"When Dana was with me, he did all the cooking and housework. So how come now he can't even be bothered to pick up a bottle when it tips over?"

"Ha. Good for you, I guess. My own maid finally found herself a maid too."

Back then, I really had fallen apart, lost all composure.

Now, though, I felt strangely calm.

Even exposing the fact that she was faking her illness seemed pointless now.

Failing to get a rise out of me, the smile at the corner of Roberta's mouth stiffened.

She turned instead and walked into the kitchen, resting her head on Dana's shoulder.

"Dana, you were going to propose to her? Then do I get one too?"

Whenever Roberta mentioned me, it was always just "her."

Utterly disrespectful. I'd protested to Dana about it, even cried and made a scene.

But all he did was frown.

"You're not a hundred-dollar bill. Who says everyone has to remember your name? Such a small thing, does it really matter?"

Three careless words, as if I were the one being unreasonable.

Even now, he still didn't see anything wrong with it.

He only murmured his gentle promise to her: "Of course. I'll make sure you have the most unforgettable, beautiful memories."

Roberta glanced back at me, smug.

But I still didn't break the way she wanted.

Instead, expression flat, I opened my phone and logged into the World Cup ticketing site.

I transferred both tickets back.

Then I changed the password.

Nine years I'd waited for this World Cup. And since Dana had still chosen another woman.

Then I wouldn't have him. I'd go see it with a different man.

Laughter kept ringing out from the kitchen. I couldn't be bothered to listen anymore, and walked straight out the door.

First, to the office to quit.

My manager was a little reluctant to see me go, but signed off on it easily enough.

"A master's graduate, top of her class, working reception at a little firm like ours. You really were selling yourself short."

My nose stung before I could stop it.

After graduation, I'd turned down an arranged marriage with a well-connected family to stay in this city with Dana.

His family, his friends, his first love were all here, and so was the career he'd slowly been building.

Meanwhile I didn't have a single soul of my own here, and still, because of one line from him, "somebody has to put the family first," I chose to give in.

I thought my sacrifice was for the sake of building a better home together.

But it turned out to be nothing at all.

Leaving the office, I made a trip to my old campus too.

Nine years of love, ending like this, quietly fizzling into nothing.

I wanted to say goodbye in the place where it had all begun.

Back in the day, Dana was a big man on campus.

Yet he'd pursued me with everything he had, keeping strict distance from every other girl.

At the very top of the confession wall beside the basketball court, a whole line of his declaration was still carved.

"Dana Delgado loves Cordelia Sullivan, now and forever."

The campus felt like our own Garden of Eden.

Here, I still didn't know Dana had a first love etched into his very bones.

Didn't know that afterward he'd blur the line with other women, again and again, for her sake.

And I certainly didn't know I'd spend night after heartbroken, sleepless night because of it.

A gust of wind blew past, and leaves drifted down from the top of the confession wall.

At last I saw the line clearly.

The two words, "Cordelia Sullivan," had been scratched out until no trace of them remained.

Carved in their place was "Roberta Simmons."

It read: "Dana Delgado loves Roberta Simmons, now and forever."

I stared at it, dazed.

Had he changed it when he agreed to love Roberta one more time, or even earlier than that?

Suddenly I realized I no longer had any interest in knowing.

So it turned out even our old campus no longer belonged to me and Dana alone.

The wind blew, and left me hollow inside.

It scattered every last one of those beautiful memories.

When I got home, the place was empty.

Only the leftover dishes and chopsticks, and the kitchen a total wreck.

I knew Dana was waiting for me to clean it up.

But cooking and caring for Roberta, that came from love.

I no longer had any reason to give anything to him.

Looking straight ahead, I went back to the bedroom and packed my bags.

In three days, I would leave this city, and leave Dana behind.

As I wheeled my suitcase out the door, my phone rang. It was Ursula Delgado.

"Cordelia, what is wrong with you? Not even married in yet and already putting on airs? Everyone's here. We're all waiting on you!"

Same as always. She opened her mouth and led with an accusation.

I knew Ursula's birthday dinner was tonight. I'd logged it in my planner long ago, and I'd already bought a gift.

I'd figured that since things were over with Dana, there was no need to go and put up with her moods.

Then I reconsidered. We'd gotten as far as talking marriage, so calling it off deserved at least a word to everyone in the Delgado family.

So I went to the Delgado family's old house.

Dana, of all things, was waiting for me at the door.

I looked over, surprised, and his expression was serious too.

"Cordy, there's something important I have to tell you."

"My mom still doesn't know Bertie's terminally ill. She loves Bertie so much. Let's just not bring it up for now."

So he'd waited for me on purpose only for Roberta's sake.

I'd actually arrived a good fifteen minutes early, yet inside, the meal was already underway.

Roberta sat beside Ursula, her voice apologetic. "Cordelia, your aunt saw how hungry I was, so she said we should start. Don't be upset."

She pointed at her own bowl.

"Dana shelled a whole bunch of shrimp for me. Want me to give you a few to tide you over?"

There wasn't a trace of apology in her tone. Only a taunt.

Ursula shot me a sour look. "Not much talent, but plenty of temper. Put your things down and sit."

As she spoke, she eyed the suitcase with distaste.

"Last year's gift wasn't to my liking, so this year you just bought a whole trunk of it? Is the house not messy enough for you? Now you'll waste that much of my space too..."

