On the last day of the year, my music player app pushed out my 2025 listening report.

My keyword was 'Resonance.'

I had not actually spent much time listening to music that year. My account had mostly been used by my boyfriend, Jeremy Steward.

A small line of text appeared underneath.

[At 4:00 A.M. on December 1st, you were still sharing the same song with someone. So this is what love looks like, staying awake through the night.]

My breath caught.

December 1st was my birthday. However, that night, I had gone to bed early.

Jeremy had rushed off right after cutting the cake, saying he needed to go back to the office for overtime.

Almost as if possessed, I tapped my trembling hands on the unfamiliar profile that showed up as my most frequent interaction.

Their keyword for the year was 'Exclusively Yours.'

My heart skipped. I opened the details.

[This year, you and this user listened to songs together late at night 688 times. Every time is a private whisper between souls.]

Right then, a message from Jeremy popped up on my phone.

[Babe, I have to work late again tonight. Don't wait up for me. Sleep early, okay?]

At the same moment, that unfamiliar account posted a new update.

A photo of two hands intertwined inside a car, fingers tightly laced together.

[I love working late with him the most. We'll listen to music together for a lifetime.]

I did not reply to Jeremy Steward's message. I just stared at that photo.

I knew the car interior all too well. After all, it was the promotional gift I had given him.

Hanging from the glove compartment on the passenger side was the safety charm I had woven by hand.

I tapped into that unfamiliar account again and opened her playlist.

The pinned playlist was titled 'A Love That Came Late.'

Its description read, 'You are the joy that came too late and the one I'll love for the rest of my life.'

Every song in it was Jeremy's favorite: post-rock and obscure indie folk.

Every single track showed records of them listening together from 2:00 A.M. to 5:00 A.M.

Those were all the nights he said he was 'working late' and did not come home.

A wave of bitterness rose in my chest.

Suddenly, my phone buzzed.

A message popped up.

[Happy New Year, Sabrina! No matter how far I go, you'll always be my closest family.]

It was Everly Chance, the girl I had sponsored for four years, the one I personally brought out of the mountains, the one I helped get a job at Jeremy's company.

My fingers hovered over the reply box, but before I could type anything, a notification lit up.

As if possessed, I tapped it.

The video was only five seconds long.

Jeremy, who was supposedly pulling an all-nighter at work, was standing by the sea.

The night wind whipped around him. The sparkler in his hand crackled, lighting up the gentle curve of his face.

From off-camera, Everly's voice sounded sweet and cloying.

"Make a wish, Jeremy."

Jeremy smiled and blew out the sparks, his gaze so soft it almost melted the lens.

"My wish is this: may every year be like today, with you, Everly, in my life."

In an instant, my hands and feet turned ice cold.

Every year? With her in his life?

Then, what was I? A joke he got to relive every year?

My stiff gaze drifted back to that photo of their hands intertwined in the car.

I had not noticed it before, but at that moment, I saw it clearly.

On that slender, pale wrist was a simple silver bracelet.

Though it was nothing expensive, it looked painfully familiar.

It was the birthday gift I had carefully chosen for Everly just last month.

Then I looked at the account's ID.

[J&E]

'Jeremy and Everly, huh?'

So, that was it.

The girl I had treated like my own little sister…had stolen the man I loved with all my heart.

A quiet laugh escaped me. I kept laughing until tears hit the screen.

Just six months ago, Jeremy had frowned and complained to me, saying, "That Everly is so clumsy. Can you stop pushing her onto me to mentor?"

I had even comforted him back then.

"She's had it rough growing up. Just be patient with her."

So this was how he showed his 'patience.'

It seemed he had really gone all out.

I looked at the pot of broth on the table, the one I had spent four hours simmering specifically for him. A thick, greasy film had already formed on the surface.

It felt just like my situation with him at that moment. It looked warm and tender on the surface, but underneath, it was nothing but something sickening.

I stood up, picked up the pot, and dumped the liquid straight into the trash.

I wiped my tears and opened the dashcam's app.

Jeremy had installed it on my phone, saying it would give me peace of mind.

I had trusted him, so I had never once opened it.

The feed loaded; it was live.

The car was dim, but the audio was crystal clear.

"Jeremy, this song is so nice. Can it be our song from now on?"

Everly's voice was soft and coy, nothing like the timid girl she acted like in front of me.

"Alright. Whatever you say."

Then came the rustling of clothes and the kind of breathy sounds that made my stomach churn.

I pressed the download button.

After the tears ran dry, all that remained was a cold that ran deep into my bones.

...

By the time dawn broke, Jeremy came home.

He looked exhausted, but there was a faint pink mark on his shirt collar.

It was the exact shade of Everly's favorite lip gloss.

Her profile picture flashed in my mind: a little white rabbit holding a carrot.

Soft, innocent, harmless, just like her.

A gaze that was always looking with wide, timid eyes, effortlessly stirring up anyone's instinct to protect her.

That was exactly why I had softened back then and chosen to sponsor her.

I guess Jeremy must have fallen for that facade, too.

He used to complain that I reeked of money and was too strong-willed.

Only then did I understand.

What he wanted…was someone who would look up at him with nothing but devotion.

"Babe, I'm exhausted. Stayed up all night to finish that proposal."

He closed his eyes as he spoke, waiting for me to hand him a hot towel and a glass of honey water, as I usually would.

However, I did not move.

"Sabrina?" He did not get the service he expected and opened his eyes in confusion.

I looked at him, my voice dry.

"Why do you smell like river water?"

