Five Years Together… And He Gave the Ring to My Old Bully Chapter 04

Five Years Together… And He Gave the Ring to My Old Bully Chapter 04

As she spoke, the server pulled out her phone and showed Megan the screen.

“Last Valentine’s Day, Mr. Thorne knitted her a scarf by hand.”

“Every winter, they go up north to ski together. Just because Miss Rourke had never seen real snow before.”

“All of us working here wish we could find a boyfriend as thoughtful and generous as Mr. Thorne.”

Then she seemed to remember what I’d said earlier about my friend’s cheating ex.

Her expression softened.

“I hope you both find someone like him someday.”

I let out a quiet laugh.

It took everything I had to force the tears back down.

On the ride to the airport, I searched for the account using the ID I’d seen.

Only to find I’d already been blocked. So I made a burner account.

Every single post made my blood run cold.

Last Valentine’s Day, I’d finally managed to get a break and offered to fly to his university to spend it with him.

He turned me down.

“My advisor’s making me stay in the lab.”

“Even if you came, I wouldn’t have time for you—you’d just be spending Valentine’s Day alone.”

“And you get airsick. I hate the thought of you going through all that trouble. I’ll fly to you the second I’m free.”

Later, he did come. But he only stayed for one day before rushing off.

He told me the university suddenly needed paperwork submitted immediately.

The truth was, Savannah had come back early to surprise him.

Alex had promised to take me skiing ever since we graduated from high school.

Four whole years, and he never kept that promise. But he’d already taken another girl there more times than I could count.

And that was only one example. There were too many to count.

I always worried about him the most. In the end, he just thought I was the easiest to fool.

Megan only scrolled through a few videos on their page before her anger exploded.

I grabbed her arm before the curses started flying.

“Clara, why’d you pull me away?”

“I would’ve ripped those shameless bastards apart today, I swear.”

“I may look delicate, but trust me, I can throw down when I have to.”

“I know,” I said quietly. “But our situations aren’t the same.”

Megan had met her boyfriend while traveling over the summer.

They dated for two months before going long-distance.

Alex and I were different. We’d grown up together.

We’d known how we felt about each other long before either of us said it out loud.

I trusted him completely.

When he took hours to reply to my texts, I always had an excuse for it.

When Megan said that long-distance relationships never worked out, I was the first person to defend him.

I said he replied to me instantly. I said he always told me where he was.

I truly believed that even with thousands of miles between us, our hearts were still close.

Today, I finally understood.

The instant replies only meant he happened to be looking at his phone.

The updates about his whereabouts had all been made up.

I had never truly known the life he lived in that city.

If our flight hadn’t stopped here, and if I hadn’t decided to visit him, I’d still be counting down the days until summer break.

I’d still be waiting for him and believing everything was fine.

I didn’t say a word on the way home.

After sending that photo from the lab and not hearing back, Alex kept texting. Message after message.

By the time dawn broke and my flight landed in Kingsley, I’d finally calmed down enough to answer.

[Let’s break up.]