After returning home, I couldn't sleep and continued packing my luggage. I pulled off some clothes in the wardrobe one after another and placed them inside the suitcase, which was already full of them.

However, that was the last thing I left in this house. I had already used it six times and started moving things away, so that was the last point to do.

As I moved away, I felt some anticipation in my heart, hoping that Hendrix would not find out.

But then again, he still didn't pay attention even if the wardrobe was emptied.

That wasn't surprising, anyway. His mind wasn't on this home. It was somewhere else. I shook my head and turned to look at the green floral curtains at the side, lost in thought.

Those were the curtains that Hendrix brought who had just moved into his new home after he graduated and after he searched for several furnishing markets. At that time, I was puzzled.

I remembered what he had told me before.

"That's about it." Hendrix pinched my face and smiled, staring at me as he told those to me before.

"This won't do. This is our home. Everything has to be perfect."

He replied, "Stella, I am sorry. I only had to return home now. Wait until I can save money and then I will marry you. I assure you!"

In a blink, I came back to my senses. I had just realized he once loved me.

If that damn Whitney didn't return to the US, then for sure, we might have ended up getting married. There were a lot of what-ifs on my mind, but I shook those thoughts away from me.

I had already heard Whitney's name when I was still in college. At that time, Hendrix and I still weren't together. I still had a crush on him. Who wouldn't? He was tall and handsome and even won the national scholarship in his sophomore year.

Many friends had told me Hendrix preferred Whitney more than me.

Whitney was tall and gorgeous and the two were a perfect match.

I knew I was no match from then on, so I didn't bother Hendrix. Unexpectedly, Whitney, still a junior, decided to go abroad.

Hendrix was devastated at that time. He started smoking, drinking and fighting some students. He skipped the class, failed some courses and was forced to retake to pass. He suffered a lot and I felt sorry for him.

When he was drunk, I made some oatmeal and brought it for him to eat.

He skipped his class, so I attended and organized some key points for him not to miss anything.

At the end of the semester, I took him to the library to stay up late to review.

In the second half of his junior year, Hendrix suddenly gained some scholarship.

The same night, he asked me, "Stella, can you be my girlfriend?"

There were no flowers, nor there were confessions. It was so sudden that I didn't think he would ask me.

However, I still think I was the happiest person in the world. At that time, we were sweet and were on cloud nine.

Not until Whitney started lingering in his mind. Whenever Hendrix would have a phone call, he would go somewhere else to accept the call. He wasn't like that at first.

With that, I cried, made a scene and argued with him.

But then again, he remained unmoved, thinking I was unreasonable.

I didn't dare mention breaking up with him when we were in a heated argument. I was terrified that he would immediately break up with me if I brought it up.

Whatever happened, I still liked him, making me wonder how I could be willing to leave him.

I thought he would be the one to end this relationship. It never crossed my mind that it would be me who would think of ending it as I was exhausted.

My once passionate love for him finally withered.

"Here you are," Hendrix said and smiled as he looked at me. "So, Logan will organize a party tonight. He said he wants you to accompany him. Will you?"

Logan Williams was his university colleague. During college, he also lent a hand to Hendrix to plan to pursue Whitney. When Hendrix and Whitney weren't together, he regretted it.

Since it was he who organized it, I wouldn't attend. I always pushed gatherings he usually organized.

"You can attend by yourself. I am not going," I reasoned. I had no plans.

With that, Hendrix replied, "Even if it's just for a meal, you must go. Besides, Melissa Morgan will also attend. You must be there too."

He continued, "She once told me she misses you and Logan even asked me to bring my family, too."

Melissa Morgan was known to be Logan's girlfriend.

Logan was a known jerk, but Melissa, his girlfriend, was a good person. It was surprising the two got well together.

Melissa and I had become close friends.

"All right." I agreed. If he didn't mention Melissa, I wouldn't.

Once Hendrix was done with his work, he came home on time.

I opened the passenger seat door and saw the lipstick on it.

It was a Dior 999, Whitney's favorite lipstick color and brand.

Hendrix happened to see it and suddenly felt embarrassed and said, "Oh, don't overthink. I just gave her a ride on the way to meet a client. I'm sure it fell there, so don't think about anything else."

I blinked twice and remembered it wasn't the first time I had seen something like that on the passenger side.

Whenever Whitney rode in Hendrix's car, she left something for me in the passenger seat, like her hair tie, lipstick and perfume. I got mad and scolded her; Hendrix quickly showed me how to defend her.

Whitney had already done so many childish tricks but still hadn't gotten tired of them.

Hendrix said, "Come on, hop in and sit down." He pointed at the front seat.

However, I shook my head and replied, "No need. I'll sit here."

Instead, I sat in the back seat without mentioning anything.

On our way, Hendrix couldn't focus on driving because he would look at me in the rearview mirror from time to time. However, I was on my headphones, pretending to handle some official business.

Later that time, we arrived at the restaurant.

Hendrix exited the car first, looked at me and said, "Stella, tell me if you are furious with me. Don't keep it to yourself."

