After they left, I saw that the hotel guests all cast sympathetic glances in my direction.

I glanced at the ring in my pocket that was soaked by the soup, then threw it into the trash can beside me.

Today was our fifth anniversary together.

I had arranged everything and planned to propose to Ashley as a surprise after delivering this order. However, I didn't expect that she would give me a "surprise" first.

Maybe I should have let it go a long time ago.

I went to the bathroom to tidy up briefly and then returned to the shared rental apartment.

When I entered the house and saw the room full of roses, my heart skipped a beat.

After fixing my emotions, I immediately cleaned up all the roses, washed up simply, and went to the bed, preparing to rest early. However, I couldn't help but think of things.

While I may have claimed not to care at the time, the truth was that the pain I felt inside was truly overwhelming.

As I reflected on the past, tears welled up in my eyes uncontrollably.

Consumed by distress, I picked a few comedy movies and drifted off while watching them.

I could finally have a good night's sleep from now on.

While half asleep, I suddenly felt someone crawling on me and moving around.

I was stunned and woke up immediately.

I saw Ashley sitting on my lap, smiling at me.

"Gregory, happy anniversary! I'm sorry! I was so busy with work last night that I forgot about our anniversary, and you even prepared a gift for me..."

Ashley picked up the necklace I had left in the living room, her smile sweet. She pressed it to her neck, testing the look a few times before turning to me with a beaming face, "Doesn't it look good on me, sweetie?"

I snatched the necklace from her hand with an angry look.

I bought this necklace after delivering food tirelessly for half a month, and it cost me $50,000.

A cheater didn't deserve to wear the necklace I bought!

I threw the necklace into the trash can beside me and asked coldly, "Why are you back?"

Seeing I discard the necklace, Ashley grew angry. However, instead of losing her temper as she typically would, she took a few deep breaths and leaned against me, uttering softly, "This is our home. Of course, I have to come back."

As she spoke, she took out a doll from behind her as if performing a magic trick.

"A doll can drive away all unhappiness," she said.

I stared at the doll, finding it increasingly amusing.

If I was not mistaken, the doll was a complimentary item from the supermarket downstairs.

I looked at her silently, and she couldn't help but get a little anxious.

Was she seeing me as a moron?

Thinking back on the past, I found myself so stupid. Her verbal promise could bring me happiness, and even the flowers she picked from the roadside could brighten my entire day.

But what did she give to Isaac?

It turned out to be famous watches and designer glasses.

Was I so terrible that I deserved such treatment?

No. It was just because she just didn't love me.

Seeing that I didn't react, Ashley finally exploded and threw the doll directly at my head.

She yelled, "Gregory, don't push it!

"Fine, you threw my gift. But when I tried to cheer you up, you're giving me this attitude?

"I explained it to you last night. Why didn't you believe?!"

Taking a deep breath, I pointed at the door and said, "I don't want to hear anything you say. Please get out!"

"You..." Ashley's face contorted with rage as she unleashed a torrent of complaints. "I've been with you for so many years, and this is how you treat me? You even want to kick me out?"

Ashley smashed everything in the bedroom, including the first photo we had taken together.

After smashing them, she finally calmed down and said something harsh.

"Fine! I'll leave! Don't beg me to come back!"

After Ashley left, the bedroom returned to peace.

I glanced at the messy house, feeling a headache.

Ashley knew how to disgust me.

Each time we had a quarrel, she would mess up the house. Being a tidy person, I had no choice but to clean it up myself.

I had been doing this for five years.

I picked up the broken photo frame on the floor, hardly noticing the scratch on my index finger.

The two people in the photo album were hugging each other tightly, their smiles radiating sweetness. However, we could never go back to those moments.

From the moment I first met Ashley, I was captivated by her smile and fell in love with her deeply.

Her smile had the power to light up a room, radiating warmth and cuteness.

I had been secretly enamored with her for five years.

Unfortunately, she had always been infatuated with another man named Isaac.

I didn't mind and silently remained by her side for five years.

After Isaac went abroad, she proposed to date me.

At that time, I felt that I was the happiest person in the world.

In the first three years of our relationship, we were in love, and I noticed that Ashley was dependent on me.

I thought our happiness could last forever.

However, as soon as Isaac returned from abroad, I began to notice that she was coming home later and later. I finally realized that her heart had always belonged to him.

She started lying to me, saying she was out for business dinners. However, every time she was drunk, Isaac would take her back.

Isaac even asked me, her boyfriend, to take good care of her.

How ridiculous!

It appeared I was the other man.

I had mentioned many times that they should pay attention to boundaries. However, Ashley perceived it as me impeding her social life, resulting in our relationship becoming increasingly tense.

