The door swung open, and James Johnson was all over some girl, making out like crazy.

Maybe she was just too hot.

Maybe he had zero self-control.

At the doorway, he acted like he was about to strip her.

"Click."

Either he or she hit the light switch.

James finally noticed me standing in the living room in my wedding dress.

He instinctively shielded the girl, giving me a sharp look.

Behind me were his favorite gardenias and a banner that read, "James Johnson, marry me. I do!"

He said calmly, "Weren't you on a business trip?"

He loosened his tie, showing his impatience.

Blaming me for ruining his fun?

Shy, the girl blushed, "Who is this..."

James frowned, "The one who kept stalking me, I mentioned her to you last time."

Me? Stalker?

So that's how annoying I am to him.

We grew up together, everyone thought we were the perfect childhood sweethearts.

After college, we just ended up together naturally.

Now, we're both over 30, still not married.

James didn't want to. He said, "Look at those who married early, they're all divorced now. Let's just have more fun before thinking of it."

I used to think he was just playful.

Turns out, I was just a bother.

He raised an eyebrow, showing disdain, "Why are you still here? Ready to watch a porno?"

I told myself not to cry, to stay strong.

But tears kept streaming down and my body was shaking.

I clenched my fists and gritted my teeth, "Why?"

I stubbornly wanted an answer.

What did our ten years mean?

"Why?" James walked up, easily kicked over the gardenia pots. "Stop with this fancy stuff. Pack it up before you leave."

Then he looked me in the eye and said slowly. "I'm tired of you. You annoy me. Satisfied?"

I yelled with all my strength, "Why didn't you say so earlier? Why stay with me for ten years if I repulse you?"

It's ten years, not ten days or ten months.

The best years of my life, from 23 to 33.

James got more impatient.

He sighed, "Because those old folks at home are too annoying, wouldn't let me go out and have fun."

"With you here, I had a shield."

"And most importantly, you're so gullible."

So, he was with me not just for our youthful bond.

And this wasn't the first time he cheated.

It felt like something started to stink.

"But now, you're a real pain," he glanced at the proposal setup, "Thinking I'd marry you just because I'm nice to you? So naive."

The girl glanced at me with contempt, took James's hand, and asked sweetly, "Jimmy, am I the better one?"

James kissed her, smiling arrogantly, "Of course, you're my sweet little darling."

The girl asked playfully, "Jimmy, do you like good girls like her or fierce kittens like me?"

"Kitten," James grinned, nibbling her neck lightly, "You're driving me wild."

The girl turned to me. "Miss, you joining us?"

"She's a dead fish," James said with disdain, "no fun at all."

Then he picked up the girl and went into the room.

Soon, there were suggestive noises from the room.

My heart shattered. I fled the house.

It started to drizzle. I looked up at the lit bedroom, saw two figures tangled together.

That told me a sadder truth.

What I thought was our love nest was actually his cheating ground.

I got goosebumps thinking I once slept in that bed.

The next day, I went back to the house and just packed up my clothes.

Then I burned all the gifts James Johnson and I had given each other, along with the wedding dress.

After that, I made a video call to my bestie and simply said, "James and I broke up."

My best friend wasn't surprised at all. "I told you ages ago that James is a player and not right for you. Congrats, you're finally free."

She then invited me to her karaoke and suggested we hit the bar later for some fun.

I went as planned.

"Are you really okay with breaking up with Christina? She's got a pretty face, a great body, and she's obedient."

As I passed by a room, I clearly heard James's buddy talking.

I stopped and peeked through the crack in the door.

James took a drag of his cigarette, raised his eyebrows, and smiled. "You talk her up so much, do you like her? Go ahead, chase her."

The guys laughed, "Yeah, go for it."

"Seriously, Jimmy, if I went after her, would you regret it?"

"Regret what? Her?" James hugged the girl on his lap tighter, "She's nothing compared to my Abby."

"You know, she's like a dead fish in bed, no fun at all. It was exciting at first, but I got sick of it later."

The girl got jealous. "When I learned how long Jimmy stayed with her, I thought she might be a fairy-like beauty. You don't know, Jimmy dumped me once because of her."

"It's been three months since then, you still remember?"

James pinched her cheek and smiled fondly.

"Forget it," his buddy waved his hand, "Who wants a dead fish? Jimmy, you've been with like eight hundred girls over the years, and Christina didn't catch any of it?"

