I WISH I HAD A HAPPY ENDING TOO

Chapter 8:

"Gosh! What happened to your face? You look like you haven't slept in years!" Cheizeru blurted out the moment I swung my apartment door open.

I had called her earlier to vent. She, on the other hand, had insisted on talking in person because she knew she owed me one—specifically, for abandoning me all alone at the bar the other night.

"Tsk," I merely hissed, gesturing for her to head toward the living room.

"Is that for real? Are you seriously kicking Vin out? Can you actually do it? Are you going to be okay? So, what’s your status now?" Her questions fired in rapid succession as she set down the bags of chips she had brought.

I massaged my temples, feeling a headache coming on.

"One at a time, please? Yes, I can do it, okay? He's just a man. I survived without Vin before, and I can do it again now," I said, averting my gaze.

It was only nine o'clock in the morning, but I had already texted Sutehan to file for a leave of absence. I desperately needed to take the day off. If I stayed here alone with nothing but my own thoughts, I would lose my mind. I didn't want that shameless Vin thinking my entire world had crumbled just because he left. Who did he think he was, gold?

"Hasn't he come by since yesterday to get his things?" Cheizeru asked, chugging the juice sitting on the coffee table.

I shook my head and glanced toward the balcony. His bags and shoes, which I had dragged out there last night, were fully visible from the living room.

"If he doesn't pick them up by tomorrow, I am seriously going to burn all of it. It’s an eyesore."

Cheizeru let out a soft laugh.

"Right. It's totally obvious you're not affected at all."

I just rolled my eyes at her.

"Wait, do you honestly think I forgot? Why did you leave me at that bar anyway?"

She grimaced, looking down at her chips before leaning back against the sofa.

"I'm so sorry, okay? I looked for you, but I couldn't find you on the dance floor anymore. And it really was an emergency! Mark, my wonderful brother, got dragged into another fight. He called me because he was absolutely terrified of Mom and Dad finding out."

I pouted. Her reason was valid, and who was I to hold a grudge anyway? What mattered was that I was safe. Suddenly, my mind drifted to the man who had rescued me at the bar. Did Sutehan reply to my text yet?

Cheizeru was about to speak again when a sudden barrage of doorbell rings echoed through the room. It was immediately followed by heavy, violent banging on the door, as if someone was trying to break it down.

Cheizeru and I locked eyes. We were thinking the exact same thing.

"I’ve got this, Achii," she volunteered, standing up.

"I think I know which monster is causing this racket."

I watched her march toward the door. She called me Achii because she said I always reminded her of her late younger sister, who had tragically succumbed to depression. Because of that loss, Cheizeru was fiercely, intensely protective of me.

The moment the door swung open, a familiar, deep baritone voice boomed through the entryway.

"WHERE IS HON? HUH? I NEED TO TALK TO HER—"

"And why on earth do you want to talk to her? For what? To explain the disgusting garbage you and your friend pulled? To explain how you made a complete fool out of her?!" Cheizeru shrieked back.

I remained seated on the sofa, my heart hammering violently against my ribs. I didn't know whether I should step out to face him or just let them wage war by the door.

"Please, Cheizeru! I know how much Rui means to you, but this is our relationship! We are the ones who need to fix this!" Vin pleaded. I could hear the tremor in his voice—he was clearly trying his best to restrain his temper.

"You said it yourself, Rui is important to me! So why would I let you anywhere near her again? Just so you can hurt and break her all over again?" she erupted. It was my first time hearing her this furious.

"That's exactly why I'm here, to fix the mess I made, alright? So please, don't meddle! I might lose my patience, and you don't want to get caught in my temper!" Vin threatened.

Cheizeru let out a bitter laugh.

"I got dragged into this the moment I saw her crying over your stupid life choices! I used to root for you two so much. If I were you, I'd grab my things from the balcony and get lost! Otherwise, I am calling the police for trespassing!"

"HON!! PLEASE, LET'S TALK!!" Vin roared, completely ignoring Cheizeru as he stormed right into the apartment.

