The End of the Third Movie Chapter 1

After I accidentally fell asleep during our third movie date, my boyfriend finally got angry.

"Chloe, what is going on with you lately? Why are you always so checked out?"

"I told you, once Mia’s baby is born, I will marry you."

"When the time comes, I’ll give you the grandest wedding. We’ll invite all our friends and family. What more could you possibly want?!"

Hearing these worn-out lines, I thought I would turn hysterical like I used to.

But surprisingly, my heart felt completely calm.

I gently bit down on the popping boba in my drink.

On one hand, I realized my therapist was right—sweets really do improve your mood.

On the other hand, I spoke softly, choosing my words carefully:

"Ethan, the movie I wanted you to watch with me is over."

"And us… we're over, too."

* * *

Ethan’s rising impatience and anger dissipated in an instant.

He seemed unable to comprehend the meaning of my words, asking blankly:

"What did you say?"

"I said, let's break up."

"You can finally marry Mia like you've always wanted."

I curled my lips into a smile, wanting to make this goodbye somewhat dignified.

But Ethan’s voice suddenly darkened.

"Chloe, stop making a scene."

"Mia is my best friend's woman. She and the baby in her belly are the last things he left behind in this world. How could I possibly betray my brother like that?"

"As long as Mia’s baby is born safely, my mission is complete. After that, I’ll take you anywhere you want for our honeymoon."

"Didn't you want to go to Aspen to see the snow? I'll take you... Just do it for me, can you compromise this one last time?"

His voice softened.

"Chloe, don't you love me the most?"

Because of that one line—"Don't you love me the most?"—I had compromised countless times.

Because of Mia, our wedding date had been continuously postponed.

Because of her body image anxiety, I was forced to throw away all my makeup and smash all my mirrors.

Even during her first pregnancy, she had the nerve to call my mother, provocatively asking her for parenting advice.

Yet, when he first confessed his feelings to me, he clearly said:

"Chloe, be with me. You are the person I love most, and I will never let you suffer any grievances."

Just like right now, a call from Mia came in.

"Ethan! The baby says he wants something sweet! Hurry up and buy a small cake from that bakery on the West Side and bring it over!"

Seeing Ethan's brow furrow again, I knew he was trying to come up with a new excuse to persuade me.

But I had heard too many; I didn't want to hear anymore.

Behind every unique excuse was actually the exact same reason:

Mia was more important than me.

I tossed the popcorn bucket into the trash can and said:

"Go. Don't keep her waiting."

As soon as I stepped into the elevator, Mia’s messages started popping up one after another.

Even through the text, I could feel her malice.

[Sister, I'm so sorry! Did I interrupt your date? ~]

[It's just that I haven't had a little cake in so long. Besides, Ethan has already kept you company for two whole hours, that's enough, right? His most important job right now is to take good care of me so I can deliver this baby safely!]

She knew I could never withstand this kind of provocation.

Every time she sent me a message like this, I would fight hysterically with Ethan.

I would curse at him without a filter, yelling until he was exhausted, until he lost any desire to communicate with me.

Cursing him until he went to Mia to complain.

Then she could justifiably be "understanding" of Ethan’s hardships.

But now, looking at that text, I felt very calm.

I even had the mood to reply to her:

[Have the baby safely, so it can call Ethan 'Daddy.']

Less than a minute after the message was sent, Ethan’s call came through.

"What nonsense are you saying to Mia?!"

Ethan sounded furious.

"I promised I'd bring her dessert on my way back. If you have a problem, take it out on me! Mia is pregnant. If you say things like that to provoke her, what if she does something drastic?"

"Can't you just be a little more understanding?"

After saying that, he seemed to realize he had lost control and quickly softened his tone.

"Chloe, I'm not taking my anger out on you. It's just that Mia has depression. After her husband died, she can't stand to hear the word 'Daddy.'"

"I'm begging you, call Mia and apologize. Let's stabilize the pregnant woman's emotions first, and we can discuss the rest later, okay?"

He thought my words were too harsh, but he never scrolled up to see what Mia had said to me.

Without a shred of hesitation, I said:

"I won't apologize."

Perhaps noticing that my tone was different from usual, Ethan sighed.

"I know you felt wronged today. How about I take you to try on wedding dresses tonight? I've already booked the whole boutique. You can try them on for as long as you want, and I'll stay with you the whole time, okay?"

Listening to his increasingly confident tone,

It was as if he was certain I would compromise yet again for this long-awaited wedding.

I finally laughed out loud.

"Ethan, do you have amnesia?"

"I just said, we are already broken up."

It wasn't spoken out of anger, nor was it sarcasm.

I genuinely felt that he was no longer worth it.