Our Anniversary Ends with an End

Chapter 4

After they left, I stripped the bed and changed all the sheets. Exhausted, I collapsed onto the mattress and drifted into a deep, dreamless sleep.

When I finally woke up, the sky outside had already turned dark. I could hear Yohann moving around in the kitchen. A moment later, his voice called out,

"Dinner's here. I brought takeout."

I didn't hesitate. I was starving. I made my way to the table, but as I sat down and looked at the food, I paused.

Back when Yohann was just starting his company, all the late nights and heavy drinking had wrecked his stomach. The doctor had told him to switch to a bland, light diet. I remember signing up for cooking classes just so I could take care of him properly. I still have the faint scar on my hand from a kitchen burn while trying to make him soup one night.

Without thinking, I rubbed the scar as Yohann, completely unaware of my thoughts, picked up a chunk of fatty braised pork and placed it on my plate.

"This is from that restaurant Zandria loves," he said casually. His tone softened a little when he mentioned her. "It's really good, you should try it."

I stared at the food, unmoved. Just... numb. He didn't notice. He kept eating like everything was normal.

"She's been looking forward to this trip for weeks," he added between bites. "Since you weren't feeling well and had to miss out on some of the activities, we're taking her out to dinner tomorrow. You should apologize to her."

I blinked, stunned.

So that was it.

He didn't bring dinner to patch things up. He just wanted me to apologize to her.

A bitter laugh slipped out before I could stop it.

"Why should I apologize?"

His expression hardened, and he set down his chopsticks.

"Ysha, there's no shame in admitting you were wrong. But pretending like you don't know what you did? That's a whole different story."

My voice was cold, but steady.

"There are security cameras, Yohann. Everything that happened is recorded. If your memory's fuzzy, feel free to check the footage."

"You, " he started, clearly losing his temper. But I was done talking.

He stood there, fuming, completely at a loss for words. After a long moment, he scoffed and snapped,

"You're being completely unreasonable! Stay home and reflect on your behavior. When you're ready to admit your mistakes, come find me."

With that, he grabbed his jacket and stormed out, slamming the door behind him. The sound echoed through the apartment, leaving behind a heavy silence.

I stood there for a beat, then let out a long breath and pulled out my phone. It was time to contact the courier. I'd already decided to move out, now it was just a matter of logistics.

Three years of cohabitation meant I'd collected more stuff than I realized. I couldn't move everything in one go, so I started bit by bit.

The next afternoon, as I handed over the first batch of boxes to the delivery guy at the door, Yohann showed up unexpectedly. His eyes narrowed as he caught sight of the packages.

"You sending something?" he asked, stiffly.

I signed the receipt and answered coolly, "Yeah."

If he'd paid closer attention, he might've noticed the living room already looked emptier, some of the furniture was gone. But he didn't. He just grabbed a folder off the desk and left again without another word.

The days that followed were quiet. No calls, no texts. Just silence.

But he was still active, on social media.

Yohann and Zandria had gone on a trip together. They were visiting places I had never been, smiling in photos I'd never had the chance to take. They looked... carefree. Like the world outside that frame didn't exist.

I let out a soft laugh and, after a moment's pause, tapped the "like" button on one of the posts. It was my way of saying goodbye. A quiet, digital farewell.

Then I went back to packing the last of my things.

When I finally finished and reached for my phone, I noticed a new message from Yohann. It had been sent just three minutes ago:

[Once you're ready to apologize to Zandria, come find me.]

There was a location pinned in a nearby city.

I stared at the screen for a second. Then, calmly, I typed:

[Don't worry. I won't be bothering you two. Enjoy the trip.]

And after a short pause, I added:

[Oh, and I've already transferred my portion of the rent. Please accept it.]

No ties left. Not even financial ones.

A minute later, my phone buzzed again.

[?]

I didn't respond.

Another ping:

[Ysha, what's going on?]

And then:

[Reply! Explain yourself!]

But I didn't say a word.

Because what was there left to explain?