Chapter 1

Mocked By Him

On the first day after breaking up with Winston, I impulsively went to climb a mountain.

Surprisingly, my step count exceeded his for the first time.

I posted a photo of myself being close with someone else.

He sent me a message. [New boyfriend?]

I replied with a bluff. [Yeah, he's in better shape and has more energy than you.]

He responded. [Puffy eyelids, pale face, thinning hair... Doesn't really seem like it.]

Oh, I forgot that my ex-boyfriend was a doctor.

***

I lay on the bed in the hotel, playing with my phone.

As I read Winston's message, his demeanor and tone of voice automatically appeared in my mind.

It must have been indifferent and calm, as if diagnosing an insignificant patient.

Filled with frustration, I replied to him. [I've tried it, I know. And it's none of your business!]

After sending the message, I opened Photoshop to edit the pictures, but the more I edited, the more bitter I felt.

Winston and I met on a dating website.

His profile only showed that he was 28 years old, and a brief description of being physically fit and healthy.

There wasn't even a selfie.

At that time, I thought to myself that this person must be quite casual about blind dates and probably not genuinely looking for a relationship.

And coincidentally, neither was I.

With my parents pressuring me to get married, I decided to just go along with it. Seeing that he was located nearby, so I sent him a message to meet up.

I didn't expect him to agree right away.

When I saw him, I was stunned. He was a perfect handsome guy, the kind that you rarely see in a crowd.

With his long legs, broad shoulders, and sun-kissed skin, he perfectly matched my preferences.

At first, my immediate reaction was that the website was advertising or he might be a scammer trying to sell my organs.

But noticing my cautious look, he slowly pulled out a few pages from the folder he was carrying.

"This is my profile."

In summary, his profile was as impressive as he appeared in person.

Throughout the entire meeting, he was polite and very talkative.

We had a pleasant conversation, and by the end of the day, we exchanged our contact information.

He was an internist, and I was a music teacher. It seemed as if these two professions were meant to be together.

We dated for six months, and he was the one who brought up the topic of marriage.

I had no objections because I loved him deeply.

However, I always felt that our relationship didn't feel like a typical romantic one.

He was different from how he initially appeared during our first meeting. Most of the time, he preferred silence.

I mistakenly thought that we had entered a stable phase in our relationship, and we were getting along well.

But later on, I realized that it wasn't the case at all.

He was very disciplined, whether it was big things or small, in bed or out of bed. He seemed like a preprogrammed robot.

His personality was composed, never letting himself be disturbed by insignificant people or things. He was also self-satisfied when he was alone.

I, on the other hand, was the opposite extreme. I enjoyed staying up late, eating junk food, and had irregular sleeping patterns.

I was not a calm person, often losing interest quickly, and my emotions were sensitive.

I hated his calmness and lack of intimacy, sometimes trying to do things to grab his attention.

However, he would simply listen quietly without expressing any opinions.

Or perhaps he didn't care at all about what I said.

We didn't bother each other. We were like roommates that simply living together under the same roof.

Sometimes I would wonder if he didn't actually love me at all, and he just needed a partner.

It could have been me or someone else.

As the wedding date approached, I felt more and more confused and couldn't help but propose a breakup.

Winston, however, remained calm and gentlemanly. He helped me pack my belongings and sent me home, carefully reminding me to be safe with water and electricity usage.

"Don't you have anything to say?"

I couldn't help but speak up as I watched him turn away.

He paused for a moment and replied calmly, "It was up to you to decide."

See, that's how he was.

I listened to heartbreak songs and felt sad until midnight. I came across someone online saying that climbing mountains could help quickly get over a breakup. So the next morning, I went straight to do it.

I posted a group photo on Instagram, and Winston specifically took a screenshot and asked me. [New boyfriend?]

To intentionally annoy him, I replied. [Yeah, he's in better shape and has more energy than you.]

The chatbox showed "Typing..." for a while, and finally, he responded. [Puffy eyelids, pale face, thinning hair... Doesn't really seem like it.]

I looked at the photo skeptically and ended up deleting it.

After finishing editing the photo, it was already 2 am. Unable to resist, I opened WhatsApp.

However, the chatbox was empty, and he hadn't sent me any messages.

Feeling frustrated, I impulsively sent out the edited photo with the caption. [Had a great day today!]

One minute later, Winston liked my post.