Chapter 1

"Congratulations on passing the online interview, Mr. Bolton. We've already emailed you the offer letter, and we'll need you to report to Linkton within half a month. Would you have any issues with that?" The man on the phone spoke fluent Invian from the other side of the world.

"No, I won't. I'll be there in two weeks," Neal Bolton said without hesitation.

Almost as soon as he hung up, the door swung open, and Joyce Slater entered the room. When she saw Neal, she held out a gift bag. "I couldn't ring in the New Year with you yesterday because of an emergency at the law firm. Don't be mad."

She sounded sincere, and Neal didn't question her. He took the bag and glanced inside to see a lone sandalwood bracelet. It meant so little to her that she hadn't even bothered wrapping it in something else.

The bracelet was expensive, but it wasn't because of it itself. The expensive one was the matching agarwood bracelet that came with it—the sandalwood bracelet was only a gift.

The fact that the sandalwood bracelet was here meant that Joyce had bought the agarwood bracelet. Yet, she'd chosen to give him the free item.

If not for the photos Corey Swank had sent to him yesterday showcasing the agarwood bracelet, Neal never would've thought Joyce, his girlfriend of five years, would've given the more expensive item to someone else while giving him the bonus item.

It was just like how Joyce had used an emergency at the law firm to explain away not ringing in the New Year with him. In truth, she'd spent it with Corey.

Neal didn't expose Joyce's lie, though. He thanked her and put the gift away.

She frowned when she saw him accept the gift without doing anything else. She stopped him before he could return to his room. "Where's mine?"

He was a little confused and didn't understand what she wanted from him. "What are you talking about?"

"Have you forgotten? Didn't you want us to exchange gifts every New Year to show we cared about each other?" Joyce looked upset. She didn't expect him to be the one to go back on their agreement when he'd suggested it.

The realization dawned on Neal. Then, he said flippantly, "We've been together for so long; we're like an old married couple now. There's no need to be so hung up on these formalities."

Joyce wanted to refute him but suddenly found his words familiar. Then, she remembered where she'd heard them. Last year, Neal had excitedly prepared a gift for her for New Year's, but she'd forgotten about their agreement. So, she'd been empty-handed when he'd come to her with a gift.

He'd looked disappointed when asking her why she'd forgotten about their promise to each other. How had she answered him then?

She'd said, "We've been together for so long that we're an old married couple now. So what if I've forgotten a formality or two?"

Now that the same excuse was being used to brush her off, Joyce finally understood how Neal would've felt when hearing her say those words. For a moment, she was rendered speechless. Ultimately, she could only awkwardly try to change the subject.

She looked around the room. When she couldn't find anything to talk about, she brought the topic of conversation back to herself. "I'm hungry."

She fixed her gaze on Neal. To her surprise, all he did was say, "Oh."

"Is that all?" She gaped at him, not expecting him to react so indifferently. In fact, he looked like he didn't care.

He gave her a confused look. "What else do you want me to say? Should I transfer some money to you so you can get something to eat?"

"That's not what I mean. I—" Joyce abruptly broke off.

Neal watched her with amusement. He knew what she wanted to say. She'd always been a picky eater, and lawyers were always busy with one thing or another, so she never ate regularly.

Whenever she said she was hungry, Neal would prepare a meal for her, even if it was 3:00 am. Now, however, he no longer cared whether her gastric would act up.

"You can head downstairs to get something to eat if money's not the problem, then. I have a gathering later, so I need to leave soon," Neal said.

He turned to head to the room to change, but Joyce grabbed his hand after he'd only taken a few steps. He turned to see the steely look on her face.

"Where are you going so late at night? What are you up to?" she snapped.

He didn't know what she was suddenly so angry about. He tried and failed to shake her off; all it did was make her tighten her grip. The pain in his wrist made him frown slightly, and he hissed. "Let me go. It's just a normal gathering."

That was the extent of his explanation. Joyce couldn't accept this change. "You've never acted like this in the past…"

She was right. He never would've abandoned her for anything else. The old Neal would've immediately headed to the kitchen to cook something upon hearing she was hungry. How could he possibly leave her alone to meet some friends?

However, the current Neal couldn't care less about that. He'd already decided to leave her, after all.

Chapter 2

Neal was acting out of character, and Joyce felt she knew why. "Are you still mad at me?"

"No, I'm not." He looked at her calmly, almost resigned.

He didn't seem to be putting on an act, but Joyce still felt something was wrong. She checked the time and decided to compromise for once. "It's late, so I'll go with you."

