The day Jessica Smith and I went to pick out our wedding rings, her long-lost first love unexpectedly returned to town.

When we went to pick him up from the airport, she introduced me to him, saying, "This is Sebastian Grant, a friend."

Jessica made it clear that I wasn't her fiancé. She even went a step further and called off our engagement party scheduled for the next day.

Just when she thought I would fight and insist on marrying her, I suddenly said in relief, "Your best friend previously wanted to hook up with me, you know? And honestly, I was kind of interested."

Cameron came back on the day Jessica and I went to pick out our wedding rings.

She had chosen the date herself.

Last week, Jessica drank herself into a stupor on Cameron's birthday. She stumbled home in the middle of the night, reeking of alcohol. As soon as she saw me, she threw her arms around my neck, calling me "Cam".

She repeatedly demanded to know where I had been all these years and why I had stayed out of touch. It wasn't the first time this had happened in the past five years, either. Each time, Jessica would act like nothing happened afterward, and I'd let it go, never bringing it up.

But this time, I recorded it.

After all, some things needed to be confronted.

The next day, I showed Jessica the video. She barely glanced at the screen and didn't even reach out to take the phone. Instead, she just kept sipping her milk.

With a dismissive shrug, she said, "I thought you'd be used to it by now."

I turned off my phone and smiled bitterly. "I've been with you for five years, and you still can't forget him. It's obvious that without him, you're miserable."

I took a deep breath. "I've thought it through, and I'm done. Go to him."

Without waiting for her response, I walked out the door and went to work.

We didn't speak for three days after that. I didn't bother going home, crashing at my buddy's place instead.

Unexpectedly, Jessica didn't leave. She came looking for me, saying she wanted to get married, that she had already picked a date to choose the rings.

This was her usual way of dealing with things—delivering a sweet cure after having given me the poison herself.

Every time we argued over Cameron, she would make it up to me somehow. She would get up early to make breakfast or book a candlelight dinner for us. She would take my hand with a smile and tell me how good I was. She would say she had gotten used to having me around and that she would definitely fall in love with me eventually.

Every time she dropped these sugar-coated bombs, my defenses would vanish instantly. I would completely forget the hurt and convince myself that even if Jessica were made of stone, I could warm her heart eventually.

My love was truly pathetic.

She had me right where she wanted.

For five years, she would use that trick to ease the tension whenever our relationship hit a wall. I was like her kite, with the string firmly in her grip.

They say that loving someone to the extreme is a sin.

My defeat was inevitable.

As I watched Jessica brimming with excitement about marrying me, I didn't feel that familiar joy anymore. I had proposed several times over the past five years. Each proposal was carefully thought out, but she turned me down every time with one excuse or another.

Now that I had finally decided to let her go, she was the one suggesting marriage.

I looked at her and asked calmly, "Are you sure you really want to get married, Jess?"

Jessica stepped closer and wrapped her arm around mine. "I've thought a lot about it over the past few days, Seb. I've gotten so used to having you around. I can't live without you."

I had dreamed of hearing such a confession a thousand times over the five years we were together. But now that I had finally heard it, the words didn't bring me any sense of sweetness.

-

In the end, I still went to the jewelry store with Jessica to look at rings.

Just as we stepped into the store, her phone rang.

The instant she saw the caller ID, she froze mid-step, completely flustered. When I glanced over, she fumbled to turn off the screen, then looked up at me, her face full of guilt.

I didn't have to guess who it was.

Jessica was usually calm and composed. She would only be rattled this much by receiving a call she had waited five years for.

"Go ahead, answer it," I said, folding my arms and watching her with a wry smile.

She bit her lip but eventually rejected the call. "It's just a spam call. Nothing worth answering. Let's pick out our rings!"

I didn't bother guessing, nor did I even feel the urge to.

A sales assistant approached us, pulling out three of the store's most popular designs and running through the usual sales pitch.

"They all look great. Which one do you like best, Jess?" I asked, gesturing to the rings on display.

But it was like she hadn't even heard me. Her gaze was fixed downward, fingers tapping rapidly at her phone. It looked like she was replying to someone's text message.

Despite her awkward attempts to hide it, I saw the recipient's name on the screen—Cameron.

"Jess?"

She only snapped back to attention after I called out to her again.

"Yeah, that's fine. Let's go with what you picked," she replied with a strained smile.

