One Coupon Short of Marrying a Liar

My girlfriend, Lilith Fordson, has a lot of quirks. She creates her own marriage vouchers and tells me that she'll marry me after I collect 19 of them. She gives me one when she's happy and gives me another one when I give her a present. I get another one when she misses my birthday because of work. She gives me another one when she wakes up late and misses the chance to send me off when I leave for a business trip. I know that Lilith is ready to marry me when I eventually collect 18 marriage vouchers. I buy a bouquet of roses to surprise her with a proposal. However, when I return home, I see my best friend Declan Smith's car parked outside my apartment. Lilith and Declan are hugging in his car. They kiss each other passionately, looking as if they wanted nothing more than to be wrapped up in each other's arms forever. As I stiffly and slowly approach the car, I hear Declan say mockingly, "I feel so sorry for Theo, Lilith. He has no idea that you're actually compensating him for your betrayals every time you give him a marriage acceptance voucher. "He told me that he only needs one more voucher. You're not actually going to marry him when the time comes, are you? You're not going to just cast me aside, right?" Lilith pecks his lips and says, "Don't worry, darling. I won't give him the last voucher. I'll only settle down and marry him after I've had my fill of playing around." It turns out that every wedding acceptance voucher is actually proof of Lilith's betrayal. I turn around without any hesitation and throw the bouquet into the trash. I then grab my phone and call Mom. "I'm ready to go home, Mom. I'll marry Luna Ellis, the daughter of the mafia boss." Chapter 1 Theo's POV "That's wonderful news, Theo," Mom said. "I'm glad that you've finally come to your senses. What good is love on its own? Nothing can compare to a well-matched marriage and a wealthy life." She sounded ecstatic on the other end of the line, believing that I had finally understood her point. After all, I had been very stubborn. However, I couldn't be blamed for it. Not when my romance with my girlfriend, Lilith Fordson, had been so perfect. It was so perfect that although Mom and Dad didn't approve and my standard of living would be much worse, I had been willing to marry her just to spend the rest of my life with her. Our relationship started with Lilith pursuing me first. She was a beautiful and passionate woman who was like the sun. She worked hard for what she wanted, including the person she liked. That was why she actively expressed her love for me after she fell for me. Cradling a bouquet of roses, Lilith would declare her love for me in front of the teachers and students after class. "I like you, Theo. Will you be my boyfriend?" She would wait in front of the library with two cups of coffee every day without fail so that we could study together. She also kept vigil by my bedside and took care of me whenever I was sick. I was only moved by Lilith's sincerity after she confessed to me for the 19th time. We began dating after that. The happiest days of my university life were when I was in a relationship with her. We studied, ate, and traveled together. My chest was always overflowing with happiness. I wanted to stay here, marry her, and spend the rest of my life with her. However, Mom and Dad didn't approve of our relationship because Lilith's family background wasn't a good match for ours. Thus, they arranged a suitable marriage partner for me, the daughter of a mafia boss, Luna Ellis. But I wanted to be with Lilith, so I proposed to her. Lilith simply smiled and said, "I confessed to you 19 times, Theo. In the name of fairness, you have to get my approval 19 times if you want to marry me. I'll make 19 marriage vouchers. I'll give you one every time I agree to marry you. We'll get married after you collect all 19 vouchers." I watched as she prepared the vouchers, using acrylic paint to draw cartoon versions of us on the pieces of paper that were only as big as my palm. She then wrote the words, "Marriage Voucher", across the bottom of each one. She made all nineteen of them. I picked up one of the small cards, looked at her, and asked— Chapter 2 "Are there any requirements for earning one of these vouchers, Lilith? Do I have to do something to get them?" Lilith shook her head. She had a bright smile on her face when she locked arms with me and said, "There aren't any specific requirements. It just depends on my mood." I didn't think too deeply about her words at the time, assuming that she just wanted to spice things up in our relationship. But after giving it more thought, perhaps Lilith had already betrayed me and was already cheating on me with my best friend, Declan Smith, then. "When are you coming back, Theo?" Mom asked a little anxiously when I remained silent for a long time. "In about a week," I replied. "I need some time to handle things here." I had just returned from an overseas business trip. I was supposed to return to the company to give them a report, but after I decided to give Lilith a surprise, I returned to the country earlier than planned. As a result, I discovered her betrayal. I took a deep breath and pushed the issue of Lilith cheating on me with Declan to the back of my mind for the time being. I then returned to the company. After I was done giving my report, I sent an