After sleeping with her childhood friend for the 999th time, he was still enjoying it as much as before.

The next morning, Sinead Green had kiss marks left all over her. She could feel the soreness all over her body if she moved even just a little.

The scent of love was still heavy in the hotel room as Nelson's lean arms held her close. As Nelson Lane was still enjoying the warmth in his embrace, he nonchalantly said, "Wear something nice tomorrow and come home with me."

Sinead looked up at Nelson, surprised…

"Are you finally planning to... go public with our relationship?" Sinead Green asked Nelson Lane as she looked at him with hope.

Nelson raised his brow and gave her a sideways look. "Go public with what? My family set up a date for me at my home tomorrow. Come over and help keep things lively so she doesn't feel awkward."

Sinead was shocked upon hearing those words.

She could hear her heart beat as her mind went blank. "Your family is setting up a date for you? Then what am I supposed to be?"

Nelson had already gotten up and was getting dressed. He simply gave Sinead a lazy glance as he said, "You? You're my friend for everything. My food buddy, my gaming buddy, and the one I sleep with to take care of each other's physical needs."

A chill ran down Sinead's spine as the color drained from her face, her lips trembling.

Seeing her expression, the smile on Nelson's face slowly faded. He leaned in toward her. "Come on, Sinead. You didn't really think we were boyfriend and girlfriend all these years, did you?"

That teasing tone pierced straight through her heart. She fought off the urge to sob as her voice cracked, the words coming out unevenly. "How... How could I? I'm going to take a shower."

Sinead scrambled to her feet and staggered into the bathroom. As soon as the door shut, she felt all her strength drain away as she sank to the floor. Nelson's words still echoed in her ears as she stared at the kiss marks he had left all over her body, and she couldn't stop her tears from streaming down her face now.

They had known each other for more than twenty years. They had grown up together, shared the same glass of milk, and even read the same comic books.

When they were eighteen, they had even gotten drunk and slept together.

Once there was a first time, there was a second, a third...

At night, their intimacy was close and tight. During the day, they did all the things a normal couple would do. They walked hand-in-hand through crowds, kissed at midnight on New Year's Eve as they promised to stay together for the coming year, and spent hours on the phone every day keeping the spark alive...

Sinead had always thought the two of them were already together and had simply never made it public.

Yet now, Nelson was telling her they were not a couple at all.

The pain in her heart was so intense she could barely breathe. Only when she turned the water on for the shower did she sob out loudly.

She did not know how much time had passed before her tears finally ran dry. She pulled herself together once she was more emotionally stable and stepped out of the bathroom.

Nelson was already dressed and sitting on the sofa scrolling through his phone as he said, "There will be a lot of people tomorrow, so book a bigger private room at the restaurant. She likes food with lighter flavors, so nothing heavy on the menu will be fine. As for the cake, get a Black Forest cake. The flowers have to be pink and white roses. When you have finished setting things up, send me pictures so I can give it a look. Then, get a dozen suits ready for me to pick from when I get back, all black. Irene only likes that color."

Hearing that name, Sinead's heart jolted.

She could not help looking over, and she saw the faintly sweet smile tugging at the corner of Nelson's mouth.

Irene?

So, the woman he was meeting was Irene Johnson.

The light in Sinead's eyes dimmed. If it were Irene, then she would understand why he was so happy. Back in high school, Nelson had had a crush on Irene and would whisper that name in Sinead's ear dozens of times a day. Unfortunately, before he had the chance to confess, Irene had gone abroad.

Ever since then, Sinead had never heard him mention Irene's name again.

Later on, after that one-night stand between the two of them, they had only grown closer. She thought he had long since let go of Irene. She had never imagined that Irene was still the perfect first love he never talked about, yet never forgot.

The heartache that had only just eased surged up once more, and the pain left her hand shaking so badly she could barely hold her phone.

