After Jacob Locke brings up breaking up with me once again, I don't wait for him to say anything else.

I pack up my things and move out on my own, then quietly cut ties with our past.

On the first day, I cancel the wedding planner I booked three years ago but kept delaying.

On the second day, I turn off the automatic payments for his mother's treatment. I also politely refuse his sister when she reaches out for money.

On the third day, I accept my superior's transfer proposal and get ready to settle down in a southern city.

The moment I board the plane, I suddenly get curious. Without me, the free housekeeper who hasn't taken a break in the past decade and the always-on ATM, how will Jacob fare?

How will he care for his paralyzed mother, deal with his vain sister, and face his precious junior who's the apple of his eye?

"Ms. Colson, once the wedding planning is canceled, we'll deduct 20% of the deposit per the contract. Please sign here if you have no objections."

After confirming with me again, the staff member handed over the contract and a pen, giving me a detailed run-through before guiding me to sign on the marked line. She was young, and there was a spark of curiosity in her eyes. She looked like she wanted to say something, but she held back.

It was understandable.

I had booked this wedding planning service three years ago. My fiance, Jacob Locke, and I had finalized the plan twice and even gotten to the point of having rehearsals, yet things had fizzled out both times.

To this day, the wedding had yet to happen. And there I was, there to cancel it.

Anyone would've been curious to know what had gone down. But they didn't know, nor would they ever know, that it had only taken one night for me to change my mind. I'd gone from wanting to marry the man I'd loved for ten years to deciding the end the engagement.

What made my decision absolute was something on the very top of Jacob's bookshelf—a single display piece made of building blocks.

I'd accidentally knocked over the bookshelf while doing a deep clean of the house. The thick wooden shelves and the hefty building blocks hit me hard enough to make my head spin.

The crash was so loud that it drew Jacob's attention. He rushed into the study, but the first thing he did wasn't to ask if I was okay or help me up. Instead, he stared at the scattered building blocks on the floor, more furious than I'd ever seen him.

"Ingrid Colson, did you have to toss my stuff just because you weren't happy with the birthday gift I got you?" he roared.

I hadn't even gotten a chance to explain before he told me to get out of his house. I stood at the door all night and apologized countless times, but all I got in return was the building's security chasing me away, claiming that I was disturbing the neighbors.

I had ordered the same set online. And as always, I'd handwritten an apology letter and sent it to him. I never got a reply. Instead, I saw Jacob's face in another woman's social media update.

His junior, Josie Beech, posted a collage of nine photos. It showed a lively gathering at a pizzeria. Right in the center of the collage was a photo of a block-built castle that didn't match the vibe.

"Thank you to Jacob for staying up to build the castle for me! I love this gift so much! Sorry to the haters, but the castle that this film was from is the best part of childhood!"

Within a minute of posting, Jacob had commented. "All that matters is that you like it."

Josie's reply was just as quick. "Thanks, Jacob. I can't believe you remembered when I only mentioned it once. I'm so happy!"

The two of them went back and forth in the comments.

Honestly, the comments were perfectly ordinary. However, it felt like someone had splashed lemon juice straight into my eyes. It felt sharp and stinging.

Last month was my 33rd birthday, and I'd expectantly hinted that I wanted a lipstick. Jacob gave me a surprised look before mocking, "You want to act like a young lady and slather makeup on your face at your age? It makes young ladies look good, but you? You've been with me for ten years. Why do you need to look good?"

He'd been so brutally direct. Even so, he'd still given me a lipstick on my birthday.

I'd been delighted. I'd thought it meant I still mattered to him.

Who would've known that he would commit something Josie had mentioned offhandedly to mind? The building block set cost 1,500 dollars, yet he'd bought it without a second thought.

Such preferential treatment was something I, as his girlfriend, had never experienced in ten years.

It was then that I knew the past decade was just a dream I'd woven for myself. Now, it was time to wake up.

