My Girlfriend of 7 Years Cheated on Me

At the KTV, my girlfriend, Celeste Jones, played truth or dare with her crush during a class reunion while I went to the washroom.

I opened the door and saw my girlfriend hugging her crush, shyly biting the paper.

"I have a boyfriend. Can we count the dare as a success if we kiss through the paper?"

A group of people cheered. They were whistling and clapping, urging, "Kiss! Kiss!"

I walked over and took the paper. I pushed my girlfriend into her crush's arms and slipped them a room key.

"Why don't you two book a room?"

——

When I handed the room key to my girlfriend, everyone was silent.

A classmate quickly reacted, laughing to smooth things over. "Oh, Xavier and Celeste are just messing around. Austin, you didn't take it seriously, right?"

Xavier Martin, my girlfriend's crush, looked at me with a half-smile. "Yeah, Celeste and I are too close. We didn't notice the boundaries. You aren't that petty, are you?"

He glanced at the room key in Celeste's hand and added meaningfully, "I remember you and Celeste have lived together for three years. Why do you still carry a room key? Is it...for someone else?"

Celeste came to her senses. Her eyes were red with anger, and she threw the room key at my face. "Austin, what do you mean? Are you humiliating me?"

The room key fell to the ground. I didn't pick it up. I just smiled at everyone. "Just kidding. You guys continue playing."

After saying that, I turned and pushed open the door to the room.

Behind me was Celeste's angry shout, but I ignored it.

She had already forgotten that today was our seventh anniversary. She would never have guessed that the room key was for a room I spent a month preparing as a proposal site.

But never mind.

Some people can't be kept no matter what you do.

I took the subway home, not expecting to find the room lit.

Celeste had come back.

She sat in the living room, looking upset.

"Austin, explain yourself."

I glanced at her. I silently changed my shoes and turned to the bathroom.

Celeste followed. "I'm talking to you. Didn't you hear me?"

She ignored my silence, angrily shouting. "The class reunion is only once a year, and you had to throw a fit now? Austin, do you think I'm too easygoing, so you treat me like trash?"

I wiped my face and looked at her through the mirror.

She wore delicate makeup and the most beautiful jewelry.

None of it was for me.

"Celeste."

I asked indifferently, "How did you get back?"

Celeste was stunned. She was not expecting this question, frowning. "Of course, I drove back. What else?"

I stated, "I took the subway back."

After we bought the car, I felt sorry for Celeste commuting for an hour. So, I helped her get a license to drive to work while I took the subway for two hours to work every day.

But my concern became her entitlement.

Even after the reunion, she forgot she had a boyfriend on the same route, and she could have given me a ride.

The water droplets on my face weren't wiped dry, wetting a patch on my clothes.

I didn't care. I looked back at her. "When you drove back, did you ask where I was?"

Celeste felt a bit guilty and then got defensive. "You were the one who stormed out first. Austin, don't turn this around on me. Besides, tonight was just a game. Everyone was having fun. Why are you being so petty?"

Back in the KTV room, Xavier also said, "Austin, we're too close. You can't be this petty, right?"

I looked at her, enunciating, "Do you remember what today is?

"Today is our seventh anniversary."