Chapter 3
He had just left when my mom called.
“You’re going on that blind date this weekend. No more excuses.‘
“Okay.”
I curled my lip. Fine, I’d go.
Mom’s voice came through, full of frustration.
“You stubborn girl. Eiden is such a good man and you still weren’t satisfied. You’ll regret this someday.”
“Mom, if I hadn’t broken up with him, I’d be regretting it right now.”
“You just tell me the truth. Did you cheat? Or did he?”
I fell silent.
It wasn’t really cheating. Neither of us had crossed any lines.
Eiden Riley was a perfectly suitable boyfriend.
When he first ran into his ex, he told me immediately who she was. The girl had even been calm and
gracious, saying they were long over.
Everything seemed reasonable. Flawless.
But that night, after we got home, Eiden had casually said, “It’s raining again.”
Women in love turn into Sherlock Holmes.
In that moment, I had a strange, gut–deep feeling that he was thinking about someone else.
And I said it out loud: “Are you worried she’ll get caught in the rain?”
“Yeah, she’s not in great health. She always catches a cold when it rains.”
See? Eiden was always so open with me. Honest, to a fault.
But that kind of honesty made me uncomfortable.
It felt like he didn’t care at all that I might get jealous.
Chapter 3
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That weekend, I met my blind date at a café.
He looked sharp, shrewd, even calculating, the moment he walked in.
The second he sat down, he started attacking me over my age.
“Bexley Russell, right? You’re pretty, but you’re too old. In a few more years, you’ll be hitting
menopause.”
“Before we get married, you’ll need a check–up to make sure you can still have kids.”
“Oh, and it has to be a boy. Our family’s rich, so you just need to focus on giving birth…”
My scalp tingled. I forced a dry laugh and nodded a few times.
Then I picked up a fake phone call and left.
Before I even stepped inside the house, I could hear laughter from the living room.
My mom, Eiden’s mom, and his dad were all there.
Eiden was sitting off to the side, thoughtfully pouring juice for the three elders.
The moment I walked in, Mom’s face darkened.
“Bexley, get over here.”
Mrs. Riley rushed to smooth things over.
She came up, took my hand gently, and patted it.
“Bexley, I understand. Every couple has their little fights sometimes. But we’ve all seen how much
Eiden cares about you. He truly loves you.”
“Think about it. These past few years, he’s taken care of everything for you, including our clothes,
food, daily needs. Men like him don’t come around often, you know.”
Mom frowned.
“His parents flew in from Asteria just to talk to you.”
“Mom, seriously, what are you doing?”
I was overwhelmed with frustration.
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village falls for his childhood friend.
Eiden sat across from me in silence, just watching.
See? Even now, he was still so calm.
Eiden’s father, Bernd Riley, spoke with a serious tone.
“Bexley, Eiden may be a bit quiet, but he really pays attention to you. His whole photo album is filled with pictures of you.”
“When your mom was in the hospital, he worked all day and still stayed by her side every night. He
was more attentive than me and his mother combined…”
I wanted to explain myself, but my mom shot me a glare that made me swallow it all down.
Suddenly, I just felt so tired.
Everyone around me was on the other side.
Eiden finally spoke, his voice still as humble and gentle as ever.
“Bexley, can we try again? Please give me another chance…”
Looking at the whole setup, I found it laughable.
Eiden handed me a glass of warm water, just like he always had. Perfectly on cue, doing what any
“100% thoughtful boyfriend” would do.
Everyone’s eyes were on me.
Hopeful. Pressuring. Judging like if I resisted any more, I’d be branded immature and ungrateful.
Night had fully fallen.
The living room lights were bright, but they couldn’t reach the shadow that had settled in my heart.
“Bexley!” Eiden came over and tried to hold my hand. “Let’s get back together, okay?”
“Absolutely not.
Chapter 3
