I held the box out dumbly up in the air.

Caitline breezed past Robin, snatching it from my hands, and she tugged at him impatiently.

“Rob, come on! Let’s go already—I still wanna shop around more!”

As I watched their figures blend into the crowd, my chest tightened.

‘So this is what betrayal feels like?’

He told me he was drowning in debt, that he couldn’t afford anything better than those tattered clothes. My heart ached for him, so I went out of my way to buy him a few decent clothes.

But he never wore them.

When I asked why, he said he was scared of getting them dirty and that he wanted to treasure every single thing I gave him.

God, I felt even worse for him after that. I worked harder and stayed out longer selling stuff just to scrape together some money for him.

And yet, it was all one-sided.

Looking back, I bet Robin laughed at me every time he saw me—this naive, pathetic fool. Apparently, my sincerity was nothing more than entertainment for a spoiled rich boy.

I shut my eyes, and I couldn’t keep running the stall anymore.

The cold bit into me as I bundled myself tighter in my oversized coat, dragging my stall through the freezing streets. My energy was drained, and I just wanted to go home.

But just as I left, Robin came back.

Third Person’s POV

He stood there, puzzled, scanning the now-empty stall. It seemed as if the faintly familiar voice from earlier had been a figment of his imagination.

“Rob, I told you—you’re hearing things. There’s no way that was Calliope. And even if it was, so what? She’d probably just cling to you even harder if she knew.”

Robin hesitated, his gaze sweeping the street one last time, searching for someone who wasn’t there.

With a small sigh, he finally looked away, pushing down the unease tugging at him. He hoped it really was just his imagination.

Calliope’s POV

I lay on my bed staring blankly at the ceiling, my mind tangled in a mess of thoughts.

The sound of a key turning in the lock snapped me out of it.

Robin walked in, carrying a familiar, fancy packaging box. With excitement, he said, “Callie, look! I got you something nice!”

But I didn’t say a word.

Robin was, as always, effortlessly handsome—sharp features, flirtatious almond eyes, and that damn small mole under his eye that made him look unfairly alluring. And when he looked at me, his gaze was full of affection.

At over six feet tall, broad-shouldered and long-legged, even in cheap street clothes, he looked like he stepped out of a fashion magazine.

I’d asked him once why he didn’t just model to make money. He’d just dodged the question.

Now, I understand. He was terrified his real identity—a privileged rich kid—might slip out. And I’d latch onto him for good.

He walked over and pulled me into a hug, resting his head against my neck. His soft lips brushed my skin as he whispered, “Why aren’t you talking to me?”

I pulled away from his embrace, and with exhaustion, I replied, “I’m just… a bit tired.”

I didn’t have the energy to keep up with whatever game we were playing. I wanted answers, but before I could ask him, his phone buzzed in his pocket.

He glanced at the message, his expression flickering slightly, looking a bit off.

When he noticed I was staring at him, he quickly shoved the phone back into his pocket and explained, “It’s my boss. He’s asking me to work overtime—short on staff again.”

I didn’t know whether to believe it or not, but Robin just went ahead and pulled out a scarf from the bag and carefully wrapped it around my neck.

He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, his voice low and intimate as he said, “Callie, I hope I stay with you every holiday.”

I looked up at him, at the mole beneath his eye catching the light.

I used to love his eyes the most, the way they made me feel like I was his number one, the only one who mattered to him.

But now, I couldn’t figure him out anymore.

“Robin, you…”

Robin cut me off. He leaned down and patted my head. His voice carried that tone of helplessness. “But I can only stay with you for a little while today. I’ll make it up to you tomorrow, Callie.”

Just like that, he rushed out the door without waiting for my response. The door clicked shut behind him, and I just stood there staring in a daze.

I shouldn’t have glanced at his phone earlier, but I did. The message was from Caitline, and it burned in my mind.

[Robin, the fireworks by the lake are breathtaking. It’s such a shame you’re not here with me.]

I let out a bitter laugh. What the hell was I still hoping for?

Deep down, I’d probably known for a while. The way he acted, the way things didn’t add up—I’d just been playing dumb.

But today, the truth had been revealed. It slapped me right in the face, raw and brutal. My chest tightened, and waves of bitter pain made it hard to breathe.

That night, somehow, I drifted into a sleep. But it was restless, haunted by memories of Robin and me.

When I woke up, I found my pillow soaked. Without a word, I stripped the pillowcase off and dumped it straight into the trash.

We’d bought that pillowcase together—matching ones, for God’s sake. But none of that mattered anymore.

Thinking about the past few months with him, I realized how much I had sacrificed. I’d skimped and saved on everything, just so I could help him pay off his so-called debts.

And what did I get for it? Lies.

My gaze shifted to the coat I’d tossed near the door last night after coming back from my stall. It hadn’t moved since.

The damn thing barely kept me warm—cheap fabric that let the cold in from all angles.

I folded it up and threw it away before hailing a cab to the biggest mall in town.

But as soon as I walked in, I saw Robin with Caitline. They were laughing, caught up in some conversation.

I tried to walk past them and pretend I hadn’t seen a thing, but Robin’s sharp eyes caught me.

“Calliope, what are you doing here?”

It took a second to catch his meaning, and Caitline clung to his arm and gave me a once-over.

