On the fifth birthday spent with Jeremy, he went to Romland with Susan.

This time, I didn't make a fuss and left the house we had lived in for five years in the middle of the night.

That same day, he set off fireworks worth as much as a Mercedes Benz for Susan and grandly brought her into the mansion.

A year later, I received a call from Jeremy. "Emma, I won't let you go. Stop making a scene and come back..."

My husband scoffed at this, "Ex-boyfriend, stop bothering my wife, and get lost!"

You had to wave goodbye to the wrong person to meet the right one. My mind was at peace, and my heart was at ease.

——

The fifth year of being with Jeremy.

It was also the fifth birthday I spent with him.

Jeremy was out of touch all day.

In previous years, I had to remind him about my birthday, and this time I didn't mention it, and he indeed forgot.

In the afternoon, Jeremy posted on Instagram, with the location tagged as Romland. In the photo, Susan still looked radiant.

The caption was. [The snow-capped mountains I saw at eighteen are the same as the ones I see at twenty-five.]

I zoomed in on Susan's photo and stared at it in a daze.

Jeremy first met Susan when he was eighteen and fell for her ever since.

At twenty-five, they reunited after a long time, and his feelings remained unchanged.

A mutual friend commented below. [But the last time you brought someone else. (dog head emoji)]

Jeremy replied. [New year, new beginnings. (dog head emoji)]

For five years, Jeremy never directly answered my questions about marriage, always saying to wait a little longer.

He wanted to establish his career before starting a family. He promised that when he succeeded, he would marry me in a grand ceremony.

A mutual friend called Jeremy and asked him what he was doing and where did that leave Emma.

Jeremy, confused, said, "Why mention her out of the blue? Every wealthy man plays around. If she can't take it, she should pack up and leave."

The friend asked if Jeremy wasn't afraid I'd leave him, and Jeremy laughed, clearly certain.

"This has happened before, and I'm happy for a few days of peace. Do you believe that with just one call, she'll come back wagging her tail?"

On the other end, Susan called Jeremy softly. Jeremy showed no sign of embarrassment at being found out. "Trust me, it's nothing. I have something to handle here, I'll hang up now."

As the sky darkened, I bought myself a cake to celebrate my birthday.

My resolve to leave probably began the moment I blew out the candles.

I packed my things and left without looking back.

When the moment of departure truly arrived, I realized that all the rehearsals in my mind felt as light as a feather.

That night, the entertainment headlines were dominated by the romance of a wealthy young master and a popular actress.

The young master of the Black group spent lavishly to make his lady smile.

Overnight, thousands of flowers appeared all over Togama.

With fireworks filling the sky as a backdrop, Jeremy held Susan proudly.

These were things he once considered a waste of time and energy, yet he did them all for someone else.

Everyone was saying that Jeremy was getting ready to settle down.

I suddenly thought of a line from Empresses in the Palace. [All the love and time spent these years, were they all wrongly placed?]

After leaving the place I once considered home, I called my best friend, Bella, and asked if she could stay with me for a while.

I explained the situation roughly, and Bella was furious over the phone, insisting on beating up the scumbag.

"Five years, what did Jeremy take those five years for? That scumbag, that heartless man, I always said he was no good."

Hearing his name still made my heart ache, and my voice caught in my throat.

Bella understood my silence and asked softly, "Emma, where are you? I'll come to find you right away, just stay where you are."

It was still a bit cold in Togama in early spring. I sat on a park bench in a daze, and soon it started to rain lightly.

Bella said she had something urgent and couldn't come, so she sent someone to pick me up.

As I was about to seek shelter from the rain, I looked up and locked eyes with a man.

Jagger?

What was he doing here?

The man was dressed in a well-fitted suit, the collar of his shirt slightly open, looking a bit displeased.

I rarely saw Jagger looking so serious nad he was usually all smiles.

He held an umbrella with one hand and loosened his tie with the other.

Walking towards me, I called him Mr. Lynn, and Jagger raised an eyebrow, "Let's go, back to my place first."

Before I could say anything, Jagger handed me the umbrella, picked up my suitcase, and walked ahead.

I hesitated for a moment but followed.

I didn't worry much about Jagger.

Jagger was a known workaholic with no interest in women.

The place still had the same Italian style, and the furnishings hadn't changed.

I couldn't help but think that Jagger must be very loyal in relationships.

But gods like him were not interested in our love affairs.

Going home suddenly would worry my parents, so I decided to stay here for now.

Jagger and I lived in the same neighborhood, and our parents were business partners. We grew up together.

I took a hot shower, came out wrapped in a towel, and let my hair fall casually to one side.

I glanced at Jagger, who was looking down at his phone, his long eyelashes lowered, his face a bit red.

Thinking about the rain tonight, I wondered if Jagger had a fever.

I reached out to touch Jagger's forehead. He didn't dodge and looked at me with a faint smile. "What are you trying to do? I'm still a decent man."

I rolled my eyes at him. "I don't like virgins."

Jagger's smile froze on his face, and he awkwardly pursed his lips.

Strangely, I didn't have the insomnia I expected, and instead, I slept soundly that night.

The next morning, I was woken up by a commotion. I checked the time—it was already ten o'clock. The sunlight squeezed through the curtains, particularly striking.

I heard a woman outside saying, "You brought a girl home, you have to be responsible. The Lynn's family doesn't play around."

Jagger explained, "No, she's not..."

"Not what, not a girl?!" Jagger's mother paused for a moment, seemingly making a decision. "Even if it's a boy, you have to take responsibility."

Hearing this, I burst out laughing.

I opened the door, and Jagger was still arguing weakly with his mother, while his father was mediating.

Seeing me, his mother was momentarily surprised, then her face lit up with joy. "Emma, you're here!"

Jagger was a premature baby. After giving birth to him, the doctor told his mother she couldn't have more children.

His mother always wanted a daughter and treated me as one. She always had Jagger bring a share of anything good to me.

She often joked, "When you grow up, will you marry Emma?"

I eagerly replied, "Yes, yes!"

Hearing this, Jagger's eyes lit up. "A promise is a promise." He would chase me to hook our pinkies if I didn't agree.

If he couldn't catch me, he'd cry until I agreed to pinky swear.