My Girlfriend of 7 Years Cheated on Me

Celeste couldn't say a word in retort but got angry. "So you still think something's going on between us?"

She glared at me. "Austin, if there was something between us, would you even be with me?"

I looked at her silently.

This was the person I loved the most, stabbing my heart with the shout.

"Then why aren't you together, Celeste? Don't you want to be?"

Celeste was choked by my words. Her face showed shame and panic.

Finally, she retorted, "You just think tonight's joke went too far. And you have shame."

She snorted. Her tone was defensive. "Is there anything else besides the shame? Do you even care about me?"

She started crying. She took the room key from her bag, and asked, "I haven't asked you. Why do you have a room key with you? You claim it's for our anniversary, but you just had dirty thoughts, didn't you? You pervert! Pervert!"

Looking at her like this, she suddenly seemed like a stranger to me.

Was this the person I had lived with day and night for seven years?

Or had I never really known her?

"Yes, I'm a pervert."

I took the room key and threw it on the sink. "Mr. Martin isn't a pervert. Go find him."

"Mr. Martin" was her note for Xavier.

And Xavier's note for her was "Ms. Jones."

They claimed to be just friends, but their ambiguity was heartbreaking.

Celeste was infuriated. She pointed at me for a long time before bursting into tears. "Austin, how dare you!"

She grabbed her bag and stormed out, slamming the door loudly.

Soon, I heard the sound of a car starting downstairs. I stood still for a long time before slowly returning to the living room.

A cake with two cartoon characters and a big smiley face was in the fridge.

There were a few words on it. "Happy 7th Anniversary."

I had made the cake myself. Celeste left early in the morning. While she was picking out clothes and shoes, I was in the bakery, imagining tonight.

When she called me to go to the class reunion, I thought there was no big deal. We'd just be a little late.

After the reunion, I would take her to the hotel. I would propose first, then go home to eat cake together.

But now, it made me like a joke.

I sat on the sofa, the smiley face mocking me. I stared at the cartoon characters until the cream began to melt.

Celeste's message came at that moment.

It's just a few words.

[I'm at the bar. Come pick me up.]