She turned to head to the foyer, but Neal said impatiently, "There's no need for that. I'm meeting with friends; having you there would be inconvenient."

Joyce faltered at his words, a trace of surprise flashing in her eyes. She didn't expect him to reject her offer. When they'd first gotten together, Neal had suggested introducing her to his friends several times. She'd always turned him down, using her work as an excuse.

Now, she'd brought it up, yet he'd turned her down. She was about to say something else when he strode past her and left the apartment.

…

The gathering was in a private room in a bar. The people inside gasped when Neal walked in.

"Whoa, we have a special guest today! What brings you here, Mr. Bolton? I thought you would've given an excuse to pull out at the last minute, as always."

"Exactly. You always say you're busy when we call you out for drinks. We thought you were really going to abandon all of us for a woman's sake!"

Neal felt a little ashamed at their teasing. He smiled self-deprecatingly and said, "The old me was silly enough to distance myself from my friends over a woman who doesn't love me. I lost my sense of self."

He sat down and grabbed a bottle of beer, taking a sip. The taste of alcohol permeated his senses, and his gaze turned reminiscent. He'd always loved drinking but had quit because Joyce didn't like it.

Joyce always thought she and Neal had met through a blind date, but she was wrong. Neal had first met her during his parents' joint funeral. He'd only been ten, yet he'd had to organize a joint funeral for his parents.

His relatives had tried to comfort him, telling him to keep his head up and focus on the guests. But when he pressed the button for the furnace to cremate his parents' bodies, his composure finally shattered. He'd run off and hidden himself in a corner to cry.

Joyce had found him then. She was the daughter of his mother's best friend. She hadn't said anything when seeing his tears. Instead, she'd sat beside him and given him a candy. "Do you want candy?"

He'd taken it from her while sobbing. He popped it into his mouth; the sugary sweetness spread in his mouth, but it didn't stop his tears from flowing. "I don't have a mom and dad anymore. I miss them so much…"

Joyce had only been a few years older than him, but she'd been mature beyond her years. She'd caressed his head and said, "Don't be scared, okay? They're still with you. Think of it this way—they're at work while you're at school, and they're on business trips when you're eating at home.

"When you leave the house to look for them, that's when they return. They'll always be with you; it's just that you guys happen to miss each other all the time. You'll eventually be reunited, though."

At those words, Neal had looked up to stare dazedly at Joyce. From that moment on, those words had kept him going despite the loneliness. He'd convinced himself that his parents were still around; they just constantly missed out on each other. He told himself they would eventually run into each other again.

Neal had never forgotten Joyce or her words, even if the only thing he knew about her was her name. Many years later, after he'd grown up, Joyce's mother, Marie Clayton, arranged for him and Joyce to go on a blind date.

Chapter 3

Marie had made it clear to Neal from the get-go that Joyce was flawless in every way except for her personality being a little cold and aloof. She told Neal it would probably take a long time to make Joyce warm up to him.

He hadn't minded, though. He'd seen her warm side, so he was willing to do anything he could to make her fall for him. Throughout their five years together, he'd revolved around her.

Some of her clothes had to be dry-cleaned, so he would take them to the dry cleaners after getting off work. She'd casually mentioned she wanted to be able to have hot food upon arriving home from work, so he'd quit his job as a jewelry designer, which he'd loved.

Then, he'd gotten a low-paying administrative job near her law firm and moved into her place. She didn't like the smell of alcohol, so he'd quit drinking and distanced himself from his friends.

After his parents' deaths, Neal felt like he'd lost his home. He was a nomad who would make do wherever he ended up. But after getting together with Joyce, he felt like he had someone to rely on. Home was wherever she was. That was why he went to such lengths to care for her.

Fortunately, his efforts hadn't been entirely in vain. Joyce slowly became less icy toward him, making small concessions—like agreeing to their New Year's Day gift tradition he'd proposed.

Just as he thought things were getting better, someone else appeared in their lives—Corey Swank, Joyce's college mate.

Joyce was a germaphobe, so she'd never allowed Neal to eat in her car. He knew she didn't like it and had never tried challenging her limits. Later, however, he saw that she didn't stop Corey from eating biscuits in her car.

The first time Neal had successfully made a dessert, he'd brought it to her, wanting to share the joy with her. She'd pushed it away with a frown, saying that she didn't like sweet things. But later, during a meal with Corey, the latter had pushed the desserts he didn't like to Joyce. She'd accepted them without complaint.

