Chapter 3

Finally, we submitted the competition project.

Nathan took my hand. "Let's go, time for dinner."

"Didn't you always want to try that new Japanese place?"

I looked at him, surprised.

I'd mentioned that restaurant almost daily since it opened,

But Nathan always found new excuses to refuse: student council work was too busy, it was too far, he wasn't hungry...

Today, he was actually suggesting it.

Chloe patted Nathan's shoulder. "Nice, nice. I just told you about that place today, and you already thought of going!"

Then she turned and winked at me. "You've got a good boyfriend there, Mia. You're really lucky."

Lucky?

I opened my TikTok app.

He hadn't replied to a single video I'd shared.

He hadn't taken a single word I'd said to heart.

I pulled my hand away from Nathan's.

The rideshare arrived. Nathan opened the car door, gesturing "please" to Chloe.

Usually, at this point, I would ask:

"Why don't you invite me first? Aren't I your girlfriend?"

Nathan would always say with a smile:

"Why are you even jealous of your own sister?"

"Don't I have to butter up your family first so they'll trust me with you?"

After that, I could only swallow any further dissatisfaction.

But now, there was no need.

When Nathan turned to call me into the car, I shook my head,

And got into the passenger seat.

Nathan's private message came through: [Upset?]

My fingers trembled as I prepared to reply.

But the next second, the two of them burst into laughter in the backseat.

I exited Nathan's chat,

And typed a line of text:

[Ethan, did you go to Stanford last year?]

[I'd like to ask you something.]

At the restaurant, Nathan still sat on the same side as Chloe.

They discussed the menu, talked to the waiter, complaining about their tight schedule lately.

No one looked up at me, as if I were invisible.

Finally, Chloe looked up and asked:

"Oh, right, Mia, why haven't I heard you mention wanting to go to Harvard?"

"I have tons of Harvard resources here, I'll send them to you."

Ten or so files came through in a row.

I randomly opened one.

The familiar annotation style was Nathan's.

A 99-page document, meticulously detailing Harvard's campus environment, dorm conditions, surrounding malls, and dining halls.

Every dish Chloe liked had two asterisks next to it.

I didn't know how long it took to create all this.

I only knew that every time we had a date or traveled,

Nathan was always glued to his laptop, collecting information.

When I complained he wasn't spending time with me, he would only say:

"I'm doing this to give you a better experience, you know."

But in the end, I never received the files,

Instead, every moment we had alone was filled with Chloe.

When we left after dinner, I stared blankly at their parallel figures.

And still, shamelessly, tears welled up.

Suddenly, Nathan stopped. "Dummy, your backpack zipper is open."

Chloe stuck out her tongue,

Turning her back to let Nathan zip it up for her.

Several acquaintances walked by, saw the scene, and started cheering:

"I knew Nathan was too handsome not to have a girlfriend! Turns out he was hiding her!"

"Oh, they're really a perfect match!"

Nathan frowned, about to explain,

Chloe clasped his hand.

He looked down at their intertwined fingers and suddenly fell silent.

I turned and exited through the side door,

Remembering the old Nathan, who made a big public show of pursuing me.

The first day we got together, he announced to the world that I was his girlfriend.

I asked him why he was so silly, and he pinched my cheek:

"It'd be silly not to tell everyone I have such a beautiful girlfriend."

What made him deny I was his girlfriend now?

Nathan caught up behind me. "Mia! Mia!"

I wiped my tears and turned around:

"Nathan, let's break up."