I shook my head and lied, "I am not loathing you anymore. But there's something I want to say."

Hendrix nodded and said, "Fine. Let's go home after dinner."

I nodded without hesitation. Of course, breaking up needed to be discussed in a quiet place, not a place like this.

At the restaurant entrance, Hendrix pushed the glass door open. He entered first and I only followed.

Out of the blue, someone at the side suddenly jumped to surprise Hendrix. Before he could see her face, she used her hand to cover his eyes and excitedly asked, "You guess who I am?"

Hendrix stepped back, paused and quickly put his arm around Whitney's waist.

He did it with practiced ease like he'd done it many times before.

Suddenly, he nervously released her and glanced at me with confusion.

When our eyes met, I raised my eyebrows and smiled at him.

"Oh, don't worry. You two can continue talking. I won't bother anymore," I told them.

Hendrix grabbed my waist and stopped me, "No, Stella. Whitney is just joking with me. Don't take it seriously."

It seemed that she just noticed me, so Whitney pouted and nodded.

Whitney also said, "Yes, Stella. Hendrix is right. I am just playing around with Hendrix like this. Are you angry with me?"

Before she could add, I reacted, "Don't misunderstand my reactions. I am not furious. I mean, you guys can continue playing games whenever you like. I'm just going to have a meal."

Whitney's face turned too serious, while Hendrix's turned as cold as ice.

"Yeah. We better go in," said Hendrix while he held my arm. He was in a hurry as if he was avoiding something.

Inside the private room of the restaurant, which they booked, everyone was already around.

"Hendrix! You're late!" Logan exclaimed, seeing Hendrix. "Three glasses of wine as punishment!"

However, when Logan saw me, he was astounded.

"Why did you bring Stella here?" Logan asked, puzzled.

Hendrix was too curious and replied, "Didn't you mention you want me to bring my family members here? Isn't she part of my family now?"

Upon hearing that, Logan was stunned; his eyes widened and he looked at Whitney, saddened. He didn't expect he would tell that, nor did I.

Hendrix, at that time, froze in place.

Shrugging my shoulder, I sighed and said, "It seems the family members you refer to don't mean me. If that's the case, then I better leave now."

"Logan!" Hendrix shouted at the top of his lungs, almost echoing around the room.

"I am sorry, sister-in-law. It is my fault. Please forgive what I have mentioned earlier," Logan said.

"Okay, as a punishment, I better make you drink three glasses."

Melissa pulled me aside and said, "It's been long since we haven't seen each other."

I sat down in an empty chair. Hendrix was sitting on my left and Whitney was sitting on his right.

After the dishes were served, there was a dish of shrimp.

Whitney placed one onto Hendrix's plate.

"Help me peel it, please," said Whitney.

As expected, Hendrix picked up the shrimp and started peeling it. Afterward, he placed it back on Whitney's plate.

"You always said you love to eat shrimp, but you just don't like feeling it," he said.

Whitney smiled and replied, "Isn't it you, Hendrix? You're really good!"

Hendrix and Whitney were always acting like that. They kept telling me they were just friends, but they did something out of bounds.

Just like before, seeing such a scene, I was so uncomfortable that I lost my appetite.

It was from the past. I didn't mind it now and I focused on eating.

The mood at the table was quiet and Hendrix was only drinking some alcohol. After finishing my meal and drinks, I stood up and went to the bathroom.

When I returned, the restaurant's private room door was slightly open. I could hear Whitney crying from inside, making me wonder what was happening to her. She was very lively when I left.

I continued to listen to the conversation inside.

"Please, Hendrix, I didn't mean to leave you back then. It was my dad who went abroad. I am so sorry," Whitney explained while still sobbing.

There was a long silence inside. After a minute of waiting, I finally heard Hendrix's voice.

"That same year, if you haven't gone abroad, perhaps you'll be my girlfriend," he said.

Based on what I had heard, I had already made up my mind and pursued the decision I wanted to make.

"Stella has decided and pretended not to care," he added.

My heart felt like being stabbed multiple times by a dagger.

I looked up, blinking twice to halt myself from crying. I then pushed open the restaurant's private room to enter.

Everyone around the table was surprised, moving their gazes towards my direction.

I smiled and clapped my hands. Their relationship was indeed touching.

For a sudden, Hendrix's face turned pale and said, "Stella, please listen to me. I'll explain to you my side."

I shook my head.

"No need, Hendrix," I replied.

I removed my ring from my ring finger. I remembered that he used his first month's internship salary to buy me a pair of less expensive rings the year I graduated.

"Stella, please bear with me. I'll buy you a diamond, right? I promise!" Hendrix promised.

Since then, I have tried to bury the past.

The ring left a light spot on my finger. After wearing it for a long time, it felt like the ring was part of me.

My finger hurt when I took the ring off.

Despite that, I firmly removed it and threw it before Hendrix.

"Congratulations, both of you, for buying nothing!" I sarcastically exclaimed. "This ring is for the two of you."

I continued, "I hope you both can have a happy and long life together!"