Lost Me Forever

I was at a loss for words and said, "I'm sorry."

After some thought, I added, "He's not my boyfriend, just a brother."

The nurse sighed, removing the clogged needle caused by backflow and replacing it with a fresh one.

"Then call a friend. There are two more bottles to go and you can't handle it alone."

I smiled gratefully at her. "Thanks, I'm not sleepy anymore."

Holding my phone, I carefully composed my resignation email and sent it to my manager.

The moment I hit send, the group chat with Julian's closest buddies erupted.

The uproar was over a screenshot of Jennie’s social media post.

It showed Julian squatting in the kitchen, fixing a leaky pipe. His white shirt was soaked, revealing his muscular build.

Above the photo, Jennie had gushed with pride. [Boyfriend vibes off the charts! I feel so secure. Ladies, I highly recommend dating someone like this in this lifetime!]

The group chat erupted into playful teasing as they tagged Julian.

[Bro, all these years and we never knew you could fix pipes!]

[Right. Or did you intentionally mess up her plumbing to have an excuse to move in together?]

***

I get it now!

So the "urgent thing" Julian had mentioned was helping Jennie fix her water pipes!

My phone buzzed again and someone mentioned me.

Daniel, Julian's closest friend, was the one who invited me to the group.

[@Wanda, do you girls find men who can fix pipes so attractive? If so, I'll enroll in a repair course tomorrow.]

The group chat went eerily silent.

After some thought, I replied. [It’s not about fixing pipes. What’s manly is someone who steps up whenever they’re needed.]

After sending the message, I left the group chat and sat on the infusion chair.

The autumn night was as cold as water and the boy who had once stood up for me was now shining a light on others.

When Julian called, it was almost dawn.

His voice was a little hoarse, tinged with caution.

"Wanda, are you home yet?"

I glanced at the taxi nearing the hospital entrance and softly replied.

He seemed to relax, then continued, "I'll explain about the group chat later. Stay home, don’t wander off. Wait for me."

I thought that since Julian had said this, he would come back soon.

So, I packed all my things, moved into the apartment my brother had bought for me across the street and then sat at the table waiting for him.

I wasn't waiting for an explanation. I just wanted a proper closure.

When I was twelve, my parents died in a plane crash and our family went bankrupt. Since then, we have been hounded by creditors.

The relatives who had benefited so much from my parents in the past suddenly vanished—hiding when they could, avoiding us at all costs. Not a single person offered a helping hand.

Only Julian, my brother's high school buddy and roommate, took us in.

From that day on, they've been the best of friends.

Later, my brother decided to go abroad—partly to escape the debt collectors and partly to seek new opportunities.

When he hesitated about leaving me behind, Julian patted his chest and said, "Just go. Your sister is my sister—I’ll take care of her."

Julian treated me so well, handling everything for me. Rain or shine, he drove me to and from school without fail.

His friends would joke that he was raising a little wife, but he'd laugh and playfully kick them.

Initially, I didn't think much of their teasing. Still, after the debt incident in high school, I started paying close attention to Julian's reactions whenever I heard those jokes.