Good Morning, My Love

On the day we marked 100 days together, Alan left me behind to celebrate his close childhood friend's birthday.

What a jerk. I decisively chose to break up with him.

But he thought he had me wrapped around his finger, casually waiting in her apartment for me to reconcile with him of my own accord.

Little did he expect that I would end up together with a redoubtable CEO.

Alan was visibly rattled and couldn't stay calm.

1

On the day we marked 100 days together, I broke up with Alan.

I left work early and prepared many dishes to celebrate this special day for the two of us.

When I called Alan, it was his so-called close childhood friend, Alice Hudson, who answered.

"Mabel, it's me. Today is my birthday, and Alan is here helping me prepare for the celebration. Are you coming over later? Alan ordered a huge two-tier cake for me a few days ago."

Alice's tone carried an inexplicable hint of pride and smugness.

On the day of our relationship anniversary, Alan chose to celebrate his close childhood friend's birthday and even ordered a cake for her.

How absurd and hurtful!

The sound of a balloon popping came through the phone, echoing in my ears, and I felt my heart shatter like that balloon.

"Mabel, are you listening to me?"

Perhaps noticing my silence, Alice glanced at her phone, seeing the call was still connected but without any response.

"Give the phone to Alan."

My mind was in turmoil, but my voice was unexpectedly calm.

"Mabel, Alan is busy blowing up balloons right now."

Alice's words made it sound like she was Alan's girlfriend.

"Alice, I'll say it again, give him the phone."

"Alright then. Mabel, hold on. Alan, it's Mabel's call."

Alice always spoke with a bit of a coquettish tone, and Alan could never bring himself to refuse her, probably because she was better at being coy than I was.

As soon as I heard Alan's breathing on the other end, I decisively said, "Alan, we're breaking up."

Without waiting for his response, I hung up the phone.

I dumped all the painstakingly prepared dishes and the cake into the trash.

I packed my things and left his apartment.

On a deep winter night, snowflakes began to fall, and I walked home step by step in a thin coat.

I felt utterly alone.

2

I moved back to my apartment. Having caught a cold from walking in the snow last night, I felt dizzy, and my cheeks were burning hot.

Before I lost consciousness, I called my friend Luna Clarke. In less than half an hour, Luna appeared before me.

"Did you really break up with him on your 100-day anniversary? Are you out of your mind?"

It seemed that with Alice spreading the news, it traveled faster than expected.

I suddenly wondered how foolish and obsessed I had been with Alan for Luna to think breaking up with him was my momentary lapse of judgment.

"Yeah, I was out of my mind, and my head hurts."

Lying sickly in bed, I spoke weakly, feeling like my whole body ached. This feeling was all too familiar to me. It must be a fever, as usual.

Luna rushed over in a panic, and once she calmed down, she noticed how frighteningly red my face was.

She quickly reached out to touch my forehead, feeling the heat seeping into her skin.

"You have a fever! Quick, lie down and rest. I'll go get you some fever medicine."

Luna dashed out of the apartment.

Watching Luna's worried demeanor, I couldn't help but smile slightly. So this was what it felt like to be cared for.

It was nice.

Too bad Alan never gave me this feeling.

After drinking some soup and taking medicine, I lay in bed resting, hearing my phone on the bedside table constantly buzzing with messages. I picked it up, and the messages kept flowing in.

It was from a group chat full of Alan's friends, in which I had asked his friends to include me when I was pursuing him.

"Alan, I heard from Alice that you broke up with Mabel?"

"What? Is it true? Didn't she chase you for over half a year?"

"Maybe she's trying to get Alan to compromise and marry her."

"Yeah, she used to be so obsessed with Alan... "

"Come on, isn't it normal for couples to have little fights? What's the big deal? I was celebrating Alice's birthday yesterday and just got home. I'm going to rest for a bit. Who knows, maybe she'll ask to get back together with me when I wake up."

Alan seemed overly confident. I looked at his calm words and how the people in the group chat expressed their agreement.

I typed out a message and sent it.

"I will never take the initiative with you again in this lifetime!"

Then, I left the group and turned off my phone.