I began to brainwash myself to believe her, but what about her?

When I was carefully preparing for our anniversary, she appeared in another man's bed. I caught her cheating, yet she denied it.

This relationship should have ended long ago. I had been deceiving and touching myself one-sidedly.

The following morning, I called a locksmith and had the door lock changed.

I packed up all the belongings related to Ashley and arranged for a courier to deliver them to Isaac's place.

Since they were so inseparable, I would quit and give them what they wanted!

After doing all this, I took a taxi to the hospital.

Six months ago, my mother was diagnosed with leukemia, and she had been undergoing chemotherapy, requiring an extended stay in the hospital.

I juggled two jobs every day, taking care of my frail mother and my cheating girlfriend.

I was truly exhausted.

Actually, this was good. I felt relieved.

In the ward, my mother was resting with her eyes closed.

I stood at the door for a while, lacking the courage to go in.

Every time I visited my mother, I had to find an excuse for Ashley, saying that she could come when she was available.

Regrettably, now that we had broken up, I could never bring Ashley to see my mother.

I let out a long sigh.

Once I got a new girlfriend, I would definitely bring her to meet my mother.

After all, as my mother said, I was a good man, and there would be someone who liked me.

The sound of opening the door woke up the sleeping mother.

As she opened her eyes and saw me, a gentle smile appeared on her pale face.

"You're here!" My mother got out of bed to greet me. "I had a hunch that you would come!"

After saying that, she looked around behind me with a smile, and her expression became increasingly depressed.

I knew she had been hoping for Ashley's presence, but she would not come.

I carefully helped her to the bed, suppressing my sadness.

"Mom, you're still unwell! Don't get out of bed."

My mother smiled and nodded.

Masking her disappointment, she inquired with a smile, "Where's Ashley? Why didn't she come with you? Did you get her mad again?"

I paused while putting down the fruit, not sure how to explain.

Given my mother's fragile physical condition, I didn't think she could handle it if she learned we had broken up.

After all, she liked Ashley very much and had always been looking forward to us getting married and having children.

Unfortunately, I couldn't fulfill her wish.

Noticing my silence, my mother said, "I understand that she is busy with work, and I've told her to take good care of herself! Tell her to get more rest."

I nodded and responded, "Okay."

My mother then continued, "I'm old, and I don't want to be your burden.

"If you two could get married earlier, I would be able to see you start a family, and I would leave this world without regrets."

My eyes welled up with tears, and I tried hard to suppress the bitterness.

"What are you talking about, Mom? You will live a long life," I said.

I gently fed my mother food. She ate it slowly, coughing from time to time.

When I pushed her out for a walk, I suddenly saw Ashley and Isaac coming out of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, hugging each other while talking and laughing.

I quickly turned the wheelchair in a different direction.

My mother paused and asked, "Why another way? The air here is pretty good."

I calmly replied, "Nothing. I just suddenly remembered that the flowers over there are blooming, and I wanted to take you there to see them."

"Alright," my mother said, not saying anything further. However, Ashley kept calling me.

"Why don't you answer the phone?" my mother asked in confusion. "You've screened it several times."

I turned off my phone and pushed my mother to the flowers. "Just scam calls."

My mother nodded and said nothing more.

In the evening, as I was about to head upstairs upon arriving home, Ashley abruptly appeared and stopped me.

"Hold on!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide with anger. "Gregory! Why didn't you answer my call?"

I looked at her calmly and asked, "Why should I bother answering the call of an irrelevant person?"

"You betrayed me, and I'm kind enough not to block you."

Ashley stared at me, a look of disbelief written all over her face, as if she couldn't believe those words had just escaped my lips.

"You changed the door lock and sent all my things at Isaac's place. Are you determined to break up with me?" Ashley's face turned red with anger, and she couldn't even speak clearly.

Looking at her, I retorted, "What else? Do you think I'm joking? Do you have any objection to me changing the locks of my own house?"

Ashley was too incensed to speak.

I continued, "Don't forget, you've lived here for five years, and it was I who paid the rent all these years. Have you ever paid it once?

"So what does it matter to you if I decide to change the locks?"

Unable to argue, Ashley continued acting unreasonably. "Did I agree to break up?! What gives you the right to move my things out?!

"I'm the only one who can break up with you and dump you! Who do you think you are? How dare you dump me?"

I fixed my gaze on her, not wanting to say anything.

I didn't understand when Ashley started to become like this.

She just used to be somewhat spoiled and arrogant.

With no intention to engage with her any further, I walked around her and left.

However, she immediately chased after me and yelled, "Gregory, if you don't bring my things back to me tonight, I will tell your mom that you bullied me!"