“Are you sure you're moving?" Uncle Roland asked as I handed over my mom's belongings and a few items I wouldn't be taking with me before the move.

I nodded, signaling to the moving crew that had helped me with the many items I was giving to Uncle Roland. Suddenly, Ricky appeared with Christine. His arms were full of typical moving-day stuff.

Before I could say anything, Ricky quickly explained, "I'm just helping Christine move from her old place. It's too far from our office, don't get the wrong idea."

Christine nodded quickly, putting on an innocent face and glancing at Ricky with a fearful expression. I knew she was just pretending, so I simply nodded without changing the flat expression on my face.

Ricky looked relieved that I didn't seem to misunderstand, then he invited Christine to take the elevator first since their stuff was much less than mine.

"Hey, Uncle Roland. So glad to have you here. Christine will definitely be safer with you around," Ricky greeted, just noticing Uncle Roland behind me.

Once they were out of sight, Uncle Roland and I both took a deep breath. "Who said I’d look after that tramp even if she lives next door?" he grumbled, annoyed.

I chuckled dryly. At least I had Uncle Roland on my side. He knows everything about me but is wise enough not to spill anything to my parents.

"Are you sure about your decision to move? Do you need me to warn Ricky to stay away from that woman?" Uncle Roland asked seriously.

I nodded firmly. "And what about the wedding? You don’t have to force yourself if you don’t want to get married. You can just leave Ricky," Uncle Roland added.

I shook my head. Five years isn't a short time, but it wasn't long enough to make Ricky choose me over other women.

When Ricky completely ignored me after feeding me chocolate with his own hand, I started to realize my life was too valuable to waste on him.

Uncle Roland hugged me one last time before I handed the moving crew over to him. Meanwhile, I went back to my apartment, packed my things, and called Ricky to say goodbye in person.

Strangely, none of my calls or messages were answered. I switched to the group chat, which suddenly blew up again like the day I came back from the hospital.

Only to find photos of a girly-themed bedroom, with Ricky busy putting up fairy lights on the wall. His phone was just lying on the bed. He looked happy, just as happy as Christine's caption.

[Moved to a new city and got help from my boss for my first move. Never felt this lucky. The best boss ever!]

This time, disappointment took over me more than anger. For the last time, I dialed Ricky’s number.

“Can’t you be patient? It takes a lot of effort here, and I hope you understand that I won’t be coming home tonight. Just go to sleep,” Ricky said without giving me a chance to speak. As I was about to respond, the call ended.

I didn’t give up and called Ricky again. This time, Christine’s soft voice answered. “Ricky is getting the delivery food at the front. Can you not bother us? Don’t worry, we’re just tidying up the room together.”

Just like Ricky, Christine hung up right after speaking. This time, I had no desire to try again. Where else would Ricky spend the night if not at Christine’s place?

The next morning, Ricky came to my apartment while I was still asleep. He didn’t care that I had just fallen asleep at 5 AM and told me to get ready for lunch with him at a restaurant he had reserved.

Half-asleep and groggy, I got ready. Imagine my shock when I found Christine already sitting in the front seat. I froze, staring at my throne with a blank look, but Christine didn’t seem like she was going to move.

Instead, she looked at Ricky with a pleading gaze. Ricky glanced at me impatiently and opened the back door for me.

“Don’t look at Christine like that. This morning she accidentally spilled hot water on her thigh and it’s uncomfortable for her to sit in the wide back seat. Grow up, Jemima!” Ricky scolded me.

Too stunned to react, I just sat quietly in the back seat. My brain was busy trying to figure out how sitting in a wide back seat could be uncomfortable when you’ve spilled hot water on yourself.

I glanced forward and was shocked to see a large burn on Christine’s thigh. With a burn that big, why was she still forcing herself to come to lunch?

"Thanks for inviting me to lunch. You didn't have to do this, Jemima. You didn't mean to ruin my birthday party, did you?” Christine said, as if she could read my mind.

I glanced at Ricky, who looked like he was the one being praised. If I had known it would turn out like this, I wouldn't have come.

A few minutes later, we arrived at the restaurant. I felt like a third wheel because Ricky was taking care of Christine the same way he used to take care of me.

Not once did Ricky pay attention to me throughout the lunch. He was busy helping and pampering the fragile Christine. And when lunch was over, Ricky just left me in front of the restaurant, saying he had to take Christine to the hospital.

"Grow up a bit, I have nothing going on with Christine. She needs me now," Ricky scolded me before leaving me in the restaurant's parking lot.

Did Ricky think I didn't need him? And what was with all the scolding? I didn't even get a chance to say a word before being suddenly reprimanded like this!

Ricky's behavior only solidified my decision to end our relationship. I had hoped we could talk face-to-face this time, but Christine was always in the way.

Or maybe I was the one standing in the way of those two?

