“Nothing beats the sweetness of young love!”
The photo showed them pressed close together, sharing a drink with two straws bent into a heart shape.
Jack’s caption read, “You’ll always be the sweetest thing in my heart!”
I liked the post and dropped a comment: “[+]1.”
A few seconds later, the post was gone.
Then, Jack called, furious. “Are you out of your mind? Why the hell are you still stalking Zoe? Are you paranoid, or were you just born to be a bitch?”
I could hear Zoe crying in the background, with her friends trying to comfort her.
I stared at Zoe’s friend request from a year ago still sitting in my inbox and let out a bitter laugh.
Enough. There was no point in trying to explain. Honestly, I didn’t care anymore.
…
After hanging up, I finished my steak by candlelight, the soft glow flickering around the room.
I’d taken the afternoon off to set up a romantic dinner. Since no one else appreciated it, I figured I might as well enjoy it myself.
Once I couldn’t eat another bite, I wrapped the dishes and silverware in the tablecloth and tossed it all into the trash.
While I stepped outside to take the garbage out, Jack had already taken a seat at the dining table by the time I came back.
When he saw me, he frowned, his tone as cold and condescending as ever.
“You didn’t prepare anything today?”
“What was I supposed to prepare?” I replied flatly, slipping into my slippers and walking past him straight into the bedroom.
Jack hesitated for a moment, then quickly followed me, his voice tight with annoyance.
“Did you forget what day it is?”
I turned my back to him, busying myself with something as I smirked. “What day is it?”
Jack froze, staring at me for a second before his gaze shifted. He just watched me make the bed in silence.
For five years, I never missed a holiday or a special date between us. I always prepared something, even if it was met with nothing but mockery from Jack.
But now? Not only had I failed to prepare anything, I’d forgotten such an important day entirely.
A flash of something crossed Jack’s face, maybe guilt, maybe anger, but he quickly cleared his throat, shaking it off, and tossed a bracelet onto the bedspread.
“Anniversary gift for you. I’m not like some people, heartless enough to forget our wedding anniversary. Always so suspicious and paranoid.”
I stared at the bracelet for a moment, trying to remember which designer bag it had come free with.
Ever since Zoe returned to the country two years ago, all I’d gotten from Jack were promotional items, freebies from his business connections.
I’d argued about it before, but Jack had called me materialistic, a buzzkill, saying “Isn’t it the thought that counts?”
So, to avoid the fights, I just pretended to be grateful for whatever he gave me.
The more I thought about it, the harder it became to swallow. I pulled a strand of hair from my head, handing it to him with a smile.
“Here, anniversary gift for you.”
At first, Jack just stared at me, then his face twisted into disbelief.
“Emily, are you seriously out of your mind? If you’re sick, go get treated!”
So he could get angry too, huh?
I shook my hand, letting the hair fall into the trash, then shot his words right back at him.
“Why are you so materialistic? Such a killjoy. Gifts are about the thought, not the thing itself. If the sentiment is there, isn’t that enough? Why nitpick?”
Jack choked, his face darkening even more.
“I get it, you’re still pissed about that Instagram post, right?”
“I’m not pissed,” I replied honestly, tossing the bracelet into a drawer already filled with other promotional junk.
But Jack didn’t hear me. Ignoring my answer, he kept going with his monologue.
“Emily, can you stop being so petty? Zoe’s just a young girl having fun. Why are you making such a big deal out of it?”
I grabbed a comforter from the closet, shoved it into his arms, and pushed him toward the door.
He froze, still frowning at me, holding the blanket, looking completely confused.
I smiled sweetly at him. “Think whatever you want. But I doubt you’ll figure it out. Right now, I really just want to sleep.”
I closed the door behind me and locked it.
“Emily, what do you mean by this?” Jack yelled from outside, kicking the door in frustration.
Then, his special ringtone for Zoe sounded, and I heard his footsteps hurrying down the stairs.
