Chapter 1
While waiting for someone, I stumbled across a post.
The title read: [My boyfriend’s aunt is way too possessive of him. How can I get them to stop seeing each other?]
The poster angrily detailed all the inappropriate things this woman was doing.
This woman would ask her boyfriend out to dinner every two or three days, call him in the middle of the night to fix light bulbs, and even buy him underwear.
[My boyfriend has politely declined many times, but she pretends not to understand and keeps clinging to him.]
[We just got out of class and that old woman’s car showed up again.]
The post included a blurry candid photo.
But I immediately recognized the rims on the Bentley in the picture-it was my car.
I was wondering when I’d gotten a nephew.
The poster quickly updated with more content.
[Today is my birthday. My boyfriend is really torn right now. Please help me figure out what to do.]
1/7
The man in the photo only showed half his arm, but the custom cufflinks on his Saint Laurent shirt were particularly conspicuous.
I stared at the screen and suddenly laughed.
Wasn’t this Finley Mclean, the college student I was keeping?
The replies under spaghetti’s post instantly multiplied.
【She doesn’t want him to fix the light bulb-she wants to sleep with him.】
【Buying underwear for a Christmas man? Even my grandmother never treated me that well.]
【This kind of older woman is just trying to please men, seeking validation from the opposite sex and treating the men around her like her personal property.]
Some users raised questions.
【She’s his aunt, not his biological mother. Is it really that hard for him to just refuse her?】
The original poster named “Emi” quickly came to Finley’s defense.
【Actually, he’s really troubled by this too. Last week we had
plans to go to an amusement park, but his aunt called saying she had stomach pain, so he had to rush to the hospital to stay with her.)
【Later he held me and apologized for so long, saying his aunt is getting old and still single at Christmas, has a weird personality, and asked me to be more understanding.】
【But every time his aunt sees him, she wears low-cut tops and sprays that strong, cheap-smelling perfume.]
Emi then posted a screenshot of their chat conversation.
Finn: 【Baby, don’t be mad. How could that old woman compare to you?】
Finn: [If it weren’t for my mom constantly telling me to respect my elders, I would’ve stopped dealing with her ages ago.】
Finn: 【I’ll take you for Japanese food this weekend to make it up to you, okay?】
My finger paused.
I thought: “Respect your elders?”
Then I remembered how Finley would reply to me with “Isabelle, I’ll be right there.” Isabelle Grant is my name.
Then I thought of those expectant eyes of his, and suddenly found it rather amusing.
I took Finley to Michelin-starred restaurants because once he sent me a photo of his dinner.
The cafeteria food in the photo looked bland, without even a single piece of meat.
I didn’t call out Finley’s little scheme, just calmly said: “A client gave me some restaurant vouchers. It would be a waste not to use them.”
As for fixing the light bulb, that was originally the property management’s job.
But that night as I was preparing to leave, Finley’s gaze grew intense as he stared at me intently.
He asked: “Isabelle, if the lights went out at night, would you be scared?”
How could I not understand his hint?
Our physical relationship was consensual-so why did this post paint me as someone who doesn’t understand romance?
The underwear was torn by Finley in his excitement.
I was worried he’d feel embarrassed going back to school, so I had new ones delivered to him.
But how did this “girlfriend” know about such intimate details?
Just how far had their relationship progressed?
I clicked on “Emi’s” profile.
This was an account documenting daily relationship moments.
The earliest post was from a month ago, with the caption: [So happy, today is our first day together.]
The accompanying photo showed two hands with interlocked fingers.
The Rolex watch casually visible on the guy’s wrist was one I had given to Finley.
I continued scrolling down.
Emi’s posts were full of sickeningly sweet bragging.
【I’m so dumb, I was late again for my 8 AM class this morning. He said from now on he’ll be my personal human alarm clock and bring me breakfast every day.】
【He treated our entire dorm to dinner. The way he cut his steak was so handsome. Who could understand this feeling?】
My fingertip froze on the screen.
Finley had never done any of these things with me.
He was worried his classmates would mock him, so he never made our relationship public.
5/7
14:46
Occasionally we would take walks around campus.
But we only dared to hurriedly walk a couple of laps after dark.
My gaze lingered on the publication date of one video.
A week ago on that rainy day, I had developed a high fever.
Finley had sworn over the phone: “Isabelle, don’t worry, I’m going to buy medicine and take care of you right now.”
It wasn’t until late at night that he appeared at my door, soaked to the bone.
He clutched fever medicine tightly in his hand, water still dripping from the tips of his hair.
But he smiled at me so brightly.
Finley said: “I ran to several pharmacies before I could find the medicine. Isabelle, take your medicine quickly.”
The high fever had made my vision somewhat blurry at the time.
But that smile of his was clearly etched in my memory.
In that moment I thought: “I haven’t spoiled him for nothing.”
Now I realize that the concert wristband I glimpsed under his soaked sleeve wasn’t my imagination after all.
My phone suddenly vibrated.
6/7
14:46
Finley sent me a message: 【Isabelle, my stomach isn’t feeling great today. I want to go back to the dorm to rest.】
Staring at that familiar, pitiful-looking emoji he sent, I suddenly felt it was particularly ironic.
Since the little dog I’ve been raising isn’t obedient, I should get a
new one.
