As my words settled, she rolled her eyes, a sharp comeback poised on her lips, but her phone buzz interrupted her.
In silence, she strode out in her high heels, leaving me in the dim light of the screen.
As the film unfolded, Verity still hadn’t returned. Just as I was about to grab my phone to check on her, a lively, familiar voice rang out, cutting through the atmosphere.
“Oh my God, Colton, you’re amazing!”
I turned to see Verity beaming with happiness, springing into Colton's arms, a large stuffed toy held tightly in her grasp. She kissed him sweetly on the cheek, her delight filling the room with warmth.
But as soon as she spotted me, her smile faded in sight. After a moment, it dawned on her how inappropriate their embrace appeared, and she reluctantly pulled away.
Clearly trying to clarify, Colton said, “Tyron, don’t get the wrong idea about Verity. She was simply overjoyed to receive a gift she loved.”
Verity, with an air of confidence, lightly tapped Colton and assured him there was no need to apologize.
Then, turning to me with a cold expression, she remarked, “Did the movie end already?”
Before I could respond, the fire alarm in the mall shrieked, sending the crowd into chaos.
When I instinctively reached for Verity’s hand to escape, she didn’t hesitate to grab Colton’s hand instead. Without a backward glance, she raced toward the emergency exit with him.
Five minutes later, the alarm was silenced after being triggered by a false alarm. Verity returned, scanning the area for a long time, but could not find me.
After finalizing my resignation two hours later, I stood at the train station with my suitcase. While I waited for my train, my phone buzzed incessantly with calls from Verity. I ignored them, setting my phone to silence.
Just before boarding, I sent Verity a message: [Let’s break up.]
After hitting send, I removed the SIM card and tossed it into the trash.
Hours had slipped by. I arrived at my hometown station close to midnight and spotted my father, who had been waiting for a long time, waving at me with joy.
Seeing his graying temples and the smile on his face brought a tear to my eye.
“Dad,” I said, my voice thick with emotion, “I’m coming back this time to stay for good. I want to be with you and Mom for the rest of my life.”