Chapter 3I Move On Instantly

The company called an emergency meeting, informing me of a project issue and asking me to return to the city for overtime. At eleven o’clock, I was finalizing the last version of a presentation. My phone screen lit up, showing a missed call from Archer and two messages.

“My mom asked me to drop off some late-night snacks at your place. Your parents said you went back to the office for overtime?”

I rubbed my tired eyes, feeling impatient. “Yeah.”

“It’s almost the holidays, and it’s late, so it’s hard to get a cab. I’ll come pick you up.”

“No need, my boyfriend will be here.”

Archer chuckled softly. “Asteria, do you have to annoy me? I said I’m sorry, isn’t that enough? Just give me a break and let me take care of you.”

“You’re really overthinking this.” I hung up, not in the mood to argue.

Late at night, after finishing overtime, I went downstairs. The early spring night air carried a biting chill. Archer’s SUV was parked right at the entrance. I paused, surprised. The passenger side window immediately rolled down, revealing Willow’s round face.

“Asteria, long time no see.”

I gave a slight nod, a minimal greeting. But I didn’t stop, walking straight towards the roadside. Archer opened his door and quickly got out. He’d changed into a dark gray overcoat that made him look tall and lean. When we were together, I loved him in overcoats.

“Asteria.” He approached me. “Willow just got back to the country and hasn’t gotten a local SIM card yet, so she can’t call a ride-share. It’s on my way, so I gave her a lift. Get in the car, stop acting out.”

There it was again, “acting out.” The phrase pricked at an already numb nerve, like a fine needle.

“I’m not acting out.” I looked up, calmly meeting his gaze, and at the same time, unlocked my phone, holding the screensaver up for him to see. “I couldn’t care less about your relationship with her. I remember I’ve told you countless times that I have a boyfriend. Archer, the great scholar, your memory can’t be that bad, can it?”

The screen’s light illuminated a small patch of air between us. Archer’s gaze fixed on the screensaver, his pupils imperceptibly contracting. “Danny Thorne?” He then laughed. “Asteria, at least make your lies believable. Don’t joke around; back in college, he hated you the most. We shared a dorm; he was always telling me to break up with you.”

Willow, sensing her cue, got out of the car and walked to Archer’s side, gently tugging his sleeve, a look of worried reluctance on her face. “I’m so sorry, I’m causing trouble for you two again. But Asteria, even if you’re angry with Archer, you shouldn’t drag others into it. It’s really rude. Besides, Danny is famously cold and distant. He barely even spoke to you; how could you suddenly be together?” Her hair blew in the night breeze, and she shivered slightly, leaning closer to Archer.

I looked at her, forcing a smile. “You know you’re trouble, and you still come to cause it for me. If you’re intentionally stirring things up, don’t play the victim in front of me. You toxic bitch.”

Willow gasped, covering her face in disbelief, on the verge of tears. Archer frowned, his voice cold. “Asteria, don’t go too far…”

I flipped him off, still feigning a smile. “Asshole. Did I forget to insult you? Break up, break up, break up, break up, break up. Can you hear me now? Get lost.”

Archer, enraged, laughed, pulling Willow into his arms. “Fine, then I’ll be with her. You have no objections, right?”

I clapped. “You two go ahead and get hitched!”

Without another look at their reaction, I turned and walked away.