Chapter 4

It wasn't until every dish had arrived that I frowned.

"Why is everything spicy?"

"You both know I can't eat spicy food."

Seeing my displeasure, Vincent instinctively reached for the menu, ready to order something else.

But Chloe grabbed his arm at once and shot me a reproachful look.

"Soph, it's just a little chili. Why do you have to be so difficult?"

"Besides, you need to learn to adapt. You can't expect Vince to keep catering to you forever, especially after you're married, right?"

Vincent's hand stilled.

He looked at me and set down a plate of spicy pasta in chili oil.

Bright red chilies floated on the surface, pungent heat stinging my nose and bringing tears to my eyes.

"Just eat it. Stop acting like a baby!"

I listened to him blame me and let out a bitter laugh.

My voice trembled as I asked, barely believing what I had just heard.

"You really want me to eat this?"

He said nothing, but his silence was the answer.

I picked up my fork with my hand shaking and took a big bite.

Tears streamed down my face before I could stop them.

When I first met Vincent, I'd been hospitalized for gastritis.

The doctor had warned me to stick to a bland diet from then on.

After that, Vincent never ordered anything spicy when we ate together.

No matter how much he liked spicy food himself, he'd always made sure I could eat everything on the table.

I believed he'd truly loved me back then.

However, he could give that same love to anyone without a second thought.

When I forced down the last bite, my stomach was churning, cramping, and seizing without pause.

The pain soaked my forehead in sweat.

I clutched my stomach and dropped to the floor.

Vincent rushed over in a panic.

"Sophie! Are you alright?!"

Then he turned to Chloe, his voice urgent.

"Call an ambulance! What are you waiting for?!"

It wasn't until the paramedics had lifted me onto the stretcher that Chloe finally snapped.

"Soph is so dramatic. She eats one bite of something spicy and suddenly she's acting like she's dying."

"Who'd want to be stuck with someone who's sick all the time?"

Vincent chuckled softly, slipped an arm around her waist, and shot me an impatient glance as he tried to soothe her.

"Soph, get yourself checked in. I’ll stay with Chloe."

"She’s your best friend. I can’t just leave her there feeling miserable."

Watching the two of them stride off, the nurse said enviously.

"What a sweet couple. He really loves his girlfriend. You can tell he takes such good care of her."

My face was pale, but my voice was steady.

"He's my boyfriend."

The nurse stared at me in surprise.

"For now," I added. "Not for much longer."

After I was admitted, Vincent never came to see me once.

He went around checking off every trendy restaurant with Chloe.

He even changed his profile picture and pinned a photo of the two of them at the top of his social media feed.

The day I was discharged, rain came down in sheets.

Vincent had promised to pick me up, so I stood shivering in the rain when his message came through.

[Sorry, Soph. Chloe wants me to go meet her parents early.]

[I'm heading over now. Take care of yourself.]

[You’re not going back home for the holidays anyway, so lock up and wait for me to get back.]

I opened his profile and stared at the photo of them pressed close together, both beaming at the camera.

For the first time, I felt nothing. I wasn't angry or hurt anymore.

Without a second thought, I blocked him.

My Uber and the moving company were already waiting for me.

Once my luggage had been loaded, I climbed into the car and headed home.

The scenery changed quickly along the way.

So did Vincent and I.

Only this time, there was no going back.

...

Vincent still hadn't gotten a reply, and he was starting to feel anxious.

Before he could dwell on it any longer, Chloe slipped her hand into his.

"Vince, my parents are both here. You'd better make a good impression."

"Show them what you can do. Don't embarrass me."

Vincent smiled softly and nodded.

He'd spent fifty thousand dollars hiring an entire fleet of drones.

Flowers rained down over the square as a fleet of drones carried a banner across the sky.

[To my dearest Chloe. May you always be happy.]

People around them murmured in admiration, every voice praising what a perfect match the two of them made.

But something in Vincent felt off.

Suddenly, he thought of Sophie and how pale she'd looked when she'd left.

Chloe noticed his distraction and, visibly annoyed, rose onto her tiptoes to kiss him.

"You're here with me right now. So, who are you thinking about?"

Vincent snapped out of it and instinctively pushed her away.

He grabbed his car keys and turned to go.

"I'm going back."

"I can't stop worrying about Sophie. I'm bringing her home."