Chapter 2
Wrenley returned to the country on the day of my four-year anniversary with Jasiel. After coming back from the hospital, I went straight to the diner to wait for him, clutching the report as if it were a live coal, unsure whether to tell him. After all, he deserved to know.
But Jasiel never showed up, instead appearing in Wrenley’s Instagram story. Being stood up on our anniversary, I expected to feel angry or upset, yet I felt oddly numb. As usual, I calmly went home to wait for Jasiel.
He didn’t come home until midnight. At one in the morning, one of his friends called me, saying he was drunk and asked if I could pick him up. Listening to the rain outside, I hesitated to respond right away.
Just then, I heard Jasiel’s voice over the phone. "Elina, come get me." His voice was hoarse, with a hint of intoxication, like every other time he’d been drinking.
I almost fell for it again. "It's pouring out, it’s hard to get a cab this late..."
Before I could finish, he impatiently interrupted with an ultimatum. "Elina, you have half an hour. If you're not here, we're done."
He hung up, resorting once again to the threat of breaking up. I smirked bitterly at the familiar tone and finally picked up my keys to head out. I promised myself sincerely: this would be the last time.
On my way out, I habitually grabbed the hangover cure I had prepared and kept warm in the kitchen. The rain hammered down as I drove a borrowed car, racing through the storm for nearly an hour until I arrived.
I pushed open the door to the lounge, drenched and feeling like a wet rag, and heard Jasiel’s mocking voice: "She'll definitely come. Has she ever not come in all these years?"
"Right? Jasiel, you're quite the player. Without lifting a finger, she follows you around like a faithful pup, eager to come when you call and leave when you dismiss her."
Jasiel chuckled softly, not disputing his friend’s appraisal.
"But Jasiel, if she does come, are you just going to keep stringing her along? What about Wrenley?"
After a moment of silence, I heard Jasiel say indifferently, "Do I need a reason to cut ties with her? I've loved Wrenley all along, and as for her, she’s just a convenient pastime—a stray to discard."
"Classic Jasiel," his friend responded.
For a moment, I felt as if my entire strength had been drained. Forcing back tears, I pushed the door open with determination.
Everyone inside turned to look at me. Their expressions silently mocked me.
Jasiel frowned, displeased. "Why didn't you say something when you arrived? Are you afraid to show your face?"
He wasn’t drunk at all, just deceiving me once more. Despite being fooled so many times, why did I fall for it again?
I bit my lip, nails digging into my palm. Though I had prepared myself for this moment, his words still suffocated me, causing a dull ache in my heart.
In his world, wasn’t I someone best kept hidden away?
Jasiel glanced dismissively at my soaked figure and said impatiently, "Fine, come in. Standing at the door is embarrassing."
It seemed belittling me had become second nature to him.
"Come, grab a seat and have a drink, sis!" One of the guys warmly gestured me to sit, but before I could respond, someone added a snarky comment.
"Mac, calling her 'sis' might be a bit off, right? She’s no sister-in-law, hogging someone else's spot for four years doesn’t change the fact she's just a sad pup trailing after Jasiel."
The others laughed in agreement. Throughout, Jasiel didn’t stop them from humiliating me, because he felt the same way.
I laughed. "Being a lapdog is okay, isn't it? Better than acting all high and mighty while secretly pining for someone who doesn’t even notice you."
The guy’s face turned pale, and he looked ready to retort.
Just then, the door to the room opened.
Everyone’s attention shifted toward the entrance.
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