Neal's friends liked drinking, so their favorite pastime was meeting at a bar for drinks. Upon learning this, Joyce had forbidden him from hanging out with his friends, claiming she didn't like the noise. But when Corey had suggested going to a bar, her first reaction had been to accompany him instead of turning him down.

Similar incidents had happened countless times in the past. Whenever Neal asked about it, Joyce would always tell him she and Corey were just friends and that he was being paranoid. In hindsight, it all boiled down to the fact that she didn't love him enough.

Neal felt relieved after telling his friends the whole story. It was like a burden had been lifted from his shoulders. Silence descended upon them.

After a long while, someone finally asked, "Why are you still sticking to her if she doesn't like you?"

Neal looked at Jasmine York, the woman who'd spoken. He smiled and shook his head. "I'm not staying anymore. I've already decided to end things with her. I'm leaving the country in half a month."

…

Joyce was still awake when Neal got home. As soon as he entered the apartment, she smelled the alcohol on him and frowned. "Haven't I already told you that I don't like the smell of alcohol? Just give it to me straight if you're jealous. You don't need to ply yourself with liquor."

He changed into his lounge slippers and padded to the bathroom. He paused as he passed her and said, "I was drinking because I was happy. It wasn't because of you."

She massaged her temples, feeling like she couldn't communicate with him at the moment. Instead of saying anything, she got up to help him to the bedroom. To her surprise, he dodged her and asked, "Are you taking the master or guest bedroom?"

Her expression darkened when she heard the rejection in his tone. She couldn't believe her ears. "Are you telling me you want to sleep in separate rooms?"

He waved a hand. "You said you don't like the smell of alcohol, right? It'd be better for us to sleep separately."

After that, he turned and headed to the master bedroom. He only heard the sound of the guest bedroom door slamming shut after he was done getting ready for bed.

Joyce was angry. In the past, Neal would've panicked and hastily tried to appease her. Now, he couldn't care less about her. He got into bed and fell asleep almost immediately.

He woke up early the following morning and headed to work to hand in his resignation. It was a simple job, so the handover didn't take long. It was only noon when he got home.

When he arrived, he saw Joyce leaving with a cake in hand. His gaze landed on it—it reminded him that today was Corey's birthday.

Joyce didn't slow down or spare him a glance despite noticing that he was back. She left the apartment.

He didn't stop her because he knew this was the precursor to her giving him the cold shoulder.

Since Corey's return to the country three years ago, Neal and Joyce had gotten into countless arguments. She would give Neal the cold shoulder after every one, and once she did that, he would immediately admit he was wrong and coax her until she forgave him.

This time, he didn't do that. Instead, he looked away and ignored Joyce.

Chapter 4

Neal didn't laze around after Joyce left. He went to the study and turned on the computer. He would be leaving for Linkton in half a month, so he needed to rent a place beforehand.

He also wanted to look up local recipes and practice cooking them at home. Once he went abroad, he would be alone, so he had to get used to it as quickly as possible.

When he finally got in bed, Neal scrolled through his phone to see an Instagram post Corey had shared half an hour ago of himself with Joyce. She looked at him so tenderly—it wasn't anything Neal had ever seen. Corey had written, "Thank you for being by my side during every important moment in my life."

Joyce and her friends liked the post, and Joyce was even the first to comment on it. "I won't go back on every promise I've made you."

Her friends had also commented, "We're so glad to see you guys happy."

The rest of the comments wished Joyce and Corey well, but the last one ruined the atmosphere. "We should stop commenting, or Neal will throw a fit when he sees this."

Neal had indeed thrown a fit in the past. At the time, he had no idea Corey was Joyce's first love and thought they really were just close friends.

So, when he'd noticed how Joyce seemed to care for Corey beyond the boundaries of friendship, he'd reminded her that it would be better for her to keep her distance when hanging out with Corey. They were of the opposite gender, after all.

Neal's reminder had been reasonable, yet her expression had turned ugly. "We're all friends here, and we're just interacting with each other like normal. What distance do you expect us to keep?"

Her friends had agreed with her. "Don't be so petty. You're too narrow-minded if you think you can take away her right to make friends with others just because you're her boyfriend."

Neal hadn't understood why everyone had started picking on him and making it seem like he was at fault just because he'd reminded Joyce and Corey to respect each other's boundaries.

Later, he'd accidentally learned that Corey wasn't just a friend to Joyce. He was her first love and the boyfriend she'd yet to forget. Corey had left the country after Marie had broken him and Joyce up. That was why Joyce had later been sent on a blind date with Neal and why she'd agreed to date him.

