Eight years ago, I gave up the opportunity to pursue a graduate degree for my boyfriend, Julian Lopez, willingly staying home to cook and care for him out of love.

However, after Julian rose to prominence as a leading anesthesiologist, he rekindled his romance with his childhood sweetheart.

"It's been eight years, Julian. You haven't fallen in love with her, have you?"

"Angeli is nothing more than a stepping stone for me. With her dull and haggard appearance, does she even deserve to stand by my side?" Julian replied haughtily.

Their cheerful laughter echoed through the hospital cafeteria, a sharp contrast to the tears welling up in my eyes. I pulled out my phone and opened the admission letter I had hesitated to accept for years. Julian never knew that my professor had extended my admission indefinitely just for me.

——

At that moment, a colleague's voice pulled me back to reality. "Angeli, are you here to bring food for Julian? He's so lucky to have you."

The moment I stepped into the room, Julian and Faith, his childhood sweetheart, turned to look at me. Forcing back my tears, I plastered on a calm expression.

"You must be Angeli, Julian's girlfriend? I've heard so much about you!" Faith greeted me warmly, acting as if she were the girlfriend instead.

Noticing the food container in my hand, she feigned surprise. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't know you'd bring him food. We just started eating."

Julian frowned and shot me a displeased look. "Skipping a meal won't kill me. It's the same boring dishes every day—I'm sick of it."

My heart sank. He had once said, "Hospital food is terrible. Angeli's cooking suits my taste perfectly."

For the past eight years, I brought him meals without fail regardless of the weather.

The junior spoke up to ease the tension. "Angeli, I've been drooling over the food you make for Julian every day. Since he doesn't want it, can I have it?"

Without waiting for permission, he opened the container and began eating with relish, loudly exclaiming how delicious it was.

Julian finally broke the silence. "This is my childhood friend Faith. She just got back from abroad today."

I scoffed inwardly. Just returned, yet the atmosphere between them was already so intimate. Childhood friend? More like a lover.

Faith turned to me with feigned sincerity. "Angeli, Julian mentioned you don't take care of yourself very well, so I brought a special beauty product from abroad just for you. They say it can make you look ten years younger!"

She took out a not-so-fancy box and opened it to reveal... a thorny cactus.

"This is a rare delicacy I went through great trouble to acquire. You simply must eat it," she said with a saccharine smile.

Her words were daggers wrapped in silk, and her gaze held a sinister glint. Was she trying to kill me?

Even if a cactus were edible, how could anyone swallow something so full of thorns?

I looked to Julian for help, only to be met with a cold, warning glare.

"Faith went to great lengths to get this for you. It's for your own good—just eat it."

Faith chimed in with a sugary voice, "That's right, Angeli. This is for your benefit. Look at yourself. You're lucky Julian doesn't mind, but you really need to take better care of yourself."

They had no idea that my "haggard appearance" was the result of eight years spent toiling away for Julian—cooking, cleaning, and sacrificing my dreams.

I could barely muster a smile and was about to refuse when my colleague interjected.

"This cactus is covered in thorns. How could Angeli possibly eat it? Even if she managed to swallow it, it wouldn't make her younger—it might kill her instead!"

Julian shot a venomous glare at my colleague and clapped back, “What do you know? Faith went through great trouble to bring this from abroad. How could it harm her?”

Turning his gaze at me, he added, “Just eat it already.”

He grabbed the cactus and shoved it toward my mouth. Its thorns cut into my lips, and blood quickly stained my skin.

Ignoring my pain, Julian continued pressing the cactus toward me.

My mouth soon filled with blood, and Faith feigned concern, her voice delicate and full of false pity.

“Oh no, I completely forgot how to prepare the cactus! Was this not the right way to eat it?”

“Angeli, are you okay?”

Instead of comforting me, Julian turned to console Faith, his impatience barely masked as he glanced at me.

“Stop acting so fragile. You’re not usually like this. Don’t ruin the mood.”

“Go clean yourself up. We’re eating here—you’re ruining everyone’s appetite.”

Swallowing my pain, I stumbled toward the door. After just a few steps, my vision blurred, and I collapsed.

In my dreams, I returned to the day I first met Julian.

It was late after class, and the path back to the dormitory was dark. A group of street thugs cornered me, forcing me into an alley.

Just then, Julian appeared out of nowhere and shielded me, taking a brutal beating in the process.

Bruised and bloodied, he stood tall until the thugs finally left us alone.

Like every tale of a hero saving a damsel in distress, I eventually became Julian’s girlfriend.

During our post graduate entrance exams, we scored equally well, but the anesthesiology program only accepted one student per year.

One day, Julian appeared before me with a diamond ring he must have painstakingly acquired. He knelt on one knee and promised, “Angeli, I’m a man. It’s my responsibility to work hard and give you a better life. Once I become an anesthesiologist, we’ll get married.”

“I’ll give you the best the world has to offer. Will you be the woman who stands behind me?”

Julian had retaken the exam three times to achieve his score. I knew how much he yearned for success. My heart ached for him, so I embraced him and said, “I will. But the moment you stop treating me right, I’ll leave.”

