Love Has Faded

Before I could say a word, Camila spoke first.

"Honey, something urgent came up at the company and I need to take care of it. Be good and wait for me at home. We’ll celebrate our third anniversary together when I’m back."

With that, she turned and headed for the door again.

Just as she was about to step out, she suddenly paused as if remembering something. Turning back to look at me, she spoke in a gentle tone.

"Honey, there’s some warm food in the kitchen. Eat something first."

I looked at the woman in front of me, her face full of tenderness and couldn’t help but ask,

"What urgent matter at the company requires you to handle it in person? Can’t you... stay at home?"

Hearing this, a flicker of guilt flashed in Camila’s eyes. She stepped forward and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek, smiling as she spoke.

"It’s almost the end of the year, so the company must have a lot of things to take care of. Don’t worry, honey, I’ll be back early..."

Halfway through her sentence, Camila’s phone suddenly rang from her pocket.

Upon seeing the caller ID, Camila quickly turned and hurried out, not even hearing my follow-up question. "Should I go with you?"

I watched her retreating figure, a hint of loneliness flickering in my eyes.

Standing in place, I felt a sudden, sharp pain in my stomach. Clutching my abdomen, I walked into the kitchen and saw the warm meal Camila had mentioned. There were four dishes, each one filled with green and red peppers.

Ironically, I was allergic to green and red peppers, a fact Camila knew better than anyone.

I forced a smile and turned to walk toward the refrigerator, pulling out a bottle of milk to drink.

Just as I sat down on the sofa, my phone, which had been placed beside me, suddenly rang.

I picked it up and saw that it was a message from my childhood friend, Luca.

[Adrian, the guys are all back. How about we meet up and catch up?]

I instinctively wanted to refuse, but when I looked up and saw the empty, cold room, I slowly opened my mouth and agreed.

When I arrived at the agreed-upon bar, the guys were already there, having started drinking.

"Long time no see! It's really been hard to get a chance to meet you," Luca said with a smile, handing me a glass of alcohol and teasing me.

I was about to reply when suddenly a strong shove came from behind. Luckily, Luca reacted quickly and reached out to steady me.

"What’s going on? Are you walking..."

"I’m sorry, really sorry."

Before Luca could finish speaking, a familiar voice reached my ears from behind.

I instinctively turned around and my eyes met Camila’s.

In front of me, Camila was supporting a man who appeared to be heavily intoxicated, his body practically draped over hers. Their hands were even tightly intertwined, their fingers locked together.

Before I could say anything, Camila looked at me with a panicked expression and quickly began to explain.

"Honey, it's not what you think. My sister is on a business trip, so she asked me to come pick up Mateo and take him home. Please don’t misunderstand, honey."

I looked at the two of them, practically glued together and spoke in a calm, indifferent tone. "Is that so? Is that really what happened?"

Perhaps not expecting me to continue pressing, a trace of guilt flashed in Camila’s eyes. She tried to push Mateo away and reached out to grab my hand.

"Honey, of course! When have I ever lied to you?"

Camila was about to say more, but suddenly, Mateo beside her started dry heaving.

"Honey, look at how drunk Mateo is. I promised my sister I would get him home safely. I’ll take him back first and we can talk when we get home."

With that, Camila hurriedly supported Mateo and left, not even sparing me another glance.