I'd just walked out of the wedding planning company when, right on cue, Jacob sent a message without a word otherwise. "Lindsay's train arrives at 8:30 pm. Get there earlier to pick her up."

It was the first time he'd reached out since our cold war. In the past, I would've seized this opportunity to step down from the fight. I would've rushed to the train station to pick up his sister, Lindsay Locke, without complaint.

But now, I just stared at the text for two seconds before driving away.

That night, when I returned to the Locke residence, the first thing I saw was shoes tossed carelessly on the floor and a suitcase. Lindsay stuck her head out of the bathroom and rolled her eyes at me.

"Where did you go, Ingrid? Do you know how long I waited at the train station? I had to take a cab back. If anything happened to me on the way, Jacob would never let you off. I'm hungry, and I want takeout. Order it for me now!" she snapped.

I looked at her calmly, then lowered my gaze to her feet. She wore a pair of thousand-dollar shoes I'd given her as an entrance gift for college, and the rest of her outfit was branded stuff worth a few hundred each. She wasn't exactly dripping in luxury, but the whole look was better than what I usually wore.

I'd always treated her like my own sister, but I'd never once gotten kindness in return. If I bought her something, she would act nice and syrupy sweet toward me. But if I didn't, she'd snap at me rudely.

And somehow, I'd put up with that for ten years.

As Lindsay watched, I pulled out my phone and texted Jacob. At the same time, I said to her, "I've informed your brother that you don't have money for food. If you don't mind, you can wait for him for a bit. After all, he's abroad, and there's a time difference."

She gaped at me.

I didn't say anything else. I went into the master bedroom.

…

Early the next morning, the noise outside jolted me awake. The kitchen and living room were a wreck, courtesy of Lindsay. Water leaked from the bathroom, soaking the tiles until there was nowhere to step.

She didn't feel a shred of guilt when she saw me. In fact, she even flicked suds onto the floor like a challenge.

I watched her without a word. I didn't stop her, nor did I do what I would've done in the past—quietly grab a mop and clean up after her. I calmly returned to the bedroom and packed what I had left.

It was funny, really. This wasn't even my house, so why would I panic?

Once I had everything, I wheeled my suitcase out.

"Where are you going?" Lindsay snapped, standing in my way.

I brushed her off, saying casually, "I've got a two-week business trip. I'm taking my stuff to the office."

She curled her lip, crossed her arms, and looked at me cockily. "Some people are intellectuals who go abroad for academic exchanges, yet some are corporate slaves who pull all-nighters on business trips.

"You know what that is? That's called being born unlucky. I'm meeting classmates for a meal this afternoon. Send me money, or I'll tell Jacob you're abusing me!"

She was all bluster, like she was confident I couldn't do anything about her.

It was almost funny. I'd licked Jacob's boots for ten years. For his sake, I'd even sucked up to his family for that long. Now that I'd stopped, they were the ones getting mad.

I suddenly laughed and pointed at her, looking her up and down. "I fronted your mom's medical bills, paid your brother's tuition, and funded your college education.

"All three of you have been living off me, and even the clothes on your back right now were bought by me. Next time you run your mouth, think about whether you can afford to pay me back."

Lindsay's face flushed bright red. Having nothing to say, she spun around, ran to her room, and slammed the door.

…

After settling into my new place, a notification popped up on my phone. I opened it to see yet another hospital payment notice for Jacob's mother, Marie Brown.

The hospital was reminding me that the due date was in five days and to make sure there were enough funds in my bank account.

After getting together with Jacob, my heart had ached at the thought of him juggling work and school while taking care of his paralyzed mother and young sister. So, I'd decided to share the burden.

I thought my sincerity would be met with the same. Shame I'd met a thankless scumbag.

With that thought, my hesitation vanished. I canceled the auto-debit and unlinked my card. If someone else wanted to be a sucker, they could go ahead. I was done.

Late that night, Jacob's overseas call came as expected.

