Potted plants sat on the windowsill. Markers of every color were scattered across the desk, along with collectibles lining the bookshelf.

Sheila despised anything that distracted her from her research. Years ago, on her birthday, I'd given her a collectible figurine which she'd tossed into the trash immediately.

"Is this the useless junk you spent all your energy on? I don't want you giving me things like this anymore. Go read a few books and work on improving yourself if you have that much time on your hands," she'd said to me.

That look of deep resentment she had on her face back then was now mirrored in her expression as she rushed home anxiously and pushed the door open.

"Everyone, please leave. I need to speak with Ben alone."

As Saul was about to step out, she grabbed his arm, her tone suddenly softening. "Saul, let's go to the department gathering later together."

Saul nodded calmly. He shot me a half-smile before leaving.

As soon as the door closed, the temperature in the room plummeted dramatically.

"Why is there tea in my mug?"

The wind swept across Sheila's face, lifting her hair in a flattering wave. Her expression, however, remained sour.

She frowned as she stared at the mug. "I don't like it when people use my mug."

I smiled in response. "You just don't like it when I use your mug."

I strode over to the windowsill abruptly, turning my back to her so she couldn't see my grim expression.

"The pothos plant I gave you wilted in three days. You told me you didn't have time to care for it—that's fine. This orchid, though… It's one of the hardest plants to maintain, yet you've kept it blooming beautifully. The soil is still moist too."

I then turned and dumped the markers from her desk onto the floor. "And what about these markers?" I demanded loudly as they clattered on the ground. "Are you, the top student, now using tools meant for underachievers?"

Sheila jumped at my outburst.

She hadn't expected someone like me, who was usually silent and obedient, to go against her like this.

"Those are all gifts from Saul. I couldn't just refuse. He's my advisor's son. I can't afford to offend him."

I held her gaze as she attempted to pull away. I suddenly smiled.

"Is it really because you can't afford to offend him, or do you just like him too much?"

Sheila grew flustered under my intense gaze. Her voice rose abruptly. "That's enough! There is nothing going on between Saul and me. All we ever talk about is experiments and papers. Now, did you come here today to surprise me or pick a fight?"

She yanked open a drawer, pulled out a bottle of men's cologne, and slammed it on the desk.

"I didn't want to get all fancy with this stuff in the first place, but I thought about how hard you've been studying for your SATs. I wanted you to have a nice birthday."

That bottle of cologne, which had already been logged in the ledger, shattered on the desk. It smelled exactly like the one Saul wore.

"Saul recommended this to you, didn't he?" My expression showed no sign of gratitude.

Sheila looked at me with disappointment. "Talking to you is like talking to a wall."

I could no longer hold myself back.

"Sheila Loom!" I shouted. "When you were in college, I was the one who worked at a hot dog stand outside your campus. Then, when you were getting your master's degree, I worked at the auto repair shop next to your university. I don't see you complaining like this back when I was sending you money every month without fail."

Sheila flushed. I knew how much she hated it when I brought this up. It was akin to trampling her pride straight into the dirt.

"Ben Hope, you don't have to keep harping on about how much I owe you. I swear, I will pay back every cent I owe you!"

I looked at the disgust on her face and closed my eyes, finally making my decision about the past six years.

"Let's break up. Don't forget to pay me back for all the money I spent on you."

Sheila could hardly believe her own ears. "You want to break up with me?"

I knew it wasn't that she was unwilling to part ways. She just couldn't accept that I was the one who initiated the breakup.

As I turned to leave, she grabbed my arm instinctively.

Her anger flared as she caught sight of the resolute look on my face. She couldn't bring herself to say anything to try and save the relationship, so she uttered a simple, "Fine."

I wiped my tears and pushed the door open. In the corner of the living room, Saul and Marilyn were deep in conversation.

"If those lads mooning over Sheila at university could see that guy she's dating, they'd probably want her even more."

"How many years do you reckon he spent sucking up to Sheila before he finally got her? You should have seen how ridiculous he looked just now in that apron…"

I no longer needed to hold myself back for Sheila's sake, so I slammed her bedroom door shut with a loud bang.

The pair jumped up from the couch in fright, spilling hot coffee all over the floor.

Saul shook his hand, which had just been scalded by the hot coffee. Feigning ignorance, he asked, "Did you two get into a fight?"

Having heard the commotion, Sheila pushed me aside and rushed over to Saul. Her brows were furrowed as she dragged him toward the bathroom to rinse his scalded hand.

"Why did you slam the door so hard? Can you not be so crude?"

Even though she'd clearly heard what the others had said about me, she remained silent on that front and chose to berate me for being ill-mannered instead.

I was completely disillusioned. I went into the kitchen, boiled some water, and headed straight into the bathroom. Without hesitation, I poured the boiling hot water directly over Sheila's hand.

She jumped. "Have you lost your mind?"

"No, I'm just giving you a perfectly reasonable excuse to hold his hand," I replied.

After storming out, I immediately messaged a senior colleague in Belton. "I accept your invitation."

The night had grown late. A torrential downpour had begun, rendering me completely drenched. Soaked to the bone, I scrambled under an awning, only to stumble upon Sheila's department's gathering.

Like a masochist, I stared fixedly through the glass window.

Saul held a wine glass aloft. He shielded Sheila, who didn't drink, behind him, boldly fending off every toast that came her way.

Behind him, Sheila gazed at him like he was her hero.

