Chapter 31
When I returned to the apartment, the place was quiet. Leo still was not back
“As I expected. I muttered under my breath
He must still be with Sara at the ER, whether out of genuine concem or because Sara had found a way to keep him there, making sure Leo had no reason to come back to me.
I sighed, too exhausted to cam anymore. I dropped onto the couch, intending to read for a while, but something caught my eye!! Leo’s phone
It was lying on the coffee table, abandoned in his rush to take Sara to the hospital.
I scoffed. He never went anywhere without his phone, yet he had forgotten it that day. That only meant one thing–Sara was more important than whatever calls or messages he was expecting.
I leaned back, flipping open my book, but the constant buzzing of his phone was impossible to ignore.
Annoyed, I reached for it, my fingers hovering over the screen. Dozens of unread messages flooded in, one after another.X
was not planning to check, just to silence the notifications–until I saw the sender.!!
It was his friends‘ group chat, the same group from the Bali trip.
My chest tightened as I unlocked the phone with ease. The password was still the same–our anniversary date.
“We have nothing to hide.” Leo had once told me with a lazy smile when I had hesitated to check his phone before. I nodded back then, trusting him without question.
But my innocence ended that day. I was not going to live under his lies anymore.
I scrolled through the chat, my eyes darting across the messages. And then, I saw it
[Damn, bro, Bali was lit. Can’t believe Leo almost didn’t come because of that clingy girlfriend.
[LMAO, just imagine him having to say the client meeting so that he can have a vacation with friends
[Leo, man, you’re a legend. Also, you should get her an award. ‘Most Gullible Girlfriend
I could not believe, even Sara, who should be on the ER, also commented, [Nah, Most Pathetic Girlfriend.”:
[I think you should be the one getting an award, Sara Truth or Dare is your idea, right?]
Sara answered it again, Well, he is my childhood sweetheart What’s a little fun between us, right?]
[Careful, babe Lucy might kill you out of nowhere
[Nah, bro, even if she finds out, she’ll just cry, maybe sulk for a few days, and then forgive Leo like she always does. He has trained her well.]
there.
[Damn, that’s kinda sad.
I was suffocating as they all laughed at me
What was more hurt was they had always assumed I would stay with Leo, that I would cry and forgive him like I always had.
Not only were the messages in the group chat vile, but the photos they shared were just as infuriating
Sara was glued to Leo in almost every single picture–laughing, leaning into him, resting her head on his shoulder as if she belonged
In one, she had a marker in hand, drawing playful scribbles on Leo’s face while he slept. His friends had taken the picture and flooded the chat with laughter, all of them cheering on Sara and Leo’s perfect relationship.
Meanwhile, 1–the real girlfriend–was nothing more than a joke to them.
And Leo? He never once delended me
Not long after, my own phone vibrated.
A message notification appeared on the screen. [Hey, are you still doing freelance photography? I’d love to hire you for an event, I blinked
Photography had always been my passion. I had majored in fine art, and during college, I had taken on freelance projects to broaden my experience.
But in the past few months, I was propaning for graduation, so I had taken a break.
I hesitated, then checked my other messages. To my surprise, there were several more inquiries waiting for me
A sudden resolve settled in my chest.
I would throw myself into work. If Leo had his distractions, I would have mine.
A full week passed, and I barely saw Leo at all.
Not because I was avoiding him, but because I was too busy to care. My days were filled with one event after another, my camera becoming both my shield and my escape
I did not wait for Leo to come home. I did not check if he ate or slept or if he was still spending all his time with Sara. It did not matter anymore.
But that night, as I returned from another long shoot, I found him waiting for me.!
1211 PM & D
Leo was sitting in front of the apartment entrance, his arms crossed as if he had been there for a while The moment I opened the door, his eyes locked onto mine
“Have you done avoiding me?” he sneered.
I barely spared him a glance as I stepped inside and kicked off my shoes. “I’m not avoiding you”
“Then why do you disappear in the morning and come home when I’m already asleep?“%
“Because I’m busy” I replied casually, walking past him.
But before I could reach my room, Leo grabbed my wrist
“Fine if you’re still mad because I couldn’t take you a week ago, then just say it he snapped. “Out Sarn was in the hospital, and both of her parents weren’t home. What was I supposed to do? Ignore her?”
I turned to him, my expression unreadable. “I don’t know, Lea. Everyone has their priorities. Mine was my passport. If I had waited for you, it would have expired, right?” My voice was cold, detached.
His grip tightened. “You always have time to argue with me, but don’t you know I was exhausted too? I had to go to work and take care of Sara
“The least you could do is welcome me home, make me breakfast, or prepare something for me before I leave. Is that so hard?”
I stilled. It turned out he had invited me to live with him, not so we could be together, but so he could have someone waiting at home while he spent his days out with Sara.”
I raised my voice for the first time. “Didn’t I tell you I’m busy too?
Leo exhaled harshly and let go of my hand, clearly irritated. “Fine. No need to talk about what happened anymore. Just get ready tomorrow–we’re going to Sara’s birthday party.”
I snorted, crossing my arms. After just getting out of the hospital, she’s throwing a birthday party? Amazing
“It’s also her recovery party,” Leo corrected as if that made it better. “Lucy, you just hate Sara, don’t you? You’re always like this whenever it comes to her.”
I scoffed. “I don’t hate her–1 just don’t like her. There’s a difference” I tumed away. “Go by yourself. I have my own plans tomorrow.”
I walked into my room, slamming the door shut behind me
But the irony of the situation slapped me in the face the next morning
Because when I amved at my client’s event, I realized my client was Sara
It turned out she had booked me through her butler, which meant I had unknowingly accepted a job for her birthday party!
And so, there I was, came in hand, forced to capture the moment as Sara draped herself over Leo in front of all their friends. She fed him the first piece of cake, pressing a kiss to his cheek as she giggled sweetly
But his friends sneered in my direction, whispering among themselves.
“Isn’t that Leo’s girlfriend?‘%
“Wow, so professional. Watching your boyfriend get kissed by another girl and still taking pictures.”
