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.

The streets were nearly empty so late at night, so I floored the gas. Per Jacob's request, I dropped Josie off first. Soon, it was just the two of us in the car.

I glanced at the steering wheel. "Let's talk."

He pinched his nose bridge, asking impatiently, "What's so important that you need to talk about it right now? I've been on a plane for over ten hours. Can't you let me rest?"

I didn't look at him with heartache the way I used to. I said calmly, "No, I can't. Some things are better settled now."

Jacob snorted. "What could you possibly have to discuss with me? Isn't this just about the wedding—"

His sarcasm was cut off by a ringtone. He picked up, and his expression changed. "Alright. Wait for me!"

He hung up and turned to get out of the car without another word.

I stopped him. "We're not done."

He stared at me incredulously, like I was some cold-blooded monster. "Josie fell in the bathroom. This is a life-or-death situation—I need to go check on her!"

I exhaled. "She should call a doctor if she's fallen. Wait for the doctor to arrive. If it's serious, like a broken bone, do you really think you're more qualified than a professional to—"

"That's enough!" Jacob snapped, his voice raw with irritation. "You're just jealous, aren't you? You're afraid I'll leave you. Fine, then. I'll make it clear right. We're over. I don't want you anymore! Happy now?"

With that, he got out and bolted toward the apartment complex's entrance. I watched his back, mouthing silently, "Fine."

…

Maybe my love life was a bust, but at least my career was looking up.

Two days later, my boss messaged me. I'd been recommended to transfer to the company's new branch and develop the market there. The pay was a lot better, so it was a real step up.

I didn't even need to think about it. I said yes and booked a flight for the next day.

That night, the colleagues I was close to threw me a farewell party. We picked a well-known spot in the city.

As I followed the crowd in, I caught sight of Jacob slipping into the private room beside ours. I leveled my gaze and looked away like he was a stranger.

But later, as I passed by his room on my way to the restroom, I heard his voice drift out.

"Marriage? When did I ever say I wanted to get married? I've got bright prospects after completing my education. Why would I settle for a woman with no looks, no education, and no money?"

Someone egged him on, loving the drama. "But you and Ingrid have been together for ten years, right? Won't she make a scene if you dump her now?"

Jacob was briefly silent before he laughed. "It's easy. I'll just string her along. I've already worn her out in bed, and she's getting older. Whatever I say goes.

"On her birthday this year, she begged me for a lipstick. I laid into her, and she didn't even dare to talk back. On the day itself, I still got her one—it was 6.99 dollars on eBay, but she acted like it was a treasure."

The room erupted in jeers.

The calm I'd managed to hold together tore open again, leaving a festering wound that spread pain through me. I clenched my fists tightly and turned to head back to my private room.

After the dinner, I contacted a colleague who had a relative working as a lawyer.

When I met the lawyer, I handed over ten years of receipts and transaction records to him. He looked through everything with raised brows. Then, he promised he would help me recover the money.

…

Early the next morning, I boarded a flight to Berdon. When I landed and turned on my phone, I received a call from Jacob. He sounded more aggressive than I'd ever heard him.

"What is wrong with you, Ingrid? You forgot to pay my mom's treatment fees! How could you forget something so important? She almost died because of you!

"And did you skip visiting her this week? What kind of future daughter-in-law are you? I'll give you one more chance. Make the payment within three minutes, or we're done!"

I only wanted to laugh as I listened to his grating voice. His mother was the one in the hospital. If he cared about her, would he need someone else to remind him about the payment? If he were a dutiful son, he would've paid it himself already. Why would he need to wait for me?

I hailed a cab and took one last look at the call screen. "Have it your way, then. We're done."