I rubbed my temples. I was about to leave, but the more I thought about it, the angrier I got. So, I called a locksmith.
With a fire in my belly, I went to Frank’s parents‘ house, told them the property management needed to see the deed for their reco- rds, and his mom, without a single question, handed it over. “What would that boy do without you?” she said, then laughed awkwar-
dly, realizing her mistake.
I took the deed to the locksmith. An hour of hassle later, I was finally standing in the “home” I had lived in for nearly a year. I reme- mbered moving in, Frank standing at the door with his hands in his pockets, saying, “Hannah, welcome home.”
I looked around the room. The carefully tended plants, the skirt hanging on the balcony, the cosmetics on the bathroom counter,
the ceremonial dinnerware.
I rolled up my sleeves and got to work. I packed up my designer clothes, my expensive bags, my skincare products. As for the furni- ture and decorations we had bought together, I smashed them all.
When the place was a complete wreck, I was exhausted. I was about to leave when Frank walked in, carrying several bags of groc-
eries.
He stood frozen in the doorway. He stepped back out to check the apartment number. After a full five minutes, his face flushed
with rage.
“Hannah, are you fucking insane?”
I shrugged. “You changed the password. You didn’t answer my calls. You didn’t reply to my texts.”
Frank tiptoed through the wreckage in the living room and put the groceries in the fridge. He rubbed his temples and explained, “I was on a date with Angela. If she heard me talking to you on the phone all the time, what would she think?”
My heart still skipped a beat. In the past, whenever I tried to have a serious talk about our relationship, he would always dodge the
subject.
“We’re getting along really well. Angela has a gentle nature. I have to treat this seriously, take it slow,” he said. “She’s not like you. So when I’m with her, I don’t take calls from other girls…”
He sighed, a smile playing on his lips as he looked at me. “Hannah, you haven’t eaten, right? I’ll cook now. Have a bite before you go. “Before I could refuse, he added, “Think of it as a farewell dinner. Do me a favor.
I watched him bustle around the kitchen, and my nose started to sting. A hot burn pricked the back of my eyes.
An hour later, i had confirmed there was nothing left in the apartment that I wanted to take. Frank had also finished cooking and
set a feast on the table.
For a moment, I thought maybe we could still be friends in the future. We had so many years of history, after all.
I reached out my chopsticks to take a piece of food, but Frank’s sharp “Don’t move!” stopped me.
He rushed over and handed me a small, round saucer. “Just have a small bite of each. I need to take the rest to Angela while it’s
still warm.”
He held up the tiny saucer, smaller than the palm of my hand. “Quick, tell me which one tastes best. I’ll pack more of that one for her. If there’s anything you don’t like, I’ll leave it for you to eat…”
Clack!
I threw my chopsticks down. His hand was still suspended in mid–air.
I shot to my feet, the chair scraping against the floor with a sharp, piercing screech.
Chapter 2
My voice was choked with tears. “Frank, you know what? I never saw you as a ‘buddy.‘ I was really in love with you.”
“All those sweet things I said in the past…” My eyes were red as I stared straight at him. “I meant every word.”
“But now, I finally understand just how stupid I was.”
I ignored his stunned expression and turned and walked away.
