As if to him, I was merely an insignificant person.

I knew that a lot of people in the company were shipping Sheldon and Winter as a couple.

Yet, Sheldon never stopped the rumors from spreading. He even enjoyed this ambiguous relationship with Winter.

But once, when Sheldon gave me a ride to work and was seen by a coworker.

My coworker gossiped, asking if Sheldon and I were dating.

Sheldon swiftly deducted the colleague's salary for a month, warning him not to speak recklessly and disrupt the company's atmosphere.

From then on, Sheldon never gave me a ride again.

He claimed it was to avoid rumors and insisted that I take the subway instead.

Winter's laughter kept drifting into my ears.

She nestled in Sheldon's arms, her cheeks flushed red with shyness.

In the past, if I'd seen Sheldon being so intimate with another woman, I would've confronted her without a second thought.

But now, I could calmly watch everything in front of me.

I sighed softly. I knew I didn't love him anymore.

I silently turned to leave and messaged the company headquarters that I was willing to accept an overseas transfer.

My job had been stagnant for years and Sheldon hated long-distance relationships.

So, I stayed in the country for him, willingly giving up better opportunities for advancement.

But now there's no need for that.

After returning home, I quickly received instructions from the headquarters that the official transfer would be scheduled in three days.

Just then, my phone dinged with a pop-up notification.

It was a new post from Winter’s social media.

A photo of two hands interlocked, both wearing matching rings.

The caption read:

"From now on, I will hold onto my happiness tightly!"

The comment section was flooded with well-wishes.

It was evident that Winter posted this mainly to show off to me.

People who steal another's love will eventually have their own stolen.

He's just a cheating jerk. What's there to be sad about?

I casually tossed my phone aside and calmly began packing my luggage, preparing the things I needed for my trip abroad.

At eleven P.M, the door opened.

Sheldon was drunk and put his arm on Winter's shoulder.

When Winter saw me, she pretended to be embarrassed.

"I'm so sorry, Nora. They forced me to drink and Sheldon was worried about me, so he helped me out."

I said coldly as Winter helped Sheldon onto the sofa.

"Winter, stop pretending—it’s getting old."

Seeing that Sheldon was half-asleep, Winter finally dropped her fake smile and spoke without restraint.

"Fine, you saw my post, right? Sheldon doesn't love you anymore."

"We already knew each other when he came to our school to recruit interns during our senior year."

"Nora, stop clinging to him. You should really think this over for yourself."

She raised her eyebrows smugly, her posture exuding the confidence of a victor.

Winter closed the door when she left, leaving only Sheldon and me in the room.

I stared at Sheldon, who was sprawled on the sofa and couldn't help but laugh bitterly at myself.

Winter had only joined the company a year ago, which explained why Sheldon had been out so often for the past two years.

He even lied to me, saying he was going on a business trip. Later, our conversations grew increasingly sparse after he returned home.

It turned out he'd been seeing someone else.

Sheldon stood up in a daze and hugged me from behind, murmuring.

"Winter … "

I took a deep breath, abruptly shoved Sheldon away and said coldly, "Sheldon, look closely. I'm Nora, not your Winter."

Hearing this, Sheldon sobered up almost instantly.

He rubbed his temples and instinctively walked toward the coffee table.

Sheldon's frown deepened, his voice almost petulant.

"Nora, didn't you prepare a hangover drink for me?"

In the past, whenever Sheldon came back from socializing, no matter how late it was, I would wait for him and prepare a drink to sober up.

This time, I didn’t bother. I simply said.

"I didn't."

To my surprise, Sheldon didn't seem angry at all. He poured himself a glass of cold water.

He then walked over to me, his voice softened.

"Nora, are you jealous? Are you still upset about Winter?"

"Winter’s just playful, a bit childish. Come on, you’re older. Why are you even bothered by her?"

I frowned in annoyance. After all, I was only two years older than Winter.

No matter what Winter did, she was always right and could be tolerated by Sheldon.

"Alright, Nora, don’t be so petty. I’ll make it up to you tonight, okay?"

Sheldon suddenly leaned toward me, his warm breath brushing against my neck.

I used to like being close to Sheldon, but now I felt sick for no reason.

When his lips were about to touch mine, I instinctively took a few steps back.

Sheldon froze, staring at me in surprise.

"Nora, what is this? Are you disgusted?"

I nodded indifferently.

"Yes, I’m disgusted. You make me sick."

"I made myself clear this morning. It's over between us."

Sheldon irritably rubbed his temples, his anger rising.

"Nora, I’ve already given you an out. How long are you going to keep throwing a tantrum?"

"Stop playing hard-to-get!"

"Don't think I don't know what you're doing. You just want to drive Winter away from me and make her quit her job!"

"Who I date and spend time with is my choice. It’s none of your business!"

I sighed silently.

If Sheldon cared about me even the slightest bit, he would have noticed the suitcase sitting by the wall.

I didn't cause a scene this time. He wanted freedom and I was more than willing to grant it.

After venting his anger, Sheldon dialed Winter's number right in front of me.

He took a deep breath, softened his voice and ensured no hint of negativity reached Winter.

"Winter, can you come pick me up? I’ll stay at your place for a few days."

Sheldon gave me a chilling glance and then slammed the door without a word.

I was long used to it.

Whenever Sheldon came home in a bad mood, he would go to Winter for comfort.

The only difference this time was that I didn't try to hold him back like I usually did.

From that day forward, Sheldon unilaterally gave me the cold shoulder.

No more texts, no more run-ins at work.

I didn’t care. My transfer abroad was coming up soon anyway.

I wouldn't have any contact with Sheldon in the future.

I’d moved to this city all those years ago because of him—because I stubbornly gave in to his wishes.

For the past eight years, my life has revolved around Sheldon.

I contacted my parents and told them about my breakup with Sheldon.

They respected my decision and even agreed to move abroad with me.

It was soon the day I was leaving to go abroad. I came to the airport with my parents.

I didn't expect to meet Sheldon and Winter there.

They held hands like a sweet and loving couple, talking and laughing.

The moment Sheldon spotted me, his face darkened.

"Nora, is it necessary for you to follow me all the way here?"

I rolled my eyes in disbelief. What a narcissistic.

I was about to respond when I noticed Winter flash me a smug, taunting smile before feigning fear and hiding behind Sheldon.

"Nora, please don't overthink it."

"Sheldon was in a bad mood after you guys argued the other day. So, he wanted me to accompany him on a trip to unwind."

Sheldon distressedly tightened his grip on Winter's hand and snapped.

"Winter, don't bother explaining. She's just possessive and can't bear the thought of me having any female friends."

"Nora, let me be clear. I’m not going back with you!"

What a tragic pair of lovebirds. I almost felt moved enough to shed a tear for their earth-shattering romance.

"You’re overthinking it. I’m not following you."

After that, I ignored Sheldon.

I calmly pulled the passport I would need later from my bag.

When Sheldon saw this, his expression suddenly changed.