I wanted a clean breakup.

I not only just threw away everything about Oliver but also deleted his contact information.

After completely clearing him out of my world, I focused all my attention on work.

One of my colleagues teased, "Are you on steroids? You've been working so hard lately."

I responded with a faint smile, "Because I suddenly realized that nothing is more important than money."

Love was not necessary, but money was.

In the past, most of my attention was on Oliver, and I was not so focused on my work.

As a result, after working for three years, I remained an unknown clerk.

"That's right! Do you want to apply for the manager position? With your ability, you are more than qualified to be a manager."

"Of course, there is an opportunity for promotion. How can I miss it again?"

Upon seeing my resolute response, my colleague cheered me on enthusiastically.

Shortly after, I received a birthday invitation from a good friend, Kelly.

It was not until I arrived at her birthday party that I suddenly remembered something.

Kelly was not only my best friend but also the wife of Oliver's friend.

So inevitably, I saw him again.

Oliver sat amidst the crowd, with the halo of light from the crystal chandelier above casting a shimmering glow on his pretty nose and eyes, lending him an air of coolness and composure.

Upon noticing my arrival, everyone started to quip Oliver and me.

"What's going on with two? Why didn't you come together?"

"Did you guys have a fight? Well, Oliver better drink more and apologize later."

Hearing their teasing, I was briefly stunned. Frowning, I turned to look at Oliver, who remained silent.

Didn't he tell them we had broken up?

Just as I was about to tell him about our breakup, Kelly happily pulled me to sit beside Oliver.

She arched an eyebrow slightly and smiled. "The seat is for you. You're welcome."

Seeing her smiling, I didn't want to ruin this warm and lively scene.

So, I just bit back the words.

Deliberately ignoring the people around me, I directed my attention to the food.

Suddenly, I heard a lot of cheering.

I looked over and saw three glasses of wine in front of Oliver.

He calmly took one of the glasses and drank it all in one gulp.

The people around him began to tease us again.

"Oliver will easily get drunk if he continues drinking like this. Amelia, talk to him."

"Yeah, Amelia, Oliver only listens to you."

Hearing their words, I pressed my lips, remaining silent.

I realized that today's party was not only a celebration of Kelly's birthday but also an opportunity for Oliver and me to reconcile.

I felt Oliver's gaze on me.

Seeing my silence, he continued drinking.

This could be considered a disguised form of surrender.

However, I remained indifferent.

I was unusually calm.

The people who were hyping us up began to sense something was wrong, and their voices gradually subsided.

Kelly came over and asked quietly, "Are you really not going to persuade him to stop?"

"We've broken up. I have no right to persuade him," I declared, making no attempt to conceal it.

The words sounded in the private room, leaving surprise and disbelief etched on the faces of those present.

It seemed that they didn't expect me to be so decisive.

After all, they were well aware that I had been the one to pursue Oliver initially and had invested the most in our relationship.

I smiled and stood up. "I'm sorry, but I just remembered that I have something to deal with. I got to go."

With that, I left the private room.

After leaving the hotel, I wandered alone on the bustling street, recalling our shared past.

Oliver was very nice to me before Heather returned from abroad.

He fulfilled all my fantasies of what a perfect boyfriend should be and would give me everything I desired.

However, deep down, I always felt like something was missing in our relationship.

It was when Heather returned and I saw Oliver postponing his plan to pick her up that I realized I had never truly been his priority.

But it was he who had said he wanted to be with me forever.

Bitterness welled up in my heart, causing my eyes to turn slightly red.

Just then, a club not far away came into view.

Thinking it was still early, I went to get a small private room for myself.

Indulging myself into fun was a way of commemorating my foolish and lost love.

When my voice became hoarse from singing and I walked out slowly, it was already dark.

The bustling streets became deserted.

I was about to take a taxi to leave when a familiar car stopped in front of me.

The window of the back seat gradually rolled down, revealing Heather's smiling face before my eyes.

Under the dim street lights, I could clearly see the man sitting next to her.

Oliver, with his eyes closed, was napping, leaning back in the seat. He appeared relaxed and at ease.

He had never been like that in front of me.

"Amelia, it's late. Why don't you take our car back?" Heather suggested.

I gave her a cold gaze and refused, "No. It'll make me sick."

Heather's smile wavered when she heard my words. She looked at me with a half-smile and remarked, "How can you say that? If Oliver were to hear it, he would be hurt."

"Good then. You can keep his company and give him some comfort," I retorted mockingly.

I didn't bother to argue with her, so I walked to the side of the road and hailed a taxi.

