Shortly before Valentine's Day, my boyfriend, Jack Yoxall, had spent a considerable amount on a custom-made diamond necklace.

However, on the actual day, he presented me only with a bouquet of roses.

As he gave them to me, he casually remarked, "We've been at this a long time, right? Let's dial it back—these roses are all you need."

Late that night, I stumbled upon a post from his secretary, Liz McKibben—she was flaunting that very necklace.

I felt a cold wave inside me, and when I confronted him, he retorted, "She's on her own, felt a bit sorry for her—is that a crime?"

I sarcastically fired back, "Oh, feeling sorry? Maybe you should just hand yourself over!"

——

After my comment, he paused his activity, his expression turning stern and cold as he met my gaze.

"Ginny, what's this about? You're freaking out over a necklace?"

He stood up, pointing towards our bedroom, and continued sharply, "When have I ever forgotten to get you a gift for any holiday?"

"Who do you think has been buying all the perfumes, necklaces, and designer bags you parade around in?"

"Are you seriously melting down over a necklace? Thinking about breaking up?"

"Why can't you be cool like Liz? Do you know how much she'd value these stuff you're wearing? Aren't still you satisfied?"

His voice boomed across the living room. At the mention of Liz, my hands on my thighs tightened involuntarily, a surge of sadness engulfing me.

It was the usual pattern.

Each disagreement invariably returned to that woman.

Clenching my dry lips, I managed a faint smile, "I'm the one who's not cool? I'm not the satisfied one?"

"Jack, am I to blame for Liz McKibben's misfortune? Is it my responsibility to ensure her life is plush?"

My voice grew louder, "Yet here you are, supposedly my boyfriend, who has never spontaneously treated me the way you did her with that necklace!"

"Go ask anyone! Who's being unreasonable, me or you? You've never cared about how I feel!"

After saying this, I stared at him intently, my sense of injustice growing.

I remembered the previous Valentine's Day.

We had meticulously planned to visit South Beach in Drekrand.

Excitedly, I had prepared everything the day before.

But then he abruptly informed me he couldn't make it.

It felt as though a bucket of cold water had been poured over me. I asked him why, my heart sinking.

He replied with impatience, "Something urgent came up at work, can't make it, we'll reschedule."

Hurt and persistent, I pressed on, "What could be so critical on Valentine's Day that it can't wait? Isn't it a day off for everyone? You promised last birthday that we'd go to the beach next time."

"You're always too busy. Can't you carve out just one day for us?"

I grumbled once more, "Mia's boyfriend is even taking her abroad tomorrow."

Hearing this, he scowled, "How long have Mia and her guy been together, huh? You think we're on the same level?"

"And can you stop hassling me about these pointless holidays and your constant need for attention?"

"If you're after gifts, here's my card, splash out—just take it and stop the hassle."

With that, he coldly tossed his black card at me and left without looking back.

Ever since then, he has missed every crucial moment when I needed him the most.

I had thought that this was just the evolution of our long-term relationship, resembling an old married couple.

However, today, I understood that I was mistaken.

His heart had long been captivated by someone else.

Feeling a constriction in my chest, I took a deep breath to calm myself, refocusing on the present.

After hearing my grievances, Jack momentarily looked surprised, and then his expression returned to neutral.

His look was no longer cold, but it didn't matter—he remained indifferent.

We sat in silence until his phone buzzed.

He glanced at it, sighed, and then turned to me.

"Ginny, I'll sort out the necklace for you."

"But let's skip the drama, okay? You know how slammed I am."

I've known Jack Yoxall since we were children.

Given the closeness of our families, I followed him around every day as a child, and everyone knew about my crush on him.

Eventually, our relationship progressed to dating and then engagement, and we became the model couple in our social circle.

But a year ago, when he launched a new project, everything changed.

His work life became more demanding, and he hired a new secretary.

Initially, she didn't catch my attention—her appearance was unremarkable, easily lost in a crowd.

However, I gradually realized my error.

This seemingly ordinary person had somehow caught Jack's special attention.

He started to scold me for preferring steaks, calling it an extravagant and wasteful habit.

When I shopped for clothes, his complaints about the prices were endless, accusing me of reckless spending.

