Chapter 3 Am I Your Girlfriend?
1118 Words
The moment Liliana returned home, she began cleaning the apartment.
Five years ago, Anthony had rented this place for her.
At the time, her father had been forced to sell their family home to pay for Liliana's mother's medical treatment. With nowhere else to go, the three of them squeezed into a cramped rental that was barely two hundred square feet.
Later, when Liliana got into college, she suddenly found herself without a place to live.
That was when Anthony gave her a sum of money.
He had told her it was simply a thank-you for helping him that day. He had clearly been afraid she might refuse it if he called it anything else.
But Liliana had always known the truth. That money was meant for her education.
He rented the apartment for her. He protected her dignity. And for that, Liliana had always been deeply grateful.
Anthony stayed in that apartment with her for five years, right up until she graduated.
During those years, they lived almost like a couple.
Every gift Anthony gave her became something she treasured.
The matching mugs they had custom-made together were still there, with their initials neatly engraved along the sides.
There were the matching T-shirts they owned, though Liliana often wore Anthony's instead.
His faint cedarwood scent always made her feel safe.
And the photos, pictures of them, filled the living room and the bedroom. In every single one, she was smiling brightly. Anthony stood beside her in those photos too, his expression always a little distant.
Because of him, Liliana had even given up the full scholarship her university offered for studying abroad.
The evidence of their relationship was everywhere.
Anyone who walked into the apartment would assume they were deeply in love.
Liliana had believed that too. So how had it all turned into nothing more than her own wishful thinking?
She stood there in silence for a long time. Then she clenched her teeth.
One by one, she packed everything. Every last reminder of the past five years. She threw them all into the trash.
Even the diary she had carefully kept for years, page after page recording every small moment she shared with Anthony, she tossed it away without hesitation.
The only thing left for her to do now was wait for news from Riley.
Once that call came, she could leave everything behind, start over, and walk out of Anthony's life forever.
The next morning, Liliana woke to an almost blinding beam of sunlight.
She opened her eyes groggily and realized Anthony was already home.
He stood by the window, pulling the curtains open with practiced ease before turning around.
When he saw her curled up on the couch, he walked over.
His fingers brushed her cheek gently, his voice carrying its usual warmth.
"How'd you fall asleep out here? I'll carry you back to bed."
He crouched down, slipping one arm beneath her shoulders and the other behind her knees, ready to lift her.
But Liliana suddenly jerked backward, her eyes widening as she avoided his touch.
Anthony froze. His hands hovered awkwardly in the air.
Liliana had never rejected him before. 'What is wrong with her?'
She ran a hand through her slightly messy hair and stood up from the couch.
Her voice was calm, too calm. "I can walk on my own."
Anthony frowned. He felt something was off, but he didn't push further.
His gaze drifted toward the trash can nearby. It looked unusually full.
Then he noticed what was inside, his brow furrowed sharply.
"What's all this?"
He stepped closer, pointing toward the pile in the trash. His voice was tight with suppressed shock.
"Why did you throw these away? Weren't these your favorites?"
Liliana continued tidying the few scattered items on the table.
She didn't even look up.
"Nothing important," she said evenly.
"Just realized some things were never really mine. Once I figured that out, I didn't want them anymore."
Anthony studied her for a moment, then suddenly stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her from behind.
He rested his chin against the curve of her neck, his voice softer now.
"What's wrong with you today? Are you feeling sick or something? I'll take you to see the doctor. Maybe grab you some supplements too."
Liliana bit down hard on her lip. Pain twisted through her chest in waves.
She forced herself to stay steady. If she let herself hesitate now, she might lose the courage to leave.
Liliana gently pulled herself free from his arms and turned to face him.
She finally gathered the courage to ask the question that had haunted her for five years.
"Anthony... What exactly am I to you?"
Anthony's hand, which had just begun reaching for her again, slowly dropped.
His eyes flickered. For a brief moment, he seemed uncertain, almost unwilling to meet her gaze.
"Why are you asking that all of a sudden?"
He was avoiding the question. His voice carried a trace of unease.
Liliana stepped closer. Her voice quickened. Her eyes locked onto his.
"Am I your girlfriend? Your secret lover? Or just... Someone you happen to sleep with?"
Anthony suddenly turned away and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window. He tapped a cigarette out of the pack and lit it.
Smoke curled through the air as he took a slow drag. His sharp profile looked even colder through the haze.
"I don't like people asking me pointless questions."
His voice sounded flat.
"We are whatever we are. If you're questioning me because I didn't come home last night, think whatever you want."
Liliana blinked, her eyes stinging. The last fragile hope inside her quietly died.
Wasn't his answer clear enough already?
To him, she was nothing more than a convenient bedmate.
She had been the foolish one, mistaking warmth for love.
Liliana nodded faintly. She stopped looking at him.
Anthony seemed to calm down a little after that. He pulled a card out of his wallet and placed it on the coffee table in front of her.
"A friend of mine is throwing a birthday party soon. She wants to meet you. Get yourself something nice to wear."
Liliana's heart skipped a beat.
In the five years they had been together, Anthony rarely brought her to public events.
She had almost never met his friends.
She had only seen Even Jayden, Anthony's closest friend, twice in passing when Anthony happened to be giving him a ride home.
So why was Anthony suddenly willing to introduce her to his friends now?
Liliana didn't think too deeply about it. She simply nodded.
All she wanted was to leave quietly. Without giving him the slightest reason to suspect anything.
- Writer
