When Love Fades, My Fiancée Panics
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My fiancée, Mia Larson, wanted to travel abroad with her bestie, so I stayed up all night for a whole week to make a super–detailed travel guide for her. Concerned about her safety, I asked her to tell me what she had done every day.
Two days after she left, I happened to see the Instagram her childhood sweetheart, Lucas Stewart, posted. In the picture, he and Mia were embracing on a street in Isonia, holding marriage licenses, with deep affection in their eyes as they looked at each other.
He posted: [After our 15–year relationship, we finally got married! Sweetheart, thank you for trusting me. We’ll never be apart!]
It turned out that the “best friend” she always mentioned was Lucas! No wonder every time I proposed to her, she always said she needed some time. So, she was waiting for the person she truly loved. In that case, I decided to end our relationship so that she could be with her beloved.
Chapter 1
As my taut body suddenly went limp, I collapsed weakly onto the cold floor. I didn’t know how long I had been lost in thought before I calmed down, took out my phone, and decisively canceled the venue I had arranged to propose to her.
A pang of bitterness welled up inside me. This was my fourth time proposing to Mia. The first three times, she always found excuses to turn me down. Although I was frustrated, Mia would always act coy and evade the issue. Back then, I felt so soft–hearted towards her that whenever she acted cute, I couldn’t bear to upset her.
But now it seemed that I was so infatuated with her that even after being rejected three times, I still eagerly wanted to propose to her for the
fourth time.
After hanging up the phone, I got up, walked to the desk, and opened the drawer. Then, without hesitation, I took out the engagement ring and threw it into the trash bin.
After that, I sent a message to my friends in the group chat, telling them to come out and that I’d treat them to some drinks. They had come up with quite a few ideas for my proposal this time. Although it had been canceled, I still needed to repay them.
We went to a popular bar. As soon as we met, my friends all tried to comfort me.
One said, “Zane, you two should talk this through. Don’t do anything rash.”
Another said, “Although Mia did go too far this time, is there any misunderstanding?”
They all tried to persuade me, not believing for a second that I would break up with Mia. After all, they knew how deeply I had loved her, and marrying her had been my greatest wish.
I raised a glass of wine and drained it, then let out a relieved smile and explained to them, “No misunderstanding, guys. Mia and I are about to break up. Today, let’s celebrate my upcoming single life and my escape from this terrible relationship.”
Upon hearing this, everyone didn’t take it seriously and stopped persuading me. They all raised their glasses, drained them in one go, and then smilingly caught up on recent events.
As everyone became tipsy, my phone rang. It was Mia calling. Stunned, I answered it.
Mia asked, “Zane, where are you? My dad’s leg has been hurting really badly these past few days. Take a few days off from work and take care of him.”
I let out a scornful laugh. As expected, Mia only ever contacted me when she needed help. As an only child, she had always left all her family matters, big or small, for me to handle.
When I was in love with her, I helped her willingly. But now, why should I bear her responsibility?
I replied, “I’m not available. Turn to someone else”
Everyone present gaped at me in astonishment. I had never spoken a harsh word to Mia before, but now I was laying it all out on the line, right to her face.
Mia was completely infuriated by my words. “Zane, do you even know what you’re saying? I’m outside right now, and you know that. Who else am I supposed to call but you?”
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Her shrill voice left my friends at a loss, and they all started to meditate.
One said, “Zane, maybe you should help her.”
“Yeah, are you out of your mind? How dare you talk to her like that?” one of my friends whispered in my ear.
They thought Mia and I were fighting.
Hearing the voices of my friends, Mia roared impatiently, “Did you go out drinking? How many times have I told you not to drink? I hate men who drink! They reek of alcohol and smell terrible!”
I picked up my glass, took a sip, and said nonchalantly, “Are you done? If there’s nothing else, I’m hanging up.” Then, without a moment’s hesitation, I ended the call.
As I looked up, all my friends stared at me in disbelief, astonished by my attitude.
I broke the awkward silence and raised my glass, urging them to drink. “What are you all waiting for? Cheers, to my newfound single life!”
They were a bit slow to catch on, but once they realized what was happening, they all raised their glasses.
It was the first time I truly enjoyed drinking since I had been with Mia.
Chapter 2
To prepare thoroughly for the marriage proposal, I took a week off from work. Now that the proposal had been canceled, I decided to go on a road trip. It was the perfect opportunity to clear my head and change my mood.
Once I had this idea, I prepared immediately and set off by car.
Along the way, I climbed mountains to watch the sunrise and stood by the seaside, gazing at the sunset that painted the sea a tangerine hue. I deleted all my Instagram posts filled with Mia’s photos and uploaded fresh pictures of the beautiful sunset instead.
After visiting five cities, I returned home. At that time, I still immersed myself in the memories of the trip, not noticing Mia on the sofa.
