5
The next day, Adam hammered on our door like a madman..
The moment the housekeeper opened it, he burst in. “Jenna!”
“What the hell is wrong with you?”
Chapter
I saw the red marks on his own face and the split in his lip. I turned my head, revealing the darkening bruise on my cheek.
Adam was struck dumb. He cautiously reached out a hand. “… I didn’t use that much force…”
I dodged his hand. “So as long as you don’t use much force, it’s okay to hit me?”
He had never seen me so cold. He thought I was still just angry.
“Jenna, I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I just saw you bullying someone… I was angry…”
I had no patience for his excuses.
“Stop. It has nothing to do with me anymore. I don’t know if your parents have told you, but our engagement is off.”
His pupils constricted in disbelief. “You want to break the engagement?”
He looked me up and down, an expression I couldn’t decipher on his face.
2
“Just because I defended Chloe, you want to break up with me? When did you become so immature? Are you treating marriage like a child’s game?”
For the first time, I realized how vast the chasm between our values was
“You’re engaged to me, yet you defend another woman and stand by while I’m being bullied. Who’s the one treating this like a ga-
me?”
Even the others in the lab had warned him to be careful. Did he listen? Did he even think he’d done anything wrong?
*Jenna, why are you so petty? You’re going to end our engagement over one small incident? And you had to go make a scene at my
house?!
In that moment, any lingering nostalgia or regret I felt vanished without a trace.
“Adam, breaking up with you was the best decision I’ve ever made.
A sudden panic flickered in his eyes. He finally seemed to realize I wasn’t playing games. I was serious. This was the end.
He had seen every one of my moods–my cheerful chatter, my sullen silences. But he had never seen me like this, speaking to him
with the cool detachment of a stranger.
“Jenna, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it…” His voice was a raw, trembling whisper. “I just lost my head.”
“My parents already torelinto me. Please, don’t be like this. Forgive me…”
“Forget it.” My voice was distant but firm. “Let’s just forget it, Adam. Let’s leave each other with a little dignity.”
He grabbed my shoulders. “I’m begging you! Why are you being so cruel?!” His voice was a low growl, like a cornered animal..
“All these years we’ve been together, you’re just going to throw it all away with a “forget it? I never knew you were this kind of pers-
on!”
“Why are you being so unreasonable?!”
I looked at his fury, my heart a calm, still lake. I firmly removed his hands from my shoulders. “You’re right,” I said coolly. “I am unre-
asonable. And I am petty.”
“Fine! Fine! Fine!” Adam laughed, a bitter, angry sound, “Break up then! Who cares!”
“Jenna, everyone in our circle knows we’ve been together for over a decade. Let’s see who’ll want you after me. Don’t come crying
back to me!”
He turned and stormed away, viciously kicking a pot of lilies by the gate. The broken stem drooped, weeping sap.
