Part 2Seven Years to Ashes

Listening to the cold, impersonal "beep… beep…" from the phone, my heart ached with a dull, throbbing pain. Seven years, over two thousand days and nights. All that devotion, so utterly misplaced. How could it not tear me apart?

In truth, the sense of superiority Seraphina wielded over me was entirely my own doing. I met her at a university freshman orientation. She was just a freshman, vibrant and beautiful. Countless young men fell at her feet, and I was no exception. I fell in love at first sight and embarked on three years of relentless, almost pathetic pursuit.

Rain or shine, I delivered her breakfast every morning. I did everything in my power to solve her problems, big or small. I painstakingly managed to enroll in the same elective courses as her. For three years, Seraphina's string of admirers changed countless times, but I, and only I, remained constant.

Yet, she was always hot and cold, making it impossible to decipher her true feelings. As university graduation loomed, I finally decided to end my fervent pursuit. The very next morning, the day after I stopped delivering her breakfast, Seraphina appeared below my dorm window for the first time. In her hand, she held a steaming bag of buns and soy milk.

"Arthur, I never said it was over. What right do you have to give up?"

That day marked the beginning of our relationship. It also completely derailed the life my family had meticulously planned for me. I didn't return to the capital to take over my father's company. Instead, I willingly stayed in her sleepy, provincial hometown with her. And because she said she couldn't bear to leave her parents, I, without a single complaint, moved in with them, becoming a live-in partner. For seven years, the four of us lived in a cramped, rundown apartment.

My family pleaded with me countless times. Born with a silver spoon in my mouth, I could have enjoyed a life of immense privilege without lifting a finger. Why choose such hardship?

But she was Seraphina. The girl I had fallen in love with at first sight. The woman I wanted to protect with my very life.

Because Seraphina claimed to suffer from severe commitment anxiety, we never formally had a wedding. "Arthur, I'm so sorry. I truly want to build a home with you, but I'm just so afraid of marriage. I can't get past that hurdle in my heart." Her voice would be soft, filled with remorse. "I'm sorry, I know this isn't fair to you."

Seraphina had uttered these words to me countless times over those seven years. And each time, I would simply hold her tightly, my heart filled with nothing but tender pity. "It's alright," I would reassure her. "As long as we're together, what does a wedding matter, even if we never have one?"

Back then, I naively believed I was the happiest man on earth.

Until William Vance returned from abroad. His wife and child had tragically died in an accident, and he had spent six months recovering in the hospital. After his discharge, he chose to return home, leaving behind the painful memories. That's when Seraphina and he reconnected.

Initially, I didn't pay it much mind. But slowly, things began to shift.

• "William isn't feeling well these past few days. I'm worried about him, so I won't be coming home tonight."

• "It's William's birthday today, and he doesn't have many friends here. I'm going to have dinner with him, so I won't be home for supper."

• "William has to travel for work. He's a man, he can't possibly take care of himself properly, so I'm going with him for a few days."

Seraphina's visits home became increasingly rare, and her attitude toward me grew colder with each passing day. William's name was constantly on her lips. I wasn't immune to the bitterness. I argued with her, wanting her to keep her distance from him. But the moment I uttered William's name, Seraphina would flare up, pointing a finger at me and screaming:

"William and I have been friends since childhood! He's been through so much; what's wrong with me taking care of him a little more now? Arthur, I'm a human being, I have the right to choose my friends! I'm not some caged bird!"

And my mother-in-law was always there to chime in. "Arthur, you're just too suspicious. I've watched William grow up; he and Seraphina are like siblings! Besides, William's career is doing so well now; he can truly help Seraphina. Unlike you – worthless and petty-minded! Honestly, if Seraphina had married William back then, her life would be so much better now!"

Worthless? Petty-minded? The words cut like ice. Seraphina, for you, I gave up everything. I left my family, rejected a formidable inheritance. If it weren't for you, I would have already taken over my family's company, a multi-millionaire. How could I have ended up like this, serving you and your parents like a mere servant every day? To be ridiculed as worthless just for speaking a few words about another man? What was it all for?

It was all because I loved you. Because I loved you, your needs always came first in my heart, surpassing everything else.

But time, it seems, truly makes everything fade. Seven years, and Seraphina had forgotten it all, leaving only endless disappointment and relentless criticism for me.

But I, too, grew tired. Gradually, I began to accept it all. Between arguing and avoiding, I started choosing the latter. I retreated step by step, enduring in silence.

At the beginning of the year, Seraphina became pregnant, and her attitude seemed to shift. She finally suggested we have a wedding. I was overjoyed, ecstatic. Perhaps, I thought, if I just ignored everything, if I was obedient enough, this woman would still be mine. And soon, we would even have our own child.

It was only now that I finally realized how wrong I had been. My obedience only made William more brazen, and my standing in Seraphina's heart diminished further and further. So much so that on our wedding day, she abandoned me for William. And then she took our son to pose for "family photos" with another man.

I will never forget the helplessness of standing alone in that hotel lobby, the pitying glances of passersby, the shock of seeing Seraphina's social media post.

Seraphina, this time, I'm truly letting go.