2

Treasure is a stray cat I adopted. He and I have a special bond.

One night, as I was coming home, I heard meowing coming from the bushes in my neighborhood.

Curious, I walked over and meowed back a couple of times.

Treasure walked out from the bushes.

He wasn't shy with strangers at all and came right over, rubbing nonstop against my pant leg.

I reached out and gently poked him with my finger. He rubbed against me even more vigorously, then flopped over to show me his belly, trying to look cute.

My heart melted, so I took him home and named him Treasure.

Treasure is very well-behaved. He knows Aiden Gordon doesn't like him.

Whenever Aiden is around, he always curls himself into a little ball and hides in a corner of the room.

Only when I call for him will he cautiously approach my feet and wait.

It broke my heart to see, so I started giving him a can of wet food every day when I got home.

When Aiden saw this, he scoffed, "He's just a stray. Is he really worth all this effort?"

I couldn't be bothered to argue with him, because in my heart, Treasure wasn't just a stray. He was my baby, my family.

I crawled into the bushes, searching inch by inch, ready to tear the whole place apart to find Treasure.

"Celia Shaw?" I heard someone call my name from behind me.

I straightened up from within the bushes and turned to look.

I froze when I saw his face. "What are you doing here?"

Of all the rotten luck. To be seen in such a sorry state by my childhood nemesis, Julian Lowell.

Julian Lowell frowned, his gaze sweeping over my face and then across the bushes.

He asked, puzzled, "What are you looking for in the bushes?"

"I'm looking for my cat." After I answered, I went back to searching the bushes, calling Treasure's name.

I heard a RUSTLE, and the bushes next to me shook.

It sounded like someone was pushing aside the leaves.

Confused, I turned my head and saw Julian Lowell rummaging deep inside the bushes.

I was stunned. 'Julian Lowell, a total germaphobe, is actually helping me look for my cat?'

Julian Lowell and I have known each other since we were kids. Our parents are good friends.

Mrs. Lowell is a fantastic cook, and I'd often follow the aroma to their house to snag a free meal.

Julian Lowell couldn't stand me. Every time he saw me come over, he couldn't help but pick on me.

He used to stick notes on my back calling me a little dummy.

He also ruined my new dress with ink, which made me cry for days.

He even looked down on me because my test scores weren't as good as his.

Damn it. He was first in the entire school every single year—the proverbial "neighbor's kid" that all our parents compared us to, and the bane of every child's existence in our neighborhood.

Visiting their house for Chinese New Year was my annual nightmare.

My mom would pat Julian Lowell's head in admiration, her face beaming. "Our Julian has always been so smart, and so handsome, too. I'm sure plenty of girls will be chasing after him when he's older."

I would sit on the sofa peeling an orange, pouting with disdain. 'With that sharp tongue and awful temper of his,' I'd think, 'any girl he ends up liking is going to have a miserable life.'

Fortunately, Mrs. Lowell was very fond of me. She loved buying me pretty hair accessories and would braid my hair in cute styles for me.

She would often stroke my hair and say, half-jokingly, "Celia is so pretty and cheerful, too. It would be wonderful if she could be my daughter-in-law one day."

I would shiver in terror, and as I looked up, my eyes would meet Julian Lowell's.

We could both see the mutual disgust in each other's eyes.

Later, when I went off to college, I gradually lost touch with the Lowells.

I never thought I would run into Julian Lowell here of all places.

: 3

3

"Found him! Is this the one?" Julian Lowell's sudden shout broke me out of my thoughts.

I looked up to see Julian Lowell holding a small, orange and white cat.

"Treasure! Mommy's good boy, you've been through so much." I excitedly reached out, took Treasure from him, and hugged him close.

I rubbed my face against Treasure's head again and again, feeling the little cat trembling with fear in my arms.

"Don't be scared. Mommy chased away the bad people. From now on, it'll just be the two of us." I said, walking out from the bushes while holding Treasure.

"You broke up?" Julian Lowell seized on the key part of what I said, a hint of excitement in his voice.

I nodded. "Yeah, we broke up."

Julian Lowell also emerged from the bushes. He brushed the dirt off his clothes and stood before me, his intense gaze fixed on my face.

His stare made me a little uneasy. I hugged Treasure tighter and took a small step back. "What are you looking at? Haven't you ever seen a beautiful woman before?"

"I'm looking at an idiot," Julian Lowell said.

'Damn it. I knew that jerk couldn't say a single kind word.'

After he said that, Julian Lowell laughed. He reached out and gently ruffled my hair. "Looks like the idiot was smart for once."

...

After that day, I didn't see Aiden Gordon for three days, and I was happy for the peace and quiet.

'Looking back, I can't believe how blind I was to have been with him, putting up with so much for all those years.'

That weekend, I decided to go out and buy some canned food for Treasure.

Just as I stepped outside, I saw Julian Lowell leaving his apartment as well.

My eyes widened in surprise, and I gasped, "What are you doing here?"

Julian Lowell gave me a look like I was an idiot. "I just moved in yesterday."

It took a moment for the shock to wear off before I realized that Julian Lowell had moved in next door. He was my new neighbor.