Uncle Roland and I were busy sorting out the things I would take to my parents' house. It didn't take long since I didn't have much left after giving most of it to Uncle Roland.

I decided to check my phone while taking a break from packing. Secretly, I still hoped Ricky would reach out first, but that hope faded. Instead, there were 99+ group chats. I had handed in my resignation letter yesterday, so were they buzzing because of that?

Unfortunately, the sweet surprise I hoped for didn't come true. Christine posted a bunch of photos stuck on her bedroom wall, under a string of aesthetic fairy lights. They were photos of Ricky, and some of them were of the two of them together, taken on various occasions.

[Never felt this happy having such a kind and caring boss.]

That caption made no sense at all. Then it was followed by a photo of a man’s and a woman’s feet against the white hospital floor. [My boss took me to the hospital, even though I could go by myself].

I rolled my eyes. So this is what you want, Ricky? After being with me for five years, did you get bored? Then why not just end this boring relationship?

It started with that white gold bracelet, then all the attention focused only on Christine. The white gold bracelet was a custom piece Ricky ordered just for me, part of a set with a necklace and ring. He hadn’t had the chance to give me the jewelry set, even though it was ready three months ago.

And Ricky had already given the bracelet to Christine. Maybe not just the bracelet, but also the ring, the necklace, and his heart. So what’s left for me?

I turned my face away, trying to hold back my tears. By chance, I saw Uncle Roland pulling a large box out of my closet.

It was a box filled with memories from my five years with Ricky. It contained photo albums that Ricky claimed held 9,999 photos of our time together. He stopped adding to it last year because the final photo, which would mark the end and beginning of a new chapter in our lives, was supposed to be our wedding photo.

Now, Ricky was piling up new photos with someone new. So what did all this mean? Forget planning a wedding, every time I brought up the topic, Ricky would avoid it or glare at me.

Sensing the heavy and awkward atmosphere, Uncle Roland excused himself and asked me to call him whenever I needed. After he left, I sat in the same spot for a while, my mind exhausted from figuring out how to end my emotional suffering.

As night approached, I decided to truly focus on my decision to marry the man my parents chose for me. It had to start with me, by erasing one by one the memories with Ricky.

I filled the box with photo albums and all the things Ricky had given me since we started dating. Then I took it to the backyard of my apartment and burned them one by one in a metal drum.

“Jemima! Oh my God, I’ve been looking for you everywhere! What are you doing playing with fire on a windy day like this?”

The shout startled me, along with a hug from behind. I smelled the musk and citrus cologne Ricky always wore, so I knew it was him. But I no longer felt peace when Ricky hugged me, especially when I also smelled a floral perfume on his clothes that wasn’t mine.

It was the scent Christine usually wore. A soft floral aroma that matched the image of the pure Virgin Mary. Hiding my disgust, I pushed Ricky’s chest away. Ricky looked at me with a scrutinizing gaze. After realizing I was calm, he shifted his gaze to the metal drum with the still-burning fire.

I casually tossed the last photo album into the fire, watching Ricky's reaction. Sure enough, a few seconds after realizing what I had thrown, Ricky quickly tried to save it.

"Termites were eating those albums. I wasn't careful storing them," I said without helping Ricky. I knew he could handle it himself.

Ricky pulled his hand from the fire without injuring it. "What a shame. You should have waited for me to deal with the termites instead of burning them right away," Ricky muttered sadly, watching the album pages slowly turn to ash.

"Are you still mad at me? I already told you that you need to fix your attitude. There's nothing going on between me and Christine. Why didn't you go to the office today?" Ricky asked, hitting me right in the heart.

I slowly walked back to my apartment on the third floor. Ricky followed behind me. "I sent my resignation email two days ago," I replied calmly.

"Why are you acting like this? Grow up, Jemima! How could you just resign without any notice? Who's going to do your work?" Ricky shouted as we almost reached the ground floor.

Realizing this conversation would take a while, I pulled Ricky to the quieter side garden and spoke.

"First, you have Christine, who’s been taking over all my work lately. Second, I have the right to resign whenever I want!" I snapped. Ricky looked at me in disbelief.

"You're jealous! I've told you countless times there's nothing between me and Christine! Do you know the office is a mess because there's no one to assist me? Christine is out because of her burn, and you choose to quit?" Ricky retorted, unwilling to back down.

I scoffed. From what I saw in the group chat earlier today, Christine didn't look like someone who needed bed rest at all.

"Whatever, Ricky. I don't care about your relationship, the office, or you. I'm tired of you always accusing me of being immature or demanding that I grow up.

Have you ever noticed how hard I've tried? Do you realize how long you've been ignoring me for someone else?" I said, my voice choking.

Ricky looked at me, puzzled.

"I'm done, Ricky. It's up to you now. Do whatever you want, and don't ever involve me again!"