email to the CEO, Lawson Miller, arranging a time for us to speak in private. "Thank you for making the time to meet me, Mr. Miller," I said. "I've decided to resign from my position as the director of the company." "You and your girlfriend, Lilith, are head over heels in love with each other," Lawson said with a smile. "I heard that the two of you are getting married soon. Are you resigning so that you can become a full-time househusband?" These days, many men whose wives earned more than they did chose to quit their jobs and become full-time househusbands. However, I wasn't one of them. Not wanting to explain myself too much, I decided to play along with him. "You could say that. I'll complete the handover of my responsibilities within the week." I only received a message from Lilith after I was done filing the paperwork for my resignation. "Have you returned from your business trip, darling?" "That's right. I'm at the company right now." "Look behind you." I turned to look behind me and saw Lilith standing at the door with a bouquet of fresh flowers. Her smile was still as beautiful as before, as if she wasn't the one who was cheating on me with Declan. "Welcome back, Theo," she said. My colleagues' voices were laced with envy as they whispered among themselves. "Oh my god. Theo and Lilith are still as madly in love as ever. I'm so jealous. I would be so happy if I had a girlfriend like her." After finishing that day's handover, I had the rest of the afternoon off. I didn't say a single word as I walked out of the office. Lilith offered a bouquet of pink lisianthus to me. I preferred roses, but she only gave lisianthus to me for some time. When I asked her why, she said that lisianthus symbolized praising another person for their charm in the language of flowers. Thus, she gave me lisianthus because she thought that I was charming. I never doubted her words before. However, after giving it more thought, I realized that she bought the lisianthus because they were Declan's favorite flowers. I didn't accept the bouquet. Lilith also didn't say anything and walked with me to the parking lot. I was just about to slip into the passenger seat when I noticed a pack of cigarettes on it. "Declan accidentally left that behind when I sent him to the hospital when he was sick," Lilith explained guiltily. "He's your best friend. You don't mind that he sat in the passenger seat, right?" I was someone with a mean possessive streak. I forbade anyone else from sitting in the passenger seat of Lilith's car. We would always get into a huge fight whenever I discovered that someone else had sat there. However, I no longer had any interest in arguing with Lilith. I shook my head lightly and said, "I don't mind." Although it was the first time that I hadn't been petty, Lilith wasn't pleased by my reaction. On the contrary, she couldn't shake the feeling that something weird was going on. "Are you really not mad, Theo?" she asked again, not willing to give up just yet. I moved the pack of cigarettes aside and slipped into the passenger seat. "That's right. I don't mind," I replied evenly. "You had a perfectly good reason. Why would I get mad?" Whenever we argued in the past, Lilith would get upset and complain that I was too petty and that my behavior made her uncomfortable. Chapter 3 Theo's POV Lilith would get upset whenever we got into a fight. She thought that I was too petty, which made her uncomfortable. However, she was still upset even though I wasn't being petty at that moment. "What are you trying to say, Theo?" she demanded. "What on earth did I do to make you upset? Why are you acting so cold?" "I'm not," I replied. "You're overthinking it." Lilith angrily slapped the steering wheel. "You actually do mind that Declan sat in the passenger seat that's supposed to exclusively belong to you, right? You're mad at me! "I only sent him to the hospital because he's your best friend. I wouldn't have helped him if I had known that you would mind so much. I should have just let him die of his illness! That way, you wouldn't be upset because he wouldn't have left his cigarettes behind." It was clear that Lilith was still trying to convince me that Declan had only left the pack of cigarettes in the car because she sent him to the hospital. In reality, he had left it behind when they were fooling around with each other. However, there wasn't even a trace of guilt on her face as I looked at her. It was as if her explanation was actually what happened. Lilith was such a good actress. It was impossible to tell how many times I had fallen for her lies in the years that we were together. "You can think whatever you want," I said, not bothering to give her a proper answer. Lilith sulked the entire time as she drove us home. … Carrying my suitcase, I unlocked the door with my key. The moment the door swung open, I saw Declan sitting in the living room. Lilith, who was still in a foul mood, went stiff when she saw Declan inside the house. A panicked expression crossed her face. Declan rose to his feet and approached me, opening his arms wide to give me a hug. "Welcome home, my dear friend, Theo. I dropped by to celebrate your return from your business trip." Lilith visibly breathed a sigh of relief. "That's right. Declan came over to celebrate your return. He wanted to have a get-together." However, it was blatantly obvious that she hadn't