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Chapter 36
“Yvvy, I came all the way from Jeriton City just for you. I spent the whole afternoon preparing this. Doesn’t this show my siricerity? What else do you want from me? These are all things you love! Why did you suddenly change?” Jared demanded.
“I’ve told you. I don’t need all of this,” Yvonne replied.
She maintained an unbridgeable distance from him.
“You following me here only makes me feel scared. Jared, stop doing things that only satisfy yourself. We’ve already broken up.”
Hearing “broken up” from Yvonne made Jared’s frustration boil over.
“Stop pretending, Yvvy.” He called her out. “You let me see the ticket booking because you wanted me to come after you. I know you’re upset. You’re the one who doesn’t trust me, but I’m here to comfort you, so you can’t keep talking about breaking up.”
At that moment, Jared’s apology had turned into a demanding reproach.
For him, this felt like a big step forward compared to the past. Why couldn’t she just accept his apology and come back? Didn’t she know when to stop? Why was she still insisting on the breakup?
But Yvonne didn’t even want to give him an explanation.
If the distance between them was 100 steps, she’d already taken 99 of them over the past seven years.
She’d waited far too long for that final step until she’d given up everything she’d accumulated.
But now, Jared had only taken one step, and he stopped. He was once again expecting emotional sacrifices from her.
“What exactly do you want, Yvvy? Just tell me. I’ll give it to you. I abandoned work to come here. Don’t keep testing my patience.” Jared reached out his hand and waited. “Come back to me. Let’s go back to Jeriton City together.”
“No one asked you to do any of this. It has nothing to do with me.” Yvonne glanced at Jared. Her gaze didn’t linger even for a second.
Then she walked up to Ian. Her voice was slightly tense as she said, “Ian, I was worried sick when I didn’t get to meet you at school. And you didn’t even answer your phone.”
“I’m sorry, Yvvy. I won’t do it again.” Ian realized he’d crossed a line.
As Yvonne pushed Ian’s wheelchair past Jared, she glanced at the white plush dog on the ground. “You probably don’t remember, but I already have one of these plush dogs. But none of this matters anymore.”
Precious things had an expiration date. When they came at the wrong time, they would lose their meaning.
Her words, though simple, struck at Jared’s heart. He couldn’t even recall when he’d used this gift to appease her.
After Yvonne and Ian left, the restaurant manager cautiously asked, “Mr. Ford, what should we do with these items?”
The white plush dog had been dirtied, and the hydrangeas, which had been painstakingly arranged, were now wilting.
“Did I not pay for this? Are things she doesn’t want just garbage to you?”
Jared’s breath hitched as anger consumed him, and he quickly redirected it at the staff. Standing there, he looked more alone than ever.
“I guess I need to try something new to appease her. She always talks about breaking up. I guess I really have spoiled her. So what if she says it? She’s just playing hard to get. She’ll come back to me even after we break up. She can’t live without me!”
Jared felt a brief moment of doubt, but he quickly regained his resolve. The bond they had as childhood sweethearts still made him confident.
“Yvvy, I’ll expose your lies. You love me, and you can’t hide it!”
