One day, my school organized a field trip.

I went with my deskmate, while Thor and Lina were practically glued together—like conjoined twins. They were inseparable, their closeness so blatant that everyone's gazes turned ambiguous. Some looked at them with teasing smiles, others at me with something between curiosity and pity.

During lunch, Thor even cut her steak into small pieces for her, his every move gentle and attentive.

My deskmate couldn't help herself and leaned closer, whispering, "What's going on with them?"

I cast a calm glance in their direction and replied, "We broke up, that's all."

My voice wasn't loud, but it carried far enough. The table fell silent, and several heads turned toward us in surprise.

"What? You two were so close—why would you break up?"

"Yeah, didn't you plan to get married after university?"

"Thor, didn't you love Aisha?"

Thor said nothing. His silence was louder than any denial.

My chest ached, but I raised my voice just enough. "We just weren't right for each other."

My deskmate frowned, puzzled. "But Thor's a great guy, and he treated you so well. How's that not right?"

My gaze darkened. Yes, he used to treat me well. Which made his indifference now feel all the more cruel.

I gave a faint, knowing smile. "People change. Some drift apart, and some find others who fit them better."

My eyes shifted to where Lina was feeding Thor a piece of fruit.

The others followed my gaze, and understanding dawned. No one asked more.

Thor's eyes flickered with resentment.

I ignored him completely.

Maybe to prove a point, he stopped hiding his affection for Lina. He openly doted on her—carried her when she was tired, massaged her ankle when she twisted it.

Once, that would've made me jealous. Now, it didn't stir me at all.

On the way down the mountain, the path turned slippery, and I almost fell—saved only by my deskmate's quick reflexes.

When I looked up, I caught a flash of worry and panic in Thor's eyes. He even took a step toward me, but Lina quickly caught his arm, leaned close, and whispered something in his ear.

His face darkened immediately. When his eyes met mine again, they were filled not with concern, but irritation.

I knew she was twisting the truth again. But then, any love that could be poisoned by a few whispers was never strong to begin with.

I turned away, letting the mountain breeze wash over me. I felt calm. To me, Thor was nothing but air now. It was as if I had never known him at all.

On the bus ride back, everyone grew bored and decided to play a dare game. Whoever drew a red slip had to follow the command written on it—or else run naked around the school track.

I got lucky and drew a blank slip.

Thor, however, drew red. The instruction: Choose someone here and kiss them.

Lina sat beside him, her cheeks instantly flushing pink as she ducked her head.

The others started cheering.

"Come on, Thor! Pick someone to kiss, or it's the track for you!"

Instinctively, Thor's eyes flicked toward me.

I turned away, refusing to look at him.

Lina's best friend spoke up loudly, feigning innocence.

"Thor, you and Aisha already broke up. Kissing her again wouldn't be right. Lina's right beside you. Why not kiss Lina?"

Others chimed in, grinning. "Yeah, you two are basically dating already! A kiss would just make it official!"

All eyes were on them now.

But Thor didn't look at Lina. His gaze stayed locked on me, as if waiting to see my reaction.

It was Lina who finally broke the tension. She lifted her head, her eyes sharp and daring as they met mine.

"Aisha, you and Thor broke up," she said sweetly. "So there's nothing wrong with me going after him now, right?"

My expression stayed composed, but my tone carried a chill.

"That's between the two of you. It has nothing to do with me."

And it was true—after the breakup, his affairs no longer concerned me.

At my words, the faint expectation in Thor's eyes dimmed, replaced by a mocking edge.

"You're the ex. Of course it has nothing to do with you."

With that, our connection was severed completely.

Then, without warning, Thor stood up, pulled Lina to her feet, and locked his eyes on hers. Under everyone's stunned gaze, he cupped the back of her head and kissed her hard.

A chorus of gasps and squeals erupted throughout the bus.

The kiss dragged on. Soon, silence fell—heavy, suffocating. Even the sound of breathing disappeared.

I sat frozen, staring.

My heart clenched so tight it felt like a thousand ants were gnawing through it. The pain spread down to my bones. My brain screamed for me to stop them, but reason held me still.

So I bit down hard on my lip, my nails digging into my palms, forcing myself to stay composed.

Their kiss went on and on.

I couldn't bear to watch anymore. I turned toward the window, staring out at the blur of trees rushing past.

When they finally pulled apart, someone shouted with a teasing laugh, "Thor! That's your kiss with a second girl. How does it compare to your first?"

Thor cleared his throat and replied, his voice carrying an unmistakable trace of fondness.

"Of course the second one feels better."

The words struck like a blade. Despite all my restraint, my vision blurred, and my eyes burned hot.

Because no matter how hard you try, love is the one emotion you can't control. And his cruelty was unbearable.

