Theater: NovelMaster | Language: English | NEW
Synopsis
I had been with my boyfriend for five years, and every single anniversary, he proposed with a mystery box game.
This year was no different. Ethan set out nine identical boxes on the table.
"Chloe, pick the one with the ring, and I'll marry you."
My fingers tightened into fists as I pointed to the one in the middle.
He opened it, then patted my head gently.
"Babe, it's a gold necklace."
"Don't worry. We can always try again next year."
His best friend, Cole, chimed in with a smirk,
"Man, Chloe, your luck is seriously terrible."
"Back then, Ethan's ex drew the ring on her very first try. Though she dumped him right on the spot."
A suffocating lump formed in my throat. I excused myself to the bathroom and cried my eyes out.
On my way back, I overheard Cole asking,
"I've always wondered, how come Chloe hasn't pulled the ring once in five whole years?"
Ethan let out a quiet sigh.
"Sleight of hand, that's all. Honestly, she picked the ring three times over the years. I just swapped them out when she wasn't looking."
"You know I learned magic tricks back then just to make Victoria laugh."
"Wait, bro, you never planned on marrying Chloe?"
"I was going to this year. But Victoria texted me last night."
My vision blurred as tears spilled over my cheeks.
Standing in the chilly draft by the restaurant exit, I pulled out my phone and texted my lifelong rival:
"Every year on your birthday, you joke about marrying me. Were you ever serious?"
Ethan spotted me and immediately took off his coat, wrapping it around my shoulders.
"It's freezing. Why are you standing in the draft?"
He gently cupped my red, swollen eyes.
"Look at you. The wind made your eyes all red."
"Let me warm them up. When we get home, put on a steam eye mask, or they'll be swollen tomorrow."
Numb, I followed him back to our table.
Seeing my silence, Ethan cut my steak into bite-sized pieces.
"Chloe, are you upset because you didn't get the ring?"
"Eat some steak first. Medium-well, just the way you like it."
Ethan was always this gentle and attentive.
He always served me first at dinner, always kept me on the safe inner side of the sidewalk, and even hand-washed my delicate laundry.
Yet his tenderness was never mine alone.
Looking into his soft eyes, I pointed toward the mystery boxes again.
"Ethan, can I try one more time?"
"I really, really want to marry you."
Or at least, I used to.
Ethan gave a helpless laugh and pinched my cheek.
"Alright, just because my girl is sad, one more try."
I pointed to the box closest to him.
"That one."
Ethan opened it, his eyes lighting up.
"Chloe, you're in luck."
A flicker of genuine hope rose in my chest.
"Is it the ring?"
"It's that designer bracelet you've wanted for ages."
My heart sank into ice.
He knew exactly what I wanted.
Yet he always brushed it off with a shiny distraction.
All because Victoria had texted him last night.
He fastened the bracelet around my wrist himself.
"There, don't be mad anymore, sweetheart."
"Next anniversary, you'll definitely pull the ring."
The cool metal pressed against my skin, sending chills through my blood.
Ethan, there won't be a next anniversary.
Just then, a glamorous, striking woman strutted toward our table.
Cole nudged Ethan's arm.
"Bro, isn't that Victoria? Your ex."
Ethan froze entirely.
Victoria looked at me with an aggressive, predatory smirk.
"Mind if I join you guys?"
Before I could utter a word, Victoria slid into the seat right next to Ethan.
She glanced at the mystery boxes on the table and let out a light laugh.
"Ethan, we've been broken up for five years, and you're still playing the mystery box game?"
"I casually said I loved the thrill of mystery boxes back then, and you really took it to heart, huh?"
My heart plummeted.
I had told Ethan years ago that I preferred a stable, certain proposal.
Yet he insisted on mystery boxes every single year.
It turned out it was always about Victoria.
Victoria casually pointed to one of the boxes.
"The ring is right here."
Ethan opened the box. Resting inside was the stunning diamond ring I had chased for five years.
He slipped it onto Victoria's finger.
"Victoria, you found the ring again."
Victoria had tried twice and gotten it both times.
I had tried for five years and never once seen it.
This time, I saw it clearly. Ethan had subtly shifted the boxes before she picked.
His ring was only ever meant for Victoria.
Admiring the diamond on her hand, Victoria smiled languidly.
"I've dated ten guys over the past five years."
"I'm bored of playing around. Turns out, you're the one best suited for marriage."
"My family's breathing down my neck to settle down. Why don't you just marry me?"Ethan's hand trembled as he poured water.
Boiling hot water splashed over my skin, leaving a glaring red patch.
For the first time in five years, Ethan didn't even notice I had been scalded.
He kept his head down, lost in his own thoughts.
Cole broke the heavy silence with an awkward laugh.
"Victoria, how long has it been since you two broke up?"
"His girlfriend is sitting right here. They've been together for five years."
Victoria threw me a disdainful glance.
