Two days before we planned to register for marriage, Olivia Declan left me on the mountainside to pick up her male assistant for a celebration party.

When the car accident happened and I fell off the cliff, she was busy having sex with the assistant in the car. The countless calls and cries for help I made were drowned out by their moans and groans.

When I was rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment, I asked the nurse to inform her.

But on the phone, she yelled, "You can call me if he's dead, otherwise don't bother me! He's always creating drama." At the moment I closed my eyes, I felt completely hopeless.

The first thing I did after waking up from surgery was cancel our marriage registration appointment.

——

"Tommy, where are you! I've been waiting at the City Hall for ten minutes!" On the other end of the line, Olivia shouted angrily.

"I had a car accident, I'm in the hospital. I forgot to tell you, I canceled the marriage registration." My breath smelled like disinfectant and my whole body ached as if crushed.

There was a long silence on the other end, "Then let's not register for now."

She spoke casually, saying the most hurtful words, "Perfect timing, I'll take the staff on a trip during the National Day holiday."

Before I could reply, she hung up. I stared at the call that was cut off, feeling chilled to the bone. Not a single word of concern, not one apology. It was as if I were just an ordinary passerby.

Ten years of love went to waste, I had loved the wrong person. I stayed in the hospital for seven days and during that time, Olivia never showed up, not even a single phone call.

It was only from Judas Brown's social media that I found out the 'trip' Olivia mentioned was just the two of them going to Hawaii.

Hawaii was the place I had most wanted to spend our honeymoon. But now she went there with another man.

In the photo, Judas wore only swim trunks by the glassy sea, the couple rings on his hand sparkling and Olivia's figure appeared in the background. He wrote: "Business reward from my beautiful boss!"

I had seen that pair of rings in Olivia's pocket before. Back then, I thought it was a surprise for our marriage registration. I had even prepared her favorite diamond ring.

Turned out, I was just being delusional again. I sneered and liked the post.

I didn't expect her call right after that, "Tommy, what's your problem? Why are you being passive-aggressive by liking that post? Judas wants to come back now, do you think flight tickets are free?"

Her questioning made my throat tighten, "Apologize to Judas immediately. He just helped me secure a major contract last month. If he resigns, I won't forgive you!"

I couldn't even be bothered to expose her lies. Buying couple rings as a 'business reward,' vacationing in Hawaii together, this was basically their wedding and honeymoon.

I hung up the call and removed the like. Looking at the number at the bottom of my call log, I finally dialed it, "Jade, I want to meet you. Do you still want to meet me?"

Her voice on the other end was filled with warmth, "I told you, no matter when, there's always a place for you by my side."

At that moment, tears fell from my eyes, "Then I'll wait for you to come back."

Jade was my stepfather's daughter and an outstanding computer engineer. She moved abroad right after college.

She always took great care of me, but ever since I insisted on being with Olivia, she cruelly cut off all contact.

After I hung up, bitterness filled my chest. I had wasted ten years on a piece of trash.

On the day I was discharged, Olivia returned. She got home late at night. I had just finished washing the piled-up clothes and was zoning out on the balcony. I was holding a condom I found in her pocket.

Olivia appeared downstairs with Judas, the two of them hugging each other passionately. The scene stabbed me right in the heart. It was so painful I could barely breathe.

Once upon a time, Olivia and I were just as loving. She was my senior. When I was a sophomore, she was already starting her own business.

Every time I returned to campus, she would hold my hand and reluctantly kiss and hug me, hoping I could stay a little longer.

I thought such a passionate love would lead to a beautiful ending. So I turned down Jade's plan to move overseas and chose to stay in the country to support Olivia's business. But in the end, this was how it turned out.

I heard the door open behind me, followed by Olivia's complaints, "What the hell? Why is the house such a mess?"

She frowned as she scanned the room. Olivia had a cleanliness obsession.

I didn't trust the cleaning lady to meet her standards, so I always cleaned the house myself. Every time she broke out in a rash, I blamed myself for not cleaning thoroughly. Now that I think about it, all that effort became expected and unappreciated.

