Mila sat in her seat and stuck her tongue out at me, then turned and pointed at the group.

"Aren't you going to apologize? Running your mouths like that, dragging me into it and making Dawn misunderstand me."

The group immediately raised their glasses, all giggles.

"Sorry, sorry, our mouths got out of line."

Their eyes were bored, impatient. Not one of them actually thought they'd done anything wrong.

My chest felt tight and heavy, but I still let Benedict pull me down into a seat.

The whole table was spicy Tex-Mex, layer after layer of red chili oil, the heat sharp enough to close my throat.

Mila loved spicy food.

But I was from up north. I couldn't handle even a little heat.

Benedict served Mila her food with practiced ease, peeling her shrimp for her, then pulled a hair tie from his pocket and gathered up the strands that had come loose, tying them back like it was second nature.

Mila patted his chest and complained with a laugh.

"Look at him, fussing over everything, treating me like I'm your wife. So annoying, honestly."

Someone beside them jumped in right away.

"Benedict, that's cold, man. Taking care of another girl right in front of your girlfriend."

Only then did Benedict seem to remember me at all. He picked up a bit of shrimp with his chopsticks and dropped it into my bowl.

The shrimp still had its shell on.

He seemed to have forgotten too. I'm allergic to seafood.

I looked down at the shrimp in my bowl and thought how absurd it was.

The conversation quickly circled back to their own familiar world.

I sat off to the side, like someone dragged in at the last minute just to fill a chair.

Until someone suddenly turned the topic to me.

"Where's Dawn headed after graduation? Found a job yet?"

Another one laughed. "Don't tell me she's actually going to live off Benedict?"

Benedict laughed too, as if smoothing things over for me.

"Don't be ridiculous."

Then, as if he'd finally remembered something, he turned to look at me.

"Weren't you prepping for that interview at the foreign company? How'd it go?"

The hand holding my chopsticks tightened, little by little.

The night before that interview, I was so nervous I couldn't sleep at all, because my spoken English was weak, so weak I stumbled through even my own introduction.

I took my script to Benedict, wanting him to listen to me run through it once.

But he had his earbuds in, on a video call with Mila, editing her application essays.

I stood there waiting a long time before he finally took out one earbud and looked at me, irritated.

"I'm helping Mila with her essays right now."

"Your speaking is too far behind. Me drilling with you won't help, it's just wasting time."

He looked back down at his laptop and said, offhand,

"Why don't you sign up for a beginner's class, start from the basics."

Afterward I practiced on my own for a long time, recording myself on my phone every day, correcting my pronunciation line by line.

But on the day of the interview, I got cut anyway.

I was heartbroken then, but I never told him.

I kept thinking I'd wait until I found a job, until I was a little less of an embarrassment, and then give him some good news.

The private room was still waiting for my answer.

Mila watched me, a trace of pity in her eyes.

Benedict watched me too, pushing for a reply.

I said calmly,

"I didn't get it."

I lifted my eyes and looked at Benedict.

"So I'm not staying."

"After graduation, I'm going home."

"Benedict, let's break up."

The room suddenly burst into laughter, drowning out my voice.

Someone had dug up a photo of Mila from her high school study-abroad trip somewhere.

"Never thought our Miss Mila could ever look that rough."

Mila flushed instantly, draped herself over Benedict's back, tugged at his ear, and ordered him in that coy, whining way of hers,

"Benedict, go deal with them, quick!"

Benedict turned his head at once, laughing as he reached over to snatch the man's phone away.

Then he looked back at me. "What did you just say?"

Before I could answer,

Mila was already pulling him up by the arm.

"Let's not talk about depressing things. A new climbing gym just opened nearby. Let's go have some fun."

She turned to me again.

"Dawn, come with us. I really do want us to get along."

Benedict frowned at me too.

"Mila set this whole thing up today just to apologize to you. Stop being such a killjoy."

I wanted to talk to him about the breakup, but he took my hand and pulled me straight toward the door.