been expecting Declan to still be in the house. The only explanation was that he had let himself in using a key. I couldn't believe that Lilith had given one of our house keys to him. I shifted to the side and dodged Declan's outstretched arms, saying, "I'm going to put my things away." I then picked up my suitcase and made my way toward the bedroom. Lilith immediately began to panic. She grabbed my hand that was holding the suitcase and said, "Let me do it for you. You and Declan haven't seen each other for a while. The two of you should catch up." She didn't usually act that way. Her behavior was extremely uncharacteristic, which made me assume that there was something in the bedroom that she didn't want me to see. I wasn't bothered enough to expose their little farce, so I let her take the suitcase from me. I then headed to the kitchen to pour myself a glass of water before walking to the living room. Declan walked over to me and pointed at his lips, showing off the bite mark that was there. "Look, Theo. My new girlfriend got too excited when she was kissing me and accidentally bit me." A provocative look crossed his face. His eyes overflowed with glee. I stared at Declan for a long time. He was the first friend I made when I moved here for work. When he ran into trouble at work and didn't have a place to stay, I was the one who took him in and helped him solve his problems. I treated him as a true friend for the past few years, doing everything I could to help him whenever he faced any challenges. I never would have imagined that he would betray me and start an illicit affair with Lilith behind my back. He was even arrogant enough to provoke me to my face. He was truly shameless. "You bastard!" Unable to hold myself back anymore, I curled my hand into a tight fist and punched him in the face. Declan staggered to the floor with a pained cry. Lilith, who had been busy tidying the bedroom, immediately ran to the living room when she heard the commotion. "Oh my god! What happened? Are you alright, Declan?" The first thing that she did was rush to Declan's side. After she confirmed that he hadn't sustained any serious injuries, she turned to me and shouted, "Why did you punch him, Theo? Declan's your best friend!" My best friend? I didn't have a best friend who went behind my back and slept with my girlfriend. Declan looked extremely pleased that Lilith had immediately rushed to his side. He pressed a hand to his cheek and put on an aggrieved expression. Chapter 4 "I just told Theo that I got a new girlfriend, Lilith," Declan said. "I have no idea how I offended him, but he just suddenly raised his hand against me. You're his girlfriend, so you should keep him in check. He wasn't like this in the past." Guilt flickered in Lilith's eyes for a split second when she looked up at me. But when she looked at the imprint of my fist on Declan's cheek, she became extremely angry. "Did you have to punch him over something so insignificant?" she demanded. "Did you actually get upset over something he said, or do you have a problem with me, Theo? No matter what it is, I want you to apologize to Declan right now!" Lilith was supposed to be my girlfriend, but she was sticking up for Declan even before she found out what actually happened. I couldn't help but feel a little upset even though I had already accepted the fact that she no longer loved me. After all, our feelings for each other had been genuine in the past. Declan crossed his arms and looked at me. "I'm waiting for your apology, Theo. We're supposed to be best friends. We might not be able to continue being friends if this situation gets out of hand." "Declan's right," Lilith chimed in to coax me into giving in. "Hurry and apologize to him. He'll definitely forgive you." I couldn't believe that my girlfriend was forcing me to apologize to her lover. Although I didn't love Lilith anymore, my heart still ached. "I refuse," I said. "Let's cut ties with each other, Declan. You're no longer my best friend. Get out of my house right now." Both Declan and Lilith were completely caught off-guard by my firm refusal. Not only did I not show Declan any respect, but I was also kicking him out of my house. Declan looked upset. He intentionally fixed a troubled look on his face as he looked at Lilith and said, "Alright then. I'll never drop by again since Theo doesn't want me here anymore." He then opened the front door and left the house. Lilith hastily chased after him, throwing an excuse over her shoulder. "I'm worried that you'll be affected if anything happens to Declan. I'll watch over him." Declan and Lilith left together, leaving me standing alone in the living room. Although Lilith and I had decorated this house together, although everything we bought was supposed to be a pair, it didn't stop Lilith from betraying me. I didn't waste my time thinking about what Declan and Lilith were up to. Instead, I focused on handling my work. … Lilith returned later that night. "Look what I brought for you, honey," she said as she brought my favorite cake into the room. She unwrapped the packaging and cut a big slice out of the cake, placing it on a plate before pushing it toward me. Whenever Lilith made me upset in the past, she would apologize to me by buying a cake for me. I would forget that we were fighting whenever she did that. However, as I stared at the cake at that moment, I