He went as far as to say that the cost of one of my outfits could feed a typical family for a month.

I later discovered he was comparing me to his secretary, Liz McKibben.

Liz grew up in a family that favored sons over daughters and managed to secure a scholarship to college through her own efforts.

Currently, she still sends half of her salary back home.

Jack's sympathy for her led to a growing resentment towards me, whom he saw as a coddled princess.

Last month, I decided to surprise Jack at his office.

His picky eating habits due to work stress had caused frequent flare-ups of gastritis.

Concerned for his health, I monitored his diet closely and hired a chef to prepare his meals.

I arrived at his office, cheerful and carrying a lunchbox, only to discover that he had already eaten.

Inside the office, he gave my lunchbox an awkward look.

My eyes locked onto the pristine little bear lunchbox on his desk, and my heart sank.

Clearly, it was the kind of item a woman would choose.

Doubt began to take root in my mind at that moment.

I forced a smile and inquired, "Where did this lunch come from? Has the company started providing meals? What about the lunches I used to send?"

Just as I finished speaking, the door to the nearby lounge opened.

Liz stood there, surprised, clutching a lunchbox identical to the one on Jack's desk.

They were clearly part of a couple's set.

In an instant, everything became clear.

I scoffed at them both and, right before their eyes, threw the lunchbox into the trash can forcefully.

Liz turned pale and couldn't bring herself to look at me.

I glared at her and coldly told Jack, "Seems like your secretary's got your diet covered well, so I won't bother anymore."

"She can handle your meals from now on."

I left the office quickly, holding back tears, without waiting for an explanation.

After that day, I never again brought him lunch.

Whenever I mentioned the incident, he would dismiss me as being irrational and not as understanding as his secretary.

Gradually, I grew tired of the relationship.

I stopped being as attentive to him as before, no longer sending messages to check if he had come home before bed.

Instead, I started to prioritize my own needs, sending him lists of what I needed so he could make purchases.

A few days ago, Christine invited me out to dinner and asked me with a mysterious tone, "Ginny, have you had some good news recently?"

Confused, I listened as she elaborated, "About you and Jack."

"He ordered a diamond necklace worth over a hundred thousand from my store—it's quite extravagant."

"Even I'm envious."

Knowing that her family owns a jewelry store, I trusted her words.

As she spoke, hope began to stir once again in the still waters of my heart.

The more Christine described, the more excited I became.

But on Valentine's Day, my expectations were shattered.

Instead of the specially ordered diamond necklace, I received only a hastily bought bouquet of roses.

The custom-made diamond necklace was on his secretary's neck.

My feelings, built over more than two decades, seemed trivial compared to his bond with a woman he had known for just a year.

Reflecting on this, I scoffed at myself cynically.

After Jack left, I collapsed onto the sofa, utterly spent.

I covered my eyes with my hand, struggling to hold back tears.

At that moment, it felt as if I could hear the sound of my heart breaking.

I had completely given up.

I woke early the next morning and packed my bags to head home.

Once I was ready, I phoned my mom from downstairs. She came out to greet me, her face alight with excitement.

"Ginny, you finally decided to visit your mom!"

"Come on, I made your favorite soup."

I nodded and followed my mother into the living room.

Dad was at the dining table, already enjoying his soup. I pulled out a chair and sat opposite him.

We ate in silence for a while. When we finished, I gathered my courage to broach the subject.

"Mom, Dad, there's something I need to talk about."

Their expressions brightened instantly, but I briefly looked away before meeting their eyes again.

"I'm thinking about calling off the engagement."

They exclaimed in unison, "What?!"

The sound of Dad's spoon hitting the floor echoed sharply through the room.

Mom's concern was immediate. "What happened, did you and Jack have a disagreement?"

"If you're upset, just tell me, and I'll handle it!"

I hesitated, choosing my words carefully, "It's not a quarrel, it's just that... we can't continue."

"He just doesn't care about me, not really."

Dad frowned deeply, the room descending into a tense silence.

After a moment, he suggested, "I've arranged to meet with Uncle George for dinner tonight. Why don't you come and discuss it with him?"