Just as I got in the car, Kelly called.

The moment I answered, her voice came through, filled with anger.

"Amelia, have you really broken up with Oliver?"

"Anything wrong?" I asked.

She said through gritted teeth, her anger evident, "Good choice! He's drunk, and I wanted you to pick him up, but that shameless Heather showed up. Did you break up because of her?"

Upon hearing her words, I felt a little depressed.

Heather was the one whom Oliver had cherished, pursuing her for three long years and sharing his youth with her.

No wonder it was said that what men could never forget was their first love.

"Well, half of it. I just thought it through. It's better to choose someone who likes me rather than someone I like."

It was really tiring to keep giving.

I felt like I was torturing myself.

"Why is your voice so hoarse? Did you cry? How about I come to you right now and we have a few drinks together?" she inquired with concern.

I coughed helplessly a few times, feeling a slight soreness in my throat. "I just came out from singing, and that's why my voice is hoarse. Don't think too much."

"It's good that you can think positively. It's okay. You will definitely meet someone better in the future."

We talked for a short while before hanging up.

My throat hurt terribly, and it was dry and astringent.

Upon arriving home, I immediately drank water.

At this moment, my phone on the dining table began to vibrate.

I walked over and saw that it was a message from Oliver's mother, Lisha.

[Amelia, are you available tomorrow? I've prepared your favorite barbecued ribs and want to bring them to you tomorrow.]

I looked at her message, lost in thoughts.

Oliver's parents were very satisfied with me and treated me nicely.

But I was an outsider, after all.

When Oliver lost contact, I called Lisha.

She was furious and assured me that she would find him as soon as possible.

However, despite waiting for two days, all I received was a hesitant response from Lisha.

I knew at that moment that she was hiding something from me.

It turned out my guess was correct.

I took a deep breath and pretended not to see her message.

Unexpectedly, Lisha came to my company the following day.

She was holding a lovely lunch box in her hand.

As soon as she spotted me, a smile appeared on her face, and she hurriedly approached me.

"Amelia, I made your barbecued ribs. I thought you must be very busy recently, so I personally brought them to you."

She smiled, but there was a hint of caution in her expression.

I feel a little depressed.

"Lisha, Oliver and I have broken up. You don't have to..."

"I know, but I've prepared for them for a long time. How about you try some?"

Taking notice of the many onlookers around us, I spoke in a hushed voice, "Let's go to the coffee shop across from the company and talk there."

Lisha nodded and followed me to the coffee house.

As soon as we sat down, Lisha expressed her concern, saying, "Amelia, I know this matter hurts you, but can you consider giving Oliver another chance? I assure you that this will never happen again."

I stared at her, replying. "Lisha, what were your thoughts when you learned that he and Heather had been together in the hotel for three days?"

Lisha was stunned at my words.

After closing my eyes and taking a deep breath, I met her gaze and continued, "I believe nobody wants a marriage built on lies. You feel the same way, don't you?"

I had made it obvious enough.

Being a smart person, Lisha naturally understood what I was talking about.

Her eyes reflected a deep sense of guilt and shame.

"Amelia, I didn't hide this from you on purpose. It's just that this matter...is too difficult to talk about. Oliver's father and I really like you, and we truly hope that you can become a part of our family..."

"But this cannot be built upon lies," I interrupted her, my tone cold and resolute. "Oliver and I have broken up. We'll never get back together. I'm sorry, Lisha, but I can't accept your things anymore."

With that, I left first, saying that I had to work.

What she thought was none of my business.

After all, I didn't owe them anything.

After returning to the company, I deleted Lisha's contact information.

I wouldn't be indecisive any longer.

After doing these things, I felt a rare sense of relief.

"Amelia, check this out. Such a great photo. It would make the perfect wallpaper," a colleague said as she came over with her phone.

As I saw the photo, I froze for a moment but quickly regained my composure.

The photo showed Oliver and Heather hugging and kissing in the desert.

The two were dressed in obviously couple's clothes, and the picture was undeniably beautiful.

"Where did you get this?" I asked.

"This girl is an influencer. She often updates her daily life on her social media. Do you want to see it? I'll send you the link."

Before I could reply, my colleague sent me the link to Heather's social media account.

For some unknown reason, I clicked on it.

To my surprise, as I browsed through the updates, I found that many of them were about Oliver.

As I examined the timestamps of the updates, a chill ran through my heart.

It turned out that Oliver had been secretly contacting Heather when he was with me.

The so-called business trips he mentioned were actually excuses to visit her in another city.

Seeing these updates, I felt a lump in my throat.