After ten years of dating, my boyfriend proposed, and I accidentally overheard his conversation with his friends.

He said, "I don't love Zoe Somer as much anymore. After being together for many years, our love has evolved into a deep-rooted affection akin to family ties."

***

Around seven o'clock, Evan Falcon sent me a message on WhatsApp, complaining that he had drunk too much at a social event and had a stomach ache. He wished I was there.

So, as soon as I finished work, I hurriedly bought some stomach medicine and prepared to surprise him.

The private room door was slightly ajar, and I heard his voice just as I was about to push it open. "I feel that my feelings for Zoe have transformed into a sense of familial closeness, to the point where even our intimacy feels like my left hand touching my right, devoid of any spark or sensation."

My hands abruptly stilled, and I stood there motionless and stiff.

Their conversation continued.

"Then why are you still marrying her?" One person asked.

After silence, Evan said, "After all, we have been together for so long; I have a responsibility to her."

"What about Yuga?" One asked.

His friend hinted, "As Yuga is a wealthy girl, she bravely cast aside her dignity in pursuit of you, going so far as to unselfishly provide you with her family's resources, fully aware of your existing relationship and the impossibility of reciprocation. Can you sincerely claim to be unaffected by her devotion?"

"In my opinion, you have done everything you can for Zoe. How many true loves can a person encounter in their lifetime? It would be best if you held on to Yuga tightly," One of Evan's friends said.

"You don't understand," Evan took a puff of smoke and exhaled deeply.

Amidst the smoke, he sighed softly, "Yuga is indeed wonderful, but it seems we are fated to be apart. If there is a next life, let me meet her first."

My breath hitched, and for a split second, it felt like my blood was boiling over with adrenaline.

I never thought that Evan, who had been in love with me for ten years, would consider someone else his true love and eagerly promise his next life to another woman.

We had been together for ten years, occupying nearly one-third of our lives.

Evan had long become a part of my body.

The truth was within reach, but I lacked the courage to uncover it.

I admitted I was a coward.

If I lay everything out, I must be prepared to cut out the part of me that belonged to Evan.

That would be too painful.

As humans, we all had the instinct to seek benefits and avoid harm, so the thought of questioning him only appeared for a brief moment, and I fled.

I returned to the apartment we had planned to use as our wedding home.

Everything in the room was so familiar.

Evan proposed to me here not long ago, and I said yes.

There were still flowers I bought last night on the table, and we chose the sofa and coffee table together.

There was a large floor-to-ceiling window in the living room.

Because I once told him that if we had our apartment one day, it must have a floor-to-ceiling window.

This was our personally decorated home, once filled with all our expectations for the future.

No.

Now, it seemed that this may only be my own expectation.

Evan's call came in, and I looked at the flashing light on my phone, but I never answered.

The messages came right after, [Why didn't you answer the phone? Are you tired?]

[Rest early today, and you don't have to wait for me.]

[Miss you, goodnight.]

I lifted my hand to shield my eyes, yet tears persisted, trickling through the narrow gaps between my fingers.

I was not unfamiliar with Yuga.

In the past year, I often heard this name from Evan.

The first time I knew her was because of a photo.

A year ago, in Evan's office.

At that time, he was bidding on a big project and had been working non-stop at the company for almost half a month, hardly going home.

I used to bring him food, but he hurriedly ate a few bites with me and then returned to the meeting.

I was bored waiting, so I took the opportunity to tidy up the files on his desk.

That was when the photo fell out.

In the photo, a girl in the red dress smiled brightly and boldly at the camera.

I bent down and picked it up, and a beautiful handwriting was on the back of the photo -- [I heard that if someone thinks about another person all the time, that feeling is called liking. I hope that when you see this photo, you can think of me…]

It was signed by Yuga, with a small heart drawn next to it.

It was very playful and adorable.

If the person was not my boyfriend, maybe I could say they were a good match.

And her identity was similar to my first impression of the photo.

A prosperous young lady returned from her overseas studies, bathed in the warmth of universal affection and admiration.

We were indeed two completely different people.

Evan finally finished the meeting and came out.

He rubbed his temples wearily and was about to ask me for a hug when his gaze fell on the photo in my hand, and he froze.

He frowned, "How did her photo end up here?"

I smiled ambiguously and said, "Your office? Why are you asking me?"

"She must have deliberately left it behind during her last visit to deliver the plan," he said.

He looked a little annoyed, took the photo from my hand, and crumpled it up without even looking at it.

"She's quite annoying; frankly, I do not know where she gets all that energy from. She's been hounding me non-stop lately. But then again, her dad is a major client our company just acquired, so I can't exactly brush her off too harshly," Evan said.

I still didn't speak, so Evan rubbed my cheek and said, "Are you really jealous? We've been together for so long; don't you trust me? Apart from you, no other woman in my heart captures my attention. Don't be angry, okay? We finally have some free time; don't waste it on someone unrelated," he said.

Eventually, I couldn't resist laughing under his gentle persuasion.

I knew that Evan's journey had been challenging, from living solo in a cramped 10-square-meter room to overseeing hundreds of employees in a skyscraper. Only we were privy to the myriad difficulties encountered during the startup process.

At that time, I thought that maybe this was just a small episode and wouldn't impact our relationship.

But I forgot that many significant changes in life didn't always come with a strong start.

Many small beginnings, which you might overlook as mere bumps in the road, had the potential to break through the surface one day and grow into towering trees.

Probably from then on, Yuga appeared frequently in our lives, everywhere.

When we went on a date together, I always heard Evan's complaints, "Why is she calling me so late at night? Is she crazy?"