She hated social events like this the most.

Back when I was trying to rent a cheap storefront for an auto repair shop to give her a better life, the landlord insisted on drinking with Sheila at the table. Despite my valiant attempts to drink on her behalf, she kept sulking with her back to me.

"I hate it when you act all humble, drinking on my behalf," she'd said.

I'd assumed it was simply her scholarly pride, but in reality, nothing I ever did was right in her eyes.

The rain had reached a feral intensity by the time the gathering ended. Saul and Sheila stood together at the entrance. Sheila's eyes shone as she reached out and caught the rain in her palm.

"Tell me, Saul, why does a drizzle fall gently while a heavy rain like this hits hard?"

They shared a smile before answering in unison, "Because a drizzle obeys Stokes' law while a heavy rain has a high Reynolds number!"

Sheila danced joyfully in the rain, clad in a white dress. Saul spread his arms to shield her from the rain.

I watched their interaction. I didn't understand what Stokes' law or Reynolds number meant. I had no way of sharing a connection with her on rainy days like this.

All I knew how to do, in moments like these, was stumble in her footsteps—footsteps that never stopped for me to catch up.

I could only ever tilt the umbrella toward her, letting half of my body get completely soaked in the process.

Clearly, we were very different people.

I stood up resolutely, covered in mud. I decided I didn't want to just leave like that. I wanted revenge!

When I reached home after a two-hour walk, Sheila finally called me again.

After I silenced her call, she texted me a simple, "You asked for this."

To her, me breaking up with her must have seemed like a long-overdue pushback after years of submission.

Her call had been an olive branch—one that I ignored.

When Saul walked into the auto repair shop, I was slightly taken aback.

"Check my car out, will you?"

I had no reason to refuse the money he was offering me.

Saul held out his arm and fiddled deliberately with his Cartier watch. "This watch costs just ten thousand dollars, but it was a birthday gift from Sheila. She'd saved up for ages just to get it for me. That's why I always wear it."

My hands stilled above my toolbag as I recalled that ridiculous ten-thousand-dollar entry on the ledger.

"So?"

"So, Sheila is always so generous with me because she knows I'm worth it. Deep down, she knows that she deserves a man like me—someone who can help her secure her future. Her talent and my wealth make us the perfect match, don't you think?"

Calmly, I pointed to the scratch on the car. "It will cost you 500 dollars to paint over this. If you can add a car cover, that'll be even better."

Saul's expression flickered, but a smile graced his lips. "Alright."

As I bent next to the car to check for repairs, I suddenly heard Sheila's voice coming from outside the door.

Saul knelt down deliberately, forcing the money into my hands.

When Sheila walked in carrying a cake, this was exactly what she saw.

"I don't care if you make me kneel before you. I'm willing to pay you hundreds of thousands of dollars as long as you make up with Sheila! I can't bear to see her so unhappy."

Sheila dropped the cake in shock before pulling Saul to his feet.

"That's enough, Ben Hope! I went out of my way to bring this cake over to make up for your birthday. Care to explain what all this is?"

I gathered my tools calmly. "You saw what happened."

Sheila caught sight of the study materials for the SATs that I'd tossed in the trash. She balled her fists as she asked, "Why did you throw them away?"

"No reason. I just wanted to live my life the way it is."

Sheila shoved my tools off the worktable. "Ben Hope! Is being a car mechanic all you want out of this life?"

I lifted my head and looked at her coldly. "Please leave my shop, esteemed Dr. Loom. You're interfering with my work."

Sheila realized she'd gone too far. Guilt flickered across her face for the first time. "That's not what I meant."

Saul tugged at Sheila's sleeve. Mud still clung to his pants from when he knelt down earlier. Sheila's gaze hardened again.

"Give Saul his money back. You're nothing but a money-grubbing crook now."

As she walked away, she paused at the doorway for a few seconds.

"This breakup is final, Ben. I'll be watching to see how much lower you sink."

As I pulled the shutter down, Sheila and Saul rounded a corner. He grabbed the back of her head suddenly before pressing a deep kiss to her lips.

After a moment of surprise, Sheila closed her eyes and pulled Saul close. He towered over her.

That night, Sheila posted a new update on her social media. The caption read, "A new relationship is as warm and radiant as the sun. Love you a million times over."

The photo was one of her embracing Saul under the sunset.

Her last post about me was from six years ago, when we first announced our relationship. Her caption then had been "Hot dogs every day from now on" with a photo of an ordinary hot dog.

I closed the app, directing my attention instead to the live stream on legal matters that I'd joined. I took a deep breath.

"Hello, everyone. Last night, a woman called in saying that she wanted to break up with her boyfriend who funded her education, promising to repay every cent she owes. Does anyone remember that?"

The moment I said that, the comments section exploded.

"Oh? More gossip? Is this the boyfriend from yesterday?"

"Honestly, I don't blame that woman. If there's no love left between them, why not pay him the money back and part ways?"

"Women like that are heartless. That's what they always do after getting rich—they cut off the people they love. How can anyone still be on her side?"

I watched the rapidly climbing viewer count, my fists tightly clenched. I raised my voice. "I've got her handwritten ledger detailing her debt with me here. I'd like to share it with all of you today!

"I've also thought of the perfect blurb for this clip. Man spends six years running a hot dog stand to support his girlfriend through her PhD, only to be dumped and replaced by her advisor's son as she climbs the social ladder!"