Chapter 4

At the bar, Sarah was getting wasted.

"Girl, I'm miserable. Please, comfort me."

I silently took a swig of my own drink and told her,

"I got scammed by my online boyfriend and went to the police."

She looked up. "Oh, really? Hugs, you poor thing."

"The officer who took my report was my ex-boyfriend, who I broke up with three years ago."

"What?!" She sobered up considerably.

I nodded, then added,

"Later, I found out my online boyfriend was his nephew, who's still in high school."

Sarah froze, completely stunned.

I asked, "So, are you still miserable?"

She slowly recovered.

"Not anymore. Tell me that joke again, hahaha!"

I recounted my bizarre day.

She went from shocked to even more shocked, then utterly bewildered.

"That family's taste is surprisingly consistent. How did they all fall for you?"

I wanted to bury my face in my drink. "Stop talking about it!"

Sarah leaned in, a mischievous grin on her face.

"So, which one do you actually like?"

I nearly spat out my drink. "Leo is only seventeen!"

"He's almost an adult, isn't he?" she chuckled. "Unless you're still hung up on your ex-boyfriend?"

I said, "Maybe, a little..."

After all, Ben's face, that body-they were still my favorite.

Back then, I'd gone to the wilderness alone for a photography project. My wallet was stolen, and I got caught in bad weather.

Ben appeared like some guardian angel, and I fell for him instantly.

I pursued him relentlessly, but he kept refusing me.

"My duties are demanding. I can't promise to always be available online, and phone calls are often impossible..."

"Then I'll just wait for your replies! However long it takes, I'll wait!"

Back then, I was young and stubborn, my heart completely set on winning him over.

Eventually, he couldn't resist my persistence and said yes.

Just as he said, we couldn't be together like regular couples.

Four thousand kilometers apart, with time differences and spotty signals.

Every day, I'd share my daily life with him.

He'd reply to each message whenever he had time.

I'd push my luck, too.

"Show me your abs."

He'd furtively look around.

Only when he was sure no one was there would he shyly lift his T-shirt.

Through the screen, I could see him, but I couldn't hold him. My longing grew even stronger.

His leave was rare, but every time, he'd rush to see me first.

To be honest, we didn't have many dating memories.

His time was so limited that whenever we met, all we wanted to do was kiss and touch.

We hadn't seen each other in so long, we craved each other's warmth.

And his stamina was terrifying.

The craziest time, we stayed holed up in a hotel for three days straight.

When he finally had to leave, we were reluctant. There wasn't enough time, so we just grabbed a pizza near the campus gate before parting ways.

Sarah's eyes gleamed as she teased.

"No wonder you've been single all this time. You'd already found the best!"

"Your relationship sounded pretty good, though. What happened in the end? Did he cheat?"

I shook my head.

"No, nothing like that. I think we just... burned out."