Part 3: The Attentive BoyfriendThe 500th Journey

Marcus took me to the casual open-air restaurant near the university that we often visited.

When the owner saw me, he froze for a second before greeting me familiarly. "Well, if it isn't Yvette! I haven't seen you in ages."

Then, he turned to Marcus with a grin. "Just yourself today, Marcus? Didn't Jane tell me yesterday to save her a sea bass? I specifically kept it aside for her. Why isn't she here?"

Marcus gave him an awkward smile. Before he could explain, a commotion came from the entrance. Jane and several other members of their club had followed us there.

"Marcus, can we join you? All the other restaurants are full." Jane looked at me cautiously, wearing such a pitiful expression that it was as though she were terrified I'd get angry.

Marcus looked around. There really weren't any other seats available, so he pulled out the chair beside him. "Sure. The more, the merrier."

Then, he picked up the menu and began ordering with practiced ease. "One spicy crawfish boil and one cilantro-lime grilled fish."

Jane raised her hand. "Extra spicy!"

Marcus smiled and naturally added, "Yeah, extra spicy. Oh, and no cilantro. Jane's allergic to cilantro."

I sat beside Marcus and watched him, saying nothing. When he met my eyes, he smiled and reached over to pat my head. "Evie, I ordered all your favorites. Didn't you say this place had the best crawfish?"

I didn't answer. I simply lowered my eyes and took a sip of water.

He had forgotten that I suffered from severe stomach ulcers. I'd undergone a minor procedure just six months ago, and the doctor had repeatedly warned me not to eat anything spicy.

He'd also forgotten that cilantro was my favorite. He'd always asked for extra cilantro for me back when it was just us. But now, all he could remember were Jane's dietary restrictions.

When the food arrived, Marcus slipped on disposable gloves and instinctively began peeling the crawfish. In the past, the first one he'd peeled had always gone straight to my lips. But this time, he placed the meat on the small plate in front of Jane instead.

"Here. Eat up. Weren't you dying for the crawfish here? You were even complaining that you'd hurt your nails by peeling them yourself."

Jane's cheeks turned pink as she accepted it with a sweet smile. "Thank you, Marcus!"

The atmosphere at the table froze for a moment.

Even the other students sitting nearby could tell that something was wrong. Someone awkwardly cleared his throat twice before Marcus finally realized what he'd done and turned to look at me.

A flicker of remorse crossed his eyes. So, he quickly peeled another crawfish and placed it on my plate. "Evie, you eat, too. Jane cut her hand during an experiment a few days ago, so I have to take care of her a little. Don't overthink it."

I stared at the lone piece of crawfish sitting in my bowl and suddenly felt sick to my stomach.

"I'm not hungry." I put down my cutlery and stood up. "I'm going to freshen up."

As I stood in front of the restroom mirror, I stared at myself in the wedding dress. Then, I eventually pulled out my phone and ordered the most ordinary set of everyday clothes I could find.

When I returned to the table, everyone was chatting, and Jane was holding a glass of room-temperature fruit juice, pouting like a child. "Marcus, I want an ice-cold Coke."

Marcus' expression immediately turned stern. He tapped the rim of her glass with a serious look. "No. You're on your period these days. You can't have anything cold. If you end up in too much pain to do your experiment, I'm not helping you."

Then, he turned to me and handed me a can of chilled Coke. "Here, Evie, this one's yours. I specifically asked the owner to get it from the back of the refrigerator."

I took the can.

Cold condensation trickled between my fingers and seeped into the sleeve of my wedding dress, and the chill reached all the way into my heart.

I didn't touch my cutlery again for the rest of the meal.

Meanwhile, Marcus never paid any mind to me after that.

He continued chatting with the other club members, occasionally taking drinks meant for Jane, and picking the bones out of her fish for her.

He looked every inch the attentive, considerate boyfriend… just not for his girlfriend.