I caught every flicker of her reaction and replied quietly, "I didn't pick one, Jess. I asked which one you liked."

Jessica froze, her fingers stilling on the screen.

Suddenly, it was as if she had made up her mind about something big.

She looked up at me and asked, "Cameron's back. He's at the airport right now. Would you… come with me to pick him up?"

Jessica finally said it.

As I looked at her face, I felt no anger, nor a sense of betrayal or sadness. Inside, I felt completely calm, as if I had solved a puzzle.

"Sure, let's go."

With those words, I confirmed that I didn't feel sad at all and followed her to the airport.

Throughout my years with Jessica, Cameron's existence had always been suffocating for me. It was like a sharp claw had gripped my heart and twisted my throat. But now, as I watched him walking toward us, dragging his suitcase, I felt surprisingly unaffected.

On the other hand, Jessica was a bundle of nerves as she fidgeted with her clothes.

Finally, she glanced at me anxiously and asked, "Do I look okay in this outfit?"

"Don't worry, you look great," I replied.

In all the years we had been together, I had never seen Jessica care this much about her appearance in front of me. Usually, it took a lot of coaxing for her to follow me for a night out with friends. Even then, she would grab any old jacket from her closet and head out.

During parties, she would look miserable the entire time. Whenever I tried to engage her in conversation, her eyes were always filled with impatience and disdain. If friends asked about our relationship, she would simply say we were just friends.

She had never once admitted in public that I was her boyfriend.

It made sense, I guess. Being a simp probably didn't earn me much respect, right? No wonder Jessica never looked my way.

Cameron approached us, suitcase in tow. He embraced Jessica first before his gaze shifted to me.

He appraised me from head to toe before asking, "Jess, who's this handsome guy?"

Jessica shot me a guilty glance, then said, "This is my friend, Sebastian Grant…"

She called me a friend, not her boyfriend.

For a moment, it felt like my heart was being squeezed, making it hard to breathe. But just as quickly, that sharp pain faded, replaced by a strange sense of relief.

After Jessica spoke, I extended my hand to Cameron. "Jess has missed you very much for the past five years. Welcome back."

At my words, Jessica's expression shifted from guilt to shock. She stared at me, her eyes flickering with confusion.

I found it amusing.

Was she really surprised that I hadn't outed myself as her boyfriend right in front of Cameron? Shouldn't she feel happy that I was playing along? After all, Jessica had denied our relationship publicly more than once.

When Jessica's university friends came to Ashenford to visit, she had also introduced me as just a friend. That night, I had my first real argument with her. I asked if she was embarrassed to have me as her boyfriend. In response to my outburst, she simply smiled coldly, not even bothering to say a word. The way she looked at me made it seem like I was just a ridiculous clown throwing a tantrum.

Looking back, I realize I was being foolish. In the grand scheme of things, whether she acknowledged our relationship didn't matter as much as I had made it out to be.

Cameron clapped me on the shoulder. "Thanks for looking out for Jess all these years."

Before I could respond, Jessica chimed in, "Alright, you two are meeting for the first time, so let's skip the emotional stuff."

I smiled at the irony. Jessica still didn't really know me. She was worried I might overshare and accidentally reveal that we were more than just friends. But she seemed to forget that I was never one to beat around the bush.

"I'm starving after a whole day on a plane. Let's go grab something to eat!" Cameron suggested, lovingly ruffling Jessica's hair.

He deftly steered the conversation away, and Jessica's eyes lit up.

"What do you want to eat?"

"Fried chicken."

Soon, the three of us made our way to the parking lot. This time, I didn't open the passenger door for Jessica. Instead, she slid into the back seat next to Cameron without hesitation. She chatted with him the entire drive, asking about his time abroad and laughing at his stories. I realized I had never seen her this animated before.

Maybe the Jessica who was so lively around Cameron was the real her.

Thinking back on the five years I had spent pouring my heart into our relationship, it struck me how little I had received in return. She wouldn't even show her true self to me.

I was such a failure.

I needed to wake up.

Cameron and Jessica were completely wrapped up in their own conversation, treating me like I was invisible. But that was fine. If I stayed out of their discussions, I wouldn't feel awkward.

I glanced at my reflection in the rearview mirror. I wore a light smile, appearing indifferent to it all.

Following Jessica's directions, I drove them to a small place tucked away in a narrow alley in Ashenford. The area felt remote, and the cold winter air was filled with the scent of fried meat that made my stomach turn a little.