2

The medicine took effect, and I gradually drifted into sleep. When I woke up again, the headache had eased significantly, and the burning sensation on my cheeks was gone. But outside the window, the sky had unknowingly darkened.

Seeing me awake, Luna ran over from the sofa in the bedroom and instinctively reached out to touch my forehead.

"The fever's gone. I made your favorite milk gruel. Wait a moment. I'll bring you some."

My heart, which used to feel empty, was gradually filled with gratitude because of Luna's presence.

I sat cross-legged on the bed, a faint smile on my pale lips.

Last summer, Alan promised to rush back from out of town to celebrate my birthday with me.

But on my birthday, after I had prepared everything with anticipation, even booking the restaurant myself, hoping Alan would stand before me and say "Happy Birthday", all I got was a brief message. "I have to have dinner with a client last minute. I'll make it up to you tomorrow."

But for Alice's birthday, he could set aside our 100-day anniversary to be by her side, not only personally decorating her place for her birthday venue but also ordering a cake for her.

He even let her answer his phone.

Maybe in his heart, I was never the priority.

And his friends clearly understood that in this relationship, I was always the one taking the initiative.

"What are you daydreaming about? The gruel is getting cold. You can't drink cold things now that you're sick."

Luna fed me the gruel.

After I finished a bowl, my whole body felt more comfortable.

Luna lay on my bed, chatting and scrolling through social media. Suddenly, she jumped up, startling me so much that I almost dropped my phone.

The next second, she started cursing.

"Some people really have no shame! She's such a two-faced bitch."

She handed me her phone.

"Look at the latest post from Alan's beloved childhood friend."

Alice's post contained several photos.

In the pictures, Alice had her eyes closed, making a wish with a blissful expression, and beside her stood someone I knew all too well, none other than Alan.

Both of their faces were smeared with cake, but Alan didn't show a hint of annoyance. I even saw a trace of affection in his eyes.

I remembered that when we went out to eat, if I accidentally spilled sauce on Alan's clothes, he would leave immediately, leaving me awkwardly sitting there alone.

Above the photos, Alice had written, "In these twenty years, you've never missed my birthday. Thank you for being by my side and spoiling me. Thank you, my dear Alan."

Damn it! My dear Alan!?

But when I thought about how they spent the whole night together yesterday, possibly with even more intimate actions, an explicable anger rose in my heart.

But Luna was clearly angrier than I was. She saw Alan's friends commenting under Alice's post.

"I never realized Alan was such a narcissistic and shameless man. He actually thinks you'll reconcile with him of your own accord."

I took a sip of water and then looked up to meet her gaze. I reached out and ruffled Luna's hair, trying to soothe her growing agitation.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to reconcile with Alan. I'm not that cheap."

With that, I stretched and got up from the bed, gathering everything related to Alan in my apartment and stuffing it into a large Oxford bag.

I had to admit, Alan occupied a significant part of my memories in my youthful days.

The love I once thought was beautiful and that I had to cherish was just something within easy reach for Alice.

It was time to bid farewell to this three-year-long, one-sided love.

When affection kept being unrequited, no matter how strong it was, it would subside eventually, wouldn't it?

"Luna, help me call a courier. I want to return all these things to him."

Along with my feelings for him.

Didn't Alan say he was waiting for me to beg for reconciliation?

Sorry, he overestimated himself.

3

On Monday, I wore a white blouse and black suit pants, with new heels and light make-up for work.

The supervisor mentioned in the group chat yesterday that a new department director would join our company today, and we should make a good impression.

The elevator was packed during the morning rush. I was crammed into the back corner, and the stifling air made it hard for me to breathe.

As soon as the elevator doors opened, I stumbled out, my legs wobbly in heels, and then twisted my ankle accidentally.

Just when I thought I was about to hit the ground, a pair of hands caught my waist, and I fell into arms filled with a distinctly masculine charm.

I turned and wanted to thank him, only to see a familiar face.

"Take it easy."

The man's voice was surprisingly pleasant, and his looks were equally striking.

But the moment I saw him, my expression soured.

He was Jere Moss, one of Alan's good friends.

I tried to pull away from him, but as soon as I put weight on my foot, pain shot through me, making me gasp.

