The plea in my eyes was obvious, yet Clara remained unmoved.

At some point, my vision blurred.

I tried desperately to hold back the tears, but the emotion surged stronger, like waves crashing against the shore.

Perhaps she sensed something was wrong with me, because she loosened her grip on Ethan’s hand.

“Look, Nathan. Ethan and I have known each other for over twenty years. I can’t just ignore him.

“It’s only a game. Don’t take it so seriously. Three minutes will pass quickly.

“Why don’t you wait for me outside? It’ll be over soon.”

She appeared considerate, offering a solution for my sake, but the suggestion was absurd.

I could have turned away and pretended not to see, but the thought of my girlfriend of five years being held in someone else’s arms, locked in a French kiss, felt as though my heart were splitting apart.

“If you let him kiss you, that’s the end for us, Clara.”

One of Ethan’s friends joked, “Don’t overthink it, man. It’s just a game.”

Others muttered under their breath.

“If you can’t handle it, don’t play. You’re embarrassing us.”

“What a buzzkill. I don’t know what Clara sees in him. If you ask me, Ethan is the only one worthy of a beauty like Clara.”

“So petty.”

Clara shot me a look of disgust.

“Enough, Nathan. Can you stop being childish? Do you really think you can threaten me with a breakup?”

At that moment, I felt truly exhausted.

What I considered a reasonable request looked to her like nothing more than a tantrum.

Amid the crowd’s cheers, Ethan lowered his head without warning and kissed Clara.

At first, Clara seemed tense, restrained, as everyone watched.

But as the music pulsed and the colored lights of the private room flashed around them, she gradually parted her lips.

My heart felt like it had been ripped in two.

Even though I had brushed my teeth three times beforehand, making sure my mouth was spotless and without the slightest trace of odor, Clara had never allowed me to use my tongue when we kissed.

She only permitted the briefest touch of lips.

She said exchanging saliva with another person disgusted her.

During our five years together, I respected her request completely.

I had always kept to her rules, our lips touching and nothing more.

Now I watched Ethan’s hand settle at her waist, kneading with intimate familiarity.

Their tongues entwined, producing soft, wet sounds.

Ethan’s friends looked at me, their eyes filled with ridicule and mockery.

At that moment, I felt utterly humiliated.

In my mind, I counted every second as it passed, each one stretching endlessly.

Those three minutes felt like a lifetime.

When the time was up, no one called it out.

Ethan seemed reluctant to let Clara go.

I stared at them coldly and said, “Time’s up.”

Whether the music was too loud for them to hear or they were simply too immersed to care, I didn’t know.

But I clearly saw Ethan raise his eyebrow in my direction, as if issuing a challenge.

His hand slid lower, squeezing boldly at the curve where her waist met her hips.

That had long since crossed the boundary of any game.

They continued their French kiss for a full five minutes before finally stopping.

If Clara hadn’t run out of breath, the kiss might not have ended at all.

“Sorry, Clara. I lost track of time.

“Don’t get the wrong idea, Nathan. We were only following the rules of the game.”

Ethan looked at Clara again.

“You’ve gotten thinner, Clara. There’s barely anything left at your waist. It felt better before. Make sure you eat properly.”

I knew he said those words to provoke me.

He wanted me to lose control in front of everyone, to shout and make a scene.

That way, Clara would be disappointed in me and distance herself.

His goal of driving a wedge between us would be achieved.

But this time, I did something rare.

I said nothing.

I even clapped for them.

Clara looked at me coldly.

“What’s with the sarcasm, Nathan? What exactly are you trying to do? It was just a game.”

One of Clara’s friends, Mary Tanner, chimed in, “Exactly. If you can’t handle it, don’t come to a bar.”

I nodded and calmly shot back, “You’re right. I can’t handle it. Since you’re so open-minded, why don’t you French kiss every guy here?”

The girl flushed crimson with anger.

“You’re insane,” she snapped.

Clara frowned and looked at me, then suddenly barked, “You’re being incredibly disrespectful. Apologize to Mary.”

She ordered me the way she always did, cruel and harsh.

In the past, I would have obeyed her without hesitation.

I had grown accustomed to being the humble giver, and she had grown accustomed to being the one who stood above, receiving.

But this time, I did not comply.

I did not believe I had done anything wrong.

“Cat got your tongue, Nathan?”

I felt a tightness in my chest and could hardly breathe.

I no longer wanted to stay there, so I turned and walked straight out of the party.

“Nathan, if you dare walk away, don’t ever come looking for me again.”

Clara’s angry, threatening voice rang out behind me.

I knew I had embarrassed her in front of all her friends. She must have been furious.

My body reacted before my reason did; instinctively, I almost turned back to beg her forgiveness.

I feared angering her more than anything.

Her giving me the silent treatment was the last thing I wanted.

To win her forgiveness, I’d crawled back to her before, doing everything I could to please her.

Sometimes she forgave me after a day or two if she was in a good mood; other times, it took ten days or half a month before her anger faded.

After what happened tonight, she would probably stay angry for a month.

But fortunately, a shred of reason remained in me.

I did not hesitate.

I did not turn back.

Sitting in my car, replaying the piercing scenes from tonight, I trembled uncontrollably.

I pulled out my phone and still sent that message I had contemplated for so long.

[Clara, starting today, let’s part on good terms.]

Before pressing send, I could not help recalling everything that had happened between us over the past five years.

But everything ended today.

The message failed to send. A glaring exclamation mark appeared.

Clara had already blocked me on WhatsApp.

When I returned home, the apartment lay in complete darkness.

I did not turn on the lights. I walked straight in and sat down on the cold floor.

If I cried in the dark, no one would see, right?

I opened several bottles of alcohol and drank recklessly, trying to drown myself, hoping the numbness of liquor would dull the pain.

Clara hated the smell of alcohol on anyone. In front of her, I never smoked or drank.

Now, it no longer mattered.

After consuming far too much, I could no longer hold on. In a haze, I collapsed onto the sofa and fell asleep.

When I woke, my head throbbed violently. The sun had already set.

Instinctively, I walked into the kitchen and prepared two portions of food.

I even simmered Clara’s favorite chicken soup.

I let out a sigh, took out a lunch container, and packed everything neatly inside.

Habit really was a scary thing.

Clara had always had a poor appetite.

Her constitution was weak, and during her period, she suffered so much she could barely stand.

To help restore her health, I had transformed from someone who had never set foot in a kitchen into a skilled home cook.

Whenever I had time, I prepared meals at home and delivered them to her.

Cooking for two had become a habit I’d kept for years.

I picked up the food container and decided to say a proper goodbye to Clara.

Since I had already cooked, we could share one last meal together.

When I arrived at the door to her house, I took a deep breath and pressed the doorbell.

She had always said that even couples needed their own private space, so she had never told me the passcode to her home, nor had she ever allowed me to stay overnight.

As I stood there, anxiously rehearsing what I would say, the door suddenly swung open.

Standing there, opening the door, was none other than Ethan.

He wore a bathrobe, the belt tied loosely, exposing most of his chest, radiating raw masculine energy.

Water droplets still fell from his hair.

He looked as though he had just stepped out of the shower.