That evening, dressed and ready, I rode with my parents to the restaurant.

Upon arriving, I pushed open the door to the private dining room, and my heart stopped for a second.

Jack was there, casually dressed in a black T-shirt, looking as charming as ever.

I managed a brief glance at him before warmly greeting his dad, "Hello, Uncle George."

Uncle George smiled warmly and nodded, "Ginny, it's been too long. You've grown so much. Come, join us for dinner."

I nodded and deliberately chose a seat next to my mom, avoiding sitting by Jack.

His reaction was palpable; he paused while pulling out a chair, then pushed it back in, his expression turning sour.

Noticing the awkwardness between us, his dad tried to keep Jack involved with me.

He served me food and filled my glass, yet our interaction was constrained and uncomfortable.

Maybe it was all the water, but soon, I excused myself to use the restroom.

As I left the room, the door to an adjacent room opened as well.

I was stunned to see Liz McKibben emerge.

As our eyes met, her complexion turned ashen. I was as well astonished.

She was dressed in a purple dress that accentuated her waist, her eyes quickly darting downward as she started shaking.

Confronting her, I couldn't help but ask in a cold tone, "What are you doing here?"

I glanced suspiciously at the room behind her, assessing her from head to toe.

Given the restaurant's luxurious nature, how could Liz, reportedly from a modest background, afford to be here?

Suspicion rising, I moved to bypass her to enter the room.

She blocked my way.

I pushed her aside with force, and she cried out in pain, tumbling to the ground unexpectedly.

As I reached for the door handle, ready to push it open, I heard Jack's stern voice from behind.

"Ginny! What are you doing?!"

Turning around, I saw him hurrying to Liz's side, kneeling to check her injuries.

Her knees were scraped and bleeding, her face tear-streaked and forlorn.

He glanced at the wounds then looked up at me with intense eyes, "Ginny, you need to apologize to Liz now!"

Anger surged through me.

He was siding with her without knowing all the facts?

I loosed the door handle, my eyes fixed on Liz. Approaching them, I sneered, "Apologize? Sure, but first, let's clear something up."

"How does your sensible, financially challenged secretary afford to hang out in this pricey restaurant?"

"Don't you find that a bit strange, Jack?"

After challenging him, he gave Liz a questioning look.

Liz stiffened, and after a tense few seconds, she tearfully said, "Mr. Yoxall, I'm here for a gathering with friends."

"It's my first time here, I..."

She stumbled over her words, hiccupping through her feeble explanation.

Jack frowned, tightened his grip on her shoulder, and interrupted her, "That's enough, I believe you."

I stared at him in disbelief, feeling as if I had plunged into an icy abyss.

Each word he spoke felt like a hammer pounding on my heart.

My hand trembled at my side as I gritted my teeth, glaring at them.

"Really? Well, I'd like to see for myself what kind of friends can afford this place."

I turned quickly to push open the door.

Just as my hand touched the handle, my wrist was abruptly seized.

Jack towered over me, his voice grinding out through clenched teeth, "Enough, Ginny!"

"Must you always try to humiliate people?!"

I paused, looking up at him defiantly.

The fury inside me exploded, "Humiliate her? How?"

"I'm merely verifying her story, what's wrong with that?!"

I shouted, struggling to free my hand, but his grip was unyielding.

His arm tensed, veins bulging with anger.

Suddenly, he swung his arm, slamming me against the wall.

A sharp pain shot through my back, forcing a cry of pain from my lips.

He hesitated for a moment, then stopped himself from coming to my aid.

After a brief pause, he spoke coldly, "Ginny, this restaurant isn't yours; she has every right to be here."

"Not everyone is born into privilege like you."

"Her life has been full of hard work and struggle—why do you feel the need to demean her?"

He then looked at me, disappointment etched on his face, "I'm truly disappointed in you."

I glanced at him, then over his shoulder at Liz.

I felt like a fool in this instant.

Was I really such a despicable person in his eyes?

Holding back the tears threatening to spill, I lowered my head to conceal the emotion swirling in my eyes.

After composing myself, I looked him straight in the eye.

"Fine, since I'm such a disgrace in your eyes, not worth a fraction of Liz, let's end the engagement."