I was only pulled back to reality when she spoke, “Zane! You’ve really got some nerve now! Instead of taking care of my dad, you went off for a trip! You really have some guts!”
With that, she picked up a cushion from the sofa and threw it at me. I picked it up, put it back in its place, and without replying, turned around and went to take a shower in the bathroom.
But Mia stormed over and blocked my way, demanding, “Aren’t you going to give me an explanation?”
After taking off my jacket, I looked at her in surprise and asked, “What’s there to explain? Your dad is unrelated to me. It’s none of my business.” After draping my jacket over the rack, I sidestepped her.
Mia watched with a mocking look on her face as I did that, and then she asked with a hint of amusement, “Did you see Lucas’s post on Instagram? Are you jealous?”
She sneered, “Look at you. Can’t you be a little more generous? That marriage license is fake. Lucas just did that to deceive his parents. Otherwise, they would keep pressuring him to find a girlfriend. As his good friend, I just did him a favor.”
After Mia explained to me, she looked at me with a petulant expression, waiting for me to apologize for having wronged her due to the misunderstanding. But now, I didn’t care about whether it was true or not as I didn’t love her anymore.
“Well,” I casually responded without turning my head and walked straight into the bathroom. Mia’s shouting was completely drowned out by the sound of the running water. I couldn’t hear a word of it.
When I finished my shower and returned to the bedroom, Mia was still awake, seeming to be waiting for me.
As soon as I entered the room, she spoke to me irritably, “You not going to take care of my dad the other day really hurt his feelings. Tomorrow, you should go and apologize to him, with the latest massage chair as a gift!”
Her words made me laugh in frustration. Was he angry just because I didn’t go to take care of him? In that case, he was pretty narrow–minded.
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I dried my damp hair with a towel and said coldly, “No, I’m not going. I have an important project at work tomorrow.”
Mia frowned and looked at me in surprise. “No? My dad is upset, and I’ve even thought of a way for you to make it right. And you refused to
visit him?”
She folded her arms across her chest and huffed in frustration. “Is the project more important than me? If you don’t go, my dad will never agree to our marriage!”
I glanced at her and said indifferently, “Well, let’s drop the idea of getting married.”
Mia looked at me in disbelief. “Do you even know what you’re saying?”
“Yeah, I’m perfectly clear–headed right now.”
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Mia’s eyes were filled with disbelief. Seeming speechless with anger, she just cursed and stormed out, slamming the door behind her.
Chapter 3
I lay in bed, unable to sleep. Bored, I scrolled through Instagram and happened to see a new post from Lucas: [Indeed, people in love do have a special connection. I was thinking of her, and here she came!]
In the picture, Mia was snuggled affectionately in Lucas’s arms, with several noticeable red marks on her neck.
In the past, I would definitely storm to Lucas’s place with the photo, hysterically demanding an explanation from Mia. But now, looking at the photo, I felt absolutely nothing but disgust.
I just liked the photo and commented: [You two are such a perfect match.]
After putting down my phone, I suddenly felt sleepy and soon fell asleep.
The next day, I was woken up by my alarm clock. After getting up, I washed up and got changed, ready to head out to have breakfast with a colleague before work.
Before I could leave, Mia returned, carrying a load of breakfast. “I bought breakfast, all your favorite food. Come on over and eat before you go
to work.”
After Mia placed the breakfast on the table, I still didn’t budge. Unexpectedly, she came over and tried to hold my hand, but I dodged as if I’d been electrified. It felt strange–I wasn’t used to it. She had never been this nice to me before.
Mia frowned, as if complaining, “If you hadn’t ignored me last night, would I have left?”
She continued to explain, “And as for the photo you liked, Lucas posted it because of an emergency. His parents suddenly dropped by. I had nowhere else to go, so I ended up at his place.”
After hearing her explanation, I stared at the breakfast on the table and suddenly realized Mia was feeling guilty about that post.
Then I said nonchalantly, “Oh, it’s fine. You don’t need to explain such a trivial matter to me.”
She asked with a hint of confusion, “Are you not upset now?”
I chuckled, “Of course not. Didn’t you say you just did him a favor?”
Upon hearing this, Mia unconsciously let out a sigh of relief. She then took out her phone and began typing away with a smile. So preoccupied was she that she didn’t even notice when I left without eating the breakfast she had bought.
Seeing that, I couldn’t help but chuckle softly. Mia, who had never bought me breakfast, just did this to test my attitude towards Lucas‘ post. She had never truly cared about me after all.
I let out a soft sigh, then pushed the matter out of my mind and went to have breakfast with my colleague before heading to the company.
Today, the office was unusually abuzz with people eagerly signing up for the overseas project. The project was of exceptional importance, and the one chosen would receive a substantial bonus. Everyone had a strong interest in it, including me.
Unexpectedly when I put down my briefcase just about to sign up the manager Jason Cooper came to me “Zane with your capabilities.
