Love Does Not Wait Forever

"Lennon, let's break up."

Lennon froze for a moment, but his composure quickly returned. With a familiar smile, he grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the lounge with such force that I winced.

"Come home for dinner tonight. My mother told me to make your favorite dish."

I struggled against his grip. "Lennon, I said let's break up."

His expression stiffened, though his cheerful facade remained intact.

"Claire, stop talking nonsense."

He grasped my hands again, rubbing them gently. A faint tenderness seeped into his voice.

"That day with Mia, I just wanted to provoke you. I didn’t mean for you to feel neglected." His expression shifted to one of feigned grievance. "How could I like someone like Mia? I only love you."

His gaze carried a semblance of sincerity, but I knew better. It was all an illusion.

I shook my head, letting out a quiet sigh before turning to face him directly.

"Lennon, I don’t care who you like. And I don’t care if you still love me." Reaching into my bag, I pulled out a small velvet box, a gift I had once carefully prepared for him a long time ago.

"All I know is that I don’t love you anymore."

Opening the box, I revealed two silver cufflinks. Without hesitation, I tossed them into the trash can.

Lennon’s eyes darted to the trash, his carefully maintained calm finally cracking.

"Claire, I don’t accept this breakup. And you can’t break up with me either."

The undertone of aggression was unfamiliar, almost unnerving.

But I held my ground, meeting his gaze unwaveringly. At last, he faltered. Muttering a low curse, he turned on his heel and stormed off.

Yet after only a few steps, he stopped and spun around, his eyes rimmed with a faint redness.

"Claire, let’s both calm down. We’ll talk after the performance."

The performance he referred to was the orchestra’s founding anniversary, a grand event just two weeks away. Both of us were set to perform, with me leading the strings section.

He did not wait for my response, perhaps afraid of my rejection. Without another word, he strode out of the room, never glancing back.

I closed my eyes tightly, resting my head against the cold wall. Memories of my time with Lennon flooded my mind.

I had never been a woman who liked to linger on the past, yet I was far from decisive.

Lennon has been more than just a lover. He had been a companion and confidant for a long time in my life. His existence had carved an irreplaceable place in my heart.

Now, having torn away the fabric of our relationship with my own hands, I could not escape the aching tightness in my chest.

I covered my face with my hands, hoping that hiding behind them might let me slip away from the weight of reality, but the door burst open.

Startled, I straightened up, my heart racing as I braced for Lennon’s return.

Instead, a bright, excited voice filled the room. "Lennon! The diamond ring for your proposal has been ordered. I am sure Miss Dawson would be so moved that she would cry after seeing it!"

"Hey, do we need to start calling her Mrs. Sullivan already...?"

Alex entered with an exuberant roar. The moment he saw me, he froze mid-step, his eyes widening as if he had walked into a trap.

"Mrs. Sullivan… Uh, Miss Dawson, aren't you injured? Why are you here?"

After saying that, he stood frozen by the door, his earlier bravado deflating like a balloon.

Alex was a young wind musician who had joined the orchestra this year. He had always idolized Lennon. Smart and talented, he followed him like a loyal shadow.

His words lingered in the air and I took a moment to collect myself, schooling my expression. "You said Lennon is going to propose to me?"

Alex’s head shook furiously. I sighed, offering him a faint smile to ease his nerves. "It’s alright. I heard everything. Don’t worry, I’ll keep it a secret. Just pretend I don’t know, okay?"

Alex curled his lips, but he could not keep his grievances bottled up any longer.

"Isn’t it the orchestra’s anniversary soon? Lennon said he wanted to propose to you after the performance. He even asked us to cooperate with him on stage..."

"He said you two have been so busy with work all these years, spending so much time apart. Now that Lennon has been promoted to management, he wants to take this chance to build a family with you."

"Miss Dawson, Lennon really loves you. You have to say yes."

If overhearing earlier had allowed me to pretend otherwise, hearing the truth laid bare before me left me momentarily dazed.

Lennon loved me. Of course, I had always known that.

But that love had long since been fragmented into countless pieces by his listless choices. Mia held one of those pieces.

I waved my hand absently as though granting the assurance Alex sought from me.

Yet, only the emptiness of a room that had grown far too quiet.

Was it my neglect of Lennon that splintered our bond into irreparable shards? Or was it the relentless ache of separation, day after day? Perhaps Mia's arrival simply hastened the inevitable unraveling of our fragile relationship.

A sudden dryness stung my eyes and my chest felt weighed down by a fog that clouded not only my vision but also my heart.

I sank into the sofa, the heaviness within me rooting me in place.

For a long time, I kept my eyes closed until the golden hues of sunset spilled through the window.

When I finally opened my eyes, everything seemed extremely clear.

It no longer mattered whether distance or Mia’s presence had played a bigger role. It did not matter how deep Lennon’s love had once been because now, it was anything but pure.

In my life, I have no need for insincerity or entanglements.

Be it as master and apprentice or as lovers, three people were always too many.

I would make them pay for every bit of harm they had inflicted upon me.

I was not a decisive woman, but I was a woman who remembered and who retaliated.

In two weeks, I would give Lennon and Mia a generous surprise.