Chapter 5

I stood behind the curtain, watching Silas leave, and picked up a notebook from the table nearby.

To seize this opportunity, I hadn’t driven to work for quite a while. Fortunately, today’s weather forecast was accurate, and I really encountered this rain.

I flipped open the notebook, filled with records of Silas’s preferences.

There was very little information about him. I painstakingly found his old school social media account and meticulously recorded every detail, only then learning some of his likes.

Even that film “The Holy Mountain,” I only watched last night.

There’s no other way; someone like me, an ordinary woman, wanting to win over such an exceptional man, indeed requires extra effort.

I curled my lips into a smile, just about to rest on the bed when my phone rang.

An unfamiliar number, but the voice was familiar upon answering.

Kaele’s tone was indifferent:

“You left a lot of things at home. Come and get them.”

“Otherwise, I’ll throw them all away.”

I did leave some things behind when I left, but they were items I considered unnecessary and space-consuming.

I thought Kaele would just throw them away given his personality, but unexpectedly, he called to inform me.

“Then just throw them all away. I don’t want them.”

I said while flipping through the notebook on how to win over Silas, my tone somewhat dismissive.

On the other end, Kaele was clearly displeased, remained silent for a long time, and then abruptly hung up.

He’s always been like this, moody, always needing someone to coax him, but now I have no obligation to do so anymore. After blocking the number, I put the matter behind me.

…

Having spent time with Silas yesterday, I couldn’t use the same approach today.

I rarely left work early, planning to have a few drinks with friends at a bar.

After a few rounds, both of us were a bit tipsy. My friend squinted and asked:

“You liked Kaele so much before, now suddenly breaking up, can you really let go?”

When I was with Kaele, my friends always felt frustrated with me, thinking I was too much of a pushover, lacking self-respect.

But I didn’t think it was a big deal.

Since I was attracted to Kaele’s looks, I had to give something in return.

Besides, whether I was a pushover or not was my decision; how could it be considered lacking self-respect?

I put down my glass.

“He’s just someone to date. I’m not foolish; playing around while young is fine.”

“If I really married him, wouldn’t I be miserable for a lifetime?”

My friend gave a thumbs up: “Impressive, your perspective is high. You’re right, Kaele was at his best when you had him, turns out you’re the one in the upper atmosphere–”

She suddenly stopped talking, looking behind me with a terrified expression:

“Am I seeing things because I’m drunk?!”

A faint laughter came from behind, carrying a chill, instantly sobering me up!

“Oh? Is this the reason you dumped me?”

I stiffly turned around, and there was Kaele, leaning casually against the wall in a silk white shirt, looking at me coldly.

…

My friend, lacking loyalty, slipped away.

Kaele pulled me into an empty hallway, looking down at me, and I seriously suspected he might kill me in the next second.

“What are you doing here?” I took the initiative.

“You’re not here specifically for me, are you?”

Kaele lazily tugged at the corner of his mouth: “Elowen, if there’s no mirror at home, there’s always a puddle, right?”

“I’m here with the band for a performance, but if I hadn’t run into you, I wouldn’t have known I’ve been played for years.”

“I was just joking with my friend, you know. You hurt me deeply, and I have my pride too.”

I turned my head away from Kaele, but he grabbed my chin, forcing me to face him.

He gritted his teeth on one side:

“Elowen, have you always thought of me as a fool?”

Yes, I silently answered in my heart, freeing my painfully pinched chin from his grip, maintaining calm as I spoke:

“Kaele, no matter what, I’ve been devoted to you these years. You should ask yourself honestly, how have I treated you?”

“I haven’t wronged you, but you’ve always wronged me. Even if I did play you, it wasn’t for nothing. Doesn’t my youth count as youth?”

“Since we’ve reached this point, let’s part on good terms, at least–” I paused, unable to say the words “love each other.”

“At least we had a good time.”

Kaele looked at me for a long time, and just when I thought he would get angry again, he suddenly laughed.

Under the lights, his features were as beautiful as ever, but I no longer felt moved.

No matter how good-looking someone is, after seeing them for over a thousand days and nights, it’s enough.

“Elowen, you think too highly of yourself.”

Kaele curled his lips: “Of course, we should part on good terms. Do you think I’d still cling to you?”

“But remember, it wasn’t you who dumped me, it was I, Kaele, who dumped you.”

With that, he turned and left, as if there was something dirty behind him.

I watched his back and sighed silently.

Kaele indeed had never been dumped in his life; perhaps being dumped by me made him very frustrated.

But if thinking this way makes him feel better, I don’t mind.