When Love Ceases

Too busy? Was he busy catching up with his first love?

Seeing that I didn't respond, Leon gently brushed my cheeks with his fingers and said softly, "Once I finish everything in the next few days, I'll spend our fifth anniversary with you."

My heart tightened. So, he did remember that we had been together for five years.

"Sadly, I won't be there to celebrate it with you," I whispered silently in my heart.

Leon didn't notice anything unusual. Suddenly, he smiled, as if something had just come to mind.

"By the way, I got a message yesterday," he said. "Uncle Nathan is getting engaged. It seems to fall on the same day as our anniversary. How about we go back to Rivelle together?"

Seeing the genuine smile in his eyes, I couldn't help but smile back. "Sure."

Satisfied with my reply, Leon left happily.

I continued packing in silence, wondering where to throw all this junk.

…

Since that day, Leon started coming home less frequently. He always used work as an excuse.

I never got the chance to bring up the breakup. All I could do was continue helping with the engagement preparations.

On the last day, someone knocked on the door.

I glanced at the clock. It wasn't the time Leon usually returned. I got up to open the door and found his junior, Alex Mason, standing there.

Alex was drenched in sweat, but he smiled brightly when he saw me.

"Ms. Bates, today is Mr. Burton's award ceremony. I came to pick you up!"

I was stunned and asked, "Did Leon ask you to come?"

"No, he didn't." Alex scratched his head. "But haven't you always gone to his award ceremonies before?"

That was true. I had never missed any of Leon's moments of honor. But now, I was leaving soon. I could also guess what the ceremony would be about.

I was about to turn Alex down, but seeing him drenched in sweat, I couldn't bear to do so. So, I changed my mind and said, "Okay."

When we arrived at the auditorium, the ceremony had already started.

Besides reporters, many respected figures from the astronomy field were present.

I asked Alex to take care of his tasks while I stayed quietly in a corner at the back of the auditorium. To my surprise, Phoebe was there too. She was sitting in the most prominent spot, as if someone had planned it.

When Leon accepted the naming certificate from the director, the room erupted in applause and camera flashes.

Under all that spotlight, Phoebe stood up from her seat and clapped excitedly for him.

Leon looked at her with a gaze that was both determined and gentle. It was as if Phoebe had been by his side all these years.

Even though I had already decided to give up on him, a dull ache still spread through my chest.

I should forget it. I was getting married soon anyway. What was the point of caring about this anymore?

So, I joined the crowd in applause as well. I considered it my final cheer for Leon.

But on stage, Leon's hand froze when he took the trophy. It was as if he sensed something. He looked toward the crowd again, but not at Phoebe. Instead, his gaze moved through the crowd and landed on me, standing in the corner.

After the ceremony ended, Leon came straight toward me. His expression was unusually flustered. The first thing he asked was, "Why are you here?"

I didn't feel like saying anything else. I just smiled and said, "I just arrived. Congrats."

But Leon didn't relax. He frowned and quickly explained, "This award belongs to Mr. Bennett. He's attending a scientific conference in Caelundra, so I accepted it on his behalf."

"Mm." I gave a slight nod, showing no objection.

Leon's shoulders eased slightly as he stepped closer and took my hand. "Let's go home."

"Rachel?" Just as he finished speaking, a woman's voice called from behind.

It was Phoebe, dressed in a flowing white dress. She smiled brightly when she saw me and came over to take my hand.

"What a surprise to run into you here! We're having a celebration later. Would you like to come?" she asked.

Before I could respond, Leon turned her down for me. "She's not going."

The slight furrow in his brow showed that he didn't want me to have much interaction with Phoebe.

I didn't want to cause trouble, either. I was just about to politely decline when the department head, Neil Shapemen, came over. He had just finished speaking to reporters.

He greeted me warmly. "Rachel, you're here? We're heading off to celebrate, join us with Leon!"

As he spoke, he motioned for Leon and me to get into the car. Leon seemed a bit reluctant, but out of respect for Neil, he got in.