His body stiffened for a split second, then he casually straightened up and tugged at his tie.

"Oh, the team went by the riverside last night to get some air. We had supper there."

"Was Everly there, too?"

His gaze flickered, but it quickly returned to that self-righteous calm.

"Yeah. She's an intern; she learns by following the team. Sabrina, honestly, it's thanks to you for introducing her to the company. She works hard, and everyone in the team likes her."

He walked over, reaching for my hand.

"Come to think of it, she's been talking about wanting to thank you for being her sponsor."

I avoided his touch and said flatly, "I sponsored her so she could study and build a future, not so she could stay up late with my boyfriend watching the river."

Jeremy's expression darkened.

"Sabrina Thornton, what are you implying? Why are you talking like that? We have a normal working relationship!"

"Would a normal working relationship involve 688 times of late-night shared listening sessions?"

I tossed the printed report onto the coffee table.

The pages scattered, and his pupils shrank.

After a long moment, he sighed helplessly, like he was dealing with a child throwing a tantrum.

"All this…over that? Sabrina, you're being way too sensitive. That account is logged in on the company computer, too. Sometimes Everly works late and just uses my account to listen to music to stay awake. What does that prove? We're colleagues. Am I supposed to log out over something this trivial?"

He looked down at me, disappointment thick in his tone.

"I'm working myself to the bone for our future, and you're at home making things up over a few listening records. Sabrina, can you be a little more mature?"

Mature?

A bitter smile curled at my lips.

For five years, I stayed with him from when he had nothing, through thick and thin, as he worked his way up to what he finally had.

Every time I brought up marriage, he brushed me off, saying, "The company's still growing. I can't give you the best yet."

Time and time again, I compromised.

I spent my best years waiting, and finally...

He claimed I was not mature, not tolerant enough of his boundaries, and being crossed with someone else.

I laughed.

"Go take a shower. You smell awful."

Jeremy thought I had backed down. He let out a breath of relief and headed into the bathroom.

The sound of running water filled the air.

I picked up his phone.

The password was still my birthday. He thought it was a sign of devotion.

I unlocked it and opened the chatting app.

The pinned chat was not me.

It was a group chat.

[Project Team-File Transfer]

There were only two people in it.

Him...and Everly.

The chat history was unnervingly clean.

No flirtation. No ambiguity. Just files and work reports.

However, I knew Jeremy too well.

He was cautious and addicted to the adrenaline rush.

I opened the 'Annual Listening Report' link and shared it with that two-person group chat.

The very next second, Everly sent a message.

[Jeremy, you were so naughty in the car just now… My lips are all swollen.]

I did not reply and simply deleted the shared link.

...

When Jeremy came out of the shower, he looked refreshed.

"Oh, right, the company's having a team outing this weekend. Everly said she hasn't seen you in a while. You should come, too."

He said it casually while drying his hair.

In the past, he never brought me to those things.

His excuse was always to keep work and personal life separate.

This time, the invitation was probably meant to ease my suspicions.

"Sure."

He paused, clearly surprised at how agreeable I was, then walked over and kissed my forehead.

"That's more like it. Stop overthinking everything."

The moment his lips touched my skin, my stomach churned.

I forced myself not to push him away.

...

That weekend, we went to a resort villa.

When I arrived, Everly was standing right beside Jeremy.

She was wearing a cream-colored knit sweater with a pleated skirt.

It was the sweater I had bought for her just last month.

It cost over 400 dollars. For an intern, it was extravagant.

Back then, she had messaged me, crying about how cold the winter was and how she did not have warm clothes.

My heart had softened…and I sent it to her.

So, she stood there in the clothes that I had bought, beside my boyfriend, smiling brightly.

"Sabrina! I haven't seen you in a while! I've missed you so much!"

The moment she saw me, her eyes lit up. She rushed over and looped her arm through mine affectionately.

She carried the same scent Jeremy had when he came home that night.

A cheap, overly sweet peach fragrance.

Then, she looked me up and down, feigning surprise.

"Sabrina, why are you dressed like this? Jeremy doesn't like this kind of old-fashioned style. I work with him now, so I know his tastes very well."

Her tone was soft, but every word pierced.

I ignored her.

Her intentions were far too obvious.

"Jeremy mentions you a lot, too," I said lightly. "He says you're very capable. Even your taste in music is exactly like his."

Everly's expression stiffened. She instinctively glanced at Jeremy.

He frowned. "Sabrina, don't be sarcastic."

Seeing that I did not respond, Everly dropped the pretense entirely.

She tilted her head, her face innocent.

"These past few years, it's all thanks to your support, Sabrina, that I get to wear such nice clothes. But I should thank Jeremy, too. He said this color makes my skin look fair and...makes me look especially youthful."

She emphasized the word 'youthful,' and her gaze was openly provocative.

My fingertips trembled slightly, a coldness settling deep inside me.

Everly was 21, full of youthful radiance, and her skin was plump and supple.

However, I was only 28, not too far off. In fact, I was successful and still in my prime.

In what way was I inferior to her?

She continued, as if enjoying herself, saying, "Oh, right! Jeremy also said he's going to make me a full-time employee early next month."

Full-time?

Everly was still a senior in college. She had only been at the company for half a month.

I turned to look at Jeremy.

He avoided my gaze, a flicker of guilt passing through his face.

"Everly's been performing well. I'm planning to convert her position to a full-time one next month."

I let out a cold laugh.

She had used my money to buy clothes, slept with my boyfriend, and finally, she was leveraging that relationship to take shortcuts in her career.

What a perfectly calculated move!