A Tale of Lost Love and Newfound Happiness

"Sucks to be single," Chase Trent lamented, his leg encased in plaster, as he reclined on the hospital bed. "Even when I'm laid up, it's just a guy who comes around." Despite his condition, he looked at me with a mischievous glint. "Henry, you and Evelyn have been an item for years now. When do we get to celebrate your wedding?" His words caught me off guard. I had thought of proposing, but Evelyn Ryan wanted to wait until her career was more stable. We were both busy with our jobs, and put this matter on hold. We had maintained a steady relationship since we were in college seven or eight years ago. "We're both swamped with work. Never have sat down to talk about it," I replied, handing him a sliced apple before heading out to grab some food for him. As I passed another room, I heard whispers of intimacy. I felt a pang of envy because of how close that couple was, remembering the days when Evelyn and I were inseparable. Now, our relationship had settled into a comfortable familiarity. Peering through a half-closed door, I could clearly see what was happening inside. However, this casual glance made me involuntarily stop. I saw a couple deeply entwined. The woman's silhouette in the moonlight was hauntingly familiar. She looked just like Evelyn, who was supposed to be working overtime at the company. My phone still displayed her message, telling me not to wait up. Just at that moment, the nurses at the nurse's station behind me also saw them. They giggled, and their comments came into my ears, "That lady really loves her boyfriend. She accompanies him every night. And they are both very good-looking. I totally ship them!" I tried to convince myself that she just had a similar face. Besides, Evelyn had been handling a big project recently, working overtime until late at night. How could she come here every night? But my heart wouldn't settle, as if I couldn't let it go without confirming it. So I took out my phone and made a video call to Evelyn. A ringtone came out of the ward, but it was soon cut off. They finally separated for a while. At that moment, I saw the woman's face in the moonlight. She was frowning. Her red lips shimmered with a captivating gloss, yet there was an unmistakable tinge of irritation flickering across her features. It was clearly Evelyn! At the same time, her message came, only two short words: [Busy now.] I felt rooted to the spot, my heart heavy. Unfazed, they resumed their embrace, and Evelyn hugged the man's neck and kissed more fiercely. I had thought she was busy with work, but it seemed she was preoccupied with another kind of affair. For a moment, my heart was in a mess. Evelyn was the love of my life. She was the only one who supported me when I had the idea of starting a business, and I still appreciate her unwavering support at that time. I didn't want to cause a scene, so after I randomly took care of Chase, I left the hospital in a daze and returned home. Late that night, as the world was quiet, Evelyn arrived home with a satisfied look. She was surprised to see the light on at the entrance and me sitting quietly on the sofa. I got up. "Evelyn, we need to talk." She put her hair behind her ears, looking a bit tired, "Can we do it tomorrow? I'm exhausted and want to sleep." My heart sank further. She was probably tired from her "work" elsewhere. When she came to me and reached for a hug, all I could see was her kissing that man in the ward, and I felt disgusted from the bottom of my heart. I stepped back, and she looked taken aback. "Why do you smell of smoke?" I asked. A flicker of panic crossed her face before she composed herself. "I was with a client discussing a contract. Must have picked it up there." As a strong woman in the workplace, she was a pro at maintaining her composure, even when lying. I wondered how many times she'd done this before. I didn't continue that topic. I just stared at her eyes tightly. "Evelyn, you said as the closest people to each other, we should keep no secrets, right? So is there something you're not telling me?" Be honest. I wanted her to be honest. I was ready to forgive her if she confessed. After all, our years together meant too much to just give up.