"Alice, why do you have to do this? Why can't we just break up peacefully? How many times do I have to tell you this? I don't know what to do to make you give up. I know that it's my fault, but you know that it's yours too."
Jacob's tone was indifferent when he spoke, but there was also a hint of exasperation in it. The longer this matter dragged on, the greater its impact on his life. And now, he was tired of it.
Every time Jacob realized that he and the person he had once loved had come to this point, he felt desolation and regret in his heart. After all, in people's mind, couples usually become enemies after breaking up.
That might actually be the most euphemistic farewell among all farewells. At the thought of this, Jacob glanced in the direction of the bedroom. James' door was still closed, and nobody knew what he was thinking about at that very moment.
Meanwhile, Jacob felt as though he was the arrow in a bow. There was no way back for him, and he could only move forward. Alice loved him? A sneer formed at the corners of Jacob's mouth. Her love was certainly not real. Real love means taking care of each other and not the opposite.
The person whom Alice loved the most was not Jacob but herself. Jacob had already figured this out even when they started dating. Although he was aware of it from the very beginning, he had been so forgiving to her that he even gave her the benefit of the doubt.
"Jacob, if you do this for my own sake, you won't be so heartless. Your apathy has made me understand a lot of things. Because of you, I learned that there's no need for me to hide anything."
Judging from Alice's voice, she was already resolute. Anyway, once a person gets used to loneliness, that person eventually turns vicious and fearsome. Alice was like that. She slowly became more lonely and vicious as time went by.
A chill ran down Jacob's spine upon hearing her words. Women are indeed difficult to deal with, especially a woman as resolute like Alice. After a break-up, couples finally see what kind of person their partners really were. No wonder Sara wanted to stay away from Jacob after they split.
But what about Alice? They were no longer together, and the pain was all that was left for them. Jacob was exhausted. If he gave in to her wishes, Sara would definitely be hurt and disappointed in him again.
He did not care if he was hurt. But if it hurt Sara, he would not be able to bear it.
"Alice, do you know what I liked the most about you when we were still together? I've never told you this before, but I think that it's necessary to say it now. I liked your innocence. But now, I figured out that it was all just a ruse."
Jacob closed his eyes for a moment. Meanwhile, James was standing behind the door, listening intently to Jacob's phone call with her ex. Knowing his nephew's situation, he felt uneasy and worried.
Truth be told, it was just an excuse when he said that he wanted to leave. If Jacob asked him to stay, he would come back as soon as he could, no matter where he was and what he was doing. He would do so without hesitation.
For James, home was where Jacob was. He was James' biggest hope.
"Jacob, are you really going to be so cruel?" Alice was trying her best to hold back her tears. She had already said what she had to say, and there was nothing left anymore.
The truth of life was fake. The only thing that was real at that moment was her dilemma.
For her, there was no turning back. There was nothing else that could be changed regardless of who persuaded her. Alice's hand trembled as she held the phone. She figured that what Jacob was about to say would be even more hurtful and piercing.
After being together with Jacob for a long time, she had gained the ability to predict what would happen next.
Whether true or not, speculations can be painful and, sometimes, lethal. In the end, the ones who end up with the most pain are the ones who have speculated in the first place. Sadly, all of the speculations Alice had made were right, and it hit her every damn time.
Constant pain and humiliation taught her that as long as things were like this, she had to be cautious and hesitant all the time.
"Alice, let me be straight to the point. If you continue to be stubborn, I have no choice but to pretend that I don't know you. I won't even acknowledge your existence. I won't care no matter what you do in the future. You want to know why? Because I don't care about you anymore."
Jacob had his phone in his one hand and a cigarette in the other. Then, he put the cigarette on top of his left knee and gently shook off the ash.
He wanted to say those words for a long time, but he did not have the chance to do so until now. At the same time, he felt sorry for Alice. However his tolerance for her had led to her insatiable greed.
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