On my 25th birthday, my girlfriend Elena Winston who I had been with for seven years didn't come to see me.

And her male best friend Owen Collins sent me a photo that day. It was a photo he took of Elena sleeping soundly in bed in a hotel.

In the past, I would have roared in anger.

Now, I directly reply: [She doesn't like sleeping with clothes on, so you should help her take them off!]

——

On my 25th birthday, I couldn't get through to Elena on the phone.

We had agreed that she would take a day off today to stay at home with me to celebrate my birthday because it was also the seventh anniversary of our love.

After seeing the photo Owen sent me, I finally came to my senses.

In her heart, Owen had always been much more important than me!

That evening, Elena came back and was accompanied by Owen who was tall and handsome.

"Kevin, don't be angry!"

Owen said to me with a guilty look and said, "I have been hospitalized for acute gastroenteritis these two days. My family is not here, so I had to ask Elena to help. I was discharged until noon today. I didn't know that today was your birthday, otherwise, I wouldn't have asked Elena to accompany me to the hospital last night..."

In the morning, he sent me photos in the hotel to show off, but now he said that he was just discharged from the hospital at noon today. Was he taking me for a fool?

Didn't he just want me to expose him in person and then watch me had a fight with Elena?

When Elena got angry, she would be in a cold war with me for a long time, then I would have to apologize to him before I could get Elena's forgiveness.

This had happened many times.

After knowing Owen for a few years, I knew how well his acting was.

Seeing that I ignored Owen, Elena became a little angry.

"It's just a birthday, it's not a big deal. Owen came to our house and deliberately bought you a birthday cake. Why do you act like this?"

"Okay, let's cook! After we celebrate your birthday tonight, Owen and I have to go out..."

Before she finished her words, I said calmly, "Do you want to sleep in the hotel with him again? Haven't you had enough fun yet? I can rent my room to you. After all, the hotel is not clean. I can go out tonight to make room for you!"

As soon as I said this, Elena's expression changed immediately.

She was a little flustered and at a loss, and finally, she yelled at me angrily.

"Kevin, I've said it many times, Owen and I are just ordinary friends, can you please stop being so suspicious?

"If there was something between him and me, I wouldn't have chosen you in the first place!

"Can you be more mature? Do you want me to fight with you?"

Owen stood behind Elena and showed me a smug smile, but he hurriedly comforted Elena, "Elena, Kevin said such words because he was impulsive. Don't be angry!"

Owen gently put his arm around Elena's shoulders to comfort her. Elena didn't mind the intimate behavior of Owen but glared at me. I felt a little sad.

People might think they were a couple!

Were there any pure friendship between men and women in this world?

Anyway, I didn't believe it!

It was bullshit. Even a child knew there was no pure friendship between male and female.

Over the years, because of Owen's interference between Elena and me, my friends around me doubted me. In their eyes, I probably had been betrayed numerous times.

Elena, Owen, and I were high school classmates and were admitted to the same university.

When I was a freshman in college, my family suffered a tragedy and I was depressed for a while.

At that time, it was Elena who stayed by my side, guided me, and helped me to recover.

I was very grateful to her, and from that time on, I regarded her as my only one.

Even though many people around me said that I was Elena's bootlicker, I was happy with it, because they didn't know how I got through those days of decadence. Elena was the only light in my life!

I gave up a lot for her.

I rejected the pursuit of other girls from wealthy families in the college!

I gave up the graduate student recommendation places.

I gave up the opportunity to work for a big company after graduation!

I accompanied her to the small town where her family lived. We rented a room there. I worked in a small company and earned a salary of around four thousand dollars.

I tried my best to be nice to her, and all I wanted was to marry her.

Because of Owen, Elena became more and more impatient with me. Facing Owen's acting, I became more humble in front of Elena.

After a brief silence, I smiled.

"Well, maybe I'm too sensitive and suspicious!

"Just do what you should do. I also have to go back to the company to deal with some things!"

Seeing that I seemed to be relaxed, Owen was a little stunned, as if he was surprised that I didn't yell and lose my composure like before.

Elena looked at me in confusion, and finally said, "During the two days that Owen was in the hospital, Poe also got sick at home. I'll take Poe to the pet hospital with Owen for a checkup. If you have anything to say, you can tell me when I come back tonight!"

