Since I had decided to end things, I needed to cut off every connection between us.

I changed my university application, choosing a different university from Thor.

Then I gathered every gift he had ever given me, packed them neatly into a box, and sent them back.

But soon after, the box was returned by his housekeeper.

So I decided to go in person—to talk things through, one last time.

When I arrived at his house, I saw him in the garden with Lina.

She was holding a small shovel, planting a sapling, while he stood beside her, helping to fill the soil.

From a distance, they looked like a perfect couple. But what hurt most was the way he looked at her. His gaze was soft, filled with tenderness.

I didn't interrupt. I just stood there quietly, watching. Until I noticed the pair of shoes on Lina's feet— the very ones I had given him as a coming-of-age gift.

I had spent five days at a luxury workshop handcrafting those matching shoes myself. They were one of a kind, made only for us. When I'd given them to him, he had cradled them in his arms, smiling with genuine joy.

"They're perfect," he'd said. "Too beautiful to wear. I'll keep them forever as a memory."

But now… he had given them to someone else.

Sensing my gaze, Lina turned to look at me with a bright, unbothered smile.

"Hey, Aisha! You're here! We're planting trees—come join us!"

I shook my head. "No, thank you."

Her eyes flickered, and she walked toward me, lifting her foot to show off the shoes.

"Oh, right—mine got wet earlier, so Thor lent me these. You don't mind, do you?"

I shook my head again.

But what did it matter if I did? Would he even care?

Thor finally noticed me then, his expression darkening when he saw the box in my arms.

"Don't start this breakup nonsense again," he said. "I picked out those gifts carefully for you. If you don't want them anymore, what does that say about me?"

I met his gaze calmly and said, "I'm not making a scene. I'm serious."

His face twisted with anger. "Fine. If you're so set on it, then throw them all away. I don't take back what I've given."

Then he turned his back to me and went on shoveling soil, as if I were nothing more than a passing breeze.

I pressed my lips together, saying nothing. There was no point in continuing this conversation.

My eyes lingered on him for a moment. He was tall and striking, standing nearly six foot three, every inch the guy who drew countless stares wherever he went. He had always carried himself with quiet confidence and taste, effortlessly charming to others.

But back then, his eyes had only ever held me. No matter how many girls tried to flirt or tempt him, he never wavered.

Until Lina.

Now, all it took was her smile to make him forget every promise he'd made me.

It wasn't that Lina was exceptional. It was that after all these years together, he'd grown tired.

Even married couples face the seven-year itch—how could two people who were only dating escape it?

Love, no matter how deep, can't always withstand the slow erosion of time.

When another woman entered his world, I became invisible.

In his mind, nothing was his fault. Everything was mine. He even believed he was the one who had suffered.

But what he never realized was that his constant bias, his indifference, and his neglect had worn me down. I was too tired to keep trying. Too unsure to keep hoping.

The hundredth breakup was the last—because this time, I truly didn't want him anymore.

I straightened my back, forcing steadiness into my voice. "Since we've broken up, it's only right that I return what's yours."

Then I set the box down on the ground.

Just as I turned to leave, he strode forward and kicked it hard.

The box split open, spilling its contents—luxury handbags, jewelry, and the photographs that held every precious memory between us. They scattered across the ground like shattered pieces of the past.

As if that weren't enough, he stepped forward again and crushed one under his shoe.

"I don't need any of this," he said flatly.

My throat tightened; the words lodged there, refusing to come out. I turned and walked away.

When I reached the stairs, a small teddy was tossed from nearby, landing at my feet.

The sight of it blurred my vision. Whenever my parents were away and the house felt too big and lonely, I would sleep at Thor's place. He had a room for me there, and I could only fall asleep clutching that bear.

As I stood frozen, Thor continued to throw more stuff my way. The pajamas, photos, and toothbrushes I'd left at his house lay scattered at my feet.

Thor's voice was cold and clipped. "Since we're breaking up, take your things and go."

In the past, I would have sobbed and raged, begged him not to be cruel, then curled up and let the matter slide. But not now. I crouched down and collected my stuff with a steady hand.

There were too many to carry. When I looked up and saw the fireplace, I walked over and began tossing things into the hearth. Flames hungrily licked the paper and leather; a loud sizzle swallowed the objects as they were consumed. Let the fire burn everything—let it even burn away the ache inside me.

Thor stared at me, stunned, disbelief written across his face.

Lina wandered over and handed him half an apple, a deliberate little distraction. He glanced at it, ignored the teeth marks on the flesh, and bit into it as if nothing mattered.

My fingers tightened. He was obsessive about cleanliness—he wouldn't touch a banana I'd already eaten—but he had no trouble taking a bite of Lina's apple. Clearly, his fastidiousness applied selectively. She mattered to him in a way I no longer did.

