All of a sudden, something seemed to click in Zeke's mind. He looked at me and explained, "I just posted that comment to commemorate the occasion. It doesn't mean anything. Don't read too much into it."

I shook my head. I wanted to say something, but he beat me to it.

"Why are you acting like this, then? Do you think I shouldn't have gone to Scarlett's birthday party?" he asked.

He continued, "We've known each other for ten years now. Although we dated for a short while, our relationship is strictly platonic right now. It wouldn't be appropriate for me to miss my good friend's birthday celebration."

I stared at him with an understanding expression. "I understand that, Zeke. It's getting late—you should go and get some rest."

Zeke fell silent. He was staring at me. It felt like he was trying to figure out if I was actually as calm as I appeared to be.

Moments had passed, and he still didn't have an answer to his question. Then, he tried to wrap his arm around my waist, but I moved away.

"Do you want to sleep in the master bedroom or the guest room?" I asked emotionlessly.

He was shocked. He couldn't believe I'd rejected him when he tried to act intimately toward me. If this had happened anytime in the past, I would've been overjoyed.

Angry and embarrassed, he slammed the door of the guest room behind him and stormed to the master bedroom.

After he left, I swiftly dozed off. Ever since I got rid of my unnecessary thoughts and worries, it had been very easy for me to fall asleep.

…

The next morning, Steve Johnson, the administrative director of my dance company, called me.

He found out that I was leaving the country and said he wanted to throw me a farewell party. I hastily declined his offer, so he had no choice but to cancel his plans.

Subsequently, he told me he'd like to organize a dinner so he could sit down with everyone from the dance company and have a nice meal together. I had no reason to decline his invite, so I agreed to attend the dinner.

To my surprise, when I arrived at the restaurant later that night, Zeke was present too. After remembering that he was Steve's nephew, I realized it was probably natural that he was there.

Scarlett was sitting next to him. The dinner was practically a company one. So, I didn't expect him to bring her along.

When Zeke saw me, he shot me a look and signaled for me to take a seat next to him.

I ignored his request. Since he and Scarlett looked like such a wonderful couple, I didn't think I should go over and disturb them.

When Scarlett caught sight of me, she flashed me a taunting smirk.

Subsequently, she put on an apologetic expression and said, "I'm sorry for imposing on your company dinner. I had nothing to do, and I was bored out of my mind. That's why Zeke decided to bring me along."

Zeke looked like he wanted to offer me an explanation, but he didn't end up saying anything in the end.

I politely raised my wine glass and replied, "It's alright. I don't mind."

Then, I lowered my head and took a sip of my wine.

My phone wouldn't stop buzzing during dinner. When I checked my notifications, I realized I'd received multiple text messages from Zeke.

"I just happened to bring her along. Don't read too much into the situation.

"If it makes you uncomfortable, I won't let her tag along next time."

I scrolled down to the very last message.

"Let's head home together after this," it read.

I cleared my throat before lowering my head and typing up a reply.

"It's okay. You should take Scarlett home. I took my own car to dinner."

Afterward, I shifted my focus back toward the dinner party and ignored the rest of his messages.

Toward the end of the meal, everyone at the table was reminiscing about the past and happily chatting with each other.

After having a few drinks, Steve started to feel emotional. Hence, he got to his feet and raised his wine glass toward me.

"Back then, you were the best dancer in the country, and it had always been your dream to join the best dance company overseas. However, for reasons I'm not familiar with, you suddenly decided to stay here instead."

He paused for a moment before continuing, "Fortunately, you're going to leave the country soon. You can finally fulfill your dream. I'm so happy for you!

"Congratulations, Joanna! Safe travels and all the best for your future."

I flashed him an emotional smile and raised my glass before emptying its contents.

Zeke, on the other hand, looked incredibly stunned. He couldn't believe what he'd just heard.