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."

In the dim light, I couldn't tell if it was just my imagination, but Jessica's expression darkened for a moment before she laughed.

"Sebastian, are you trying to spite me?"

I bent down and adjusted her neatly packed suitcase as I spoke in a steady tone, "You're overthinking it. After meeting her a few times, I thought she seemed like a great girl."

Jessica frowned, skepticism written all over her face. "Are you sure you're not just trying to get back at me?"

"You said it yourself that I should look for someone else. Now that Cameron's back, I'm returning you to him. I have to move on too, right?"

She didn't respond and just stared deeply at me. I caught a fleeting glimpse of something in her eyes—a moment of sadness that passed too quickly.

"Since you're interested in her, I'll set up a gathering soon to introduce you."

With that, Jessica grabbed her suitcase and walked out. The door slammed shut behind her with a resounding bang. She was clearly angry that I hadn't begged her to not break up with me, instead mentioning her best friend and how I thought she seemed like a great woman.

-

Jessica was giving me the cold shoulder again. When she ignored me in the past, I would spiral into a pit of gloom, racking my brain for ways to make amends. But these days, I found a strange sense of relief in not reaching out to her.

I threw myself into work, pouring all my energy into it. Without the constant weight of my emotions dragging me down, my productivity soared. I received commendations from my boss two days in a row.

A week later, Jessica called me. She was serious about playing matchmaker between her friend and me, and to that end, had arranged for a dinner.

I agreed with a smile.

When I arrived, Jessica and Cameron were already there. As I walked over, I spotted their interlocked fingers right away. Cameron glanced at me, lifting Jessica's hand slightly.

"So, Jess and I are together now."

I raised an eyebrow, allowing a small smile to form on my lips, as if I'd known this was coming all along.

Jessica grinned too. "You're going to wish us well, right, Seb?"

I recognized her attempt to provoke a reaction, but felt no stir of emotion inside me.

"Of course. Congratulations! It's nice to see lovebirds find their happily ever after."

Jessica then introduced me to her friend, Selena Morris.

"Hi, Sebastian. I'm Selena," she said softly, her gaze warm and inviting.

Suddenly, I remembered the last time we had met at the bar—when she had drunkenly clung to me, asking if I wanted to sleep with her. Now, with her sweet demeanor, I found myself questioning if that had really been her.

I hesitated, lost in thought for a moment. She fluttered her long eyelashes, looking a bit flustered before she smiled again.

Without waiting for my response, she continued, "I asked Jess to set this up. Please don't be mad."

I snapped back to reality and smiled back at her. "So, does this dinner mean you're interested in pursuing me?"

Selena's face flushed bright red. "Do you not remember me? I actually knew you before Jess did. I've liked you for a long time, but it always seemed like you only had eyes for her…"

As her friend spoke, Jessica cleared her throat, clearly uncomfortable. "Lena, what are you talking about?"

It was only then that Selena seemed to remember Cameron was standing next to her.

"Cameron, it's just my personal opinion. Jess and Sebastian are only friends!" she explained hurriedly.

Cameron chuckled and affectionately ruffled Jessica's hair. "I won't read too much into it. I've known since university that my girl is never going to fall for anyone but me."

I remained quiet, just standing there.

At that moment, I felt a wave of failure wash over me. I had been living with Jessica as her boyfriend for five years, yet our relationship was so unremarkable that even her best friend was completely in the dark about it.

Seeing me lost in thought, Selena waved a hand in front of my face. "Sebastian, don't feel embarrassed! If you're not interested, that's fine—we can just be friends!"

Jessica was watching us while sipping her juice with a thoughtful expression.

I smiled. "I'm not embarrassed at all. You seem really great."

After a moment, Selena seemed to gather her courage to say, "I know it's a little forward for a girl to say this, but if you're open to it, I'd like a chance to be your girlfriend."

I noticed how Jessica set down her juice, her fingers idly tapping against the glass. Selena's gaze was intense, and I felt a strange warmth radiating from it.

I chuckled. After ensuring that there was no bitterness or desire for revenge in my heart, I replied calmly, "Sure, let's give it a shot!"

The sound of tapping fingers stopped abruptly.

"Give it a shot? What does that mean?" Selena asked, momentarily taken aback. But she quickly regained her composure, her cheeks reddening even more. "Okay… that's fine!"

"Since I don't have much experience with dating, let's just start as friends," I added.

Jessica took another sip of her juice, her tone light and teasing as she chimed in, "Yeah, he really doesn't have any experience."

Her comment casually dismissed the five years I had poured into chasing after her.

After dinner, I naturally offered to drive Selena home. Jessica watched as she climbed into the passenger seat. When I opened the door, Cameron and Selena noticed the sticker on my dashboard that read 'Sebastian's Lover's Seat'.

The last time Cameron was in my car, it had been dark. Also, he was sitting in the back, so he hadn't caught sight of it.

"'Sebastian's Lover's Seat'? Nice touch, man! You've got a flair for romance," Cameron joked. "But honestly, you should be more direct—just slap 'Selena's Seat' on there."

Selena's cheeks turned crimson at his comment. I couldn't help but remember the moment I bought that sticker. My intention had been to surprise Jessica, hoping it would touch her heart. I thought she would be thrilled. But instead, she had found it childish.

Later, when I was upset about her reaction, she'd tried to cheer me up by posting a picture on social media with [Sebastian says this is my special seat] as the caption. At the time, I'd been genuinely moved.

It wasn't until three months later that I stumbled upon the fact that her post was only visible to me. It was a sobering realization that, from the very beginning, I had been a complete joke in her eyes.

I reached over and ripped the sticker off, hastily concocting an excuse, "I lost a bet playing Truth or Dare with some friends and just forgot to take it off."

I smiled, hoping to deflect any further questions. Besides, Jessica probably didn't care about it.

As I closed the door for Selena with care, Jessica pursed her lips, then said in a lighthearted tone, "Lena, Seb's got the worst insecurity. Now that you've claimed his passenger seat, you can't sit in another guy's passenger seat ever again!"

Knowing Jessica's personality, I didn't take her words as mockery. At that moment, I realized she felt a flicker of guilt towards me. She was at least somewhat aware of the pain and anxiety I had experienced over the past five years in our relationship.

But Cameron had always been her first choice. She had made up her mind before ever really considering me.

As I started the car, Jessica and Cameron took a few steps back. Unexpectedly, she looked up and glanced at me. After driving a certain distance, it struck me that she was watching as I drove off, her gaze locked in the direction I was heading.