Chapter 1

Six years later, Julian and I reunited.

I was squatting outside a Dairy Queen, and I caught him rushing past.

"Hey! BOGO sundaes. Wanna go halfsies?"

He lowered his phone, his gaze coolly sweeping over the banner advertising a couples' special.

"Oh," I said, "so… are we back together?"

Julian's eyes crinkled into a smile. "Sure, but let's keep it off social media."

"I have a… 'canary' at home. She gets really possessive."

I froze.

He turned to leave. "Oh, and pack up the ice cream. She loves it."

I hadn't even processed it.

The store employee was already beaming, packing two sundaes.

"You two are so perfect together! May you grow old and happy!"

Julian didn't react, just grabbed his cup and walked out.

His Rolls-Royce was parked by the curb.

It was scorching hot, so I hung out by the fruit stand, enjoying the AC, slowly licking my sundae.

Before he drove off, he gave me a half-smile.

"So, 'girlfriend,' need a ride?"

I glanced at his passenger seat: a plush pink seat cover, cute stuffed animals — screaming 'occupied'.

I slowly mumbled, "No, thanks. My place is close…"

Before I could finish, he sped away.

"Hey, don't block the entrance!"

"Ah, sorry."

My legs were aching from squatting.

When I stood up, I wasn't careful, and my sundae splattered on the ground.

Ugh, what a waste.

All for a boyfriend.

I clicked my tongue, disappointed, and turned to walk home.

My cramped apartment was simple but clean.

I quietly took down the old school photo from the wall.

The boy in the picture had eyes that crinkled when he smiled, a radiant expression as he tenderly held the girl's hand.

Compared to him, the girl was expressionless, looking cold and distant.

I stared at it for a few more seconds, then tossed it into the trash.

Ugh, I looked so awful when I smiled.

No wonder he broke up with me back then.

"Meow."

My rescue tabby rubbed against my leg.

I opened a can of tuna for her.

I'd gotten it from the supermarket yesterday, a buy-one-get-three-free deal.

Being broke means every penny counts. Not snagging a deal feels like a personal loss. I almost regretted not asking for some severance pay when we broke up.

Just then, an unfamiliar number called.

I answered. It was Julian.

His voice was as cold as ever.

"We're back together, and you still haven't added me back on SnapChat?

"Don't you know calling is a hassle?"

I just mumbled, "Oh." Before I could say anything else,

I heard a soft, playful groan in the background.

"Mr. Julian, I'm hungry…"

He hung up immediately.

The familiar beep of a disconnected call filled my ear.

Honestly, that "getting back together" line was just a joke…

I was actually going to tell him to forget it.

But after the noise in the background, I didn't want to call him back.

I typed in his SnapChat ID.

Account deleted.

His phone number? Also disconnected.

I slowly lay on my bed, clutching my phone.

Julian himself had forgotten that he was the one who deleted me back then.