Chapter 4Regrets in life

After seeing them into the elevator, Leo came back into the condo for his car keys. He stood in the entryway, staring at me.

I sat at the table, looking at the four dishes and soup, my expression calm. But under the table, my hands wouldn’t stop shaking.

“Chloe, when did you become so heartless?” he demanded. “If you’re mad, be mad at me. Why did you have to humiliate them like that? Her dad is a taxi driver, a good, honest man. He was trying to hide it, but I saw him crying. You were so arrogant.”

I let out a cold laugh. “Don’t you dare try to guilt-trip me. If they had asked me beforehand, I might have said yes. But this is on you. You made a decision behind my back, and now you have to live with the consequences.”

He was cornered, and it made him angrier. “Lily is so shy and sweet. She would never have the guts to ask you. Besides, it’s not a big deal.”

Shy? Sweet?

I remember about four months ago, it was around 11 PM, and Leo and I were about to get intimate. I had just gotten out of the shower. He looked at me with this awkward, apologetic expression and said he wasn’t in the mood, that he couldn’t… perform. He asked if we could just try another time. What was I going to do, force him?

Half an hour later, I pretended to be asleep. He quietly slipped out of bed and went to his study. I heard him get on a video call. It was with Lily.

“Which problem are you stuck on?” he asked her.

“This one,” she said in this super sweet, girly voice. “I feel like I just can’t get my head around it. Oh no, I’m totally going to bomb the math section of the GRE.”

“It’s okay,” he said, his voice incredibly gentle. “We’ll work through it step by step.”

“Is Chloe asleep?” she asked. “I hope I’m not bothering you guys, asking for help so late.”

“Not at all,” he said quickly. “She has a crazy work schedule. She was out like a light hours ago.”

As he was explaining the problem, I saw him discreetly take a few screenshots of her on his screen.

…

I had tried to rationalize it back then. Eight years is a long time. People say there’s a seven-year itch. He’s only human. I could allow him a moment of weakness, a small crush. As long as he respected our relationship, as long as he stayed on the right side of the line, as long as he still loved me, I could let it go.

But he kept pushing that line, further and further, until now, I couldn’t pretend anymore.

Just look at the way he was looking at me now. Pure, cold indifference.