Chapter 5

5

At the entrance, Julian arrived late, his suit slightly wrinkled.

He was always meticulous, yet somehow his shoes were muddy, out of place.

He scanned the room, his gaze locking onto Belen.

He didn't see me.

Only when he was five meters away did he notice me, his steps faltering.

"Julian, you're here?" Belen said.

Julian, praised by even his grandfather as a promising young man, was seasoned in business and quick to mask emotions. He hid his awkwardness and greeted us with a smile.

I noticed the gift box in his hand.

Avoiding my eyes, he handed it to Belen. "Took me a while to find this, so I'm late."

Belen, having spent years abroad, opened it immediately and gasped. "It's the wish bottle we buried as kids! I said I wanted to be the happiest princess in the world. So childish!"

Julian's gaze lingered on her face, full of affection.

She was a princess, adored by everyone.

Julian was no exception, going all out with flowers and even digging up a wish bottle from years ago.

But he forgot today was our two-year anniversary.

Technically, we hadn't broken up.

Belen's dimples deepened as she smiled. "This is my favorite gift you've ever given me!"

Julian glanced at me warily.

His look froze my blood. I asked, knowing the answer. "Does Julian often send you gifts?"

"Oh, yeah. Even abroad these past three years, I got something from him almost monthly. Last month, a necklace. The month before, a cello."

So I wasn't the only one receiving gifts.

Hers were tailored to her passions.

Mine? Last month, earrings, though I had no piercings.

The month before, a piano, though I had no musical talent.

Maybe they were just afterthoughts, sent in passing.

I was foolish enough to get my ears pierced and take piano lessons.

Watching this unfold, I found courage and spoke, half-mocking. "You're so good to our Belen. Does your girlfriend know?"

His face stiffened, composure slipping.

Belen's attention shifted to a tall figure in the distance. "My uncle's back. I'll go say hi."

Once she left, Julian pulled me to the secluded garden.

It was winter, and my thin sweater left me shivering.

Before, he would've draped his jacket over me and held me gently.

Now he didn't.

He frowned, focused on my earlier jab. "Sonya, what are you playing at?"

The cold wind stung my eyes. I closed them, holding back tears, and asked softly. "Do you remember what today is?"

He froze, clearly clueless.

I continued, "It's our two-year anniversary, Julian. You promised we'd go public today."

He looked down at me, his expression tangled, lips moving faintly. "Sorry... I've been busy planning Belen's welcome party."

Important people forget trivial things.

Her return mattered more than our anniversary. How laughable.

"So busy you couldn't spare a moment to properly break up with me?"

I'd calmed down over the past few days. If he'd apologized sincerely, we could've parted amicably, and I'd have let it go.

If I told Maverick, he'd probably beat Julian up.

For the sake of their childhood friendship, I didn't want things to get ugly.

Maybe my retort seemed too sharp. His face darkened, brows knitting. "You used to be so gentle and sensible. Why are you talking like this? I haven't said anything about breaking up."

My chest ached sharply.

That damned "gentle and sensible" again. Was that why he chose me as a lonely-time comfort?

My voice trembled in the wind. "Then let me, your hidden, just-for-fun girlfriend, say it for you. We're done."