Chapter 3

Someone teased.

"Brendan, you're thinking about it all wrong. Those people play all sorts of games. Alex is probably just playing hard to get. Ask him a few more times, and he'll definitely agree."

I scoffed.

Like hell I would.

I kicked the door open. Silence instantly fell inside.

Brendan still had a cigarette dangling from his mouth, and he froze when he saw me.

The guy who'd just been talking about me was the first to react.

Grinning, he said, "Alex, here to see Brendan again? You two are so close."

Brendan finally came to his senses.

He put out his cigarette and asked me softly, "Why are you suddenly here?"

I flung the wad of cash right into his face.

I raised my hand and smacked him hard across the face.

Brendan was stunned.

His two roommates were frozen too.

They hadn't expected me to hit him.

"Alex, what the hell is wrong with you?!"

The guy closest to Brendan swore at me.

I ignored him.

I just stared at Brendan.

I might look thin, but I'm still a guy.

Brendan stumbled back a couple of steps from my blow.

He covered his face, looking at me in disbelief.

I gave a light, bitter laugh. "Brendan, you must have worked really hard pretending to be deaf and playing with a fool like me."

"You don't have to pretend anymore."

Brendan's face was pale as he tried to explain, but he couldn't find the words.

Looking at the money scattered on the floor.

I said, "Consider this money compensation for you. After all, it must be hard liking men when you don't."

"You must have been truly wronged."

2.

Brendan thought he could sweet-talk me like always.

He didn't expect me to block him on every single platform.

He got angry too.

He didn't send me any more messages.

In the past, whenever Brendan and I had a fight, I was always the one who gave in first.

This time, Brendan also expected me to back down and smooth things over.

Then we'd be back to normal.

But he was wrong.

My heart was really hardened. I wasn't going to go back and coax him.

A week passed. Brendan couldn't take it anymore.

He came to my dorm to find me.

But my roommates told him I'd already moved out.

Brendan froze.

I wasn't looking for him, but he blocked my path himself.

The cafeteria was crowded. Brendan stood in front of me.

"Move."

I said coldly.

Brendan pursed his lips and looked at me for a long moment, then finally stepped aside.

I found a table and sat down. I'd barely had two bites when Brendan sat across from me.

"Alex, I was wrong to lie to you, but I've already apologized. What more do you want?"

Brendan was used to being the spoiled rich kid I always pampered.

He thought sending a couple of apology messages was enough to show sincerity.

I lifted my eyes, sneering.

"Brendan, do you still think we're just having an argument?"

Brendan flinched.

He thought I was just angry he lied, so I was upset.

But that sweet-talking me would fix it.

He thought I was easy to appease because I used to feel guilty about him; I felt for him.

So no matter how angry I got, I'd just swallow it.

And tell him: "Don't make me mad again next time."

Under Brendan's gaze, I said slowly, word by word:

"We're over, you asshole."