Chapter 11

On the second day of Alex’s business trip, I found myself missing him a little.

Yet we weren’t even close enough to be called acquaintances.

Too lovesick, I decided to rein myself in.

At noon, eating takeout at the office, I received a photo from Alex. He had passed by a church: “Should I go in and pray for a match?”

I replied: Hmm, go ahead.

Alex: You’re so cold.

Me: Wait for you to come back.

Alex: I love you too.

Alex: Stay away from Jake before I return. Don’t talk to him unless you have to.

Me: What if I do have to?

Alex: Then all the more reason not to.

Alex’s warning turned out to be prescient.

Just before getting off work, Jake messaged me, asking to have dinner together.

It was at a place we used to frequent.

I loved their crystal dumplings, went there once a week. After our breakup, I deliberately avoided anything related to Jake-even took detours to keep from passing by.

Until one time, a client wanted to meet nearby. Passing the restaurant, I saw Jake and my younger sister inside through the glass.

She was sitting at my usual seat. Jake picked up a crystal dumpling and fed it to her, the gentle expression on his face is something I remember to this day.

That night, I went to the restaurant for takeout-just one order of crystal dumplings. I went home and finished them, one bite at a time.

Since then, I never craved them again.

Because the sweet taste in my memory now only left bitterness.

I didn’t reply. After work, he called several more times.

I thought of Alex’s words, blocked Jake, and went straight home.

Opening the door, I found a man standing in the living room.

When did my younger sister give him a key?

Jake looked at me: “Do you hate me this much?”

I bowed my head, thinking for a moment: “I’ll move out next month. Whatever happens between you and Sophie is none of my business. But until I move, this is my home. Give me back the key.”

“Emily.” He called my name softly. “I broke up with your younger sister. It was on her birthday.”

He walked over and gently touched my hair: “I don’t like her-not one bit.”

“I just wanted to know why my dad betrayed my mom, why he fell for his own sister-in-law and had a child at over fifty.” He smiled. “I wanted to see if I’d end up like him.”

“But after actually doing it, I felt no joy.” His voice lowered. “When your younger sister clung to me, wanting to kiss, I honestly felt disgusted.”

I looked at him, suddenly unable to recall why I ever fell for him.

“I know you hate this.” He knelt at my feet, his forehead pressed to the back of my hand. “It won’t happen again. Forgive me, please?”

I pulled my hand away, crouched down to look him in the eye: “Jake, would your mother forgive your father? If she couldn’t, why do you think I could?”

For a long moment, Jake’s throat bobbed.

After he left, my younger sister finally came out of her room.

She looked defeated and brought up what happened on her birthday.

That night at his place, the atmosphere was wonderful. She cooked two dishes herself. Jake stared at the food for ages before picking up a shrimp, then took out a ring and gave it to her.

She was thrilled and couldn’t help kissing him.

Everything that followed seemed so natural. She took the initiative, but Jake suddenly pushed her away and rushed to the bathroom to retch.

In that instant, she seemed to understand.

Overwhelmed by shame, she wanted to flee, but then noticed something was wrong with Jake-red rashes had broken out on his neck and face, and he was struggling to breathe.

She suddenly remembered I’d mentioned Jake was allergic to seafood.

Then it was straight to the hospital.

“You know how much Jake cares about you. He can’t stand even others touching your hair,” she said. “He hates his dad so much, yet he still did the same thing. He thought if he could just get over it, you two could really be together.”

My younger sister sneered, “He’s so stupid. As if you’d ever go back.”

I truly couldn’t understand his actions, nor what he called ‘love.’

He knew exactly how much I loved him, how much I cared about my younger sister.

And there was one more thing I wanted to confirm.

“That night at the hot spring hotel-did anything happen between you two?”

My younger sister shook her head. Jake stayed out on the balcony until dawn, only coming in after she woke up.

As for the sounds I heard that night, there was no way to verify now. Maybe it had been too humiliating, and I’d lost my sense of direction.