I Stopped Waiting And Traveled Alone Chapter 03

I Stopped Waiting And Traveled Alone Chapter 03

We’d known each other for over a decade, dated for five. Going back to being complete strangers wasn’t easy.

I wanted to have a proper face-to-face breakup. I headed over to his research institute, only to be told he was out at a conference and no one knew exactly where he was.

Hannah walked out of the lab, the Spider-Man plush hanging off her backpack.

Spotting me, she smiled knowingly. “Hayes is off at a conference. People without badges aren’t supposed to be on the premises. My place is just a few blocks away—come over and wait there.”

She slipped her arm through mine, pulling me along without waiting for my answer.

Hannah had rented a loft close by for research work. Small, but fully furnished.

The second I stepped inside, a pair of men’s slippers caught my eye. I froze.

Then I spotted a familiar mug sitting on the entryway counter, and my blood ran cold.

It was Hayes’s mug. Back when he buried himself in research, skipped meals and forgot to drink water, I’d worried sick. I’d put together custom herbal tea blends for him and made him send me photos proving he drank them.

Now it sat in plain sight, mocking how sincerely I’d once cared.

Noticing my stare, Hannah laughed. “Don’t get the wrong idea. It’s just convenient for work. Hayes only crashes here a few nights every month.”

My fingers trembled. I scanned the apartment: matching throw pillows, the watch Hayes had worn for years. His presence was stamped on every corner.

“Hayes always complained you nag him about his health and force weird herbal teas on him. He’d secretly toss them right after sending you proof photos,” she giggled. “Men are just big kids, easy to manage. Next time I’ll teach you how to make chicken soup—it’s his favorite.”

She snapped her fingers as if something had just occurred to her. “Also, during your rough patch? I was the one who convinced him to go home. Couples don’t have real problems; you just need to talk it out.”

While I’d cried my eyes out, racking my brain trying to fix things with Hayes, he’d been here, comforted by another woman. And then I noticed something else: the loft only had one bedroom.

My stomach twisted.

Just then, I heard the beep of someone punching in the door code.