Chapter 4

We had to return to school to fill out college applications.

Afraid others would discover our relationship, Ethan specifically told me beforehand to avoid suspicion and not to approach him at school.

I nodded in agreement.

His absence would actually make it more convenient for me to act.

By the time I finished filling out the application, it was already noon. Ethan was waiting for me far from the school. As soon as we met, he asked:

"Did you put NYU as your first choice?"

I lied without changing my expression: "Yes."

"I also applied to NYU."

My throat tightened. I stared at his smile, momentarily dazed, unable to process it.

Wasn't Ethan doing everything possible to avoid me, to not apply to the same university as me? What did this mean now?

It wasn't until the evening when the school organized an alumni dinner that I suddenly understood.

It wasn't for me—it was for Sophia.

Sophia had also applied to NYU. Naturally, Ethan wouldn't pass up this golden opportunity to get close to her.

Most of the dishes on the table were very spicy. Unable to handle spicy food, I had few options, so halfway through the meal, my stomach was still empty.

There was one last slice of pizza left on the plate. The second I reached for it, Sophia also extended her hand.

Our eyes met in mid-air.

I was starving.

The frustration bottled up inside me made me unwilling to yield. Sophia seemed to sense this and was too proud to withdraw her fork.

In the standoff, a hand with distinct knuckles reached across in front of me.

And placed that slice of pizza in Sophia's bowl.

Ethan set down his fork and looked at me sideways, his tone gentle:

"Sophia hasn't eaten much all evening. Let her have this slice. If you want some, I'll buy you more on the way home."

Glances from all directions landed on me. I understood the mockery in them, as if saying competing with Sophia for food was overestimating myself.

I immediately lowered my head in embarrassment and pretended to be busy eating several bites of spicy stir-fried meat.

The spiciness spread from my tongue, sliding into my stomach, all of it burning with pain.

I somehow felt like laughing.

I wanted to say that actually, I hadn't eaten much either.

But when I caught his gentle gaze as he glanced at Sophia, in the end I said nothing.

I couldn't compete with her anyway, could I?

Why invite humiliation?

After the dinner ended, they suggested going to karaoke. When Ethan saw Sophia was going, he eagerly signed up too.

I didn't want to participate and be a third wheel, so I called a rideshare home.

The spasms in my stomach made it impossible to straighten up, and fine beads of sweat covered my forehead.

I leaned against the seat back, enduring the pain while typing out a message.

When the driver reached the destination, the words in the chat box were just being sent out.

I had officially broken up with him.

At midnight, Ethan sent me a SnapChat message telling me to come downstairs.

I threw on a thin jacket and went out. He was sitting on a bench in the park, a pile of cigarette butts at his feet.

This was the first time I knew he smoked.

It was different from the person I knew.

Ethan's expression was gloomy. He didn't look to be in a good mood. Thinking about last night's dinner, he'd probably been rejected by Sophia again.

Seeing me standing in front of him, he got straight to the point: "Vivian, why are you breaking up with me?"