"With Ethan's personality, if he wanted to get married, he would have done it ages ago. Why wait five years?"
"We were together for just one month when he proposed to me."
"I was young and wanted to party. I didn't want to be tied down, so I dumped him."
Cole looked away sheepishly, unable to counter her.
Because he knew Victoria was telling the truth.
Ethan finally looked up, his eyes slightly rimmed with red.
"Victoria, so you still remember you were the one who dumped me?"
"What was I to you? Someone you could pick up and throw away whenever you pleased?"
He grabbed my hand tightly.
"This is my girlfriend, and she will be my fiancée."
"Victoria, we ended five years ago."
His grip was so tight my bones ached.
I knew right then and there: he had never moved on.
Victoria slid the ring off her finger.
"Fine, Ethan. You said it. Don't you dare regret this."
Leaving a trail of expensive perfume behind, she strutted out of the restaurant.
Ethan turned to me, taking my hand and trying to slip the ring onto my finger.
It was far too large and slipped right off.
"Chloe, I'm over Victoria. I swear."
"You're the one I love now, and you're the only one I want to marry."
"Let's get engaged tomorrow, okay?"
I stared down at him.
I couldn't tell if he was trying to convince me or convince himself.
Suddenly, Ethan stood up.
"Chloe, wait here for a moment. I'll go buy a ring that actually fits."
With that, he rushed out into the night.
I checked the time. Exactly three minutes after Victoria left.
Cole and I waited from 8:00 PM until midnight.
The restaurant closed its doors, but Ethan never came back.
Cole dialed Ethan's number.
It was declined.
He scratched the back of his neck, visibly embarrassed.
"Hey, Chloe, let me drive you home."
"It's late. It's not safe for you alone."
I shook my head.
"Don't worry about it. And don't call me that anymore. Ethan and I are over."
Cole's eyes went wide.
"Chloe, don't do anything reckless! You two have been together for five years. He loves you, for real."
"I'll go track him down right now and make him explain everything!"
I didn't answer. I stepped out to the curb and hailed a cab.
When I returned to the apartment Ethan and I had shared for five years, my phone was buzzing incessantly.
SnapChat, iMessages, missed calls, Twitter notifications.
Every single one was from Lucas:
[What happened? Did you lose a bet at Truth or Dare?]
[Are you serious? Are you really serious? Chloe, you better not be messing with me.]
[Back out if you want. It's not like I don't have girls lining up.]
[Chloe, if you take it back, I swear I'll lose my mind!]
I had kept my phone on silent for our anniversary dinner.
Before I could type a reply, Lucas called again.His voice shook through the speaker.
"Chloe, that text you sent at 7:43 PM... was it real?"
I hesitated for a couple of seconds.
"Yes."
Silence fell over the line.
When Lucas spoke again, his voice was thick and raspy.
"Then let's go to City Hall first thing tomorrow. I'll pick you up."
A sudden wave of anxiety hit me.
"Isn't this... too fast?"
"Not fast enough. If the marriage bureau were open right now, I'd marry you tonight."
After hanging up, I began packing my bags.
The walls were covered with our photos, and the fridge was plastered with sweet notes Ethan had left me.
Five years. Our lives were so intertwined that I barely knew where to start.
I took my clothes from the closet and pulled my books from the study.
As I did, two notebooks tumbled off the shelf.
I opened the first one. Page after page was filled with my favorite things, my habits, my little quirks.
Over those five years, Ethan had genuinely cared for me in his own way.
Then I opened the thicker journal.
The moment my eyes scanned the words, a piercing pain tore through my chest.
Ethan's journal was completely filled with Victoria.
[September 16, 2022. I listened to you and hit our one-year mark with her.]
[She's your complete opposite. Sweet, gentle, sensitive—the perfect wife material.]
[Most importantly, looking at her never reminds me of you.]
[I made her pick from the mystery boxes and joked that if she found the ring, I'd marry her.]
[I didn't expect her to find it on her first try. I swapped it out using the magic trick I learned for you.]
[I know I'm disgusting, but the second I saw that ring, all I could think about was marrying you.]
I sank to the floor, stifling my sobs with both hands.
So that was it. Ethan had only dated me to forget Victoria.
Yet for every single day of our five years together, he had been obsessing over her.
Not a single day was spared.
[September 16, 2023. I proposed with the boxes again. She didn't pick the ring this time.]
[Just as well. I still don't want to marry her. I still want you.]
[September 16, 2024. She picked the ring again. I swapped it for a gold bangle.]
[She's so clueless. She was heartbroken she didn't get the ring, yet she turned around and comforted me.]
[September 16, 2025. She missed it this time, but deep down, I found myself wishing she had picked it.]
[I'm actually starting to think about marrying her. Victoria, does this count as betraying you?]
[If she picks the ring next year, I swear I will marry her.]
