Chapter 3

I had just finished packing up most of my belongings at home.

Suddenly, someone burst through the doorway and threw herself into my arms, whispering, "What are you doing here so late? Where are you headed?"

The smell of alcohol lingered on her breath. She seemed a bit drunk.

Even after four years together, I still didn't dare confront her about her drinking, so I simply replied, "I was actually going to look for you."

She appeared to be in high spirits, looking at me through half-closed eyes as she snuggled closer into my embrace and pushed the door shut behind her.

"What would you like me wearing tonight?" she purred.

I nervously responded, "You look beautiful in anything."

Victoria's mother had passed away when she was young, and her father was a womanizer who frequently brought different women home.

She grew up believing all men were cut from the same cloth.

One day, while running away from home, she met a little boy who wiped away her tears.

Victoria always said he was the first person to shed her tears.

That person must have been Evan.

Tonight, she was unusually forward.

Before I could sit, she straddled my lap with a mischievous smile and began pulling up her dress...

I wasn't like Wesley.

For artists like Wesley and Margaret, spiritual connection mattered most.

I preferred a more physical kind of intimacy.

Afterward, a wave of sadness washed over me.

I ran my fingers through her hair as she rested her head softly on my arm.

The words slipped out before I could stop them. "Do you love me?"

She froze, and I caught a glimpse of her eyes in the darkness, staring at the ceiling before closing them again.

Her only response was the steady rhythm of her breathing.

You can never wake someone who's pretending to sleep.

But tonight, I desperately needed an answer.

"What am I to you?"

I rolled over to kiss her, one arm holding her tight against me while the other tugged at her newly donned nightgown.

"Jason, you're crossing a line," she said coldly.

She pushed me away and got up to put on her shoes.

"Get some rest. I'm sleeping upstairs."

Just moments ago, she'd been whispering in my ear, and now she might as well have been a stranger.

"Are we gonna keep this relationship hidden forever? This isn't the kind of relationship I want," I said.

"Oh yeah? Then there's the door. We can end this right now," Victoria barely spared me a glance.

I fell silent, watching her with a stunned expression.

"Please. I've got guys falling all over themselves for me," Victoria snapped before stomping up the stairs.