Each photo, perfectly framed, featured Leigh, her presence unmistakable. The comments section erupted with excitement.

“Congrats, class rep! You’ve finally ended up with Leigh, the campus beauty.”

“True love always finds its way. Best wishes to both of you.”

“I’ve always said it—you're a perfect match.”

“Class rep, when’s the wedding banquet? We’ve been waiting forever!”

***

At home, I sat on the sofa, staring out at the snow that gently fell outside, frozen in place for the entire afternoon.

As darkness fell, the sound of keys turning in the lock echoed from the entryway.

Leigh had returned.

She paused for a moment when she saw me on the sofa.

“Harris, it’s dark. Why didn’t you turn on the lights?”

I lifted my gaze to her briefly but said nothing.

Leigh kicked off her high heels and walked over, sitting beside me.

“What, still mad at me?”

As she leaned in closer, I caught the sharp mix of cigarette smoke and men’s cologne on her.

Her crimson lips brushed toward mine, but I pulled back ever so slightly.

Leigh froze.

In the past, no matter how heated our arguments had been, her tenderness and kisses always soothed my anger.

But now, not only had I rejected her, but she also saw the disdain in my eyes.

Her brow furrowed. “Harris, how long are you going to keep this up?”

“It’s the New Year; I don’t want to argue with you.”

I pressed my lips together, remaining silent.

Her expression softened slightly. “I admit, leaving you both stranded on New Year’s Eve was thoughtless.”

“But Wendell had a serious stomach issue; I couldn’t just leave him alone.”

“Besides, I promised I’d apologize to your mom personally.”

“And just because of something so trivial, you and your mom missed the dinner.”

“Do you have any idea how much effort my parents put into that New Year’s dinner?”

“Do you know how disappointed and angry they were when you didn’t show up?”

“If it weren’t for Wendell speaking up for you, our engagement might’ve been off the table.”

Leigh pulled a gilded red invitation card from her bag and placed it on the coffee table.

“The engagement party is already set for the Portland Winter Light Festival. My parents have everything arranged.”

“I’ll call your mom right now; I’m sure she’ll be thrilled.”

I took a deep breath, struggling to keep my emotions in check. “There’s no need. We’ve already broken up.”

“And she won’t answer your call.”

Leigh’s brows furrowed even deeper. “Harris, you’re an adult. Can you stop acting like a child?”

“Do you know how much your mom dotes on me?”

“She’s told me she dreams of the day I marry you.”

“How could she possibly not answer my call?”

Her words pierced through me like an invisible hand, tightening around my chest until I could barely breathe.

She wasn’t wrong. My mom truly adored her and treated her as if she were her own.

If Leigh casually mentioned craving soup, my mom would be up before dawn, buying the freshest ingredients.

If Leigh complained about a cleaning service, my mom would show up herself, rain or shine, to tidy up.

When Leigh fell ill while I was away, my mom rushed her to the hospital, pushing herself to the brink of exhaustion despite her heart condition.

After seven years of living together, my mom had showered Leigh with as much love as she had given me.

So, when the Ellis Family invited us for New Year's dinner, my mom didn’t hesitate for a second.

Wanting to leave a lasting impression on her future in-laws, she began her preparations at the crack of dawn:

Styling her hair, applying foundation, carefully drawing her eyebrows…

She even pulled out the formal dress she had cherished for over a decade.

I tried to convince her that the weather was too cold and it wouldn’t be suitable for the New Year.

With a gentle smile, she assured me it was fine. She could wear a coat over it and with the cars picking us up and dropping us off, she wouldn’t catch a chill.

Besides, the formal dress had been a gift from my father on their wedding day.

Wearing it, she said, would be her way of honoring him.

Tears shimmered in her eyes as she spoke.

I fell silent for a few seconds, no longer trying to change her mind.

On the way to the Ellis Family’s ancestral home, my mother chatted and laughed with Leigh, her voice light and full of warmth.

But when Leigh’s phone rang, Wendell’s name flashing on the screen, her smile disappeared as if it had been wiped away with a single stroke.

She suggested we take a cab ourselves, but I refused.

In this heavy snow, hailing a cab seemed impossible and I couldn’t bear the thought of my mother enduring the cold.

My mother caught the sudden shift in Leigh’s mood and gave me a knowing look.

Always the dutiful son, I couldn’t go against her wishes, so I finally stepped out of the car.

Who could have known that less than a minute later, my mother, unable to endure the bitter cold, would collapse from a heart attack?

The more I replayed that moment in my mind, the colder my heart became and the deeper the ache settled within.

I wanted to slap myself.

If only I had been firmer, maybe my mother wouldn’t have died.

Seeing my silence, Leigh finally snapped, her patience thinning.

“Harris, I’m so disappointed in you,” she said, her voice dripping with disdain.

“Fine, since you’re so stubborn, I’ll let your mom decide who’s right and who’s wrong.”

As she reached for her phone, a ringtone sliced through the air, a distinct, familiar tone, one I’d heard only on New Year’s Eve.

Leigh’s expression faltered for just a moment before she quickly stepped onto the balcony to take the call.

Faint voices filtered through, but they were distant, muffled.

“Who are you…? What? Wendell’s drunk and passed out on the roadside?”

“…Alright, thank you. I’ll be there right away!”

