Chapter 4The Breakup Contract

Liam was actually quiet for a few days.

Quiet enough that I almost thought he had rarely respected my decision.

Until the weekend, after I finished dinner with the Blue Ocean marketing director, coming out of the restaurant ready to get in the car, I heard someone shouting from afar: "Serena!"

My heart thumped.

—This tone of calling my name, sounded like trouble.

Turning to look, he stood across the street.

Black T-shirt, jeans, carrying an old backpack, looking almost exactly like the first time I saw him.

The only difference was, the first look was clean poor, this look was fragile poor.

He ran over, panting: "I, I've been looking for you for many days."

"You are?" The Blue Ocean director looked at him politely.

"A friend." I said coldly. "Student Liam, if you have something, call later. I'm busy now."

I was about to get in the car, his sentence blocked the retreat:

"My phone service is cut off."

I mentally applauded him.

Excellent, truly excellent.

From character to financial status, hanging on me like a chain.

"Then go back and pay the bill." I pulled the car door.

"Serena!" He grabbed my wrist abruptly, eyes red and sore. "Can't you just listen to me for a second?"

The Blue Ocean director was extremely sensible: "President Lin, we'll go ahead. We'll chat about the draft in detail next week." Said and left with the team naturally, leaving space for us.

Passersby looked over. I didn't want a scene, so I pulled my hand back: "Speak."

He couldn't say it.

After a long while, he squeezed out a sentence: "I was wrong."

"Mm." I nodded. "You were indeed wrong."

He thought I would follow with "but I forgive you" or something similar.

I didn't.

I just stood there, looking at him quietly.

"I said those words that day because I felt too terrible." His voice trembled. "I just wanted you to see my feelings. I'm not a dog you raise, coming when called, leaving when chased."

"Then what are you doing now?" I raised an eyebrow. "Running back voluntarily to wag your tail?"

He choked.

I continued: "Liam, when you were high-minded, you treated me as a secret not to be spoken of in front of others; when you were aggrieved, you treated me as a trash can to vent on anytime; when you needed money, you treated me as an ATM."

"Now you tell me you're not a dog—" I tilted my head to look at him. "Do you think you deserve the word dog?"

His face flushed red: "Don't talk like that, I—"

"You what?" I blinked. "Want to educate me on how to be a person, or kneel down to apologize? Have you thought about which face to use first, and what to say to me?"

His breathing was chaotic: "How can you be so cruel?"

"Your rent, electricity bills, medical bills, pocket money for three years." I counted lightly. "I have records one by one."

"If you think my money that 'trampled your dignity' is too dirty, list a card number for me. I'll have finance send you a 'dignity compensation' bill. You pretend I never appeared from now on, okay?"

He opened his mouth, looking like a fish thrown on shore.

"I..." He finally broke defense a bit. "I didn't stay for the money."

"Then what did you stay for?" I was really curious. "For loving me?"

He looked up at me: "Yes."

This "Yes" was said with abnormal firmness.

"So you love me, but dare not admit our relationship in front of anyone?" I asked.

"Because you weren't willing." He blurted out. "You never let me post our photos, never let me mention you anywhere. I was afraid you'd be annoyed, afraid you'd think I wanted to borrow your resources—"

"Student Liam, you still haven't figured one thing out until now." I laughed.

"Do you think you hid me because you were afraid I'd think you were borrowing resources?" I stepped forward, lowering my voice. "Or, from beginning to end, you felt that being with a woman who kept you with money was a shameful thing?"

His lips trembled, unable to pick up a single sentence.

I felt quite tired.

When we signed that agreement, him twenty-two, me twenty-five, it was written clearly:

"Non-interference in private lives, non-interference in social circles, limited to this relationship only."

It was you who wanted to enshrine this relationship first, then disliked it for not being decent.

You ate my money while judging in your heart:

"Is she too domineering?"

"Is she not gentle enough?"

"Is she not respecting me enough?"

Then why didn't you get out earlier?

"Liam, your dignity was trampled not because I gave you money." I reminded him kindly one last time. "It's because you knelt asking for money while thinking about standing up to be a saint."

"Being a saint is hard. Your waist is too soft, can't stand straight."

I raised my hand to hail a car: "Don't come looking for me anymore. We have nothing to say."

Before closing the door, I saw him standing there, eyes lost and broken.

At that moment I suddenly realized—

His world collapsed.

Not because I left.

But because for the first time he realized:

There are people who can listen to "I love you" and say without changing expression:

"Oh, so what?"