Her phone kept buzzing. She smiled as she replied to messages. She nudged her suitcase with her foot without even looking up.

"Since you're already doing laundry, wash the clothes in this suitcase too. I can't stay here, I'm going to a hotel. Call me when the place is clean." She tucked her phone away, said that casually and turned to leave.

Watching her walk away, I called out, "Wait."

I hobbled after her. Her eyes landed on my injured knee.

"You really got hurt?" Her eyes filled with doubt as she frowned, "I thought you were faking it …"

I didn't explain. I shoved the condom into her hand, "Take this with you. You'll need it."

Olivia and I hadn't used condoms for a long time. She knew exactly who she needed it for.

Olivia looked at the item in her hand, a trace of surprise flashed in her eyes.

The next second, the surprise turned into fury, "This was something I bought long ago for us to use. I just put it aside because I was preparing for pregnancy. I don't understand why you're being so paranoid!"

"If you had cleaned the house properly, why would I need to stay at a hotel?" Olivia's face turned red, her features twisted and her angry scolding was laced with obvious guilt.

I didn't even have time to say anything before she threw the condom at me. The sharp edge cut open my forehead.

I staggered and only managed to steady myself by grabbing the corner of the dining table, "I'm not being paranoid. I just found this in your pocket and you ..."

She shouted, "Enough! Stop making excuses. You're already in your thirties and you still act like an eighteen-year-old boy, getting jealous like a teenager? Should I only hire women at the company and put up a 'No Men Allowed' sign at the door?"

"I've really had enough of you!" Olivia kicked over the suitcase and slammed the door behind her. She was gone just like that.

Among the scattered luggage was a pair of black boxer briefs, not the familiar brand I usually bought. I squatted down and picked them up. My heart felt like it was being ripped apart.

Back when I proposed to Olivia, I spent all the money I had on a ring. But now, that ring was long gone. Replaced by a new set of couple rings.

I once said I wanted to honeymoon in Hawaii. She went there too. But she came to that place with a new man.

I carefully cleaned the house again and again. When I got tired, I sat down, holding back my tears. Only when the skin on my hands had turned white and wrinkled to the point of tearing did I finally stop.

I took a paper bag and packed all of Judas's belongings I found in Olivia's pocket. Two pairs of underwear, one lighter, three condoms.

The next day at work, I brought the bag to his desk.

Judas looked up with a smile, "Tommy, so sorry, my memory's terrible. I always leave stuff everywhere …"

I forced myself to ignore the provocation in Judas's eyes, "It's nothing."

Olivia's company was co-owned. The other partner was Lea Simmons. Lea's husband and I were responsible for the company's finances.

Just as I sat down at my desk, I saw Judas walk into Olivia's office. Moments later, he came out grinning. She probably coaxed him again.

Near noon, Olivia came over to ask me a financial question, while observing my expression the entire time.

Seeing no reaction from me, Olivia threw a box onto my desk, "This is a gift I brought you from Hawaii. You were being moody yesterday, so I forgot to give it to you. As for the marriage registration, I had Judas reschedule it for us."

My hand paused slightly on the mouse. Judas rescheduled it.

Last time he made a show of it to provoke me. What about next time? Strangely, I was actually looking forward to it.

A Chanel gift box, but the ribbon was gone. I opened it, it was a cufflink, but several of the diamonds had fallen off.

Olivia used to bring me exquisite or branded gifts every time she traveled. But after Judas appeared, I only got his unwanted secondhand, cheap stuff.

"Thanks." I didn't even lift my eyes as I closed the box and tossed it into the trash.

"What do you mean by that!" Olivia's patience was wearing thin.

I looked her straight in the eyes, "Olivia, I'm not so broke that I need to wear someone else's used goods."

Olivia's face completely darkened, "Whatever, Tommy, don't come crying and begging me later."

She walked straight back to her office. Judas followed behind and before entering, even glanced back at me.

Olivia and I had always kept our relationship a secret. At the company, she was the superior, I was the subordinate. Eventually, it became an unspoken truth.