Leigh rushed out, not even sparing me a glance or offering an explanation.

It was the same decisive, almost callous manner she’d shown when she abandoned my mother and me that night.

A bitter smile tugged at my lips.

No matter the situation, Wendell would always occupy a sacred spot in her heart.

If that was the case, it was time for me to leave.

My mother’s most cherished wish was seeing me marry and have children, had always been to visit Luxembourg.

It was where she and my father first met, a place filled with memories too beautiful to capture in words.

Yet, in all these years, I’d failed to make that wish come true, too consumed with taking care of Leigh.

Now, I had made up my mind. I would set off on a journey around the world with my mother’s ashes and Luxembourg would be the final stop.

As I delved into the details of the trip, Wendell’s social media updates caught my eye once more.

I had no intention of looking, but somehow, my fingers betrayed me, clicking on the screen.

The first photo showed Leigh, someone who had never so much as stepped into a kitchen, cooking noodles.

The second photo captured her feeding the noodles to Wendell, her face glowing with concern, tenderness and warmth I had never known her to show me.

The third photo was of her cleaning stains off the carpet and sofa with meticulous care.

A wave of bitterness and sorrow flooded my chest.

Last year, during the Autumn Luminary Festival, I had drunk three bottles of red wine with a client for a key Ellis Group project, vomiting until my head spun.

When Leigh found me passed out on the sofa, she was utterly at a loss, eventually calling my mother for help.

While my mother worked tirelessly to care for me, Leigh stood at a distance, wrinkling her nose in disgust at the smell of my sickness.

But when Wendell was in need, there wasn’t a trace of disgust in her eyes, only care that seemed to surpass the duties of a real wife.

Leigh didn’t return that night, nor did she show up the next few days.

I wasn’t concerned about any of this; my focus was entirely on preparing for my global travels.

On the thirteenth day of the new year, Leigh’s secretary called to inform me of a product launch conference scheduled for the next day.

At first, I didn’t want to attend. But realizing it was the result of years of hard work, I reluctantly agreed.

Seven years ago, after confirming my relationship with Leigh, I had turned down lucrative offers from Fortune 500 companies and joined Ellis Corporation.

Through my tireless efforts, I helped the company rise from a second-tier enterprise to Portland’s leading high-tech powerhouse.

This success had led the Ellis Family, who once looked down on me, to start involving me and my mother in family discussions, even inviting us to their mansion for New Year’s to discuss our marriage plans.

The product launch was grand and lively.

Just as I was about to step onto the stage to deliver my speech, Leigh suddenly appeared.

She was impeccably dressed and breathtakingly beautiful, but there was an intriguing edge to her expression.

She didn’t offer an explanation for her absence over the past few days. Instead, she halted me with a sharp command.

“Harris, wait a moment.”

“The company has arranged for someone else to deliver the speech this time.”

I froze.

For as long as I could remember, I had always been the one to lead the new product projects.

In the entire company, no one else was as qualified as I was to take the stage.

No one knew the product better than I did.

From the design to the development, I had poured my heart and soul into it, investing countless hours and effort.

It felt like my own creation, my child.

But then, Wendell’s voice echoed across the stage.

“Good day, esteemed guests! On behalf of Ellis Corporation, I extend a warm welcome to all of you.”

“Now, let me introduce the features of the product we are launching today…”

Watching him, smug and dripping with confidence, it all became clear.

I turned to Leigh, my voice cold and steady. "If everything was already arranged, why bother having me attend the launch?"

Leigh’s response came without hesitation. "As the head of the new product project, it’s only natural for you to be here."

She continued, “Harris, the decision about the speaker was made by the company and I fully support it.”

“After all, you’ve already made your mark in the industry. You don’t need this kind of superficial recognition.”

"But for Wendell, it’s different. As a newcomer, he needs this opportunity to build his credentials…”

I watched her closely as she spoke, her words flowing like water unimpeded.

The more I observed, the more she seemed like a stranger to me.

The Leigh who had once loved me deeply, who had eyes only for me, had changed entirely.

It happened after Wendell returned from abroad and joined Ellis Corporation as her assistant.

She began leaving for business trips without a word, staying out all night.

The time she spent with Wendell far outstripped the moments she’d shared with me.

I had been so wrapped up in my work that I didn’t pause to consider the growing distance.

My perceptive mother had noticed it long before I did and one day, she cautioned me, “Harris, Leigh is your girlfriend, yet she’s always with another man. Don’t you think that’s inappropriate?”

I shrugged off her concerns, dismissing them as overthinking. “Mom, you’re reading too much into it. Wendell’s just Leigh’s assistant. They have to work together; it’s nothing unusual.”

Leigh had even told me herself that Wendell had been like a brother to her since their college days.

“If they had any feelings for each other, they’d have been together long before I came into the picture,” I said, trying to reassure my mother.

Now, looking back, I realized how blind I had been.

Seeing my silence, Leigh smiled, misinterpreting it as acceptance.

“Harris, tomorrow’s our engagement day. Are you ready?” she asked, her smile almost too perfect.

I nodded stiffly, unsure of how I truly felt.

Leigh raised an eyebrow, her voice laced with mild curiosity. “Your mom must be so excited, huh? But it’s odd… I’ve been trying to reach her these past few days, but her phone’s been off.”