I turned away, exhaustion and helplessness settling into my bones. I thought the pain would last forever, but it numbed quicker than I'd expected.

At the door, Lina intercepted me. I looked at her with cool detachment as she smiled radiantly.

"If you're really breaking up with him, just do it properly—don't keep coming back to pester Thor," she said, her tone sharp beneath the sweetness.

I frowned. "This is between him and me. It's none of your business."

Her smile deepened until it was almost malicious. "Our relationship is getting closer. I love him, so his matters are my matters now.

"You keep saying you want to break up, then you always regret it. He's run out of patience with you—he's sick of your temper. He doesn't want to coax you anymore. Do us both a favor and stop bothering him. Your clinging just makes him disgusted."

A coldness dropped over me. I was about to reply when she pushed on, flaunting her victory.

"Also, you should change your university plans. I'm going to the same school as him. If you end up there too, I'll watch him grow to despise you—watch him treat you like a stranger while I walk into the chapel beside him."

Anger flared in the depths of my eyes.

"You're insane. Go get help." I wanted to hurl worse insults at her, but arguing with someone like that felt pointless.

I tried to walk past, but she grabbed my arm, stopping me. "You're the sick one—always clinging to Thor. No wonder Thor doesn't love you."

I had been holding myself back, but her brazen arrogance finally cracked something in me. I wrenched free and shouted, "Don't touch me!"

She looked at me with loathing and kept pushing. "Who wants to touch you? Haven't you noticed Thor won't even kiss you anymore? He thinks you're dirty. You were kidnapped before, and you're tainted."

Those words made my blood boil. I didn't think—I reacted. My hand shot out and slapped her across the face.

I had been kidnapped once, but the culprits were after money. They released me unharmed after receiving the ransom.

Only a few people close to me knew about that incident. For Lina to know, Thor must have told her—and that realization crushed me.

He knew I'd been rescued untouched, untainted. Yet she used that ordeal to humiliate me. It was unforgivable.

Lina clutched her cheek, her eyes wide with disbelief as she snarled through clenched teeth. "You hit me!"

My expression darkened. "I did. Do I need to schedule it next time?"

Just then, footsteps approached from behind.

Her gaze flickered, and before I could react, she seized my wrist and dug her nails in hard. Pain shot through me, and I instinctively shoved her away.

Behind us was the pool. She lost her balance and toppled straight into the deep end.

Lina couldn't swim. Within seconds, the water swallowed her whole.

Thor saw everything. He shoved me aside and leapt into the pool to save her.

I stumbled, crashing into the wall—pain exploded across my forehead as blood trickled down my face.

When Lina was pulled from the water, she immediately wrapped her arms around his neck, sobbing pitifully in his arms.

"Thor… Aisha just went crazy! She yelled at me, hit me, and pushed me… I don't even know what I did wrong! My head hurts, my body hurts…"

Thor's eyes burned as he glared at me, his face dark with fury.

"Aisha, are you insane? You could've killed her! When did you become so vicious?"

I froze. The chill in his eyes was sharp enough to cut through bone.

I waited—hoped—he'd notice the blood running down my forehead, but he didn't. He looked at me like a lion ready to tear me apart.

"I thought you were just temperamental," he said coldly. "But you're cruel. You don't deserve my love."

A stabbing pain seized my chest. I tried to speak, to explain—but before I could, he spat the words that shattered me completely.

"Get out! I don't want to see you again. You've disappointed me beyond measure."

Those two words—get out—hit like a blast of icy wind, blowing away every last trace of my foolish hope.

He had made his choice. He believed her.

No amount of explanation could wake a man who had chosen to stay blind.

I watched him carefully lift Lina into his arms and carry her inside. She clung to him pitifully, her face streaked with tears, while he murmured soft comforts against her hair—his gaze on her tender, reverent, as if she were something precious.

At that moment, it felt as though he had taken a knife to my heart and carved it into pieces. It bled endlessly, refusing to heal.

Once, no matter how wrong I was, he couldn't bear to raise his voice at me.

Once, he believed in me—always.

But that man was gone.

His trust was gone. His gentleness was gone. And the love that once belonged to me now belonged to someone else. There was no room left for me in his heart.

I didn't cry. I simply went home, exhausted beyond measure. The family doctor came to stitch the gash on my forehead.

It was deep, and since I scarred easily, he suggested I undergo surgery later to reduce the mark.

But I refused. I wanted the scar to stay—as a reminder never to lose myself for love again.

During my recovery, Lina sent me countless vile messages, accompanied by photos of her and Thor together. Sometimes she attached audio clips of his gentle voice speaking to her.

I read and listened to them all in silence, then deleted every single one.

My love for Thor was gone. No matter how many photos or recordings she sent, even if they still hurt to see, they no longer broke me.