There was a heavy thud, and Nelson turned at the sound, a lazy smile on his lips. "Done with your shower? Then you can check out later. I've already paid for the room."

He picked up his coat and stood to leave, but just before he went out the door, he turned back to look at her with a faint smile.

"Sinead, I've always treated you like one of the guys, so don't show me that despairing look again, or I'd really think you're having some awkward thoughts about me. I know you like the back of my hand, and you can read my mind with just one look, too. Don't you think days like that are way too boring? If we really got together, it would feel like life was already over."

His voice faded with his footsteps, yet it kept echoing in Sinead's heart. She sat on the cold bed, smiling until the smile dissolved into tears. So, this was how Nelson had seen her all these years.

She sat there alone until late at night, then finally went downstairs to check out.

It was pouring outside, yet she wandered home as if she could not feel the coldness of the rain at all.

When she arrived home, her parents, Jackson and Liana Green, immediately hurried over with a dry towel, seeing that she was completely soaked. They asked her nervously, "It's raining so heavily, why didn't you take a cab?"

Sinead looked at her parents with a numb face. Her eyes were empty, and her voice was hoarse. "Dad, Mom, because of the recent changes at the company, you wanted to relocate abroad, right? I've thought it through. Let's all go and never come back."

Jackson and Liana were a little surprised to finally hear their daughter give in after trying to persuade her for more than half a year. "You've really thought it through? Did you break up with that boyfriend of yours?"

Thinking of what Nelson had said, Sinead felt a sharp ache in her heart and shook her head with a bitter smile. "There's no boyfriend. There never was. I made him up on purpose so you'd stop pushing me to get married."

Jackson and Liana were still delighted, although they did not know whether she was telling the truth. They hurried to prepare the paperwork while urging her to pack her luggage.

Sinead simply hummed in response and went back to her bedroom before throwing out everything that had to do with Nelson.

The thick photo albums she had carefully kept for more than ten years, the jewelry he had given her, the dresses, the hand-carved figurines...

All of them ended up in the trash.

"Ms. Green, there are so many things in good condition here. You really don't want any of them?" Sinead gave a slight nod, seeing the regret in the maid's eyes.

She then said in a faint voice, "I don't want them anymore."

It was not just those things. She didn't want the love anymore. She also didn't want Nelson anymore.

Sinead was woken up by a barrage of messages from Nelson.

He had sent dozens in a row, all asking when she was coming over. All she could feel was bitterness in her heart. 'Nelson, do you have any idea how cruel you are?'

Her hand trembled as she typed a single line: [I'm not feeling well today. I'm not coming.]

A short while later, Jackson and Liana knocked on her door.

"Sinead, even if you're mad at Nelson, this isn't the time for that," Liana said.

"Hurry up and get changed, then go over to his home. You have no idea how seriously he's taking this date. He has liked that girl from the Johnson family for years. As soon as he heard she was back in the country, he went straight to me and asked me to make the introduction," Liana continued.

"That's right," Jackson added. "She studied piano with me for a while, so I personally went over there to set this meeting up. Everything's quite formal, from what I heard, whether it's the dinner or the gifts. He asked you to go over so you can liven things up and make her feel less awkward. Nelson is serious this time. How can you not help him when you two are so close?"

So, when Nelson realized she was not going, he had actually called her parents?!

Listening to their earnest words, Sinead could only choke back her tears, wash up, and go downstairs.

The two families lived close to each other. Ten minutes later, she was already standing at the Lanes' front door, opening the shoe cabinet by the entrance.

It was empty. Her little bunny slippers were gone. She searched for them several times before finally finding them in the trash can outside the door. Along with the slippers were a mug, a toothbrush, a towel, pajamas... All of them belonged to her.

"Ms. Green, Mr. Nelson threw all of these out," the maid said. "Please use these disposable slippers for now."

Sinead stared at the trash can for a long time without a word. The Greens and the Lanes had been close for generations, and she had come over almost every day growing up, often staying the night.