I had never seen Jessica eat in a place like this before. Now, she walked side by side with Cameron, her gaze fixed on him. The crunch of snow beneath my feet faded as I slowed my pace, and she didn't even notice.

I watched their backs. Jessica was clad in a white down jacket that perfectly matched Cameron's outfit. She even reached out to steady him when he slipped on the steps.

The restaurant was bustling, mostly filled with students from the nearby university. I followed them inside, and as I entered, I heard the cheerful voice of the owner's wife.

"Oh! It's you two! It's been ages since you last came. You must be married by now, right?"

It turned out that this fried chicken place was Jessica and Cameron's favorite haunt from their university days. So, this was a little trip down memory lane for them. When the owner's wife asked that question, Jessica and Cameron both shared a look of understanding and just went along with it, not bothering to clarify.

Deep down, I knew Jessica must be hoping that her fiancé was Cameron. After all, despite everything I had done for her over the last five years, she had never forgotten him.

The smell of sizzling meat filled the air. The restaurant was surprisingly clean, a contrast to the chaos outside.

Jessica and Cameron settled into a corner of the restaurant. They laughed and joked, their noses turning red from the spice, while I felt a wave of nausea wash over me.

She served him first, piling food onto his plate with a bright smile. Just as she was about to go back to her own meal, she remembered me and placed a few pieces of spicy fried chicken on my plate. The steam from the freshly fried chicken swirled up around me as I set my cutlery down.

"I don't eat spicy food," I said, my tone sharper than I intended.

The restaurant seemed to go silent for a moment.

Finally realizing her mistake, Jessica looked up at me, her eyes wide with concern.

"Oh gosh, I'm sorry! I was just thinking about how much Cameron loves this place. I completely forgot that you don't eat spicy food."

She seemed genuinely anxious, like she thought I was about to explode. I caught a glimpse of unease in her eyes; it was clear she was worried about Cameron finding out about our relationship.

Watching her fidget and her long lashes fluttering nervously, I didn't feel anger or sadness. Instead, there was a strange calmness, as if all emotion had been drained from me. The moment Cameron stepped back into her life, she had made her choice, and I had long since given up on hoping she would ever love me.

Deciding I didn't want to stay any longer, I stood up and looked at them, my voice steady as I said, "It's been five years since you two saw each other. You should catch up. I just remembered that I have something urgent to handle, so I'll head out now."

With that, I pushed my chair back and walked out of the restaurant.

Behind me, I heard Cameron ask Jessica in confusion, "Does your friend have a thing for you? Am I making him jealous?"

Jessica paused for a moment, then laughed, shaking her head. "No way! We're besties, that's all! Besides, you know you're the only one for me, right?"

Her words felt so sincere.

Strangely, I realized I didn't even feel a hint of disappointment. In that instant, it hit me—my feelings for Jessica had faded.

-

Cameron was Jessica's first love. I had always known that. She loved him to the core, and when he left without a word, it had shattered her. I loved her to the point of obsession, so even when I realized she only agreed to be my girlfriend out of spite, I accepted it without hesitation.

At first, Jessica had been so cold towards me. We shared the same home but never exchanged a word. I never complained—this was the path I had chosen. I believed that if I just held on long enough, I could melt her icy heart.

But after five years, it all seemed like a cruel joke. In the end, I was the only one who had poured any emotions into this relationship.

Jessica didn't get home until the early hours of the morning. I was still in the study, engrossed in my book when she came in. She didn't say anything to me and went straight to the bedroom. I heard rustling sounds and went to check on her.

She was packing her suitcase and putting her clothes in it. When she saw me, she paused, then straightened up and got right to the point.

"I think it's best if I move out."

The silence in the room was deafening.

I studied her face closely, searching for any trace of emotion. There was a flicker of guilt in her eyes, but it was barely there.

Now that we were at this juncture, I pressed my lips together and asked bluntly, "You want to break up, right?"

After all these years of entanglement, I was more exhausted than anyone. I wanted to let go more than anything. I had thought Jessica would at least wait until tomorrow to confront me, but it seemed she couldn't wait to cut ties.

She pursed her lips. "Sebastian, it feels unfair for you to waste your time on me. Maybe it's time you look for someone else."

I took a deep breath and smiled brightly. "True! Your best friend previously wanted to hook up with me, you know? And honestly, I was kind of interested."