"If it weren't for his dad's sake, I would have blocked her."

"How can there be such an idle person? Does she have nothing to do?"

"This woman is so stupid, always asking so many questions."

He didn't even realize that later, most of our topics revolved around another woman.

I thought Yuga's words were right, "When you find yourself constantly thinking about someone, it's a sign that the nature of your feelings towards him or her has, to some extent, shifted or changed."

In the middle of the night, Evan finally came back with the smell of alcohol.

I was still awake but didn't want to get up and prepare hangover soup for him like before.

The sound of water came from the bathroom.

After a while, the bed sank, and he embraced me with the steam from the shower.

I closed my eyes and didn't turn around.

His words, "To the point where even our intimacy feels like my left hand touching my right," kept echoing in my mind, and I couldn't help but resist his approach.

Just when the breathing behind me gradually became steady.

His cell phone rang.

Evan groggily grabbed his phone and answered it.

In the silent night, I could clearly hear a woman's voice on the other end. "Evan, I'm drunk. Can you come and pick me up? There are so many people here. I'm a little scared."

Like countless nights in the past year, every time she got drunk, Yuga would call Evan.

And Evan, from the beginning of impatience and boredom, gradually became worried. "Where are you?" His voice instantly became sober, "Didn't I tell you, don't go out and drink late at night? It's dangerous, why don't you listen? You stay in a safe place and don't move, and I'll come pick you up." Evan lowered his voice and got up to get dressed.

It seemed that he was ready to go out and pick her up.

I finally couldn't pretend to sleep any more; I opened my eyes and looked at Evan, "Are you going out?'

Evan's buttoning action paused, "Zoe, she had a bit too much to drink, so I need to get her home safely. She's a girl, and being out alone after drinking isn't safe."

He leaned over and kissed my forehead, "Be good. You go to sleep first, and I'll take her home and come back."

I didn't say anything.

Suddenly, there was a 'ah' sound from the other end of the phone.

Then, the call was hung up.

Evan's face changed immediately, and his tone became urgent, "Zoe, I really have to go pick her up. Those places are full of mixed characters..."

I interrupted him, "Evan, I'll go with you."

He hesitated.

I repeated, "I'll go with you. You've been drinking, haven't you?" I smiled slightly, "You can't risk driving under the influence. I'll drive there."

Evan suddenly realized, "Yes, it's more convenient for you to drive."

I silently changed clothes and took the keys.

I drove to the bar where Yuga was.

Inside the bar, screams and music were coming one after another.

Evan pushed through the crowd and walked inside.

Finally, in the crowd, he found Yuga dancing intimately with someone else.

Evan walked over with a dark face and grabbed her hand, "Come with me."

"You're here," Yuga looked up at him with an indescribable coquettishness.

When her gaze met mine behind Evan, she swayed unsteadily.

Evan held onto her waist.

The man who had been dancing with Yuga noticed someone attempting to steal his companion's belongings and, awkwardly stepping in front of Evan, demanded, "Who are you?"

Evan stared at him indifferently and said, "Her boyfriend."

The man looked at Yuga obediently, snuggling in Evan's arms without any struggle, and then awkwardly let go.

This scene made my eyes water with emotion.

We helped Yuga to the place where I parked the car.

Evan opened the passenger door, let Yuga sit in, and reminded me, "When driving, roll down the window a bit."

Seeing me staring at him intently, Evan explained, "She gets a little carsick, and having the window open will make her feel more comfortable."

I clenched the steering wheel tightly, my knuckles turning pale, and said, "Got it."

Silence all the way.

We arrived at the underground parking lot of Yuga's apartment.

Evan held her gently while waiting for the elevator, his movements betraying practiced ease as though he had done so countless times before.

I suddenly couldn't stand it anymore.

Ms. Eaton", I looked at her firmly and said, "Can you please stop calling Evan in the future? After all, no one wants her boyfriend to be bothered by other women all the time. We're getting married soon."

Yuga's eyes suddenly opened.

After the shock, she bit her lip and looked at Evan pitifully, "Is it true? Are you really getting married?"

The atmosphere was silent.

After a while, Evan nodded, "It's true. I proposed to her, and we're also preparing for the wedding."

Yuga's face turned pale suddenly, choked, and said, "Okay, I understand. I'm sorry; thank you for your help tonight."

After speaking, the elevator arrived.

She stumbled and walked in, with a stubborn figure.

After she completely disappeared, Evan suddenly spoke, "Why did you provoke her?"

I looked back at him without flinching and said, "How did I provoke her?"

Evan grabbed a handful of hair, looking very anxious, "You clearly know that she likes me, and you said these things to her. Aren't you deliberately embarrassing her?"

I didn't understand; I just told her the truth; what did I do wrong?

"Evan," my throat tightened, "Are you...liking her? "

Evan was stunned momentarily, then denied, "How is that possible? What nonsense are you thinking again?"

"Is it really just my wild imagination?" I thought.

The grievances I had endured for a long time finally erupted at this moment, "Evan, is she only familiar with you? Does she not have any other friends? Why would she call a man with a girlfriend in the wee hours of the night? And you, what position are you worried about her? And just now, why did you say you are her boyfriend? If you are her boyfriend, then who am I to you? Can I also claim to be someone else's girlfriend?"

Without thinking, he blurted out, "Of course not."

Seeing my face full of mockery, Evan said, "How can it be the same? The situation just now was special; that was just an excuse for me to get rid of them quickly. Zoe, don't you understand me yet?"

"Is that so? Do I understand him?" If it were before, I would definitely confidently say that I understand him. "But now, do I really understand Evan in front of me?"