Through the window, I saw Phoebe biting her lip, staring at us with an unhappy expression.

…

At the celebration, everyone naturally arranged for me to sit next to Leon.

Before long, Phoebe pushed the door open and entered the room. She sat down at the seat farthest from him.

She had barely taken a seat when a guy recognized her. "Aren't you Phoebe Jones, the dancer? My sister loves you. She watches you on TV all the time!"

Phoebe smiled sweetly, showing her dimples. "Yes, that's me. Leon and I were classmates in high school."

"Wow! I thought Mr. Burton was impressive, but I didn't expect his high school classmate to be just as amazing!" the guy said excitedly.

"By the way," he added curiously, "I heard that you recently got divorced. My sister was so upset. Is it true?"

The question was blunt, but Phoebe wasn't offended. Instead, she admitted it and said, "Yes, I got divorced."

She gave the person a playful wink as she continued, "I came today to see if I might meet someone who's a good match. Everyone here is a scientist serving the country. You're all undoubtedly exceptional."

At her words, Leon looked away silently. His lips pressed into a thin line, and veins bulged on the hand gripping his glass.

I could tell that he was angry.

Phoebe wasn't just beautiful. She had a way with words. Before long, she started drinking with Leon's male colleagues. One glass after another, her cheeks turned red, but she kept drinking and chatting.

Finally, Leon couldn't stay quiet any longer. He stood and walked toward her. Taking the glass from her hand, he said firmly, "That's enough! You can't drink anymore."

Phoebe placed her chin on her hand, her gaze soft and slightly distant as she looked at him.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

When Leon stayed silent, Phoebe grabbed an empty glass and began pouring herself more wine.

But before she could pour the wine, he snatched the bottle away. She fought back for it and sneered. "Mr. Burton, we're nothing more than old classmates. Don't you think you're being a little too nosy?"

I couldn't stand watching them argue anymore, so I got up and headed to the restroom.

But just as I passed them, Phoebe suddenly lost her balance. She stumbled backward and dragged me down with her.

A shelf behind us toppled over, and a bottle of liquor came crashing down on my abdomen. The sharp and overwhelming pain hit me instantly, and I curled up on the floor, clutching my stomach.

However, what I heard next wasn't concern for me. It was Leon's panicked voice shouting, "Phoebe!"

Phoebe had fallen hard onto the floor, the wine glass in her hand shattering into pieces. Jagged shards pierced her skin, and blood began to flow freely. She looked up at Leon in a daze, terrified and unsure of what to do.

Leon didn't even glance at me despite the cold sweat on my forehead or the tears from the pain. He rushed to scoop Phoebe into his arms and bolted out the door.

As I watched them disappear, the pain in my stomach worsened, and tears spilled down my cheeks uncontrollably.

The commotion sobered everyone up. A few people helped me to my feet.

"Does it hurt badly?" Abby asked with concern. "Do you want to go to the hospital?"

I shook my head and forced a smile. "I'll head home first. You guys enjoy the rest of the night."

Then, I wiped away my tears and walked out of the private room. As I stepped outside the restaurant, my phone lit up with two messages. One was from Leon, and the other was from an unknown number.

I opened his message first. It was short and to the point. "Phoebe's really hurt. I'll take care of her tonight. We'll celebrate our anniversary tomorrow."

But the unknown number had sent something much more dramatic. The moment I looked, I was met with a photo of Leon holding a pair of slender legs, kissing them. His eyes were clouded with lust.

Then came the text. "Rachel, so what if you have been with Leon for five years? The one he has always loved is me. All I have to do is stir things up a little, and he comes running back to me!

"You fell so hard today, and he didn't even glance at you. I advise you to give up and hand him back to me while your dignity is still intact."

I let out a hollow laugh and silently blocked them both.

The dull ache in my abdomen hadn't eased. I stopped at a pharmacy and bought a box of painkillers, swallowing two right away. Then, I hailed a cab to the airport and boarded the flight I had already booked.