Neal finally knew the truth. No wonder Joyce treated Corey so differently; no wonder her friends didn't like Neal, even overreacting when he'd asked Joyce and Corey to keep their distance.

It turned out that it was all because Corey was the one Joyce liked from beginning to end. To her friends, Neal was a thief who'd stolen Corey's place in her life. They felt Corey was the only one who deserved to be by Joyce's side and that he was the only one who could make her happy.

Neal snapped out of his reverie. Instead of questioning Joyce about the photo like her friends had predicted, he turned off his phone and drifted off.

In the middle of the night, he was roused from his sleep by someone shaking him. He opened his eyes to see Joyce standing there, her expression grim. He checked the time on his phone as his annoyance surged.

Then, he exhaled deeply, suppressing his irritation. He looked up at Joyce. "What is it?"

Her tone was icy when she spoke. She wanted to convey her displeasure. "Do you still think of me as your girlfriend, Neal? You didn't even call me despite me staying out so late! My friends' boyfriends all called them to check on them or urge them to return, but you didn't. You didn't even text me! What the hell do you mean by this?"

Chapter 5

Neal looked at Joyce in confusion. He didn't understand what she was mad about. "What did you want me to ask about when you were with Corey and the others? You've always complained about me being a nuisance and calling you when you're out with your friends, right?

"That's why I didn't call. Besides, you told me you and Corey are just friends and that there's nothing between you two." His reason was so logical that Joyce couldn't refute him.

She wanted to tell him things weren't supposed to be like this. In the past, he would never have gone to bed without at least checking on her if he knew she was staying out late. However, his reasoning made it impossible for her to get the words out.

Joyce couldn't understand why Neal was acting like this. Then, she remembered Corey's Instagram post, and the realization dawned on her. "You're mad because of Corey's Instagram post."

She sounded confident, but he shook his head. "I'm not."

She didn't take his denial to heart, relieved that she'd determined the cause of his attitude—she thought he was being stubborn for the sake of his pride, so she started explaining herself.

"Corey and I have known each other for years—it's perfectly normal for me to celebrate his birthday with him. As for those comments beneath his post, my friends were just joking. You don't need to take them seriously."

A wave of drowsiness washed over Neal, so he wasn't even really listening to Joyce. He said flippantly, "Alright, got it. You should go to sleep."

"I'm telling the truth. You don't need to get mad over something like this." She could tell he was brushing her off, and her tone became impatient.

He sighed, feeling resigned. He was sleepy and didn't want to be stuck in this situation for long. "What will it take for you to believe that I'm not mad?"

He picked up his phone and went to Corey's Instagram post, liking it to Joyce's face. "Is that enough?"

She didn't say anything as she scrutinized him, seemingly wanting to tell from his expression whether he really wasn't mad. She caved after some time and sat beside him, wanting to wrap an arm around his waist. He scooted away from her.

Joyce was stunned. She never would've expected Neal to reject her desire to be intimate with him. This was followed by the displeasure of being rejected. "Didn't you say you weren't mad?"

He shut his eyes, no longer wanting to look at her. Then, he gave her a reason she had no choice but to accept. "I'm tired from work."

She pursed her lips and got up without a word. Then, she left the room.

…

When Joyce came out of her room the following morning, she saw that Neal was already having breakfast. There wasn't anything for her, though. She asked, "Where's mine?"

He didn't even look at her, slowly finishing his breakfast before explaining, "I noticed you didn't eat much of the breakfast I prepared in the past, so I figured you probably didn't like it much. If that's the case, I won't make anything anymore. You can head downstairs to get whatever you want."

She was taken aback. That was not what she'd expected. She couldn't help but think he had been acting oddly recently but didn't know what exactly was wrong. Ultimately, she concluded he was still mad about Corey.

When she next spoke, her tone was softer than before. "You've always wanted to go to the amusement park, right? I'll accompany you there today. Stop being mad, okay?"

Neal had already explained so many times that he wasn't mad that he didn't want to say it anymore. He knew Joyce would continue thinking what she wanted to think, anyway.

As for the amusement park… the old Neal would've been eager to go. He'd lost his parents at a young age, so no one had ever brought him to one. Later, after he and Joyce had started dating, he'd mentioned going there on a date more than once.

Each time, she would tell him it was too childish and that amusement parks were meant for children. She was busy with work and didn't have the time or interest to go.

Neal shook his head as he thought about the past. "Forget it. It's meant for children, anyway. There's no point in going."