The moment I picked up, his furious roar blasted through, slamming against my eardrums like bullets. "Lindsay says you didn't pick her up. She had to take a cab home herself, and you didn't even make her dinner. She tried to order takeout, and you complained that she spends too much.

"Is this how you treat my sister when I'm not home, Ingrid? If you don't fix your attitude, I'll need to reconsider our relationship!"

I made a noncommittal sound when I heard that. "Let's meet when you're back in the country, then. We can sort this out face-to-face."

My unexpected response made Jacob go quiet for a moment. Then, he sneered. "What's there to sort out? That wedding plan again? If you've got that much free time, maybe invest in yourself more.

"You're always thinking about getting married—don't you feel embarrassed? I'll be back the day after tomorrow. If you want to convince me, let's see how you perform."

He softened his tone, but his words were clearly perfunctory.

He'd probably forgotten that in our first year together, he'd sworn he would give me the grandest wedding after getting his PhD.

I waited seven years, and he finally did it. So, I threw myself into comparing wedding planners, feeling thrilled.

The first year, I brought Jacob a carefully chosen plan. He'd looked somewhat guilty while telling me that he was too busy with his academia and that he wasn't in the headspace for a wedding.

The following year, his busiest stretch finally ended, and he'd agreed to try on wedding dresses with me. However, I waited for him in one for 24 hours, only to get a text that he'd overslept.

This was the third year, and I'd canceled the wedding plans.

I took a deep breath and started, "Jacob, it's not about the wed—"

Before I could finish, a young woman's startled squeal sounded on his end. He hung up without another word.

I stared at my phone but didn't call him back.

…

Soon, it was the day Jacob returned to the country. He'd texted ahead, telling me to pick him up, but I ignored him. Then, he called, saying he was only free the day he landed. He'd be back in the lab the next day and wouldn't be around for the next few days.

To ensure the conversation went smoothly, I went to the airport anyway. Traffic was bad, so it was already 11:00 pm by the time I arrived.

The lights shone brightly outside the airport.

Through the glass, I saw Josie resting her forehead against Jacob's broad back, shaking her head side to side like she was being cute.

I blared the horn, and the pair of lovebirds scattered like spooked birds.

Jacob saw my face and strode over, slapping the window hard. "Didn't I tell you to be here at 7:00 pm? Do you see what time it is now?"

I lowered the window a crack and saw how pale his face was from the cold. I said coolly, "There was traffic."

He seethed, ready to say more. I beat him to it. "If you don't get in the car soon, your precious junior is going to freeze her brains out."

Jacob paused. Putting the fight aside, he yanked open the back door and ushered Josie in first. Then, he looked at me, wordlessly urging me to get out and grab the luggage.

I ignored his look and focused on my phone, replying to a colleague.

In the car, Josie studied me through the rearview mirror. I calmly met her gaze. My eyes landed on the scarf around her neck—it was familiar.

It was Jacob's scarf. He wore it every winter.

Last Christmas, he'd finally agreed to watch a movie with me. When we came out, the wind cut right through me, making me shiver.

A guy next to us looped his own scarf around his girlfriend and ordered her not to take it off. I was envious of them and nudged Jacob to hint at him.

He immediately frowned and told me to forget it. "I don't like sharing scarves with other people."

Yet, his scarf was now snugly wrapped around Josie's neck. It turned out it wasn't that he didn't like sharing—he just didn't like sharing with me.

Josie noticed my gaze and smiled shyly. She said cutely, "It was too cold while we were waiting for you, so Jacob gave me his scarf. Please don't misunderstand, Ingrid."

I smiled, too. "A scarf isn't worth fussing over. Honestly, the issue is that Jacob doesn't know how to treat others right. It's so cold outside that he should've taken a cab with you instead of waiting for me. What good is saving a few bucks on the fare? The doctor's bill would've cost more if you'd caught a cold. Don't you agree, Ms. Beech?"

Josie's smile faded and vanished.