The final entry was written just yesterday, the eve of our anniversary:
[September 15. Victoria, why did you have to reappear right when I had finally decided to marry her?]
[Are we really destined to be tangled up forever?]
[You always said you're fiercely possessive. After five years with her, will you think I'm dirty?]
Dirty?
Being with me made him feel dirty.
Ethan had told Cole that I had picked the ring three times.
Which meant I had picked it this year, too.
With trembling fingers, I booted up Ethan's backup phone.
Victoria's text from last night was brief, just two words:
[Marry me.]
Two words were all it took for the ring in the box to become a necklace.
Two words were all it took to tear Ethan's entire world apart.
My chest tightened until I couldn't breathe.
Tears streamed uncontrollably as violent tremors shook my body.
A wave of sheer nausea hit me, and I collapsed over the trash can, dry-heaving.
For five whole years, his heart had belonged entirely to someone else.
I sat on the floor beside my packed suitcases until morning light crept through the blinds.
Ethan walked through the door holding breakfast, his face etched with panic.
"Chloe! Cole told me you want to break up."
"I can explain everything. Just give me some time, and I'll sort it all out."
I stared at him blankly, devoid of words.
Then, Victoria's voice drifted in from the hallway.
"Ethan, where are my slippers?"Ethan tensed instantly, casting a cautious look at me.
"Chloe, Victoria hasn't found a decent place to rent yet. Can she crash here for a few days?"
I gave a quiet nod.
"Sure."
"We're broken up anyway. You can bring whoever you want home."
Ethan froze, his tone softening desperately.
"Chloe, I'm not breaking up with you."
"I swear, Victoria is only staying for a couple of days."
Victoria strolled into the room, leaning casually against Ethan.
"Couldn't find any slippers, so I grabbed yours."
"I haven't had breakfast yet. Go make me some sunny-side-up eggs and noodles."
Ethan glanced at me apologetically.
"Chloe, let me make her breakfast first. Her stomach acts up easily."
"I'll explain everything to you in a minute."
Victoria pulled out a cigarette and lit it.
"So, Chloe, you're the 'perfect wife material' Ethan keeps talking about?"
I covered my nose and mouth, saying nothing.
Victoria blew a cloud of smoke right into my face.
"How innocent. Can't even stand a little smoke?"
"You're so bland. I'm shocked Ethan managed to swallow you for five years."
I snapped back coldly,
"No matter how bland I am, Ethan chose to stay with me for five years."
"Unlike you, crawling back to your ex after five years of getting played."
Victoria burst into mocking laughter, doubling over.
"Chloe, you're adorably naive."
"Let me tell you the truth. Ethan only dated you because of a bet with me."
A bet?
"For five years, Ethan was at my beck and call."
"He never spent a single one of your birthdays with you because he was with me."
"Last year, when you had your appendix removed and he claimed he was on a business trip? He was on vacation with me in Miami."
"Over the past five years, Ethan proposed to me ten times."
Victoria crushed her cigarette butt directly onto our framed anniversary photo, burning a gaping hole right through my face.
She flashed a venomous smile.
"And by the way, 'bland' wasn't my word. It was Ethan's."
"He said your looks are bland, your life is bland, and in bed, you're even blander."
My dignity shattered into dust.
The agonizing heartbreak instantly morphed into blinding, roaring fury.
My hands clenched until my nails dug into my palms.
Victoria smirked in satisfaction, turning to leave, but paused at the door.
"Oh, I almost forgot."
"The day your mother passed away, you called Ethan sobbing."
"However long you cried on the phone was exactly how long we hooked up."
"Your cries were lovely, honestly. No wonder Ethan enjoyed it."
I snapped.
My arm swung out, and I slapped Victoria across the face with everything I had.
"You're proud of being a filthy homewrecker, aren't you?!"
Victoria clutched her cheek, shock and fury twisting her features.
Ethan charged into the room, instantly shielding Victoria behind his back.
"Chloe, have you lost your mind?!"
"I thought you were kind and gentle! How could you raise a hand against Victoria?!"
"I'm the one who didn't handle things properly. Victoria is completely innocent!"
I stared at the man I had loved for five years, finding his face utterly grotesque.
The pain in my chest erupted into burning hatred.
I grabbed a heavy hardcover book from the desk and hurled it straight at his head.
"Ethan, you're damn right it's your fault!"
"If you two couldn't let each other go, why drag me into your sick game?! What was I to you, a buffer between your messy lives?!"
"Five years! From twenty-three to twenty-eight, the absolute prime of my youth!"
"And it was completely trashed by two pieces of garbage more repulsive than maggots!"
A swollen bruise bloomed on Ethan's forehead. He reached out to grab my arm.
"Chloe, just wait for me to fix this..."
I violently yanked my arm away.
"Ethan, I've waited for five whole years!"
"This time, I'm done waiting. We're over!"
Chapters (4)
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Watch & Promotions
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