With a sudden slam on the brakes, Arianne jerked the car to the side of the road. Before I could react, she leaned all the way over, one hand grabbing firmly around the back of my neck.
In six years together, we had experienced our share of reckless moments. The car had always been one of our favorite places to feel close. But this time, as her face moved closer to mine, the memory of her kissing Hudson in the afternoon sunlight flashed through my mind, sharp enough to make my vision spin.
A wave of nausea surged through me.
I shoved her away with force, flung the car door open, and crouched on the roadside, retching with no dignity at all.
My stomach twisted violently, but nothing came up, only the burn of sour bile rising in my throat.
Arianne stepped out of the car as well. Her expression shifted from pale green to bone white as she stared at me like she could not comprehend what she was seeing.
Under the streetlamp, her face wavered between anger, embarrassment, and a faint, almost hidden flicker of hurt.
But I no longer cared.
Bracing my hands on my knees, I pushed myself upright and wiped my mouth.
“Arianne, did you see that? This is how I feel about you now. We are—"
Before I could finish the sentence, she slammed the car door and sped away without a single word.
That night, Arianne, whose social media had been a barren wasteland for years, suddenly posted an update.
A close-up photo of her and Hudson appeared on her feed.
Caption: [Finally met the right person.]
Almost immediately, our mutual friends filled the comments with likes and congratulations.
[Wow, Arianne is officially taken! Congrats!]
[Such a perfect couple. When’s the wedding?]
[Hudson! So you two are together now!]
My WhatsApp lit up endlessly.
[Clyde, what happened between you and Arianne?]
[I saw her post. Did you two break up?]
[Are you okay?]
I ignored all of them. Instead, I fixed myself a plate of pasta and ate with surprising appetite.
Later that night, the mattress dipped beside me. I jolted awake, heart hammering, as a shadowy figure sat near my hip.
“Don’t be scared. It is me.”
I exhaled sharply, turned over, and showed her my back.
The bedside lamp clicked on, casting a sharp and sudden light. Arianne leaned over me, her eyes red and swollen as she stared down.
“You have nothing you want to ask me? You didn't see my post?”
I had no idea what kind of emotional spiral she was having, but being woken in the middle of the night like this infuriated me.
“I saw it. Congratulations.”
She froze, her breath catching. The anger on her face seemed to fold in on itself, turning into something softer and strangely hurt.
“Before, whenever I came home late, you’d call me nonstop,” she said quietly. “You’d leave the lights on and wait up for me. Now you don’t even look at me.”
She took a small step closer, her voice wavering between defensive and pleading.
“Nothing is going on between Hudson and me. I was just helping him because he’s a junior. If you don’t like it, I’ll transfer him to another department tomorrow.”
I looked at her, and all I felt was emptiness. I had cried, argued, and begged her for a sense of security. Yet, she had always found me annoying.
Now that I no longer needed any of it, she was offering everything as if it were nothing.
But my flight was already booked for two days later.
And as for her, I felt no desire to hold on anymore.
Everything she was suddenly willing to give meant nothing to me now.
...
In the following days, Arianne changed overnight, almost as if she had become a different person entirely. She actually did transfer Hudson to another department.
Her new assistant, Harper, was a woman.
Whenever she couldn't come home at night, she sent photos and her location, just as I used to, though I never replied.
Harper, on the other hand, was talkative and cheerful. When she showed up to pick up one of Arianne’s dresses, she greeted me with a bright smile.
“Sir, tomorrow is your sixth anniversary,” she said with a bright, knowing smile. “The chairman planned a huge surprise for you, so please make sure you keep your schedule open.”
Six years together.
Despite everything, there was a time when we truly created beautiful memories.