couldn't help but feel that it was utterly pointless. Was Lilith apologizing to me, or was she just compensating me because she was cheating on me? "Go ahead and have a bite," she said with a smile. "Declan specially bought this for you. He's so nice. He still bought a cake for you because he knows that you're angry. How could you have raised your hand against him? He's so miserable now. You should apologize to him as soon as possible." It turned out that Lilith didn't buy the cake for me because she wanted to make amends. Instead, she wanted to force me to apologize to Declan. "No. I refuse," I said. Lilith's hands froze for a moment before she said, "I just don't want you to cut ties with your best friend, darling. I don't want you to have any regrets." I let out a mirthless laugh. "Are you sure that you don't want me to have any regrets, or are you just worried that your beloved Declan will feel hurt?" A bewildered look appeared on Lilith's face. Her eyes were wide with shock as she stared at me. "What nonsense are you spouting? Do you really think that something's going on between us just because I let him sit in the passenger seat? You're an adult. Can you stop being so childish? You exhaust me!" She had no idea that I had already seen them together, assuming that I was just being petty because Declan had sat in the passenger seat. Chapter 5 "Am I wrong?" I asked. "Why do you keep taking Declan's side when he's the outsider? Or maybe I'm actually the outsider among the three of us?" Lilith completely lost her temper. She slammed her hand on the table and snapped, "You're acting like a child, throwing a tantrum whenever you feel like it. Fine! If you insist on believing that there's something going on between Declan and me, I'll make it a reality then!" She then threw the door open and stormed out of the room. In the past, I would rush forward and stop Lilith from leaving if her emotions were running high. I didn't want her to do anything drastic in the heat of the moment. However, at that moment, I couldn't bring myself to care about her well-being in the slightest. Lilith became even angrier when I didn't chase after her. She got into her car and slammed her foot on the accelerator, zooming off into the night. … In the next few days, Lilith intentionally went out and shared meals with Declan. She would snap countless photos during their little "dates" and send them to me. The photos included shots of them holding hands while strolling along the street, pressing their faces together while taking pictures in a photobooth, and watching movies together. I knew that Lilith was trying to rile me up, but the photos that she sent were still proper and didn't cross any lines. However, what she didn't know was that Declan had gone behind her back and sent me far more intimate photos. The photos included shots of Lilith's sleeping side profile and the intimate kisses that they shared. It was blatantly obvious that the photos were meant to provoke me. Declan wanted me to know that my girlfriend already belonged to him. I ignored Declan's provocations and calmly focused on my work. … A week flew by in the blink of an eye. After I was done handling everything that needed my attention, Lawson hosted a small farewell party for me. My colleagues were sad to see me go since we had worked together for many years. I left the company carrying the few personal belongings I had. As I ambled along the street, I spotted a group of people in the distance. A man had sunk down to one knee while holding a bouquet of fresh flowers. He was proposing to the woman standing before him. When the woman happily agreed, the couple ecstatically embraced each other. The other couples in the onlooking crowd were drawn to the romantic atmosphere and ended up hugging and kissing their respective partners as well. I spotted my girlfriend, Lilith, and my former best friend, Declan, among the kissing couples. Lilith and I had been in a similar situation when I agreed to be her boyfriend. Somebody else's proposal had succeeded, prompting the couples around us to hug each other. "Why don't you be my boyfriend?" Lilith asked. It had been her 19th confession. We kissed each other after I agreed, basking in the happy and wonderful atmosphere just like the couples in the present were currently doing. However, at that moment, she was kissing Declan. Disgust roiled in my gut. How could I have fallen for such a fickle woman? What a joke. … I returned to the house that was filled with memories of Lilith and me, throwing away everything that belonged to me. After I was done, I placed a breakup letter and the 18 marriage vouchers that Lilith had personally created on the table. Carrying my suitcase with me, I hailed a cab to the airport. Just as I was about to enter the airport terminal, I received a message from Lilith. "How much longer are you planning to sulk, Theo?" she asked. "If you keep ignoring my messages and giving me the cold shoulder, I'm going to have to take back all the marriage vouchers that I gave you. I'm not going to marry you anymore." I finally replied to her message this time. "Do whatever you want. I've already left the vouchers on the table. Let's break up, Lilith. Let's never meet again." I blocked her after I sent the message and boarded the plane. As the plane rose into the sky, I left behind the city that broke my heart for good.