After I Saw His First Love, I Left

Chapter 7

The swarms of glowing fireflies slowly faded into the dark.

I didn't bother sticking around to listen to whatever Eliseo and Isadora were chatting about. I tugged my collar tighter against the chill and turned to leave.

It was almost ten o'clock by the time I got home.

I booted up my computer and stared blankly at the two pixelated Chatter pets waddling around on the screen.

A long while later, my computer gave a series of sharp beeps.

It was a message from Eliseo.

Eliseo: Isadora, did you like the fireflies tonight? :)

I ran my fingers over the keyboard hesitantly, only typing out a reply after a long pause.

Isadora: I loved them, thank you.

He shot back a string of giddy messages right away, each tacked on with a silly cutesy emote.

Eliseo: Hehe, as long as you liked them! Just seeing you smile makes my whole day! :D

Eliseo: Turns out studying's not that bad, honestly. Good thing you've been encouraging me every day. I definitely won't be dead last in the next exam. :)

Eliseo: Isadora, I'm putting in the work to get closer to you. :)

I stared at those warm, earnest words, and tears started pouring down my cheeks before I could stop them.

All the resentment, hurt, and bitter frustration I'd been carrying around for so long melted away at that moment, replaced by nothing but a sharp, aching reluctance to let go.

Fifteen more days. That's all I had left before I'd never get to see this bright, lively version of Eliseo again.

I collapsed face-down on my desk, gritting my teeth to hold back the suffocating, churning tightness in my chest.

All of a sudden, Eliseo's voice drifted in from the living room.

"Calixta, why'd you leave your front door wide open? Good thing I passed by and saw it, otherwise some thief could've broken in overnight, and you wouldn't have even known."

I froze for a second, then hastily wiped the tears off my cheeks and got up to head out.

There he was, standing in the middle of my living room, holding a steaming container of spicy chicken soup in one hand and a carton of chocolate milk in the other.

"What's all this..." I blinked, too stunned to process what was happening.

Eliseo set the food down on the table. "Consider it a thank you for helping me make Isadora happy tonight."

He glanced down at my hands as he spoke, then grabbed my wrist in one quick motion. "What the hell happened to your hand? It's all cut up!"

My knuckles and fingers were covered in tiny, shallow scratches, on top of the rough, inflamed patches of chilblains I already had.

I'd scraped my hands up on bush thorns when I was catching those fireflies earlier.

I dropped my gaze and pulled my hand back gently. "It's nothing..."

Eliseo opened his mouth as if to say something, then thought better of it. Finally, he pulled the first-aid kit out from under the TV cabinet, grabbed some iodine and ointment, and started tending to my wounds.

"I haven't fully gotten over what happened earlier, but I'm not still holding a massive grudge either. You helped play matchmaker for me and Isadora, after all. I really do appreciate that, from the bottom of my heart," he said as he worked.

But when his gaze fell on the cuts on my hand, a faint, almost imperceptible flicker of concern crossed his eyes.

The sharp ache I'd just managed to force down came surging right back up my throat. "You really like her a lot, don't you?"

'And you kept your promise, too. You never got to marry Isadora, so you settled for me, the girl who looks just like her.'

Eliseo snapped his head up to stare at me. His jaw tightened, like he was biting back some retort, and a flash of irritation crossed his face.

"Are you crying again? When did you turn into such a delicate little drama queen, crying over every little thing?"

My throat closed up. I couldn't get a single word out.

I stammered and fumbled for something to say for a solid few seconds, before finally mumbling, "I'll go heat up some water," and bolting into the kitchen.

Outside the window, a fine drizzle started to drift down.

I splashed cold water on my face, desperate to wash away the traces of my tears.

Truth be told, I'd never cried once after marrying Eliseo. He'd doted on me so well, so perfectly, that I'd thought there was nothing in the world that could ever make me shed tears.

But all that kindness, all that warmth? It never belonged to me, not for a single second.

The kettle screamed to a boil. I poured a cup of hot water and walked back out, only to find the living room completely empty.

I glanced at the closed front door, and a jittery, uneasy feeling coiled in my gut out of nowhere. Had he gone home?

Cough cough cough!

The Chatter system "cough" notification pinged from the other room. I hurried back, only to freeze when I saw Eliseo sitting right in front of my computer.

The screen was pulled up to the chat log between me and him, my secret "Isadora" account.

The second I registered what I was looking at, my hand went limp.

CRASH!

The glass cup slipped from my hand and shattered on the floor. Scalding hot water splattered all over my legs, but I didn't feel the burn at all. All I could feel was a bone-deep chill spreading through every inch of me.

My face drained of all colors. I could barely get the words out, my voice shaking so bad it was almost a whisper. "Eliseo..."

"You've been hiding this pretty damn well, haven't you?" His usually bright, energetic voice was cold as a grave, sharp enough to cut.

Terror crashed over me in an instant. I scrambled to explain right away, but Eliseo shot up out of the chair so fast it scraped against the floor.

He stalked toward me step by step, finger jabbing at the chat interface on the screen, his eyes bloodshot as he roared.

"What the hell do you take me for? Some total chump? A clown performing for your amusement? Did you have fun messing with me? I kept wondering why Isadora was so lukewarm toward me at school, and never wanted to video call when we chatted online. Turns out it was you pretending to be her this whole time! You f*****g lied to me from start to finish!"

I stumbled backward under his fury, slamming hard into the wall. "No... that's not right! I..."

"Calixta, I'll never believe another goddamn word that comes out of your mouth!"

Eliseo glared at me, his eyes swimming with disappointment and resentment so intense I could barely breathe.

Then he left.

The door slammed shut with a thunderous bang that sent a tremor straight through my heart.

I froze where I stood, my legs so heavy I couldn't move an inch.

He'd found out after all...

Right then, a notification chimed on Chatter.

It was a message from Eliseo.

Eliseo: Calixta, you've got some real nerve, you know that? You've been making me sick for six whole months!

I swallowed back the burning lump in my throat and typed out a long, frantic explanation, but the second I hit send, a notification popped up.

Chatter System: Message failed to send. You have been removed from this user's friend list.

Right after that, a system alert for Chatter Pets popped up.

Chatter Pets System: Per the Pet Kingdom Love Law, your virtual pet and its spouse have experienced an irreparable relationship breakdown. The marriage has been unilaterally terminated, and your love value has been reset to zero.