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!

The team-building activity was a hike.

All the way up, Everly stayed close to Jeremy, handing him water and wiping his sweat.

Their colleagues teased them.

"Mr. Steward, this intern is more attentive than an assistant!"

Jeremy waved it off with a smile. "She's young and thin-skinned. Please don't joke around like this. My girlfriend's right here."

He glanced back at me, a hint of warning in his eyes, telling me to be understanding.

I walked behind them, watching coldly.

...

Halfway up the mountain, Everly suddenly slipped and fell.

"Ow… It hurts…" She clutched her ankle, eyes brimming with tears.

Jeremy rushed over almost instinctively, crouching down to check on her.

"What's wrong? Did you twist it?"

The concern in his voice was impossible to hide.

"I think it's swollen… I can't walk."

She bit her lip, looking up at him pitifully.

Without hesitation, Jeremy turned his back to her and crouched down.

"Get on. I'll carry you."

The surrounding colleagues exchanged awkward looks.

After all, his 'official girlfriend' was standing right there.

Jeremy seemed to realize it, too. He turned toward me.

"Sabrina, she's injured. We can't just leave her here. You're in good shape. Can you help me carry the bags?"

As he spoke, he tossed both his and Everly's backpacks to me.

They landed heavily in my hands.

I watched as he lifted Everly onto his back.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her chin on his shoulder.

As they passed me, she glanced at me.

Her eyes were full of smug triumph.

I stood there, watching their retreating figures, and suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of irony.

Three months ago, I had acute appendicitis.

When I called Jeremy, he said he was in a meeting and told me to go to the hospital myself.

I had surgery and ended up staying in the hospital for three days.

He came once, stayed for ten minutes, then left.

"The company's busy. You're an adult. You can take care of yourself."

So it was not that he did not know how to care for someone.

He just did not care for me.

I tossed the two backpacks into the bushes by the side of the path.

Dusting off my hands, I turned and walked down the mountain.

A message from Jeremy popped up.

[Why didn't you follow us? Where are the bags?]

I sent a reply.

[Too heavy. I threw them away.]

...

When I got home, I started packing.

The apartment lease was in both of our names, but most of the rent and living expenses were paid by me.

I folded my clothes and packed them into my suitcase.

As for the things I had given him: the expensive watch, limited-edition sneakers, carefully chosen ties... I found a large box and stuffed them all inside.

Then, I called for a same-city courier and sent the box to a secondhand resale shop.

...

After that, I made a phone call.

"Help me investigate all of Jeremy's expenses over the past six months."

Accounts of love could not be settled clearly between individuals. However, money-wise... Well, I could make things crystal clear about that.

Half an hour later, a detailed bank statement was sent to my phone.

I opened it.

The more I scrolled, the colder I felt.

Line after line of transactions, all were transfers to Everly.

[November 11: Transfer of 1000 dollars.]

[December 1: Luxury jewelry store spending of 2000 dollars.]

[December 24: Hot spring hotel suite booking for 700 dollars.]

Even Everly's daily rides and food deliveries were paid through a family card linked to Jeremy.

I laughed in anger, the last trace of warmth in my eyes completely gone.

...

That night, when Jeremy came home, he immediately noticed something was wrong.

The cozy apartment had turned cold and empty.

Everything that belonged to me was gone.

He looked unsettled.

He turned to me and asked, "Sabrina… What's going on? Are you going on a trip?"

I sat on the sofa and looked up at him.

"Jeremy, let's break up."