I cut in flatly. "You never like anything I buy anyway, so this year I didn't get you anything."

Last year I'd given her a gold bracelet, forty grams of it. Ursula took one look and called it tacky.

Yet she couldn't stop praising the little trinket Roberta bought for ninety-nine cents.

The year before, I'd given her bird's nest and fish maw. Ursula said she didn't care for that sort of thing.

Then she raved about the crate of peaches Roberta brought, so sweet and fresh.

All those times I'd offered a warm face only to have it met with a cold shoulder, it was just because I didn't want to make things hard for Dana.

But there was no need for that anymore.

The cordyceps I'd bought this year, I'd keep and take myself.

"You didn't buy anything?"

Ursula's eyes went round, and she jabbed a finger at me. "You think you're marrying in soon, so you've dropped the act?"

"Let me tell you something, Cordelia. My son is the most devoted child there is, and if I don't give my blessing, don't even dream of setting foot in the Delgado family!"

Her gaze slid between Dana and Roberta, and she sighed.

"He won't pick the girl we know inside and out, from a family that matches ours. No, he has to go for some small-town nobody from out of state."

Instinctively, I waited a few seconds.

Dana, just like every time before, didn't say a single word for me. He only gave me a look.

It was the look that said, She's my mother after all. Don't take it to heart.

In the past, time after time, I'd caught that look and let it settle me.

This time I calmly turned my eyes away.

I spoke. "You're right, our families don't match. I only came today to say one thing. Your son and I have broken up."

Roberta's eyes lit up at once.

Ursula was overjoyed too. "If you can really break up with my son, that counts as the birthday gift I've always wanted!"

I walked all the way out of the Delgado house, and to my surprise, Dana came after me.

At some point along the way, he'd stopped coaxing me when we quarreled.

Probably because he knew I'd always be the one who couldn't help but bow my head first.

This time, though, he gripped my hand tight.

Nerves washed through his eyes. "Cordy, is 'breakup' something you just throw around? It's not like today's the first time my mom's been this way. Why let it get so ugly?"

"You never once peeled a shrimp for me."

I hadn't expected that to be the thing that slipped out of my mouth.

There was a hurt in my voice I couldn't hide.

Dana blinked, then looked at me, worn out.

"I already told you, Bertie's terminally ill. I'm just helping her fulfill a last wish. A man owes a little more to his first woman."

His lips curved slightly, and there was a certainty in his tone. "And a woman always leans on her first man more, trusts him more, doesn't she?"

I didn't nod the way he wanted me to.

Instead I asked, "Could you, even once, choose me first over Roberta?"

What I was really asking was simple: between me and Roberta, which of us did he actually love more.

If I left without knowing, I'd never make my peace with it.

Dana was silent for a beat.

Then he frowned. "Bertie doesn't have much time left, and you're still keeping score over this. Is it really worth it?"

Is it really worth it.

That same deflecting, blame-shifting little phrase again.

I'd asked it on behalf of the woman who'd loved him for nine years, and he couldn't even spare me an answer.

Never mind. It didn't matter anymore.

I didn't even have the will to speak. I turned and walked away.

"Cordelia, I'm warning you, that's enough!"

Dana's voice came after me, edged with anger.

"Playing hard to get like this will only push me further away!"

I didn't look back.

I found a hotel and checked in.

Once I'd settled, I carefully took out a sandalwood box and opened it.

Inside was the heirloom jade bracelet my late mother had left me. I'd always treasured it, never willing to wear it.

I'd planned to put it on the day Dana proposed, so my mother could witness my happiness too.

But the box was empty.

The color drained from my face.

I'd taken it out to look at it just yesterday, and the only person who'd been to my place lately was Roberta.

Just then, I saw Roberta had posted something new online.

【Thank you to my knight, who loved me all over again in the very spot where he confessed to me twelve years ago.】

【He said I'll always be his princess.】

The photo showed her and Dana in an embrace, gazing into each other's eyes.

My bracelet was on her right wrist.

I swallowed my fury and rushed over, following the location she'd tagged.

When I pushed open the door of the private room, their mutual friends were egging them on.

"After all these years, the couple I shipped is finally back together, both of them!"

"Since you're loving each other all over again, how about a kiss?"

Dana looked hesitant, as if he were about to refuse.

But Roberta rose onto her toes, hooked her arms around his neck, and kissed him.

His body stiffened for a moment. He didn't push her away.

The kiss only deepened.

Until someone spotted me and cried out, "Cordelia's here!"

A flicker of panic crossed Dana's eyes.

Then, as if something had occurred to him, he smiled. "Cordelia won't mind. She's the one who brought up the breakup anyway."

He looked over at me.

Waiting for my reaction.

Waiting for me to get angry and jealous, to stake my claim, to back down and take back the breakup.

But I didn't give him a single glance. I walked straight toward Roberta.

She scrambled to hide behind Dana.

"Dana, get her under control. What is she losing her mind over now?"

I spoke coldly. "Give me back the bracelet."

"Oh, this thing? Just let me borrow it a few days."

Roberta let out a soft laugh, then suddenly stretched out her right hand and waved it at me.

"And this ring. Dana said it was meant to propose to you. Let me test-drive it first."

"You don't mind secondhand, do you? After all, your man is something I used long before you did."

She was still trying to provoke me, but I only looked at her, cold.