I hadn't walked far when a taxi suddenly stopped beside me.

Then, the back door opened, and Rachel was inside.

"Get in, let's talk," she said.

I nodded, and as soon as I got in the car, she started explaining.

"Don't overthink it.

The reason why I didn't accompany you to the concert is that Luke has an important cooperation, but he can't drink..."

How strange!

She should be happy that I wasn't jealous or angry.

Why did she have to drag me to explain?

Before, she never took the initiative to explain. It was always me who had to bring up the conversation.

No matter how we tried to communicate, it was futile.

She would always defend Luke, and I would only grow angrier, eventually having an emotional breakdown.

Fortunately, I let go of everything and couldn't be bothered to think about the reasons. I interrupted Rachel once again and calmly replied, "Luke is indeed important to you, so just go help him."

Rachel seemed surprised by my response and was momentarily stunned.

I didn't say much and just picked up my headphones to listen to music.

"Stop the car."

Rachel's voice turned cold.

I knew she was angry.

Because I didn't follow her lead, and I didn't save face for her in front of others.

The car stopped.

"Clement Ayers!

Sometimes, you really should reflect on whether you have done anything wrong or whether you are too narrow-minded!" Rachel said, slammed the door, and left.

"Sir, do you want to chase after her?" the driver asked.

"No."

I shook my head and laughed at myself.

Ha!

She asked me to reflect again.

Perhaps my only mistake was that I was too in love and didn't let go sooner.

Back home, I finished washing up and went to bed, no longer sitting alone on the sofa like before, staring at the clock and waiting for her to come home, only to receive a cold expression.

Maybe because I had no worries in my heart, I slept peacefully throughout the night. I woke up at dawn, but Rachel was nowhere to be seen by my side.

I habitually stayed in bed for a few minutes, checked my Instagram, and saw her post a story in the early morning.

It was a video.

Rachel, Luke, and a few close friends were drinking, playing dice, and laughing in the bar.

As expected, without my interference and arguments, she seemed to be having a lot more fun.

But I didn't act as before, getting jealous and going crazy, calling her to ask why.

Now, not only was I not jealous anymore, but I deliberately liked her story. Then I got up and went to work.

I was a math teacher, and I had a lot of classes today, so I almost forgot about Rachel.

In the past, no matter how busy I was, I would squeeze out some time to send a message to her to show my presence.

I would be delighted whenever she replied.

Even if she texted: [Don't bother me.]

When I returned home from work in the evening, Rachel was sitting on the sofa, intentionally admiring the ring on her ring finger.

"The ring Luke gave me is so pretty," she muttered, clearly trying to grab my attention again.

But I ignored her and went straight to the study, intending to write an application for a job transfer.

"Clement Ayers!"

Rachel was anxious and quickly stopped me. She raised her ring and asked with a frown, "Didn't you see my ring?"

"I saw."

I nodded and replied.

"Then, didn't you hear me say that Luke gave it?" Rachel added.

I was slightly stunned and took the ring from her hand.

"What are you doing? Don't be reckless! You can't throw it away! I really like this ring!"

Rachel raised her eyebrows and immediately put on a haughty attitude again, just like before.

She enjoyed playing with my emotions.

"The ring is very beautiful. Wear it well and don't lose it."

As I spoke, I put the ring on her ring finger and walked calmly into the study.

Actually, the moment I saw the ring, I recognized it as Luke's. He had posted on Instagram about it, claiming that it was custom-made abroad and worth hundreds of thousands.

In fact, it was just a cheap plastic ring that probably cost less than two dollars.

Besides, most of what Luke possessed was fake, including the gifts he gave to Rachel, which were often of low quality.

I reminded her, but she didn't believe it.

I thought she was just naive until one time when Luke gave her a pendant worth five hundred thousand dollars.

As a result, it was determined to be a fake and worth at most fifty dollars.

I excitedly showed Rachel the appraisal report, but she glanced at it and threw it into the trash, saying, "So what if it's fake? I like it anyway."

At that moment, I understood.

Why did she casually give the diamond ring I gave her to her best friend?

Why did she treat the rags Luke gave her as treasures?

It turned out that the authenticity didn't matter.

It was just a case of loving someone and everything that was related to them.

Because of that, I was filled with immense panic at the time. I was afraid that Rachel would leave me and return to the arms of Luke, her first love. That was why I became even more submissive.

I was too foolish and naive.

But now, it was different.

When I finished writing the application form and came out of the study, Rachel was nowhere to be seen.

Obviously, she became even angrier after I repeatedly rejected the opportunities she offered me.

But what did this have to do with me?

I didn't care anymore.

I wouldn't search for her everywhere like I used to and watch her standing on the street, arms crossed, coldly looking down at me as I apologized over and over again.

Now, I would just take care of myself like I did last night.

Besides, I had planned to leave this city to do something meaningful.

I wanted to be like my parents and go to remote areas to teach.

Since I was a child, I admired my parents and dreamed of becoming a teacher and providing more children with the opportunity to learn knowledge.

Later, I became a teacher, but I also fell in love and tied myself down for Rachel.

Every day, my thoughts revolved around her.

I would think about what dishes to cook for her, how to make her happy, and what gifts to buy for her.

I would think about helping her optimize her teaching materials and even substitute for her in training classes.

In short, everything revolved around Rachel.

But what did I get in return for wasting so much energy?

Rachel's hot and cold attitude and Luke's provocative flaunting caused my emotions to collapse.

I often felt depressed and unmotivated, making it difficult for me to focus on teaching.

Now, I could finally calm down.

I called my father and told him what I was thinking.

"Clement, living conditions in the mountainous areas are harsh, unlike the hustle and bustle of the city. Have you thought it through?" my father asked.

"I've thought about it.

If you and my mother can persevere, then I can definitely do it, too," I replied with a smile.

Amidst the worldly chaos, desires often captivated our eyes, but the lush greenery of the mountainous areas was full of upward vitality.

Nature was the best medicine, enriching my spiritual world.

Moreover, as compared to the torment of enduring daily mental anguish, physical hardship was nothing.

As for why my father didn't mention Rachel, it was because she never let me tell my family about her.

Neither Rachel nor I had spoken for several days.

I no longer had to get up early to cook for her, nor did I have to massage her legs at night. I didn't have to worry about her anymore, and life had become much more relaxed.

The students all said that I looked much better.

This morning, Rachel slammed the door and left again.

I still ignored her, but as soon as I arrived at school, I received a call from her best friend, Anna Gray.

"Clement, are you still a man? How dare you treat Rachel like this?

If you don't love her anymore, just say it directly. What's with the silent treatment?

Do you even have the right to do that?"

Anna was furious and started to accuse me.