When Love Affair Withered Away

Thomas enthusiastically ordered me around and Crystal did nothing to stop him.

I couldn’t help but recall how, on several occasions, I’d asked to move into the master bedroom. Crystal always refused, she said couples needed their own space.

Only during moments of passion, did she occasionally let me stay next to her. If I accidentally left something behind, she would coldly remind me to respect boundaries.

I used to think it was just her disciplined and reserved nature. However, I had seen the truth that she had never considered me the master of this home.

Crystal suddenly motioned her phone at me. Then I looked down to see a text she had just sent. When I looked down, I saw a message on the chat box.

It said, "Baby, Thomas and I are only getting married in name. It’s just for the sake of the company’s partnership. Don’t misunderstand.”

I couldn’t hold back a bitter laugh. Crystal still thought I was naïve enough to fall for her lies.

It was fine by me. If she says her marriage was fake, so be it.

I turned to the guest room to finish packing my things, only to see Thomas headed quickly to the guest room.

"Mr. Davis, Crystal is clinging so much to me. So, I think it's not right for you to stay here from now on. You should move out and find another place to stay," he advised.

“Oh? You’ve already started packing? And wow, your style is so similar to mine! What a coincidence!”

A cold chill crept through my heart.

Crystal's favorite activity was buying me clothes and watches on weekdays. I used to think it was proof of her affection and love for me. Even, then, as I looked at the closet full of clothing and accessories that were completely different from my taste, I could see that those clothes were perfectly suitable for Thomas who was standing in front of me.

I was never the owner of these things. I was just the cuckoo occupying the magpie's nest.

I didn’t bother asking any more questions, but Crystal pulled my hand with a sullen face and asked anxiously, "Why are you packing up without any reason? Answer me!”

I averted my face, unwilling to reply. Just then, Thomas extended his hand to grab my music box.

“Don’t touch that!”

With a loud crash, the music box fell to the floor, its lid and tiny figurines scatted into pieces on the floor.

“Oh … I’m so sorry, Mr. Davis. I didn’t mean to.…” Thomas held up his hand. It had scratched on it and he cried out, “Crystal, my hand … it hurts so much…”

Crystal immediately rushed to check his injury. Then, with a dark expression, she stomped on the broken remains of my music box.

She glared viciously at me, her voice filled with venom, “It’s just a stupid trinket! Tom, was it really necessary to make a scene?”

“Clean up this junk and get rid of this pile of shit away. I don’t want to see it in this house again!

After she said that sentence, she ground the fragments beneath her heel to emphasize her words before helping Thomas out of the room without a backward glance.

Tears fell onto the shattered remnants of the music box as sharp edges cut into my fingers, but I felt no pain.

I was sixteen when my parents were going through a messy divorce.

Lost and overwhelmed, I ran to my best friend Rick Lancaster’s house. He wasn’t home, but I ran into his sister, Crystal, who had just returned from shopping with her friends.

“Kid, you’re Rick's friend, right? Why are you crying? Tell me what’s wrong," she said.

I tried to leave, my eyes red and swollen, but Crystal stopped me. She shooed away her friends who were pestering her to play video games and made me sit down.

She asked me to wait there and disappeared into the pouring rain. She came back soaked but she was holding the best desserts from the city and piled them in front of me.

As she gently ruffled my hair, she comforted me. Then, with a mysterious smile, she pulled out a music box from behind her back.

The soft melody played as the tiny figurines of a prince and princess twirled in slow circles.