Sonia and Martin walked into the house one after the other.

I opened my tired eyes and caught a glimpse of Sonia's black stockings, marked with scratch lines, while Martin looked down at me with a smug expression.

"Usher, sorry to interrupt your romantic evening," Martin said with a smirk. "We brought a few friends over to have some fun. They were teasing me to hug Sonia, and I accidentally snagged her stockings with my nails. Don't get the wrong idea!"

I shot Martin a cold glance and turned my attention to Sonia. "Didn't you say he was having a depressive episode? How come he's still messing around with your stockings?"

"What do you mean, Usher? Are you insulting me? I never realized you had such a twisted mind!"

Sonia glared at me, her eyes wide with anger.

I chuckled lightly. "I didn't mean anything by it. Just remember to have Martin buy you better-quality stockings next time. If I recall correctly, you weren't even wearing any when you left home, right?"

Under the warm light, Sonia's face went pale. She opened her mouth but couldn't find the words.

She probably didn't expect me to be so sarcastic.

"Usher, do you even realize what time it is? It's three-thirty in the morning! I was just worried about Sonia being out so late alone, which is why I brought her back. You're her boyfriend, yet you didn't bother to pick her up and are just sleeping here. Sonia didn't complain, so why are you angry with her?"

I had to admit, Martin had a knack for stirring the pot.

Sonia's expression darkened, as if she were the one being wronged.

"Oh, so now that it's three-thirty, should I have stood by your bed and handed you a condom to be a good boyfriend?"

I yawned lazily, watching them with amusement.

"Smack!"

A loud ringing filled my ears, and my face felt like it had been burned.

Sonia's hand was still hanging in the air, while Martin wore a look of amusement. A wave of humiliation washed over me.

If I had felt a twinge of jealousy before, Sonia's slap shattered the bond we had built over three years.

With red-rimmed eyes and a hint of panic on her face, Sonia scolded me, "Usher, how can you slander me like this?"

After that, she grabbed Martin's hand and headed for the door. When she saw me still sitting on the sofa, her eyes were filled with anger and disbelief.

"Aren't you slandering me? Tonight, I'm going to take things further with Martin!"

"Make sure to take precautions! Have a good night, and don't let the door hit you on the way out!" I slammed the door shut behind them.

When I opened the door, I found Sonia sitting on the sofa, looking exhausted.

I greeted her calmly, "You're back?"

I wanted to get straight to the point.

"Sonia, we've reached a turning point in our relationship. You see..."

Before I could finish, Sonia suddenly leaned forward and covered my lips with her hand. Her once bright, star-like eyes were filled with panic.

In the next moment, she kissed me unexpectedly.

Memories of last night flooded my mind—the anniversary, the fallen ring, the torn black stockings, and the sight of her leaving with Martin. A wave of nausea washed over me, and I pushed her away firmly.

Sonia fell back onto the sofa, disbelief etched on her face.

"Usher, I'm sorry. I only dragged Martin along to provoke you last night. Nothing happened between us. Please don't be angry..."

I sighed helplessly. I didn't care whether she had been with Martin or not.

"I'm not angry. I just think it's time for us to end this—for both our sakes."

"Usher, do you even know what you're saying? I've already apologized! If I didn't mean it, I wouldn't have come back today. Haven't I given you enough of a way out?"

Sonia erupted, her eyes flashing with anger.

I stayed silent, pulling up the photo Martin had sent me last night and holding my phone up for her to see.

In the picture, Sonia was straddling Martin's lap, her hands wrapped around his neck, while he caressed her legs in black stockings. Around them, people raised their champagne glasses, laughing in a way that felt loaded with meaning.

Sonia froze, her face going pale.

"Usher, please let me explain..."