Chapter 2The Face I Couldn't Quit

My boyfriend was cheating. Not physically, but emotionally.

He checked his phone more often. When talking to me, he was either distracted or silent.

He stopped hugging me, kissing me. His eyes were cold when he looked at me.

This was Julian's usual tactic.

In the past three years, whenever he regretted being with me, he used the "Cold Shoulder" treatment to drive me away.

But I was too attached to his face. I clung to him shamelessly.

Julian was about to compromise. He planned to settle with me. Our families even discussed the wedding date.

But Chloe appeared. This sunny, gentle girl was his perfect match.

They had endless topics, secrets, and inside jokes. They were soulmates.

And me? Shallow, loud. I only embarrassed him.

I tried to break up, as he wished.

But every time I tried to speak, his narrow eyes looked at me, and I couldn't say a word. I just wanted to kiss him.

The thought of not seeing his face in the morning made me want to cry.

So I chose to be a coward until Julian explicitly dumped me.

He pulled all-nighters in the lab with Chloe. I sent texts that got no reply. He left early; I laid out his clothes the night before. He partied with colleagues; I picked him up.

Every time his friends joked about "Sister-in-law being so sweet," Julian's eyes grew colder.

He sat in the passenger seat silently. I chatted with his friends before waving goodbye.

Naturally, I noticed Chloe's pale face in the corner.

"The temperature dropped recently. Chloe, wear more clothes. Don't catch a cold."

I said this deliberately before leaving.

She mumbled a yes, and soon took off the dark blue scarf around her neck.

That scarf took me three months to knit for Julian.

When I put it on him, he didn't even lower his head. He just looked down at me struggling to reach his shoulders.

So how did he tie my scarf around another girl's neck?

Did he bend down? Did he smile?

I dared not think about it.

On the way home, Julian was silent. I adhered to the "Enemy doesn't move, I don't move" principle and chatted about daily life.

He replied little.

Before getting out of the car, Julian suddenly leaned in. His black hair fell down, revealing his high nose, perfect lips, and clean jawline.

Eyelashes trembling, his gaze fell lightly on my lips.

The sweet smell of alcohol filled the small space. I held my breath, my heart pounding like a drum.

We hadn't kissed in so long. I was nervous and closed my eyes for the first time.

Usually, I couldn't bear to close them.

But the next second, Julian said something that froze me to the bone.

"Chloe..."

He did it on purpose.

My heart skipped a beat. A dull pain followed. I turned my head and pushed him away.

"You're drunk."

When we got home, he saw the fresh clothes and hangover soup I prepared.

I lay in bed, feigning sleep. I had no courage to break the illusion.

Drifting off, I heard Julian gritting his teeth: "Candace, you can really endure. Are you that cheap?"

Julian looked like an upright gentleman, but when angry, he had a foul mouth.

I was used to it and fell asleep quickly.