Chapter 11

Henry said that during the month I was gone, John had a rough time.

He cut ties with the women outside, stopped going to work, and became completely despondent.

He mentioned that John went to many places looking for me-hometown, cities we had traveled to before-and even informed the nearby residents to contact him immediately if they found any trace of me, promising a generous reward.

I have to admit, John knows me well. When we broke up, my first instinct was indeed to return to my hometown.

When people are hurt, they instinctively want to return to their haven.

As Henry spoke, he casually swapped the plate of sliced steak with the whole steak in front of me.

I looked at the perfectly sized steak, with cutting lines that matched my preferences, and fell silent once again.

Since Henry found me, I’ve noticed that I’ve been silent more often.

Unexpectedly, I realized that Henry understands me just as well as John does.

Henry’s response to this was, “You never gave me a chance before, nor did you ever focus your attention on me. Naturally, you wouldn’t know how much effort I’ve put in for you.”

I forced a smile.

No matter how sweet the words, Henry and John are fundamentally the same kind of person. How could I possibly believe him?

“Hey, are you really not going to forgive John this time?” Henry put down his knife and fork, looking at me seriously.

I turned my head in confusion, “Forgive what?”

“Didn’t you break up with him because he cheated?”

“No,” I shrugged, “I don’t feel that his cheating wronged me, so there’s no question of forgiveness.”

John cheated repeatedly, and at the root of it, I kept giving him chances.

I’ve long stopped caring about this matter; otherwise, John and I would have ended long ago.

“Then why…”

“I simply feel that this is as far as we can go. When I look at him, the dopamine stops flowing. I no longer look forward to holding hands, hugging, kissing, nor do I crave his body, or even the emotional value he brings.”

When people are together, they must seek something.

Money, companionship, happiness.

I no longer seek anything from John, so we are finished.

This time, it was Henry who fell silent.

He put the steak into his mouth, chewing slowly for a long time.

“Zoe,” he called my name.

“You know, sometimes I feel conflicted.”

“I hate that your gaze has always been fixed on John all these years. He has nothing over me, yet no matter what I do, you never see me.”

“But when you so easily discard this relationship, I start to worry.”

“If you don’t even want John, then what can I do, who is completely inferior to him in your heart?”

“Isn’t it tiring to always focus on me? Haven’t you thought about giving up?” I asked him, “After so many years of breaking up and getting back together with John, you guys must be tired of it.”

The same thing, said too many times, even close people should be annoyed.

It’s said that every time John and I break up, he drags his friends out for a drinking spree.

After so many times, those friends must be speechless.

They can’t understand how John can have so many breakups and reconciliations with the same woman.

Occasionally sleeping with an ex is nostalgic, but repeatedly reconciling with an ex-that’s just crazy!

Henry sighed softly, “Zoe, John is a playboy, drifting through a sea of flowers, picking up petals and dirt. You’ve never asked him if he’s tired of you.”

“I’m more virtuous than him, better than him, and understand you more. Yet you ask me why I’m not tired.”