"Whatever it is, we'll talk after this is over."

Mila fastened her harness as she asked me,

"Benedict's always the one who partners with me. How about you take his place this time? Consider it a fresh start for us."

She held my hand, her eyes so earnest, as if she truly wanted to smooth things over.

"I know you've always thought Benedict and I are too close. But we've just known each other since we were kids. It's only habit."

"Don't keep treating me like the enemy. I want to get along with you too."

I lowered my eyes to where her fingers wrapped around mine.

Her hands were soft, her nails beautifully trimmed, not a single hangnail on them.

And I suddenly thought of my own lips, cracked from staying up late rehearsing my interview script, my fingers callused from part-time work.

Maybe we really weren't from the same world.

Still, I took the safety rope.

When I looked up, I saw that the safety clip at Mila's waist hadn't clicked fully into the ring.

I called out without thinking,

"Your clip—"

Mila had already grabbed a hold, smiling as she started to climb.

The next second, she suddenly screamed.

Her whole body slid off the wall and jerked to a stop, dangling in midair.

Her face went white, her sobs shaking her voice.

A staff member rushed over and hit the safety brake, and Benedict bolted to her side.

He lifted her off the ground, and when he saw the rope had chafed her wrist red, the color drained from his face.

He rounded on me.

"She didn't notice something was wrong. Couldn't you at least have helped her check?"

I froze.

Mila buried her face in his chest, choking out,

"Benedict, don't blame Dawn. She probably didn't notice either."

His face went colder still.

"Dawn, no matter how much you dislike Mila, you can't play games with something like this."

I opened my mouth, and suddenly I didn't want to say a single word.

Benedict carried Mila off toward the hospital, and as he passed me, I said,

"Benedict, we're breaking up."

He paused. He said nothing.

I went back to the rental, gathered up the last of my things, handed the keys to the landlord, and ended the lease.

Early the next morning, I boarded the bullet train back to the state capital.

As the train pulled out of the station, Benedict's call finally came through.

"Mila was so scared last night. She hasn't had any appetite all day."

"Take some time off, make some corn and pork rib soup, and bring it to the hospital. She loves the soup you used to make me."

I gripped the phone, my fingertips going cold, one degree at a time.

So all those years, the soup I stayed up till midnight to make for Benedict's stomach had ended up in Mila's.

"Also, her coat and scarf got dirty yesterday. Grab those and wash them while you're at it."

"And I think her pendant fell somewhere at the climbing gym. Go help her look for it too."

I watched the city slide backward past the window, and said calmly,

"Benedict, we've broken up."

There was a moment of silence on the other end.

Then, as if he'd finally caught on, a note of weariness crept into his voice.

"Is this because I snapped at you yesterday?"

"Dawn, she almost got hurt. I was a little on edge. Do you really have to make such a fuss?"

He sighed again, the way you'd coax a child who didn't know any better.

"My mom's coming by soon. A girl like Mila, spoiled her whole life, a scare like that can leave scars easily. She needs looking after. Why don't you just take some leave and come help take care of her for a few days?"

"My mom might decide you're sensible, and then she won't object to us being together."

I let out a small laugh.

His mother had always looked down on me for being an outsider, never once willing to really look at me.

But every time she mentioned Mila, her voice would soften.

Not that it mattered now.

I hung up and blocked him on everything.

……

Benedict stared at the dead line, grabbed his coat, and moved to leave.

Mila asked him what was wrong.

"Dawn's throwing a tantrum," he said, exasperated. "I'm going back to smooth things over."

Mrs. Barnes's face darkened.

"Some country girl, and she dares to throw a fit at you? You are not going. Let her stew!"

Benedict only said he'd be right back.

But when he reached the rental, he found the lock had already been changed.

Swallowing his anger, he pounded on the door.

"Dawn, stop with the tantrum and open up."

The landlord heard the noise and poked his head out.

When he saw who it was, he said, surprised,

"She ended the lease and went home. You didn't know?"