good?"

Caroline shook her head and simply said, "Nothing."

She looked back at the stage.

He thought, maybe he couldn't even be considered as mosquito blood...

Caroline's heart ached, and she felt both ridiculous and sorrowful.

After the play ended, they walked along with the crowd to the theater entrance.

Caroline, knowing the reason he was in a hurry was to meet Cindy, couldn't help but speak up.

"Let's go home and have dinner. I bought a lot of dishes that you like to eat..."

But Phillip interrupted her without hesitation, "No, I have something to do later."

"It's just a meal, it won't take up too much of your time."

Caroline pleaded to stay, she just wanted to have one last meal with him, to put an end to this relationship.

Phillip was also unwilling.

His gaze was cold and indifferent, no different from every ordinary day in the past five years.

He said, "Next time, when I have free time, I will definitely accompany you."

At this moment, Caroline finally felt relieved.

She bid him farewell, just as she always did, saying, "Okay, I got it."

She watched as Phillip turned and left, eagerly hailed a taxi, and disappeared from the place.

He spoke softly, "There won't be a next time, Phillip."

After returning home, Caroline arrived at the door on time as she had arranged, and she sent all the clothes that she couldn't take to Germany back to her parents' house.

They also threw away the photos of the two people and the couple's belongings that had been tidied up into the garbage dump.

Before leaving, she took out a sticky note and left a breakup gift for Phillip.

She posted on the refrigerator: "Vegetables are best consumed within three days. I have put the beef in the freezer for you, remember to take it out in advance to thaw before eating."

She posted on the washing machine: "Your wool sweaters and suits cannot be washed in the washing machine, they need to be taken to the dry cleaners. Different colors should not be washed together."

She posted on the balcony: "The potted plants on the windowsill need to be watered at least once a week, otherwise they will wither."

***

When I stopped writing, the whole room was unknowingly covered with yellow sticky notes.

Caroline stared fixedly.

These five years, it was like these sticky notes, recording the traces of her love for him.

Phillip's love for her was also like a sticky note, once he saw it, he tore it off.

And this was also the last time she loved him.

There was only one sticky note left, and Caroline wrote the last sentence on it: "Phillip, have a happy breakup."

She stuck this sticky note on Phillip's tablet.

It all ended.

Caroline walked out of the 'home' where she had lived for five years, carrying her suitcase.

With a click, the door closed and locked, never to be heard again.