“Is this even a place you can afford?” she sneered.

I opened my mouth but didn’t say anything. The air around us seemed to freeze.

Their words were full of holes—how had I never noticed before?

It’s funny how stepping back from a relationship lets you see all the red flags you ignored.

I took a deep breath, not wanting to argue with them anymore. Turning on my heel, I made to leave, but Robin stepped in front of me, blocking my way.

“Well, since you’re here, why don’t you help me pick out a Christmas gift?”

“For who? Caitline?” I shot back. “Sorry, but that’s not my problem.”

My expression hardened as I forced a smile while my nails dug into my palms so hard that I couldn’t feel them anymore.

The old me would’ve never said no to him, but this time, the shock on his face was almost satisfying. He clearly hadn’t expected me to refuse.

“Calliope, don’t make a scene,” he said with a sigh. “Caitline is just my little sister.”

I stared at him for a moment. The mole under his eye used to look so faint in the light, but now it seemed to vanish completely into the shadows.

“A little sister?” I sneered. “You mean a very special little sister?”

Without waiting for his response, I brushed past him and headed straight for the exit.

Behind me, I could feel him staring at me with a frown. I even heard him trying to smooth things over.

“Caitline, don’t take it to heart, okay? She’s just upset right now.”

Back at school, I had just one political science class that day, so I decided to show up 10 minutes early. The professor looked surprised to see me.

I used to stay out late working at the stall, sometimes until 2 a.m., trying to make money to help Robin pay his debts. I’d barely made it to class on time, and sometimes I’d even show up late.

My prof had always had a poor impression of me because of that. But today, when he saw me, I noticed a hint of approval on his face.

Just as he was about to say something, Caitline walked in, arms full of books.

She walked straight to the seat next to mine and sat down, casually making sure I noticed the gold bracelet on her wrist peek out.

The bracelet was delicate, its surface glinting with tiny diamonds embedded in it.

“Isn’t it pretty, Calliope? Guess what? Rob gave it to me,” Caitline said.

I didn’t bother responding, just shifted my gaze away.

Caitline seemed stunned by my indifference. For once, she shut up and we got through the class in peace.

But as soon as class ended, she shrieked, “Oh no, my bracelet… my bracelet is missing!”

“It’s the one my boyfriend just gave me. Please, you guys, help me find it!” she cried out.

That made me freeze. Oh, hell no. This was one of her setups, and I just knew the next second she’d pin it on me.

I hurried to pack up my books, but as I stood, a gold chain slipped out from between the pages and hit the floor.

Caitline dove for it like a damn hawk, held it up, and pointed at me. “Calliope, I never expected you’d be this kind of person! How could you steal my bracelet? This is a gift from my boyfriend!”

She yelled so loudly, with sobs in her voice, that everyone’s attention turned toward us, casting judgmental glances in my direction.

I couldn’t even defend myself. I just wanted to get the hell out of there.

But then I saw Robin standing nearby, his face dark, his eyes locked on me.

“If you didn’t want it,” he said coldly, “why would you steal it?”

I stared at him in disbelief. Even my voice betrayed how hurt I felt. “You really think I’d do that?”

He didn’t answer, but the look in his eyes said it all.

With a cold expression, he dropped a fancy little bag in front of me and said, “I guess I was wrong about you. Thought you were different.”

Without another glance, he took Caitline’s hand and walked away under the curious stares of the crowd.

I pressed a hand to my chest, struggling to breathe.

When I got home, I opened the bag he left me. Inside was a silver bracelet, shining brightly.

The design looked almost exactly like his gift for Caitline, except mine didn’t have a few more diamonds.

I stared at it for a while, then lowered my eyes and tossed the bracelet into its box, sealing it shut.

A bitter smile tugged at my lips. ‘He obviously doesn’t like me, so why does he pretend? And now, he’s given me the same gift as Caitline. For what? Just to humiliate me?!’

This was the first expensive thing Robin had ever given me. ‘Is he done pretending now? Or is there more to this?’

The questions swirled in my head, but I couldn't figure them out, so I let them go.

Staring at the ceiling, I exhaled slowly. I’d have to find a time to settle this with him.

I didn’t owe him anything.

And I sure as hell wasn’t going to let him keep humiliating me.

Lying in bed, I scrolled through my phone, only to stumble upon a post about me on the campus forum from earlier that afternoon.

The comments were full of praise about how Robin, the computer science department’s heartthrob, and Caitline, the Fine Arts beauty, made the perfect couple.

Only one person mentioned me and Robin being a thing, but that got buried fast under the congratulations.

I turned off my phone and closed my eyes, but the ache in my chest didn’t fade.

These months with Robin—there’s no way I didn’t feel something for him.

I was thinking of that when suddenly, my phone buzzed. It was a message from him.

[Come to The W Seattle this weekend. Pick something expensive for her as an apology gift.]

I stared at the text and remembered—it was his birthday this weekend.

‘Is this him finally ending things with me?’

I hesitated but remembered that I’d already prepared a birthday gift for him.

I’d poured so much thought into it, hoping to make him feel cared for and that he mattered to me.

Now, I didn’t even want to give it to him anymore.

After days of being indecisive, I finally brought the gift to The W Seattle.

“Consider it as my way of saying goodbye to this foolish relationship,” I told myself.