The One Before Everyone Else

On the anniversary of my mother’s death, my girlfriend told me she had to work overtime.

However, her first love later posted something on social media: [Thanks to Camelia for coming to celebrate my birthday with me!]

My chest tightened and my hands shook as I called her to demand an explanation. She replied calmly, “It’s Grayson’s 25th birthday today. It’s important. I didn’t want to miss it.”

That was it.

I let out a bitter laugh and looked down at the cancer diagnosis report in my hand.

It was alright. I would be dead soon anyway.

At first, when Camelia Frost’s first love, Grayson Pearce, texted me saying he was moving back to the country to settle down, I felt nothing. I knew exactly what it meant when an ex reached out, but I did not care.

After all, since I started dating Camelia, she had been attentive and accommodating in every way. She was a girlfriend anyone would praise.

She accepted my proposal just a month ago. I had never doubted her feelings for me.

However, gradually, something felt off.

After Grayson returned, Camelia started coming home late and leaving early, always claiming that she was busy with work. Sometimes, when I got up in the middle of the night to get a drink of water, I would catch her hurriedly slipping her glowing phone screen under the covers.

She became increasingly inattentive toward me. She even forgot my birthday.

I grew more and more uneasy.

Whenever I confronted her, she would always brush it off, saying I was overthinking. That was until I logged into my long-neglected social media account. Finally, I discovered the reason for her strange behavior these past months.

Grayson was Camelia’s first love. Their romance ended when he went abroad.

Although Camelia did mention him on occasions, I never imagined they could rekindle their old feelings for one another.

Hence, when I saw Grayson’s social media feed flooded with photos of Camelia, my chest tightened instantly.

She was there with him when he bought collectibles. In a photo of a meal, the watch on the table across from him was hers. They even went on trips together, and she appeared in every photo.

He was so openly staking his claim, and she was so endlessly doting on him. They just seemed more suited for each other.

I remembered the first time I met Grayson. It was when he returned after a year of studying abroad, and it happened to be on my one-year anniversary with Camelia.

Camelia and I went to pick him up. She said he was her younger brother, and I took her at her word, greeting him warmly and chatting enthusiastically. I ignored the awkward expression on his face and the silence from Camelia at the time.

Now, when I looked back, countless details flooded my mind, like when Grayson instinctively tried to sit in the front passenger seat or when she reminded him to watch his head while getting in the car. The coffee she bought him was also exactly the flavor he liked.

Later, Grayson added me on social media. That was when I learned he was Camelia’s ex and her childhood sweetheart. After that, we never spoke again.

I continued scrolling through his feed until I reached April 26th.

In the photo, Grayson was laughing freely, wearing a white hoodie that made him look sunny and vibrant. It was a simple photo, but the caption made my pupils shrink in disbelief.

[Camelia said I look good when I smile!]

So, that was it… So, that was why…

My chest tightened painfully.

When she said she was working late on my birthday, it had just been an excuse to be with Grayson.

A dull ache pressed into my upper abdomen. I closed my eyes and forced my tears back.

Then, Grayson posted another update. It was a video of fireworks at Lotus Bay. That was the same place Camelia and I had gone on our two-year anniversary date.

[Camelia insisted her fireworks were brighter. Obviously, mine are brighter!]

Even though it sounded like a complaint, his tone was playful, like a couple teasing each other.

Ever since he sent me that message about his return to the country, he had not sent me anything else.

Yet, every photo and word on his feed seemed like a silent declaration of war.

I hit 'like' on his post and drew in a deep breath. A subtle, hidden ache of loss began to take root deep in my chest.

I dialed Camelia’s number. The line rang twice, then went straight to voicemail. Just as I thought that she would not answer, the call connected, and a male voice came through.

"Hello? Who’s this?"