Part 3The Last Vote

The next day at noon, my friend Ronald Lloyd called me. There was hesitation in his voice. "Yale, Jeannie just called me. She said you left some of your stuff at the club last night. She said you aren't answering her calls, so she asked me to let you know."

I was silent for a few seconds.

Ronald quickly added, "I'll go with you. We'll grab your stuff and leave."

However, when I got there, I found the private room packed with people. Ronald's expression changed too. He lowered his voice and muttered a curse. "She told me there were just some gifts in here. She didn't say there'd be this many people."

Jeannie was sitting at the head of the table. Marvin was beside her, his eyes red like he had spent the whole night awake.

A small cake sat on the table, the candles already lit.

The moment he saw me, Marvin stood up.

"Yale, I'm sorry." He picked up his glass and walked toward me. "I was wrong last night. I shouldn't have joked about the movie tickets. Please don't break up with Jeannie because of me, okay?"

Jeannie looked up at me. "Marvin's already apologized. You don't have to keep acting like this. Everyone just wants to clear the air."

The moment she finished speaking, the big screen lit up. Someone laughed and raised their phone.

"Why don't we do it the old-fashioned way?"

A poll appeared on the screen.

[Should Yale buy Marvin a drink to officially make up?]

The countdown had not even finished, but the votes were already completely one-sided.

[Yes: 18 votes.]

[No: 0 votes.]

It was like the result had been decided before the poll even started.

Marvin looked around at everyone. "Don't do this. Yale's going to be uncomfortable."

Jeannie pushed a glass toward me. "Just have one drink and let it go."

I looked down at the glass as the liquid swayed gently, reflecting my face. Over the past three years, I had drunk too many glasses just like this. It was so that the mood in the room would not be ruined, so that someone could have an easy way out, or so that I could prove I was not bothered.

More than anything, though, I had done it to keep Jeannie from frowning.

I picked up the glass.

Jeannie's expression softened. Marvin seemed to relax too.

Then, without warning, I poured the drink into the ice bucket beside me. The sharp clatter of ice echoed through the room.

Everyone froze.

I set the empty glass back on the table. "I'm not drinking to make peace. And you don't need to tell me when you're supposed to let things go."

Jeannie's expression darkened instantly. "Yale, do you really have to be like this?"

"Like what?" I looked straight at her. "You did a poll, you pressure me to buy him a drink, you pressure me to be the bigger person, and you pressure me to pretend I'm not hurt. And then you ask me why I can't handle it with some dignity?"

Marvin's eyes turned red. "I really just want us to get along."

With that, he turned to leave. "Jeannie, I should probably go. I don't want Yale to hate me even more."

Jeannie instinctively stood and grabbed his arm. The movement was so quick that she did not even seem to realize she had done it.

However, I saw it perfectly.

We did not need another vote. She had already chosen him countless times.

Ronald grabbed my arm and asked quietly, "Ready to go?"

I nodded.

We had barely reached the door when Jeannie chased after me and grabbed my wrist. "You're going to explain yourself today."

I pulled my hand free. "There's nothing left to explain. I've broken up with you. He's apologized to me. You two can keep going."

Anger burned beneath her eyes. "I never agreed to break up."

I laughed. "So now we need a vote to break up too?"

My phone buzzed. Another poll had appeared in the group chat.

[Guess whether Yale will come crawling back tonight.]

[Yes.]

[Definitely.]

Two options.

No third option.

I held my phone out to Jeannie. "Look. They've already decided that I'll come back for me."

Her expression changed.

Marvin stood behind her and called softly, "Jeannie, don't fight with Yale because of me."

She did not chase after me. At least not at that moment.

I walked out of the club. The sky outside was dark and overcast. My phone buzzed again with a confirmation from the moving company.

[Mr. Smith, we'll be there tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. sharp.]

I replied with a single word: [Okay.]