Chapter 2 The Breakup
1222 Words
I never expected that I would be so ruthless, humiliating her right there in the mall. "Can you stop being so petty? Just a moment ago, Benjamin was telling me not to get angry, and what about you? You haven't even asked how I'm doing—just pushing me further away and making me furious!"
It seemed like she had forgotten that she hadn't blocked my number yet.
'Anyway, it's all my fault, isn't it?' I wondered.
After all these years, I gave everything without complaint. If it were a stone, it would have been warmed by my care, but Annabelle's heart felt colder than stone.
After hanging up, I mindlessly scrolled through i********:. Then I saw a post from Annabelle—one where she was holding Benjamin's hand.
The caption read: People who are meant to be together will never miss their chance, no matter how many monsters stand in the way.
The two of them were wearing matching, glaring diamond rings. If I guessed right, it was the one I bought for her.
Of course, they hadn't forgotten about me, their benefactor. In their little love story, I was conveniently cast as the "monster" standing in the way of their happiness.
I almost felt honored.
But then my eyes froze on the clear red marks on Annabelle's neck in the photo. My smile instantly disappeared.
Zooming in, I realized the background was a hotel room. Annabelle was still wearing one of those disposable bathrobes from the hotel.
I didn't expect them to be so shameless.
Just this morning, she was hosting guests at our engagement banquet, and by the afternoon, she was in bed with another man.
A sharp pain suddenly shot through my chest, as if a thousand blades were piercing through me. I could feel myself silently bleeding inside.
How could Annabelle be so eager to throw away all those years of our relationship?
Maybe it was a lingering sense of unfairness, or maybe there was still a tiny bit of emotion left, but I couldn't hold back anymore.
I commented on her i********: post: Using my money to please him—how do you live with yourself?
But within seconds, my comment was deleted.
Annabelle shot me a mocking message: So what if I'm using your money? Go ahead and sue me! I'll tell you the truth—we paid for the hotel room with your card!
I thought I had already let go of her, but when I saw those words, the pain still cut through me, and my hands trembled uncontrollably.
How heartless must she be to say something like that?
I could almost imagine them laughing at me on the other side of the screen.
This relationship had long been rotten, but I was the only one still holding on.
I took a deep breath and blocked her—everything, all at once.
Then I put the phone down and slumped to the floor, unable to say another word.
There was a time when Annabelle and I had good moments.
She was beautiful, intelligent, and the center of attention at school.
As for me, aside from having some money, I was no different from the other guys who watched her from afar, hoping for a chance.
But back then, Benjamin and Annabelle were the golden couple in everyone's eyes. Whenever they appeared together, it was impossible not to draw attention.
I never expected that I would end up with her. All I ever wanted was to see her smile, and that was enough for me.
But then Annabelle's family's business failed, and overnight, she went from being a rich young lady to having to sell clothes just to make ends meet.
Benjamin said he didn't mind, but his parents thought differently. They were forced to break up because of it.
That night, it rained heavily, and Annabelle called me in tears, asking if I could come to be with her.
I was on a business trip in another city, but I drove over 100 miles through the night to get back to her.
She threw herself into my arms, saying she wanted to be with me, but only if my family could lend her a sum of money to help her family through their crisis.
I knew our relationship wasn't entirely pure, but I loved her.
So, I agreed to everything she asked for. I wanted to treat her like a princess.
Under my constant care and tenderness, she finally started to waver. It seemed like our lives were about to get back on track.
But then, out of nowhere, Benjamin returned from abroad. It turned out that his parents had died in a plane crash while traveling overseas.
Now, nothing could stand in the way of their love.
The moment they reunited, it was like wildfire, spreading uncontrollably. All my hopes vanished into thin air.
I had planned to go home, pack my things, and move out, but when I pushed open the door, what I saw made me frown.
There they were, sitting on the couch, laughing and cuddling while watching TV, and feeding each other snacks.
If one didn't know better, one would think it was their home.
I was so furious I could hardly breathe. "Annabelle! Are you out of your mind? You can do whatever you want outside, but you can't bring it into my house! That's my bottom line!"
When she heard my voice, Annabelle lazily turned around.
"Why are you being so petty? Benjamin hasn't been back to Zoldhood in ages. He's unfamiliar with the place, so of course, he's staying at my house. Why can't you just stop being so disgusting?"
It was so funny. She was posting photos of hotel rooms on i********: and then accusing me of being the one who was disgusting.
I scoffed. "Since you're back, let's get one thing straight. This house is mine, but I'm leaving it to you. I don't want it—it's too dirty."
"From now on, we have nothing to do with each other. You can go chase your 'true love' as you please." With that, I turned to leave.
Annabelle's smile froze. She thought I was just throwing a tantrum and would be fine after a few words of apology.
But she had never seen me this cold. Suddenly, she realized she might actually lose me.
A sense of panic washed over her.
After all these years, she was the first one to make the move to comfort me.
Annabelle sighed. "Alright! I admit I messed up this time. I'm sorry, okay?"
I could hear the impatience in her voice, and I shook my head.
I had given her too many chances over the years. She had to understand that life wasn't a series of endless opportunities.
When she saw that I was truly about to leave, Annabelle's temper flared.
Annabelle snapped. "What do you think you are? If I hadn't seen your money, do you really think I'd be with you? If you leave me, you'll never find a woman better than me!"
Even now, she still had that high-and-mighty attitude. She hadn't learned a thing.
But I had already made up my mind not to turn back.
With the sound of the door slamming shut, I could hear her screaming curses behind me.
- Writer