I don't know what changed Ricky from the gentle and understanding person he used to be into someone so selfish. Before I could respond, the ringing of his phone broke the tense silence between us.

I glanced quickly and saw Christine's name on the screen.

"Do not overthink again," Ricky warned me before stepping away to take the call, something he had never done in our five years together. He used to answer calls in front of me, no matter who it was.

"I'll give you time to think, and I'll pretend you never sent that resignation letter," Ricky said decisively after finishing his call. He then hurried off without saying goodbye, and I guessed he was heading to Christine's apartment.

What could I expect from someone who no longer wanted to listen? I didn't know why Ricky was so reluctant to let me go, but I also had the right to end everything.

Ricky didn't contact me for two days, and my resolve to leave him grew stronger. My intention to tell Ricky that I was going home to get married vanished completely. This afternoon, I sat alone at the airport, waiting for my flight.

[Let's break up.]

I also left the office group chat and blocked Ricky's number. I didn't care if I was seen as immature or running away from problems. I no longer wanted to fix anything with Ricky. From the start, he always blamed everything on me. I was never right and never good enough in his eyes.

Christine's presence only highlighted the distance between us. The rift that I had felt for the past year became more apparent when Ricky found someone new who interested him more.

The flight to my parents' house only took three hours. But I hadn't tried to go home once in the past seven years. Instead, I often attended Ricky's family events and ended up being part of the busy team there. Every Christmas, New Year, or family wedding, I was always there, celebrating from behind the scenes.

It wasn't that I didn't realize Ricky's family didn't appreciate me, but I was too blinded by love. Back then, Ricky introduced me as the all-capable girlfriend, an amazing partner who helped him grow his business to what it is now.

With such appreciation from Ricky, I thought I could even walk through fire. But somewhere along the way, that extraordinary loyalty lost its value in Ricky's eyes. Maybe because I was too independent and too obedient. Men get bored when they lose the challenge.

So when Christine came along as a new challenge, Ricky got very excited. But Ricky knew my worth, which is why he couldn't just throw me away.

My mom and dad hugged me together when we met at the airport. "You've lost a lot of weight. Are you eating well?" my mom asked, worried. There were many wrinkles on her face, which somehow made her look even more loving.

My usually quiet dad nodded in agreement. His face was also more lined, but his soft, loving eyes hadn't changed.

I couldn't hold back my tears, realizing how many years I had wasted just to satisfy my own ego. They never forced their will on me to get married quickly, but in my immaturity, I thought they were imposing their will on me.

This made me even more certain of my decision to get married and bring happiness to them. In the end, I realized that the ones who truly loved me were my parents, not Ricky. It took me seven years to understand this.

In the car, my mom kept hugging me and stroking my arm. Her touch was like a balm for my heart, wounded by Ricky's treatment.

"Are you happy? Are you sure about accepting Theo?" my mom asked softly. I nodded with my eyes closed.

"Really? Then why do you look unhappy? Honestly, you don't have to marry anyone if you don't want to. We just miss you and hope to see you more often," my mom added gently.

I shook my head, my eyes welling up again. "It's normal, I've never met Theo, so I don't know what to expect. But I want to be happy. And I trust that you have chosen the best person for me," I replied softly.

My mom looked hesitant but didn't ask any more questions. My dad drove us to my favorite oriental-themed restaurant, and we had a meal together there. The awkwardness slowly melted away as we chatted. My usually quiet dad, who was always enthusiastic, busied himself peeling shrimp for me, while my mom kept asking me lots of questions.

Coming home this time really had a positive impact on my mental health. Even so, I still often woke up in the middle of the night from dreams of Ricky scolding me and couldn't sleep until morning, feeling like I had wronged him.

At least during the day, I felt better knowing Ricky was a three-hour flight away from here. He would never find me because he never asked about my family.

Even so, my mom knows me well. Seven years apart didn't dull her motherly instincts.

"Let's go to the hospital. You eat a lot, but why do you still look pale and tired during the day? The dark circles under your eyes make you look like a panda!" my mom said one afternoon.

Feeling drowsy, I suddenly perked up. "I'm fine," I quickly refused. Unfortunately, my mom is very stubborn. We argued for a while until she suddenly stopped mid-conversation. It was scary, especially when she grabbed her phone and called someone.

"Susan, I need your help. Come over as soon as you're done with work," Mom said on the phone. She told me to get ready, and later that afternoon, when I was feeling sleepy again, she arrived with a woman in her 40s, surprising me. My head hurt from failing to sleep twice, and it hurt even more because the woman named Susan asked me a lot of questions.

At first, I thought she was a doctor, but I was wrong. Her questions gradually moved away from general health inquiries. It felt more like a session with a psychiatrist!

When I realized what was happening and who Susan really was, it was too late. My mom, who had been with me since the beginning of the session, started to cry while Susan sighed deeply.

"The preliminary diagnosis is that you have depression."