Leaving Before He Breaks His Promise Again

"What's the matter?" I asked.

Nicholas held out a cake box. "I said I'd bring you one yesterday."

I froze for a second, having completely forgotten about his offer to buy me dessert. I honestly hadn't expected him to remember.

But a moment later, Nicholas cleared his throat, his tone shifting into something cautious, almost like he was trying to negotiate.

"Lia, about the spot in this year's competition, could you—"

"Give it to Madeline?" I finished for him.

He looked a bit sheepish, clearly not expecting me to be so blunt. "Madeline is up for a scholarship right now and really needs this award on her résumé. But you've already won it several times…"

Madeline added with a smile, "Aurelia, this is from one of my favorite bakeries. We happened to be passing by, so I thought I'd grab one for you to try."

I looked at the defiant glint in her eyes and the way the two of them stood shoulder-to-shoulder.

It was clear that this casual gift had come with a hidden price tag.

When I didn't answer, Madeline continued, "Come on, Aurelia. Just let me have the spot. It's not like you need another trophy, but this is a huge deal for me!"

I looked at her, then at the cake in Nicholas' hand.

With a faint smile, I agreed, "Okay."

Nicholas seemed taken aback by that answer. "Wait... you're actually okay with that?"

I didn't bother answering him. I simply turned to leave.

There was no reason not to agree.

Anything Madeline wanted to take from me, whether it was a scholarship or Nicholas himself, simply didn't matter to me anymore.

But I hadn't gotten far when a hand clamped around my wrist.

Nicholas had caught up to me, looking a little awkward as he spoke. "Lia, I bought the camera. We're definitely going to the concert tomorrow."

I looked at him silently.

He seemed to remember something and pulled out his phone. "Right, I need to register the ticket info. What's your Social Security number?"

I had begged him 99 times to take me to that concert, and after all that, he didn't even have my Social Security number saved in his phone.

I smiled and was about to tell him not to bother because I had no intention of going to the concert with him anymore. Just then, Madeline let out a sudden gasp.

"Nicholas, something came up at the club. I need to go over there right away. Can you give me a ride? It's really far…"

Nicholas instinctively turned to me, hesitation written all over his face.

"Go ahead," I said.

He looked relieved and placed the cake box in my hand.

"Lia, remember to send me your Social Security number. I'll be here at ten tomorrow morning to pick you up. I promise I won't be late this time."

Their figures vanished further and further into the distance.

I looked down at the mango cake in my hand, a flavor I had never liked. Without a second thought, I tossed it into the trash can nearby.

…

At 9:10 am the next morning, I finished packing the last of my things and said my final goodbyes to my roommates.

By 9:30 am, I still hadn't received any confirmation for the concert tickets.

30 minutes later, I hauled my suitcase downstairs, only to realize that the entrance to the girls' dorm was empty.

I hailed a cab and headed to the airport.

Outside the car window, the campus blurred by like a series of fading film frames—the library, the track, and the path Nicholas and I had walked countless times.

I didn't look back once.

Social media was already blowing up with leaked clips from the concert venue. The theme this year was "Love", and couples from all over the country were flocking to the show.

My phone, however, stayed dead quiet the entire trip.

There were no texts or calls.

At 3:00 pm, after I had picked up my boarding pass and was about to board the plane, Nicholas finally texted me.

Two messages popped up in quick succession.

"Lia, Madeline got hurt while moving some props. I need to take her to the hospital, so I don't think I can make the concert today."

"Let's just wait for the next one. I heard they're playing in Jeston later this year. I'll get us front-row seats. I promise I won't stand you up again."

I wasn't the least bit surprised.

For the 101st time, he still hadn't shown up.

Calmly, I typed out my response.

"Don't bother, Nicholas. I'm moving abroad for studies. After today, we won't have anything to do with each other anymore."

After sending that final message, I was about to turn my phone off.

But the next second, the screen lit up.

A familiar string of numbers flashed across the screen, ringing and ringing in a frantic loop.