Our Anniversary Ends with an End

Chapter 3

I was completely drained, physically, emotionally, everything. I didn't have the energy to keep arguing with Yohann, so I ignored him and headed straight for my room. Even though we'd been living together for three years, we kept separate rooms and mostly stayed out of each other's way. What was supposed to bring us closer as a couple had slowly morphed into something that felt more like two roommates splitting rent.

Just as I reached for the doorknob, Yohann grabbed my wrist. His expression shifted, something about it was off, almost awkward.

"Your room hasn't been cleaned in days," he said, hesitating. "Why don't you sleep in mine tonight?"

I froze. Yohann had always been weirdly firm about boundaries and personal space. No matter what was going on between us, he insisted couples should have their own privacy. So… why the sudden invite?

Suspicion prickled at the back of my neck. I pulled my wrist from his grip and opened the door anyway.

And there she was.

Standing in my room, wearing my nightgown, rubbing sleep from her eyes like she'd just woken up from a nap.

"Yohann, what's with all the noise in the living room? What's going on?" she mumbled.

That voice, it was unmistakable. Zandria. Yohann's childhood friend.

She froze when she saw me. For a second, she looked genuinely surprised. But then, like flipping a switch, she gave me a warm, casual smile.

"Ysha! You're back from the hospital. How are you feeling?"

I didn't say a word. I just stared at her, standing there in my nightgown like she belonged. Had she been staying here the entire time I was gone?

Yohann's face twitched with something like guilt before he cleared his throat.

"Zandria, go change first. We'll talk later."

Then he pulled me into the living room, his voice low and fast. "After dinner last night, we drank too much. I didn't want her driving home alone, I was worried. So I told her to crash here. She slept in your room, but nothing happened, I swear. Don't misunderstand."

Strangely, I wasn't even angry. Just… numb.

This wasn't the first time something like this had happened. There were nights when he stayed over at her place too. I'd confronted him back then, and it turned into a massive fight.

He probably remembered that. That's probably why he was scrambling to explain now. But honestly? Now that we were falling apart, what did it matter anymore?

I gave him a small nod, my face unreadable.

"It's fine. I get it."

He relaxed a little, though I could see the confusion in his eyes. He didn't understand my calm. He kept staring at me like he was trying to figure out what I was thinking.

I didn't flinch under his gaze.

A few minutes later, Zandria stepped out of my room, no longer in my nightgown, but now wearing one of my dresses.

"My clothes got dirty last night, so I threw them in the wash," she said with a breezy smile. But her eyes kept drifting toward Yohann, soft and affectionate in a way that wasn't hard to read.

Yohann shifted uncomfortably and looked away.

Zandria didn't seem the least bit awkward. She smiled even wider and looked at me.

"Ysha, you don't mind if I borrow your clothes, right?"

Her tone was sweet, but laced with something else, something sharper.

I met her gaze and replied coolly, "Not at all. Yohann paid for those clothes anyway. Feel free."

I didn't plan on keeping them.

Her smile faltered, just for a split second. Yohann's jaw tightened, clearly not happy with my response, but he didn't say anything. Not with her still standing there.

Zandria tried to brush it off, but I saw it, that flicker of tension beneath the surface. She was rattled.

And for the first time in a long while, I wasn't.