I pressed my hands over my ears, closed my eyes, and shut out the world. If I didn't see or hear, maybe it wouldn't hurt so much.

When the bus finally arrived, I was the first to get up, practically fleeing down the steps.

When I reached the restroom, I doubled over the sink and vomited. My head spun; my body felt weak.

The image of him kissing Lina kept flashing before my eyes. Tears spilled before I could stop them.

A bitter laugh escaped my lips.

Love—how devastatingly real it could be.

After a long while, when the dizziness faded, I washed my face and left the restroom.

Passing by the men's room, I caught familiar voices drifting through the open doorway.

"Thor, wasn't it too much—kissing another girl right in front of her?"

"It's not too much. She keeps threatening to break up. This time, I'll teach her a lesson. Let's see if she dares to act out again."

"But she looked really shaken. Shouldn't you go talk to her?"

"I've been comforting her for years. I'm tired of it."

"Yeah, you spoiled her too much. That's why she keeps pulling the breakup card."

"Exactly. Once she realizes how serious I am, she'll come crawling back to apologize. Then she'll think twice before ever defying me again. It's the best way to keep her in line."

Their words chilled me to the bone.

So that was what he thought of me—that I was throwing tantrums, and he could train me into obedience. That even his kiss with another woman was just a punishment.

How laughably arrogant.

I let out a quiet, hollow laugh and walked away.

On the way home, memories of us kept replaying in my mind.

How he'd panic when I choked on food and rush me to the hospital.

When I had stomach cramps, he'd wake specialists in the middle of the night just to ease my pain.

Whenever I was sad, he'd do anything to make me laugh, even plan surprise trips to cheer me up.

He'd memorized everything—what I liked to eat, what made me happy, how I lived my days.

His care had once been flawless, all-consuming. And over time, I grew used to it. I believed that love, that devotion, was mine alone.

But in the end, even the strongest affection couldn't survive temptation.

Thor's special treatment of Lina had me worried; that was for sure. I had tried to win him back by threatening to break up, but all I earned was his disgust. Once I was no longer his only one, everything I did became wrong. It was clear, whatever he and I shared belonged to the past.

As exams approached, I buried myself in study.

Meanwhile, Thor and Lina grew closer by the day; rumor had it they were already a couple. I became the punchline in everyone's gossip.

After the tests, I stayed home—nowhere to go—waiting for my acceptance letter.

Soon, the envelope arrived. I took it from the courier and was about to open it when a shadow fell over my head and someone snatched the letter from my hands. I recognized the thief and felt my mood sour.

"Give that back—it's mine," I said.

Thor ignored me and ripped open the envelope.

My heart lurched; I lunged instinctively and grabbed it back.

"Don't look." I barked.

He looked at me coldly. "I was curious how you did—wanted to see if maybe…"

He trailed off, but I cut him off. "You have no right to see it."

His face hardened, voice sharpening. "Aisha, are you still throwing tantrums after all this time?"

I kept my lips pressed together and looked down. He reached out, pinched my chin, and forced me to meet his gaze.

"I thought you'd use this time to calm down and think. I thought you'd realize where you went wrong. But you don't seem remorseful at all."

I let out a bitter laugh that tasted of scorn. "So, you think I'm the one at fault?"

"Isn't that the case?"

Disappointment thinned across my features; the warmth I once felt for him eroded a little more. I stepped back, about to speak, but he sighed in resignation.

"Fine. If you haven't figured it out yet, take your time. We'll be at the same university—four years should be plenty for you to come to your senses."

I frowned and said, "I applied to another school."

At that moment, his phone rang, drowning out my words. When he glanced at the caller ID, his face softened. He answered; his voice became gentle.

"Lina? What's wrong?"

Even from where I stood, I could hear her tremulous cries through the handset. "Thor, I'm being harassed by some thugs. They're forcing me to drink. I'm at the Last Drop Bar. Come quickly."

Thor's expression snapped into panic. He turned and started to leave, murmuring reassurances into the phone as he went. "Don't be afraid. I'm on my way. If anyone lays a finger on you, I'll kill them."

I watched his retreating back until he vanished, and whatever storm had been in me calmed. Whether he'd heard my earlier words or not didn't matter anymore; I had said them.

I slit open the envelope. The university name confirmed my new plan: a school far from the city I lived in. I had no intention of coming back for those four years. From then on, my life and Thor's no longer intersected.

His life, however, brimmed with excitement. He spent his days dining and partying with friends, always with Lina at his side. They traveled together, dived together, trekked forests, spent nights in caves—every adventure photographed and posted to his social feed. Lina's face appeared in every album, radiant with joy.

One day, he even posted a photo of Lina kissing his cheek.