Fickle Hearts, Shifting Ties

"Chris,who do you like more?Me or Anya?"The woman’s voice was breathless,laced with dissatisfaction as she spoke in a coquettish tone.

Behind the heavy curtain,Chris wrapped an arm around her waist,lowering his head to kiss her lips.Their breathing grew heavier,the air between them thick with intimacy.

Anya stood frozen in place,unable to believe their audacity.To be so shameless,flirting openly at a birthday party.

Still,what truly shattered her expectations was Chris’s response.His voice was low and hoarse."Carmen dear,Anya is my responsibility,but the one I love has always been you."

His tone was firm,his gaze locked onto the woman’s flushed face as he spoke with deep emotion."I can give you whatever you want,but I can’t let Anya down."

The woman pouted,unwilling to relent."Then tell me,have you ever loved Anya?If you had to choose between us,who would it be?"

Her words were playful,almost spoiled,but Anya did not hear any hesitation from Chris.Instead,what followed made her laugh,cold and bitter.

"No.Never,Carmen.Do you really not know why I got together with her?"

Anya had originally intended to walk away,but her body refused to move.Her mind went blank,her eyes locked on the silhouettes behind the curtain.

And the conversation was not over.

"When you left for abroad,I pursued Anya just to make you jealous.Otherwise,I wouldn’t have chased her,let alone stayed with her."

His voice was calm,rational,heartlessly so.

"If I had to choose only one,I’d choose you."

At that moment,Anya realized she had already given up on him.But even so,she still felt an unbearable,bone-deep chill.

So,this was the truth.The man who had pursued her and had built a relationship with her over the past few years and even flaunted their love online had done it all just to make Carmen return.

Anya told herself to stay calm,but it felt as if an invisible hand was squeezing her heart,crushing it until the pain became unbearable.She had once believed that,at the very least,they had shared the pure and innocent emotions of youth.

She had never expected that everything had been part of his carefully planned scheme.This man had never loved her.

The muffled sounds of intimacy from behind the curtain continued,making her stomach churn violently.A wave of nausea surged up and she could not suppress the urge to retch.

The sound of vomiting finally ceased in the bathroom.Anya gripped the sink,staring at her pale reflection in the mirror.A wave of ridicule washed over her.

The past six years felt like a harsh slap to her face,a cruel reminder that Chris had never truly loved her.From start to finish,he had been the one who was happy,while she had merely been a pawn,someone he pursued only because another woman had come into the picture.

The thought alone made her stomach churn again.She retched repeatedly,but there was nothing left to expel.

When she stepped out,still unsteady,she overheard the voices of two waiters nearby.

"I heard Mr.Roswell booked the entire hotel just to celebrate Miss Avery’s birthday.That’s so romantic."

"But isn’t Anya Morrison his official girlfriend?I heard they’re very affectionate,so…"

Someone interrupted her with a sneer,"Official girlfriend or not,men will always be men.A man like Mr.Roswell?It’s only natural for him to have affairs."

"Exactly.As long as there’s money,emotions are meaningless."

Hearing this,Anya slowly lifted her pale face,a cold,mocking smile tugging at her lips.She had not seen things as clearly as these waiters had.

At this moment,she felt nothing but pure disgust for Chris.