Poe was a dog. It was a pet dog that Elena gave to Owen on his 25th birthday.

Elena cared more about that dog than she did about me!

It didn't matter because I was used to it.

Today, I was completely heartbroken.

All sources of hurt, pain, and hatred in life all came from expectations.

I wouldn't hold on to any expectations of others, especially those I love.

Because all expectations were ultimately just my wishful thinking!

After seven years, it seemed that I just realized something at this moment!

In other words, I had been deceiving myself all these years, until today, when I completely wiped out the little hope left in my heart!

I found that I no longer loved Elena!

The light that once illuminated the deepest part of my heart was gone!

Elena and Owen left. Before leaving, Owen turned around and gave me a provocative and complacent smile.

He looked as if he was saying that he won again.

At this moment, I didn't feel the slightest bit of anger or unwillingness in my heart. Even I was surprised at how calm I was.

After they left, I pulled a ring out of my pocket.

Today was my 25th birthday and also the seventh anniversary of Elena's and my love. I was originally planning to propose to her.

Now, there was no need!

I put the ring on the coffee table and left.

When I arrived at the company, I handed in my resignation letter.

My boss was very surprised and asked me the reason because before this, he had promised me that he would give me a promotion and a raise in salary at the end of this month.

I smiled and said, "I used to want to live for her, but now I want to try what it feels like to live for myself!"

Someone said that it only took a moment for an adult to collapse.

When faced with a breakup and unemployment, many people wouldn't be able to bear it and become depressed.

But the moment I resigned and walked out of the company, I felt relaxed, as if an invisible burden had been lifted from me.

Night fell.

I was eating and drinking beer at a food stall and reminiscing seven years with Elena.

She was once my only one, and I wanted to give her the best!

So, over the years, I had been living frugally and it had been a long time since I had such a meal.

"Let's toast for the past!"

I grabbed a bottle of beer and laughed with tears in my eyes, saying, "The past is the past, and I will never compromise again in my life. I will never worry about the past again!"

I had always been ignored, so why should I humiliate myself?

If I was not cherished, why should I maintain this relationship?

Ignoring the surprised looks of the many diners at the food stall, who looked at me as if I were a madman, I drank bottle after bottle of beer, crying and laughing.

Seven years of relationship disappeared in my heart at this moment!

Time was the best medicine. Perhaps the wounds in my heart would be healed one day, and perhaps I would completely forget Elena!

But the prerequisite was that I had to leave this small county and never had any contact with her again.

My 25th birthday was a turning point in my life!

After tonight, I would leave here and go to a strange city to start my new life.

When I was drinking alone at the food stall, my cell phone rang several times. They were all calls from Elena, but I hung up all of them.

If it was in the past, I would answer Elena's call as soon as possible, for fear that she would be angry if I answered it too late.

But now, I felt that I had lived a very humble life.

It was past ten o'clock at night when I returned to my rented house drunk.

The lights in the living room were on. Elena was sitting on the sofa, looking at me coldly.

She was very angry.

"Where have you been?

"Didn't I tell you before that you have to go home before nine o'clock at night? Are you ignoring my request now?

"Owen and I came back after sending Poe to the pet hospital. We wanted to celebrate your birthday with you and eat cake in the evening, but you went out to drink and didn't even answer my calls..."

She scolded me harshly, just like before.

I used to compromise no matter what happened, and gradually made her feel that I couldn't live without her!

Those who were favored were fearless, while those who were not loved were always cautious.

I wanted to ask her whether she still loved me.

Forget it, there was no point in talking about this now!

If she cared about me and wanted to celebrate my birthday with me in the evening, she would not miss the engagement ring I placed next to the cake!

"I'm tired!"

I whispered, "You still have to go to work tomorrow, just go to bed early!"

My calm reaction stunned Elena for a moment.

My indifferent reaction was not what she wanted. She stood up from the sofa and said angrily, "Kevin, stop it. I know you are still angry with me and Owen. I have already said that we are just ordinary friends!

"You are already 25 years old, can you please stop being so childish? You are making me very tired, don't you know?

"You don't trust me at all. Do you want me to break up with you? If you continue to be like this, I'll have to think about our relationship..."

I interrupted her and said calmly, "Break up? Okay, I'll move out tomorrow!"

Hearing this, Elena suddenly became speechless and looked at me in disbelief.