A flicker of guilt crossed Cynthia's eyes. "It's an allergy to essential oils! You didn't know? I felt unwell, and Eric helped me with an essential oil massage, but my chest and thighs turned red, so he asked me to send him a photo to see what was wrong!"
I let out a bitter laugh, feeling a mix of emotions I couldn't articulate.
Even if it was an allergy, her actions felt hypocritical.
After we got together, she would reluctantly take some couple photos, and there was no way she would ever send revealing pictures.
She had once tearfully told me, "Liam, I'm a very conservative girl. I'm scared my photos might end up on some websites, so please don't force me."
She had spoken with such sincerity that I never dared to cross that line, not even taking pictures of her fully clothed without asking first.
But now, she was willingly sharing such intimate photos with another man, especially her ex-boyfriend.
As a man, I knew how a normal guy would react to those photos.
Just thinking about it felt like a knife twisting in my heart.
On the surface, I appeared calm, but inside, I was falling apart.
We stood there in silence, the atmosphere growing colder.
After a while, Cynthia's tone softened unexpectedly as she wrapped her arms around my neck.
"Liam, do you want me to go to the hospital and let another man examine me? Eric is the most convenient and reliable choice!"
"If you don't like it, I won't ask him again," she said, her lips almost brushing against my cheek.
In the past, I would have been taken aback by such affection.
With someone as warm and lovely as her in my arms, any man would struggle to resist.
But at that moment, I realized her affection was merely a diversion.
Love can resolve misunderstandings, but this situation was far from a simple misunderstanding.
I refused to delude myself any longer.
I released her hands and turned towards the bedroom.
"Cynthia, let's just take a moment to cool off!"
Cynthia stomped her foot behind me, furious. "Liam, don't say I didn't give you a chance! You're just getting too demanding!"
This was my first time engaging in a cold war with her, but it wasn't the first time I felt uneasy about her closeness to Eric.
When Eric came to our city to pursue his medical doctorate, Cynthia drove my car to pick him up from the train station, leaving me to squeeze onto the subway during rush hour.