Chapter 2

Tears of heartbreak and humiliation were already flowing freely.

Ryan's words echoed in my mind over and over, nearly destroying all of my self-esteem.

If I hadn't heard it with my own ears, I never would have believed that he was the same person who had been so passionately intimate with me just last night.

So it turns out you can do such intimate things even without love.

Even in the most passionate, irrational moments, it's possible to lie and deceive.

What I foolishly thought was the culmination of our relationship was nothing more than a joke to others.

The more I cried, the more upset I became.

But I didn't dare make any loud sounds. My body kept shaking uncontrollably.

After a long while.

My phone buzzed with a message notification.

It was from Ryan.

[Take a cab home yourself. My class is having a party tonight, so it's not convenient for me to take you.]

I didn't reply.

He added another message.

[Remember to buy the morning-after pill yourself. I'm too busy today. Make sure to take it, be good.]

I stared at these two messages for a long time, speechless.

Last night, from dusk till dawn, Ryan had worn me out over and over again.

Before falling asleep exhausted in each other's arms, he had whispered twice:

"I wasn't fully prepared for our first time. I'll definitely buy you the pill tomorrow."

He even reminded me that girls need to protect themselves, and that I must take the morning-after pill or it could be very harmful to my body.

At the time, I thought he was being so responsible towards me. I thought I had finally found my happiness.

But now...

In an instant, I sobered up considerably.

I pinched my palm hard, forcing myself to stop crying.

I wiped away my tears, composed myself, and left the bathroom.

Too embarrassed to go to the pharmacy, I just ordered the pill online.

After the delivery driver left it at the door, I waited a long time before I dared to sneak out and retrieve it.

After swallowing the pill with tears in my eyes, I seemed to lose all my strength. I just sat numbly on the carpet, staring blankly.

Ever since Ryan's family moved in next door, I had followed him around like a little puppy for ten years.

I had never imagined what a world without him would be like.

I didn't dare to imagine it.

But from now on, I would be alone.

Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, lights came on one after another, then gradually went out.

I don't know how much time passed before my best friend Lily video called me.

"Mia, why didn't you come to our class party with Ryan tonight?

"That Claire from the liberal arts class showed up instead. She's been clinging to Ryan while you're not here. The two of them are being so gross."

Lily turned the camera to show me.