It seemed that anything related to Alan brought me bad luck.

"Twisted your ankle?"

Jere's brow furrowed instinctively.

Alan respected Jere a lot, compared to Alan's other friends, and didn't dare act recklessly around him.

I looked at him curiously, wondering why he suddenly appeared here.

"It's nothing."

I pulled away from his hand, standing up straight with determination, not wanting any contact with anyone related to Alan.

"Walking so absentmindedly, were you thinking about Alan?"

I couldn't miss the implication in Jere's words.

I was stunned. Could he have come to my company just to gossip about me and Alan?

"No, you're overthinking it."

I looked at him with firm eyes.

Don't think I've forgotten that in that group chat, he was the first to question the authenticity of our breakup.

But then again, Jere rarely spoke in the chat, mostly remaining silent.

Even if he wasn't like those with ill intentions, I still didn't want much interaction with him.

"Thanks for your help earlier. I need to get to work."

I turned, ready to limp to the office, when Jere suddenly grabbed my wrist.

"Your ankle is sprained. Let me help you."

Early in the morning, Jere's actions left me baffled. I couldn't figure out what he wanted.

I stopped, pulling my wrist from his grip.

"Jere, I have nothing to do with Alan anymore."

I believed someone as smart as Jere would understand what I meant.

There was no need for him to help me like this...

Besides, a single man showing up at our company could easily attract female attention, couldn't it?

I didn't want to become the subject of office gossip.

"Seems like you've finally come to your senses."

Jere smiled at me, his expression showing a hint of satisfaction.

In my memory, Jere rarely smiled.

And what did he mean by those words? Was he indirectly calling me mindless?

Why did he show up in front of me so early in the morning?

Was he here to get back at me on behalf of Alan?

4

But soon, I understood why Jere was here.

He was appointed as our new department director.

In the meeting room, Jere looked up and met my gaze.

I remembered Alan once saying that Jere came from a well-connected family, with parents in business, and he was expected to inherit the family enterprise after graduation.

So, his presence here was quite puzzling.

Maybe he was tired of the luxurious life and wanted a change of life experience?

However, Jere's appearance was too exceptional. I could clearly feel the hormonal changes from the women in the meeting room.

After a brief self-introduction, Jere began assigning tasks to each department.

I had to admit, handsome people seemed to have brains that worked exceptionally well, too.

"Alright, that's it for today's meeting. Oh, there's a dinner tonight, and I need one person to accompany me..."

Jere stood up, his gaze sweeping over the circle of women before settling on me. Please don't...

The women around held their breath, hoping he would say their name the next second.

I kept my head down, silently chanting to myself, "Don't pick me. Don't pick me. Don't pick me."

"Mabel Williams."

He curled his lips, looking at me with a teasing smile.

"You'll accompany me."

My mind went blank, and I felt the weight of everyone's stares.

I was sure now he called my name on purpose to mess with me.

...

At the dinner that evening, I sat next to Jere, eyeing the full glass of wine in front of me. I swallowed hard.

If I drank it all, I'd probably sleep until the next evening.

Suddenly, a hand reached over and swapped my wine glass for one filled with juice the same color.

I turned my head and saw Jere giving me a slight smile, but he quickly returned to his usual aloof demeanor.

Not only that, when others tried to persuade me to drink, he took the initiative to drink himself.

By the end of the meal, I hadn't touched a drop of alcohol, while Jere had drunk quite a bit.

After the gathering, Jere successfully signed a one-year contract with the other company, completing this month's sales target ahead of time, which also meant my bonus increased several times over.

Facing him, I found it even harder to understand this man in front of me.

If he was here to get back at me, then he must be up to something bigger.

...

Once the contract was signed, I picked up my bag, ready to leave, but Jere suddenly grabbed my wrist.

Yes, he was drunk.

In the past, I would have left him without hesitation, but now I couldn't. As he was my boss, I felt obligated to ensure he got home safely.

I had no choice but to call a taxi and take him home.

Fortunately, Jere only slept quietly when drunk and didn't cause any trouble. Otherwise, I might have been tempted to leave him on the street.

As we sat together in the back seat, his entire body leaned heavily against me.