But now, seeing Olivia and Judas act so openly in the company only made my past self look ridiculous. She had made me the butt of everyone's jokes.

No one at the company dared to look directly our way, afraid of getting caught in the middle of this love triangle. Instead, they gathered in the restroom to gossip.

"Oh my god, did you see just now? Olivia went into the office and Judas followed right after."

"Poor Tommy. I heard from my friend at the finance university, they were together for ten years! How many ten years does a person get?"

"You guys don't even know. Today, Judas had some kind of tantrum. Olivia instantly transferred him five hundred thousand to buy that new electric car!"

I squatted in the restroom, my vision blurred with tears. Rings, cars, houses, Olivia had really been planning a life with him.

I forced myself to ignore the pain in my heart, reminding myself to move on. After work, I went home alone and began packing my things.

Olivia came home a little tipsy, sitting on the sofa waiting for me to serve her like before. But this time, I didn't move.

"Tommy, where's the hangover soup?" she asked. In the past, after drinking for work meetings, Olivia always came home drunk.

I would prepare her special hangover soup and wait at home to take care of her. Help her wash up, change clothes, so she wouldn't feel so awful going to bed.

"No time to make it. There's some hangover medicine in the cabinet, take one yourself." I didn't even lift my head and went straight into the bathroom to pack.

She staggered over and seeing what I was doing, her face darkened, "That's enough. How long are you going to keep this attitude up?"

Olivia flung my hand away, her eyes bloodshot with anger. Even as she reached the doorway, I didn't speak to stop her.

I clearly saw her freeze at the entrance. In the past, every time we argued, I was the one to apologize and make peace.

But this time, I was tired. I couldn't bring myself to beg anymore.

The sound of the door closing brought a sense of relief, like a weight had been lifted from my heart. Late at night, unable to sleep, Jade sent me her flight details: [Tommy, I will land the night after tomorrow.]

The next second, I got a video from Judas. In the video, Olivia was dead drunk and Judas, shirtless, was holding her. He said in the video: [Tommy, just in case you misunderstand, I'm sending you this video to prove there's really nothing between me and Olivia. Maybe you should come pick her up!]

Misunderstand? They were one step away from doing it in front of me.

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry, so I replied: [You take care of her. It's the same.]

The next morning, I was woken by noise outside the door.

The loud chatter made me frown. I heard Judas's shrill voice, "Olivia, do you think Tommy's still asleep? Hope we're not too loud for him!"

I walked out to the living room and saw Olivia and Judas entering, carrying bags of food and drinks.

Judas kicked off his shoes casually and Olivia bent down to put them away for him. That scene stung my eyes.

She's always been a clean freak, but now she let another man touch her shoes. When I was sick back then, she wouldn't even help me change clothes.

Judas said, "Tommy, you're up! The sun's already high. Olivia and I have been out all morning buying ingredients!"

I frowned and looked at Olivia. She turned her head awkwardly, "Today's Judas's birthday. He kept asking to eat your crab stir-fried with fries and steak."

My hands clenched behind my back. I told myself to endure one more day.

I turned and went into the kitchen to prepare the dish. I didn't like it, but Olivia did. So it had become my specialty.

Through the glass door, I watched the two of them sit on the sofa, playing Switch together and it takes two players to play, it was also my favorite co-op game.

But Olivia never had the patience to play with me. She always said I was childish, boring. She said girls don't like video games. Yet now she's having fun playing with Judas.

Maybe it was my imagination, but Olivia kept glancing over at me, like she was hoping I'd do something. But I pretended not to see.

With a "bang," Judas must've hit some exciting part in the game and kissed Olivia several times.

I stood there holding a large bowl of dishes, watching Olivia being kissed.

"Tommy, sorry, I got carried away playing. You don't mind, right?" Judas asked tentatively, his hand still resting firmly on Olivia's shoulder.

"I don't mind." I shook my head, set down the last dish, took off my apron. "Take your time eating. I've got something to do and need to head out," I said casually.

Olivia looked up and asked where I was going. I didn't answer.

For some reason, her expression turned very unpleasant.