"She's so dumb, she'd believe any excuse I made up."

James laughed and instructed, "Guys, you gotta learn to report regularly, then clear your phone and show it to her, so she can check it whenever she wants. Over time, she'll trust you."

I pushed the door open angrily.

The room fell silent.

I laughed in anger, "Why so quiet? Weren't you chatting happily just now?"

James's face showed no panic or guilt. Instead, he calmly pointed to a corner.

"Good you're here. Let's sit and talk."

"No need, just say what you want."

"Then I'll get to the point. Abby is great, and I like her a lot. I want to give her a proper title."

He then arrogantly nodded at me, "Our lives have been pretty boring these years. No need to drag this on. Let's break up."

I nodded, trying my best to stay calm.

As I left, I heard the man behind me laughing.

"You can't stand to leave Jimmy, but you're pretending to be indifferent."

"I bet she'll come back within three days to apologize and ask for reconciliation."

"Three days, or maybe three hours! Everyone knows she loves Jimmy to death. She even proposed to him last night!"

I forced myself to swallow the bitterness rising in my throat, calmly closed the door, and walked away.

In the bar, my best friend had a male model on each arm, having a blast drinking the drinks they handed her.

I just focused on my drink and didn't say a word to her invites.

Then a middle-aged guy with sleeve tattoos came over.

“Have a drink,” he put a glass of wine in front of me, not taking no for an answer.

The amber liquid sloshed a bit, spilling on my chest.

His gaze became even more lewd.

Sensing danger, I tried to leave, but he grabbed my arm.

“Trying to run? Dream on.”

I struggled to free myself, "Let go, or I'll call the cops."

“Call the cops?” He laughed like he'd heard the funniest joke, louder than the blaring music, "Do you know who I am? Go ask around about Tom Brown and see if anyone dares to mess with me."

A man suddenly appeared between us.

His chiseled features and deep-set eyes made him look particularly manly.

He looked familiar.

He pried the man's hand off me with a smile, "She's my girlfriend, don't mess with her."

I remembered then—

He was Jack Jackson, James's uncle.

He didn't get along with his family and only showed up during holidays. I'd only seen him a few times, so I didn't recognize him at first.

The middle-aged man tried to grab me again, but Jack threw him over his shoulder.

The man got up, cursing, "You're dead! How dare you mess with me? I'll kill you!"

They started fighting.

Jack had him pinned down, the guy didn't stand a chance.

After throwing him to the ground, Jack walked over to me with a grin, "They say a dragon shouldn't crush a snake on its turf. For you, I just did. How are you gonna repay me?"

The man took the chance to pull a stick from under the bar counter and swung it at Jack.

"Watch out!"

I pushed him away and took the hit myself.

He turned around, shielding me, and quickly disarmed the guy.

With one hit, he knocked the man out.

My best friend came over and gasped, wide-eyed.

"Hey, this guy's hot. Go for him."

"Don't be silly, he's James's uncle."

She knocked on my head, "So what? If it were me, I'd totally go for it. Imagine James calling you aunt, how cool is that?"

Honestly, it did sound pretty awesome.

Jack took me out of the bar and drove me to my new apartment.

In the car, I reached for the seatbelt and suddenly remembered my friend's words, "Imagine James calling you aunt."

I glanced at Jack.

He looked back at me with a smile, "I did save you, aren't you gonna invite me up for some coffee?"

He leaned in, his nose almost touching my face. I held my breath.

But he just unbuckled my seatbelt and pulled back.

His suggestion was clear, and I could've said no, but I nodded.

Even I didn't know why, maybe it was his heroics that swayed me.

In the elevator, he kissed me.

Sparks flew, he was relentless, going on a base after another with me.

I clung to his clothes, melting into his arms like a paddle of water.

He pulled back, serious, "You can still say no."

There was no turning back now.

Besides, he was way more attractive than James.

With that thought, I kissed him back.

"No regrets?"

"Regret is for losers."

After the kiss, he nuzzled my cheek with his nose.

I noticed the camera above, feeling shy, "There's a camera."

He shielded me, pushing me into the corner out of the camera's view.

Then he started exploring me without hesitation.

I moaned under his touch.

His kisses grew hotter.

The elevator reached the 31st floor, and as he opened the door, he said,

"Hope you can keep up."