Out of gratitude for him helping me find my cat the other day, I decided to treat him to some barbecue skewers at a shop near our complex.

Julian Lowell didn't stand on ceremony. He readily followed me into the barbecue place.

The moment I walked in, I saw Claire Chandler and Aiden Gordon sitting at a table by the window.

Claire Chandler was wearing a floral dress and gazing at Aiden Gordon across the table, her face beaming with a brilliant smile. The form-fitting dress hugged her curves perfectly.

I glanced down at my own baggy T-shirt and shorts. Not a hint of femininity.

Claire Chandler's hand was still wrapped in white gauze. She was pouting, waiting for Aiden Gordon to feed her.

Aiden Gordon smiled, picked up a piece of grilled meat, wrapped it in lettuce, and placed it in Claire Chandler's mouth.

This wasn't the first time I'd seen Aiden Gordon feed Claire Chandler.

I found out about Claire Chandler's existence the day after Aiden Gordon and I started dating.

The weather was scorching that day, so hot you felt like you were melting. I stood at the subway station exit under an umbrella, waiting for Aiden Gordon.

After waiting for a long time, Aiden Gordon finally emerged from the station, slowly, holding Claire Chandler's hand.

Claire Chandler had her hair in a bun and was wearing a super-short pleated skirt that showed off her pale, slender legs. She wasn't tall and had a very sweet-looking face.

When she saw me, she froze. The smile on her face stiffened, and her tone was laced with jealousy. "Sister, you must be Brother Aiden's new girlfriend, right? You're so pretty."

Aiden Gordon gave a smug smile, walked over to my side, and put an arm around my shoulder. "Of course my girlfriend is pretty."

Claire Chandler's smile grew even more rigid, a flash of envy in her eyes.

She wiped the sweat from her forehead and started acting cute for Aiden Gordon.

: Breakup

4

"Brother Aiden, I can't walk another step."

She tugged on Aiden Gordon's sleeve to get his attention.

Aiden took us to a nearby coffee shop.

Aiden ordered a coffee for himself. I ordered a smoothie, then looked up at Claire Chandler. "Do you want a smoothie too?"

Before Claire could say anything, Aiden immediately spoke up. "She's on her period, so she can't have anything cold. Get a hot milk tea."

'Aiden even remembered something so private about Claire, yet he didn't care about my life at all.'

Later, Claire started whining for Aiden to feed her some cake. Resignedly, he fed her a bite.

Claire smiled, satisfied. She looked up at me, a provocative glint in her eyes. "Please, don't get the wrong idea. Brother Aiden and I grew up together. We're as close as real siblings."

Aiden laughed. "That's right. I've even seen her when she was still in diapers."

'At that moment, I felt like a total outsider. It was mortifying.'

But I don't care anymore. I pulled Julian Lowell along and sat down in the empty seat next to Aiden.

"What are you doing here?" Aiden froze when he saw me. Then, his eyes landed on Julian Lowell sitting across from me, and his voice rose several pitches. "Celia Shaw, have you been cheating on me?"

I gave him a cold look. "Aiden Gordon, we broke up. Who I date is my own business."

After speaking, I handed the freshly grilled lamb chop to Julian Lowell. "Here, try this. It's their specialty."

My tone was dripping with sweetness.

Julian Lowell accepted it gracefully and gave me an affectionate look in return. "Thanks."

Aiden was so angry he shot to his feet and stormed out alone.

Claire stood up, gave me a deep, meaningful look, and quickly followed him out.

I didn't let the little drama bother me. When I got home that night, I sat on the sofa, petting my cat, Treasure, while scrolling through my Social Feed.

I saw a photo Aiden had posted to his Social Feed. It was a picture of a floor littered with empty liquor bottles.

He'd added a caption: "Damn it. All those years of my youth, wasted on the wrong person."

A lot of our mutual friends were commenting below. Among the many comments, I saw one from his childhood friend.

Claire Chandler had commented, "Brother Aiden, you still have me. I'll be with you forever."

'Goddammit. I don't think I've ever wanted to curse someone out so badly in my life.'

Fuming, I put down my phone, hugged Treasure, and went to bed.

The next day, first thing in the morning, I was bombarded with messages. I went through them one by one. They were all defending Aiden.

Some said he was handsome and honest.

Others said we'd been together for so many years and shouldn't just throw it all away.

Someone even had the nerve to say he'd never had a wandering eye in all these years and was completely devoted to me.

I laughed out of pure anger. 'Completely devoted? What a joke.'

If he really saw me as his one and only, then why was he so messily entangled with Claire Chandler for all these years?

The two of them did things couples do, all under the guise of being "like brother and sister."

I was disgusted. I turned off my phone and got ready for work.

I did my makeup beautifully, changed into a new outfit, and grabbed my new bag.

Before heading upstairs, I ordered coffee for the entire office.

Receptionist Stiles saw my refreshed look and teased me with a smile, "Celia, you look so gorgeous! Should we be expecting wedding invitations?"

I shook my head. "Nope. I broke up with a scumbag."