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you’re more than qualified for this project. I really want you to take it on. Nevertheless, it’s an overseas project and may take five to six years. I wonder if you’re…”
TOM
Before Jason could finish, I interrupted him, “I’m in. Thank you, Jason, for trusting me with such an important project. I’m honored to take it
on.”
Jason was my senior in college, and we were close. In private, I called him Jason. He really valued my abilities, so he assigned quite a few projects to me. But back then, if I took on too many projects, I’d have to work overtime. Worried that I couldn’t take care of Mia, I turned down his offer repeatedly.
Jason was taken aback by my decisive agreement, but once he came back to reality, he happily patted me on the shoulder and said, “Go for it!” I smiled and nodded in response, and then I got the project materials and started to read them.
Extremely determined to secure this project, I often worked late into the night and was so exhausted that I just slept in the office. During this time, Mia called me a few times, but I didn’t feel like explaining things to her. So I just told her I was working overtime in another city.
A week later, my proposal was met with great satisfaction from Jason, and I was immediately chosen to take on the project. At that moment, the tension in my entire body suddenly eased.
After work, I decided to go home. The apartment was filled with memories of Mia and me, and since I was about to leave the country, I decided
to sell it.
Chapter 4
By the time I got home, it was already evening. The living room lights were all on, and Mia was lying on the sofa, typing away on her phone
with a smile. The moment she saw me, her smile vanished. She put down her phone, sat up, and gave me a cold glance. “Finally, you came back.”
I casually placed my briefcase on the sofa. “I came back after finishing my work. Besides, this is my place.” I gave Mia a steady look, then turned to the kitchen to prepare dinner.
Mia, surprisingly, came into the kitchen. She spoke softly, “Zane, I’m hungry too. Please prepare more.” I ignored her but prepared more
anyway.
Perhaps sensing my lack of enthusiasm, Mia started a conversation with me.
I had fantasized about this countless times before. I would be so delighted to have my beloved help out in the kitchen. But Mia, with her prideful air, said, “Are you even a man? You want your girlfriend to help out in the kitchen? How utterly disappointing.” I just gave an awkward smile when I heard that and never brought it up again.
But later, I saw Mia in the kitchen, busy cooking, many times in Lucas‘ Instagram posts, which savagely wrenched my heart. Now, the scene I had fantasized about countless times had come true, but all I felt was irony. I didn’t respond to a single word Mia said.
Finally, her rare patience wore thin. She clicked her tongue and said, “Zane! I’ve already explained it to you. Lucas and I were just putting on a show! What else do you want? Don’t think I don’t know you’ve been deliberately staying away these past few days. So who are you putting on this sullen face for now?” Mia glared at me, puffing out her cheeks.
I leisurely served some food onto a plate and said indifferently, “I’m not angry and don’t care about what you and Lucas did.” Then, I carried my plate to the dining table and began eating, paying no further attention to her.
Mia followed behind and slammed her plate down on the table with a sharp, crisp sound.
I couldn’t help but scoff inwardly. In the past, I wouldn’t have let her serve herself food. I would have probably served some food on her plate and placed it on the table, just to please her. She just needed to eat. But now she seemed angry because I didn’t serve her food.
Whatever, it was none of my business anymore.
Chapter 5
As I didn’t try to appease her this time, Mia gave me the cold shoulder. I didn’t feel like going home, so I just stayed in a hotel. After all, there were only a few days left before I left the country.
That evening after work, I was thinking about going to a very popular restaurant nearby for dinner. Then my mom called, inviting me to join a family gathering. Considering that I would be leaving the country for several years, I agreed.
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When I drove to the restaurant and entered the private room, my relatives were already there. Mia was sitting in front of my mom, looking quite aggrieved.
Then my mom gave me a stern look and called me over. She gave me a light slap on the back and said indignantly, “How could you upset Mia? Girls need to be coddled. What do you mean by ignoring her? If it weren’t for Mia complaining to me, how long were you planning to keep her in the cold?”
My relatives all widened their eyes in disbelief upon hearing my mom’s words because they all knew that I had loved Mia more than anything and could even sacrifice my life for her.
Mia complained to my mom not because she cared about me. She could tolerate me arguing with her frantically, but she couldn’t stand that I was so calm that I had given her the cold shoulder for a week.
Seeing me being scolded, Mia put on her usual proud and defiant expression, certain that I would soothe her anger flatteringly. But she was wrong. I just pulled out a chair beside me and sat down.
My mom sighed and urged me, “Soothe Mia’s anger, and let’s set your wedding date today.”
The relatives, hearing this, nodded in agreement and also tried to persuade me.
My mom continued, “Otherwise, when you go abroad in a few days, are you going to have Mia wait for you?”
Upon hearing that I was going abroad, the relatives became even more eager in their persuasion.
One said, “Yeah, Zane, you and Mia have been together for so many years. It’s time to settle your wedding plans.”
Another said, “Otherwise, what should Mia do when you go abroad?”
