Chapter 3The Vinegar Bell Peppers

They were all having a great time at the barbecue.

But their lively atmosphere formed an invisible barrier around them.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't cross it.

I desperately wanted to pull Maya aside and ask her why.

But I saw her flanked by Julian on one side and Chloe on the other.

There was no space for me next to her.

A wave of panic washed over me. I just wanted to take her and leave.

I grabbed my bag and stood up, but my mom's voice rang out behind me.

"Arthur, are you leaving?"

I froze in my tracks as she continued.

"At least clean up before you go."

I stood rooted to the spot.

I didn't even know how to react.

Maya finally looked over at me.

"Arthur, are you leaving already?"

I turned around, ignoring my mom, and stared straight at Maya.

"I want to go home. What about you?"

Maya immediately stood up.

"Of course I'm going with you."

Hearing that, the cold, damp feeling in my chest finally began to thaw.

But her next sentence plunged me right back into the ice water.

She said, "Wait for you to finish cleaning up, then we'll go."

But... why?

I didn't even want to come to this barbecue in the first place.

My mom had called Maya directly, saying Chloe had gotten into college and wanted Maya to bring me home to celebrate.

Since I started college, I had only been back to this house three times.

Once to introduce Maya to my parents.

Once when we got engaged.

And today.

I hadn't eaten a single bite of the barbecue.

I only ate the fruit I brought myself.

And I had already thrown away the peels.

So what she wanted me to clean up... was the mess left behind by my family's feast.

Seeing that I hadn't moved, my mom muttered a passive-aggressive comment under her breath.

"Eating and running. Since when is that acceptable?"

Chloe looked up from her phone and let out a mocking scoff.

My dad remained silent.

Julian quickly stood up.

"Auntie, it's fine, I'll clean it up. Arthur works hard, it's good for him to get home and rest early."

My mom grabbed his arm.

"He's tired, but you aren't?! You planned this whole thing today, shouldn't he at least help clean up?!"

Her voice grew louder, dripping with disappointment.

"I don't know who he takes after. Since he was a kid, he only ever thinks about himself. Never once considering others."

"I don't know how Maya puts up with him."

Hearing her name, Maya awkwardly rubbed her nose.

"Arthur, just clean it up. It won't take long."

I stared at her in disbelief.

I had told her everything.

She knew exactly how much I suffered in this house.

Yet she cruelly chose to rub salt directly into the wound my mom had just reopened.

A sharp, needle-like pain pierced my chest, fine and prolonged, making it hard to breathe.

Sensing my resistance and pain, she walked over, took my arm, and softened her voice to coax me.

"Come on, it's just cleaning up a bit. I'll help you, okay?"

I yanked my arm away violently.

I forced back the tears that were threatening to spill over.

My lips trembled slightly, but my tone was resolute.

"Choose. We either break up, or we leave right now."

She looked at me, confusion clouding her eyes, as if she didn't understand what I had just said.

"Arthur, what are you talking about?"

I looked at her, then swept my gaze across the family in the living room. I took a deep breath and repeated it, very seriously.

"I said, if you stay to clean up, we break up."

"If you leave with me right now, we pretend this never happened."

As soon as the words left my mouth, everyone stared at me, their eyes wide with shock.

In stark contrast to their disbelief, a sudden wave of calm washed over me.

I had already written off this family.

If Maya was going to side with them, then I would have to write her off too.

Once I accepted that, a massive weight lifted off my chest.