Nelson had set up a bedroom just for her and bought her all the everyday items, carefully picking out the little bunny designs she liked. He had told her that this was her home too, and she did not need to worry about formalities.

Behind both families' backs, they had hugged and kissed at the front door, held hands together under the dining table, and even made love in the study.

Now that Irene was back, he was worried the girl he had secretly liked for years would get the wrong idea. So, he had thrown away everything that had to do with her.

It took Sinead such a long time to steady herself before she finally slipped on the slippers.

As soon as she walked in, she saw Nelson peeling fruit for Irene, with the two of them talking and laughing. He sat on the sofa in a custom satin suit, hair carefully styled, with a trace of cologne on him. He was alluring in a cool way… proper on the outside, a little mischievous on the inside.

Back in school, Sinead had heard plenty of girls say he was so handsome he would look good even if he were poorly dressed, and if he ever bothered to dress up, the pretty-boy celebrities in the entertainment industry could all go home.

But by nature, Nelson was wild and careless. On normal days, he simply threw on a T-shirt and never bothered to dress up.

So… he didn't mind dressing to impress when he was in front of the person he liked.

The man who had been wrapped up in bed with her just yesterday now acted as though he had never met her. He glanced at her once, then looked away and focused entirely on Irene.

He kept the conversation going without pause, from hobbies to the weather, from work to jewelry brands, from childhood stories to their school days.

Sinead lowered her eyes, quietly mocking herself in her mind as she watched Nelson tirelessly search for topics to talk with Irene on and on. So, he could be this proactive in front of the person he liked.

"It was quite a coincidence back in high school," Irene said with a laugh. "You were a year above me, and we weren't even in the same building, but we kept running into each other at school. It really felt like fate."

Hearing her bring up the past, Sinead looked at Nelson's reddening ears and let out a quiet smile.

Fate?

Nelson was behind every single one of those coincidences.

She used to follow him around, watching him try everything for the girl he liked, and it made her heart ache. Later, when Irene had gone abroad, she had thought she had finally gotten what she wanted.

But looking at things now, it was Nelson who had gotten his wish.

While Sinead was lost in thought, she suddenly heard her name being called. "I heard back in high school that you had a childhood sweetheart you were really close to. That must be Ms. Green, right?"

Sinead paused for a moment, and when she raised her head, she met Irene's probing gaze. Before she could answer, Nelson's parents, Kenny and Opal Lane, cheerfully cut in.

"They're very close," Kenny said. "Those two have been inseparable since they were little. We even thought about arranging a match for them when they were kids..."

Nelson's face darkened halfway through, and he cut them off. "Dad, Mom, let's not joke about that anymore. No matter who I like, it won't ever be Sinead."

Sinead lowered her eyes to hide the disappointment in them and forced a smile. "Same here. No matter who I end up with, it won't ever be Nelson."

At that, Nelson's expression froze for a second, then quickly returned to normal. He then extended his arm over her shoulders the way he would with a good friend and said, "Exactly. We're just friends."

For a moment, the atmosphere in the living room eased.

Sinead laughed along with them, and she heard Nelson let out a quiet sigh of relief and a soft thank you. "Not bad. Thanks for making things less awkward for me."

She said nothing as she just shifted a few steps to the side, putting some distance between them.

Making things less awkward?

No.

Every word she had just said was the truth.

By evening, the Lane family had a car ready to take them to the restaurant. Nelson, Irene, and Sinead sat together in the back seat.

Nelson, who was in the middle seat, paid constant attention to Irene throughout the entire trip.

He adjusted the air conditioning for her, found a blanket for her, handed her water, and even twisted the cap off the bottle.

Sinead watched them chat as she sat on the left, quietly staring out the window. They were only halfway there when it started to rain cats and dogs.

The road outside was dim, and the car in front had its high beams on. As they went downhill, the driver was dazed by the light and drove straight into the guardrail, unable to make the turn in time.