"WHAT THE HELL! THE NERVE OF YOU TO JUST WALK IN!" Cheizeru yelled in rage.

Hearing a loud crash near the

entryway, I bolted to my feet. I saw Vin forcing his way into the living room while Cheizeru tried to block him. In his blind frustration, he had swiped at my room divider, sending several decorative pieces shattering onto the floor.

The moment his eyes found me, his destructive tantrum ground to a sudden halt. He tried to step toward me, but Cheizeru quickly threw herself in front of me, acting as a shield.

"Keep your distance! You're terrifying her!" she commanded, her voice dripping with venom.

My feet instinctively took a step back, as if Vin carried some highly contagious disease. I caught the flash of pain and confusion in his eyes at my reaction. He looked pathetic, but I couldn't find it in myself to pity him. He was incredibly immature.

He stayed rooted to his spot, his eyes pinned on me. After a moment, he looked at Cheizeru, silently begging for privacy. Cheizeru glanced back, asking me a silent question with her eyes. I gave her a small, reassuring nod.

She stepped aside with an aggressive huff, but she didn't go far. She positioned herself by the kitchen to keep a watchful eye on us. Only a single pace of distance remained between Vin and me.

"Hon, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to," he began. He took a step forward, but froze instantly when he saw me step backward, looking thoroughly repulsed by the mere thought of his touch.

I maintained a freezing, unreadable expression, analyzing his every move. His eyes were drowning in guilt and regret, but I no longer cared.

"Whether you believe me or not, I never intended to cheat on you... It was our first time having s*x—"

"And you're proud of it?" I cut him off, my voice dripping with cold sarcasm.

He stiffened. I didn't miss the way his gaze dropped to his own hands, which were clenched into tight, trembling fists. It looked like he was forcing himself to take every sharp, agonizing word cutting through my teeth.

"I was waiting for you the whole night! But you never came home!" he stammered frantically, running his hands through his hair as if he were losing his mind.

I leaned against the wall, raising an eyebrow.

"And now, this is somehow my fault?"

He couldn't answer right away, looking more unraveled by the second.

"Hon, believe me. I love you so much. It's just that... I couldn't turn Furanshin away because I owe her my life."

Here we were again, dragging up the old story. The accident from years ago where he was almost run over by a car, but Furanshin took the hit instead, bearing the brunt of the impact for him.

"You love me?" I looked him dead in the eye. "Since when, Vin?"

I watched his eyes instantly dodge my gaze. He couldn't answer. How could he be so completely clueless about his own feelings? He didn't even know. He wasn't even sure if he truly loved me.

"I-I loved you—"

"Loved... Past tense? It's over? Not anymore?"

I nodded slowly, a sudden, crushing exhaustion washing over me. I turned and walked out toward the balcony where his things were piled up, and he scrambled to follow me.

"Come on, Hon. Please, let's fix this. I promise I'll change."

"You said what happened between you two just happened yesterday," I said wearily, staring down at his luggage. "But why is she pregnant? What is that? A stray sperm just flew by and she caught it instantly in a single night?"

He let out a heavy, frustrated sigh, looking at me helplessly.

"Hon, let's not talk about that right now—"

"You're asking for my forgiveness, yet you're still hiding things from me!" I faced him, widening the physical gap between us.

"You know what, let's stop this. Take all your garbage and get out, because as of yesterday, we are done. There is nothing left to fix here."

I didn't wait for his reply. Turning my back on him, I stepped back inside, swiftly slamming and locking the balcony door right in his face.

I could still hear him calling out my name through the glass, but I refused to look back.

Maybe this really was for the best.

Maybe we were never meant for each other. It just hurt to think that the seven years I poured into him, and the pure, unadulterated love I had offered, all amounted to absolutely nothing.

The only thing crystal clear to me right now was that he never loved me. He probably just loved the idea of having me around—but never the person I actually am... or maybe he did love me, just not enough to choose me.

I can survive without him... right?”