From then on, Julian seized the only opportunity for graduate school while I stayed home, willingly becoming his homemaker.

In the early years, he often surprised me with little gestures of love.

“Angeli, I made this cake for you. Happy birthday!”

“Silly girl, are your feet cold? Put them on my stomach—I’ll warm them for you.”

But somewhere along the line, the surprises stopped.

Six months ago, Julian stopped coming home for dinner regularly. Even when he did, he was often glued to his phone, laughing at the screen.

I asked him about it, and he brushed me off, saying he was chatting with his friends.

Now I knew that his “friend” was none other than Faith, his childhood sweetheart.

The man who once promised to marry me after achieving his dream had shifted his affections to someone else.

I laughed bitterly at my own naivety, realizing I had given my heart to someone unworthy.

“You’ll always be my Princess Angeli. No matter how you change, I’ll never stop loving you.”

Those were Julian’s words as he cupped my face years ago. Now, all that remained was disdain.

Everything from the past dissolved in this moment, leaving me as nothing more than a joke.

When I woke up, the doctor informed me that I had suffered an allergic reaction to the cactus.

Each thorn in my lips was painstakingly removed.

It was excruciating. Every thorn felt like a dagger Julian had plunged into me—each one a searing, heart-wrenching pain.

As the last thorn was removed, I silently vowed never to let him hurt me again.

I remembered the promise I made to myself years ago. If he ever treated me poorly, I would leave.

I decided it was time to fulfill that promise.

For a few days, I stayed home to recover. Julian claimed he was too busy with work to return.

Thankfully, I had Brady to keep me company.

Brady was the golden retriever we adopted together when we first moved into this house.

I still remember the day we brought him home. Julian held Brady carefully in his arms, handing him to me with a tender smile.

“If I get too busy with work, let him keep you company,” he said softly.

Stroking Brady’s fur, I whispered, “Brady, from now on, it’s just you and me. Can we rely on each other?”

“Woof!”

Brady nodded, as if he understood every word.

“Good boy, Brady.”

Sometimes, dogs had more empathy than humans. Dogs bark to protect, while people sugarcoat words to serve their interests.

These past few days, I dusted off my long-forgotten professional textbooks. If I hadn’t given up my opportunity back then, would it be me, not Julian, standing under the spotlight today?

My thoughts were interrupted by a message from my junior student, Tyler.

He told me that Julian had proposed to Faith at the hospital.

I thought I was prepared for this, that I could accept it calmly. But the pain surged, nearly swallowing me whole.

The man I had loved for eight years was now engaged to someone else.

What did that make me? Even though I had resolved to leave, I couldn’t accept this outcome.

I rushed to the hospital as fast as I could and confronted Julian.

“You proposed to Faith?”

Without even looking at me, he replied coldly, “Yes.”

That single word pierced my heart like a blade.

My eyes filled with tears as I asked, “What about me? You’ve been an anesthesiologist for three years now. When are you going to keep your promise?”

“Faith’s uncle is the hospital director. She can offer me more,” Julian indifferently answered. “But don’t worry, you’ll always be the woman I truly love.”

Did he think I would agree to become his mistress? How shameless!

Just as I was about to retort, Julian suddenly jabbed a syringe into my neck.

Holding me in his arms, he murmured, “I’m sorry, Angeli. I need to meet the director’s family tonight. I can’t let you ruin the banquet. Rest for now.”

When I woke up at home, the sound of the doorbell dragged me back to reality.

Despite my grogginess, I forced myself to the door.

Upon opening the door, I saw the person I least wanted to see—Faith.

Taking a deep breath, I scrutinized her from head to toe. She stood there with her head held high, raising her hand to flaunt a one-carat diamond ring that sparkled brilliantly.

“Angeli, Julian and I are engaged,” she announced smugly.

I discreetly removed the cheap ring Julian had once given me and hid it behind me.

“Woof! Woof! Woof!”

Brady seemed to sense my distress and barked fiercely at Faith, trying to drive her away.

I quickly calmed him. “Brady, stop barking.”

Looking at Faith, I asked, “What exactly is your purpose in coming here?”

“Oh, nothing much. I just wanted to let you know that Julian was merely a game for me. I’ve always hated how someone like you, an old and tired-looking woman, managed to stay with him for so long.”

“I only toyed with him because I liked him as a child. I didn’t expect him to take it seriously.”

“Such a pity. You’re all just my playthings.”

She leaned in close, using her finger to lift my chin, her smile filled with malice.

“Woof! Woof! Woof!”

Brady growled aggressively, ready to pounce and protect me. He nearly bit her.

I hugged Brady tightly as Faith sneered, “You’ll pay for this.”

With that, she turned and left without looking back.

But what neither she nor Julian knew was that I had recently bought a pet camera for Brady.

Now, it had a purpose.

The entire exchange had been recorded, every word Faith said.

This would be the parting gift I left for Julian.

The next day, Faith coyly complained to Julian.

“Julian, it’s that dog,” she pointed at Brady and continued, “It scared me so much I couldn’t sleep at all last night.”