On the way back, I bought him some hangover medicine and helped him take it.

Just as the taxi was nearing my home, he slowly began to wake up.

"Are we home?"

Jere rubbed his temples, clearly suffering from a headache, likely due to the excessive drinking.

I turned my head, feeling a slight pang of sympathy.

"Jere, if you want to get back at me for Alan, you can just say so. There's no need to treat me like this."

After saying that, I opened the car door to get out, but Jere held my wrist tightly.

"It has nothing to do with him, and also, you should take care of your ankles. High heels aren't worth the pain."

As he spoke, he handed me a bag containing a box.

Under the streetlight, I saw his lips pressed into a thin line, his emotions seemingly suppressed and unhappy.

Once the car drove away from the neighborhood, I opened the box to find an expensive pair of flat shoes inside.

5

The next day, to avoid running into Jere in the morning, I arrived at the office early.

Yet, I found a delicate breakfast on my desk.

I didn't need to guess who had left it.

I marched into Jere's office with the breakfast, and sure enough, he was already working.

"You're here quite early, " he said, barely lifting his eyelids, his gaze calm.

I placed the breakfast directly on his desk.

"Mr. Moss, I told you yesterday, if you want to mess with me, just do it openly. What do you mean by bringing me breakfast in the morning?"

Why did he keep doing these seemingly nice things for me?

Compared to Alan, Jere was definitely more cunning.

I turned to leave, but Jere stood up, took a few steps to block my path, and pulled me against the wall, trapping me with his arms.

Not only that, he even bent slightly to meet my gaze.

"Mabel, I don't have that much free time."

His face gradually approached mine, my heart racing. Realizing what was happening, I pushed him away forcefully and ran out.

6

In the days that followed, I found myself encountering Jere several times a day.

He began using every spare moment to "accidentally" run into me.

Even at lunch, we had grown accustomed to seeing him in the employee cafeteria instead of the exclusive one for executives.

I also started receiving small gifts, even though I hadn't bought anything.

But I would quietly put them in a drawer, pretending to ignore his presence.

Jere Moss!

He was becoming more and more incomprehensible and puzzling!

This feeling is driving me to the brink of collapse.

...

Luna sent me a message during lunch, saying that Alan's friends had placed bets on when I would reconcile with Alan.

One of them even bet that I would never get back together with Alan.

"Who?"

I asked as I finished eating and was about to head back.

"Who else could it be? My idol, Jere Moss."

At that, I paused and felt shocked, not just because of hearing his name.

More so because he was approaching me slowly, holding a small bag.

I recognized it immediately as being from a private cake shop Luna had once taken me to, where we had waited in line for an hour.

I quickly ended the call and put my phone away.

"I went out with a client today and saw this cake shop on the way back, so I bought some for you to try."

Jere handed me the bag. I hesitated, unsure whether to accept it.

Taking it would imply a significant step forward in the relationship between us.

But not taking it might annoy him. Who knows if he would just leave it on my desk later?

After all, he had done it before.

"Thank you."

I accepted it, and he nodded, saying nothing as he walked past me.

7

Today, I worked late at the office. It was, coincidentally, another rainy day.

And, coincidentally, I had forgotten my umbrella again.

Standing at the company entrance, I couldn't help but scold myself for always forgetting it.

The winter night was already bone-chillingly cold, and the rain made the dampness even more unbearable.

I stuffed my hands into my pockets, trying to ward off the cold.

As the rain intensified, I was out of options and about to take out my phone to call a ride when I looked up and saw Jere approaching with an umbrella.

The surroundings were quiet. Time seemed to stop, and I could only hear my heart pounding.

He walked towards me, step by step, with such determination and without hesitation.

"Why are you here?"

I asked.

"To pick you up from work. I figured you wouldn't have an umbrella."

He held the umbrella over my head and wrapped an arm around my shoulder, leading me into the rainy night.

The world outside the umbrella was chaotic, but under it, I felt oddly safe and protected.

Yet, I didn't want him to treat me in such a way.

I had had enough of his relentless kindness.

I broke free from his embrace.

"Jere, what do you want? I don't have time for games. Can you be straightforward?"