After I got home, I quickly freshened up and lay down.

My phone pinged with a message.

[I know it was just a coincidence. Focus on your work. Don't be so childish. Theodore and I are just friends, nothing more.]

I could sense Isabella's superior attitude through the screen.

Annoyed, I replied anyway.

[Am I the only one who doesn't belong in your group? I saw Theodore kiss you, and you didn't even pull away! Is that what 'just friends' means now? You slapped me hard for him!]

With every word, I felt the voice in my head roaring.

I held my phone, quietly waiting for her response. Maybe I just wanted her to fight with me.

I didn't know how long I waited, but I fell asleep. When I opened my eyes, it was already dark.

Staring at the blank phone screen, the last bit of warmth in my heart faded into the empty room.

Even though I'd slept, I didn't feel refreshed at all. In fact, I felt even more exhausted.

Lying in bed with my eyes closed, I tried to calm down. Before long, I heard Isabella open the door and come in.

I was too emotionally drained to waste any energy on her now.

The sound of her heels stopped by the bed, but she didn't move for a long time. I could feel her staring at me.

Maybe she was tired too.

With my eyes closed, all I wanted in that moment was a bit of peace.

She was probably wondering why I wasn't sitting in the living room waiting to angrily confront her like before.

Looking back, every time I argued hysterically with her, she would just sit there, looking down on me with tired, annoyed eyes, as if I were a child who couldn't get their way.

Ever since Theodore came back from abroad three years ago, it was like a key that opened the floodgates to our arguments.

It started with meeting an old senior, then a classmate, and eventually turned into this so-called "best friend" situation.

Their relationship had always been pure; it was just my wild imagination that couldn't find its limits.

After that, she would only give me routine explanations, leaving me to vent my feelings like a fool, until I eventually sank into the darkness alone.

Now, I'm just tired. I want to close my eyes and rest. I don't want to argue with Isabella anymore.

I used to be so childish, always clinging to her, trying to fit into her world, following in her footsteps.

No wonder Isabella got fed up with me. I'm fed up with my old self too.

Isabella, seeing I wasn't reacting, reached out and touched my cheek. I could still feel a bit of numbness. There was probably still a red mark from earlier.

I felt the warmth of her hand, but inside, I was cold. This was so typical of her. She hit me hard and then offered some sweetness.

In the past, if she had cradled my face and looked at me gently, I would have fallen right back into her trap of tenderness.

But this time, I didn't respond. I knew she knew I was awake, but I was tired. I didn't want to waste any more of my energy on her.

To her, I was just acting like a child with a temper, sulking and ignoring her.

After a while, she finally went to wash up. That was a relief. At least we avoided arguing over the petty stuff she always talks about.

Hearing the water running outside, I finally felt at ease and drifted back to sleep.

Ever since our last fight, I had been staying in the guest room. We were practically living apart now.

After a quiet night, I woke up feeling surprisingly refreshed. It had been a long time since I had slept so well.

In the past, I would be arguing halfway, and Isabella would just fall asleep, leaving me frustrated and unable to rest.

After washing up, I headed straight to the office. A good night's sleep really improved my work efficiency.

I stretched and realized I could leave work on time today, so I planned to try a restaurant I had wanted to visit for a while.

My stomach isn't great, so it's hard for me to eat greasy or spicy food. I had gotten used to eating spicy food with Isabella, but my stomach still suffered.

Now that I'm alone, it's more important to take care of myself.

After eating and heading home, I was surprised to see Isabella's car parked downstairs.

I opened the door. Sure enough, Isabella was sitting on the couch.

"No party today?" I asked casually.

"Who goes to parties every day?" Isabella paused after saying that.

I didn't argue back, although her original words had been much harsher.

She snapped at me when I questioned her about always going to parties. She said she wasn't like me, with poor social skills, a small circle, and no connections, unlike a real adult.

This time, I was used to her excuses and let go of the pointless argument.

"Yeah, that's good. Get some rest early," I said, washing my hands and heading to the guest room to change clothes.

"Levi," Isabella stood up and walked toward me. "I got you a promotion gift and wanted to celebrate with you yesterday…"

"Thanks," I said, taking the beautifully wrapped gift box from her hands.

Inside was a tie. Since I was already wearing a shirt, I casually put it on.

Isabella widened her eyes at me. "Aren't you a germaphobe? You always try new things after a shower."

I paused. "You still remember? I thought you didn't notice. People change."

I rarely brought it up. If someone cares, you don't need to mention it. If they don't, mentioning it won't matter.

I looked at myself in the mirror. The pattern was nice, so I decided to head to the guest room to rest.

Seeing I was about to leave, Isabella hurriedly spoke, "Levi, I misunderstood you yesterday. I thought you were following me, and…"

I interrupted her.

"It's fine. It was a bit of a coincidence. If I were you, I'd probably think I was being followed too. Don't stress about it. I'm a bit tired today, so I'll head to bed."

"Levi, and about that slap yesterday, I was just too emotional and didn't know what to do."

I was a bit taken aback. Too emotional, she didn't know what to do, but that slap wasn't meant for Theodore.

I suddenly grabbed Theodore by the collar. When he kissed her, was she prepared for that?

I didn't say it out loud. Every time, I used the same feelings and said the same words. Isabella was tired of hearing it, and I was tired of saying it.

"It's okay, I was the one who acted impulsively." After saying that, I turned and went into the guest room.

As soon as I changed my clothes, I heard a loud bang from outside. Isabella had slammed the door again.

Of course. She had given me a gift, apologized, and explained a lot.

But I didn't go along with her, so of course she got angry.