I Broke Up With My Boyfriend After Making Him Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs

: Breakup

The day I got my promotion and raise, I went all the way across town to buy ribs from his favorite place.

I worked up a sweat in the kitchen, all so we could celebrate properly.

The food had just been served when he called, saying he'd forgotten to pick up an important package and telling me to hurry downstairs and get it.

By the time I came running back, out of breath, the plate of ribs I had spent three hours stewing was already picked clean.

Chase Crawford was holding the last piece, carefully feeding it to Ivy Winters.

When he saw me, he pushed the empty plate aside. "Ivy loves them. Just make another batch tomorrow."

I looked at the mess on the counter and the plate of bones gnawed clean, then calmly untied my apron and threw it in the trash.

"If she wants to eat them, she can make them herself. Also, the lease on this apartment is up next week. You need to move out."

"Let's break up."

He was completely shocked. "Break up? Over a plate of ribs?"

"Yes. Over a plate of ribs."

...

"Can't you be more mature? Stop making such a fuss over something so small!"

Chase Crawford's brow was deeply furrowed, his face a mask of impatience.

His younger brother, Morgan Crawford—the boy I'd picked up from school, attended parent-teacher conferences for, and treated as my own son ever since high school—immediately sided with his brother.

The look he gave me was full of reproach.

"Saozi, don't you think you're overreacting?"

"Sister Ivy isn't in good health. She rarely gets to visit, so what's the big deal if she ate a little more? Can't you be more generous?"

The two brothers echoed each other perfectly.

It was as if I had committed some unforgivable crime.

As for Ivy Winters, who they were shielding so fiercely, the rims of her eyes instantly turned red.

Teardrops clung to her long lashes, and her voice was choked with sobs. She was as frail as a little white flower swaying in the wind.

"It's all my fault... I didn't know you made these ribs especially for Brother Chase..."

"I thought... it was just an ordinary home-cooked dish..."

Before she could finish, she covered her mouth and began to cough violently, her slender shoulders trembling nonstop.

Chase Crawford was instantly on high alert.

He rushed over in a single stride, anxiously steadying Ivy Winters and gently patting her back, his voice softer than I had ever heard it before.

"Ivy, are you okay? Did you choke? Quick, drink some water."

The next second, that same gentle face turned to me, his eyes as cold as ice.

"Talia Sterling, Ivy has a weak heart! Don't you dare stand there being passive-aggressive and scaring her!"

In that moment, a raw pain seized my heart.

My promotion, my celebration, my hard work, my suffering...

In his eyes, all of it was worth less than a single cough from Ivy Winters.

After calming Ivy Winters down, Chase Crawford tried to break the tension by turning to the fridge and pulling out a beautifully packaged mango mousse cake.

"Alright, alright, it's not a big deal."

He smiled and set the cake on the coffee table. "Ivy made it by hand to celebrate Morgan getting into college. Come on, have a taste."

My gaze fell upon the cake.

I'm severely allergic to mangoes.

Just the smell makes it hard for me to breathe, and I break out in hives all over. A severe reaction could send me into shock.

Chase Crawford knew this.

He used to anxiously check every dessert I ate, terrified it might have mango in it.

Before I could say a word, Morgan Crawford was already cheering excitedly. He pulled an exquisite gift box from his bag and handed it to Ivy Winters.

"Sister Ivy, this is for you! Thanks for the cake!"

"Wow, Morgan, it's beautiful! Thank you!"

"I'm glad you like it," Morgan Crawford said, scratching his head with a hint of pride. "I saved up my allowance for a whole year to buy it!"

I stared at the necklace, my heart completely numb.

Most of Morgan Crawford's allowance came from me, given to him in the form of various rewards.

He'd saved the money I gave him for a year to buy a necklace for his "poor, helpless" Sister Ivy.

And I got nothing.

But what made my heart sink to the bottom of a lake was when Chase Crawford opened the package I had brought upstairs and handed it to Ivy Winters. "That one you liked when we were out shopping last time. I bought it for you."

His voice was practically dripping with affection.

Ivy Winters clutched the bag, refusing to let go, yet she feigned concern. "But Brother Chase, didn't you say money was tight lately?"

"It's fine. I used the travel fund. You'll be taking your grad school entrance exams soon, and you can't be so stressed all the time. When you have a moment, take the bag, go out for a bit, and relax."

A sharp pain shot through my heart. "Chase Crawford, did you use our travel fund to buy her a bag?"

That was the money we had scrimped and saved, every single month without fail, ever since we got our first paychecks after college.

We promised we would use that money to travel to a place we'd always dreamed of, once a year.

Cornered, Chase Crawford's embarrassment turned to anger, and his voice rose. "It's just a little money, isn't it? I'll pay it back later!"

"Ivy's parents died when she was young. She's had no one to depend on and has suffered so much! We're the only family she has in this world. It's only right that we spoil her a little and make up for what she's lost!"

"Talia Sterling, why can't you just be a little more magnanimous?!"