In that instant, Nelson moved on instinct and wrapped Irene in his arms.

Bang!

The glass shattered inward. Sinead, sitting on the side, was slammed into the broken window and left covered in blood.

A wave of searing pain tore through her body, and she felt as if she were coming apart. As her mind grew hazy, she saw the door on the right side of the car swing open.

Nelson stumbled out with Irene in his arms, phone pressed to his ear as he called for an ambulance, his voice gentle as he comforted her.

It was as if he had forgotten there was someone else in the car. He did not look back even once.

When the ambulance arrived, the paramedics said they should treat whoever was hurt the worst first.

Faced with Sinead lying in a pool of blood and Irene in a daze in his arms, Nelson hesitated only a few seconds before choosing to send Irene to the hospital first.

Watching the ambulance carry them farther and farther away, Sinead's vision slowly lost focus, and her tears finally spilled over.

Oh, Nelson...

In the end, their years of relationship could not compare to one panicked look from Irene.

As her eyelids grew heavier and heavier, the pain that had been gnawing at her began to fade. She did not last long enough for the next ambulance as her vision went black, and she slipped into darkness.

-

Sinead did not know how much time had passed before she heard murmurs of voices.

When she opened her eyes, she saw Liana holding a hand to her chest with a worried look on her face. She sounded relieved when she said, "Thank goodness, Sinead. You finally woke up. You lost so much blood that if the ambulance hadn't gotten you here in time, even the hospital's blood bank might not have been enough to save you. There were three of you in that car. How did that young lady from the Johnson family end up with just a scrape on her hand while your condition deteriorated this badly?"

Jackson finally let out a long sigh and raised a glass of water to his lips. "That's because Nelson was protecting her, of course. Irene was so moved because she saw who truly cared about her in an emergency. I just visited Irene's ward next door and happened to see Nelson feeding her using a spoon. If you ask me, they're as good as together already just from the way those two were looking at each other."

Sinead listened quietly.

Only after they finished their gossip did she ask in a hoarse voice, "How long was I asleep? Are the immigration papers ready?"

"You were unconscious for two days and scared us half to death. You don't need to worry about the paperwork. It'll be ready in about twenty days. You just focus on getting better," Richard said.

Hearing that there was less than a month left, a sense of relief washed over her.

Over the next two or three days, Sinead kept hearing from the nurses about all the things Nelson was doing for Irene.

Nelson would stay in Irene's ward without leaving her side every day. If he heard her cough in the middle of the night, he would be worried enough to go to the nurses to ask for hot water. He tested the temperature of every drink himself and kept sweets ready, worried that the medicine would be too bitter for her. When he was worried she would be bored in the ward, he went out of his way to find toys and games to cheer her up.

Sinead listened in silence and said nothing.

When a nurse wheeled Sinead out of her ward for a follow-up exam some time later, there was a commotion in the corridor. As they passed the next ward, she turned her head and saw Nelson standing there with a huge bouquet of roses in his arms, confessing his love for Irene.

"Irene, I fell for you at first sight eight years ago. All those chance meetings were really me trying to get close to you. I remember everything you like, and I know what you dream about. I never got the chance to confess back then. Will you give me a chance now?" Nelson confessed.

Hearing the nervous expectation in his voice, Sinead could not help remembering how Nelson had already started preparing this confession a month before Irene had gone abroad.

Back then, a twist of fate had made them miss that moment, but it had finally arrived a few years later.

When Sinead heard Irene say yes, she quietly scoffed and continued toward the examination room.

The moment she turned away, the crowd gathered around them broke into warm applause. Nelson looked over and saw Sinead's lone figure.

The smile on his face froze, and something in his heart shifted. That discomfort lasted only for a heartbeat before it was drowned beneath all the joy he was feeling.

He opened his arms without hesitation and pulled Irene into his embrace.