2
It was a celebration dinner, and the atmosphere was relaxed.
Daniel stood on stage, glass in hand, looking vibrant and confident as he announced the mid-year
bonuses.
At the table, Chloe rested her chin in her hand, her eyes shining as she watched him.
Her gaze was full of girlish adoration.
Daniel chatted casually with the employees below, but his gaze always landed on her.
After a few rounds of drinks, Chloe, who couldn’t hold her liquor, quietly left the table.
Daniel noticed. He leaned in, his warm breath tickling my ear, and said:
“Reporting in!”
“Honey, I need to use the restroom.”
I agreed.
I nodded, but stealthily followed him, watching him turn into the fire escape stairwell, which was in the opposite direction from the restrooms.
Chloe’s suppressed sobs drifted into the air, soft and pitiful.
Daniel sat beside her, his voice tender, asking,
<
“Why are you crying?”
Chloe looked up, her eyes red, fixing on him:
“From our college days to your wedding day, you and Amelia are so deeply in love. I envy her so much.”
“My internship ends soon, and I’ll have to take on projects independently. I won’t be able to just follow you around anymore. I’ll make sure to keep my feelings in check from now on, but I really can’t bear to leave you.”
“Please, just one last thing. Can you… kiss me?”
The air seemed to freeze in that instant.
Daniel moved.
But he didn’t kiss her.
Instead, he gave Chloe a gentle hug.
His voice turned hoarse, choked with emotion:
“I’m sorry, we met too late. I’m already married, I…”
Daniel didn’t finish his sentence.
Chloe cupped his face and pressed a deep kiss onto his forehead.
Daniel froze.
But he didn’t push her away; instead, he closed his eyes.
I heard the sound of my own heart breaking.
It echoed in the silent fire escape, making no sound at all.
They left, one after the other.
I looked at my phone screen, where the recording button was still lit, and finally pressed stop.
<
When I returned, Daniel and Chloe were already seated. The celebration dinner was pretty much
winding down. Employees were gathering in small groups, figuring out who lived near whom and how they’d get home.
Daniel, whom I was helping to support, suddenly stopped, as if remembering something, and turned around.
He held up his phone to everyone:
“It’s getting late. The guys need to make sure all the ladies get home safely.”
“Once you’re home, remember to check in on the group chat!”
Everyone chorused, “Okay!”
Daniel, swaying as if very drunk, patted Chloe’s shoulder.
“Chloe, I remember you get carsick. Why don’t you ride with us?”
Chloe hesitated, looking at me.
She seemed to be waiting for me to say something.
“Come with us,” I said. “You’ve had quite a bit to drink too. I’ll drop you off first.”
The ride was silent.
Daniel, usually chatty when he drank, was unusually quiet, pretending to nap with his eyes closed in the passenger seat.
Chloe sat quietly in the back.
He knew that if he talked to me, Chloe would be upset.
Only when Chloe got out of the car did Daniel snap awake. He rolled down the window, waved goodbye to her, and watched her go inside. Even after I started the car, he kept looking in the rearview mirror until Chloe’s figure disappeared.
Then he finally looked at me and said:
3:41 pmDS S
<
“Honey, this Sunday is our tenth wedding anniversary.”
“Let’s go buy new rings then, okay?”
I chuckled softly, not responding directly.
I just gently pushed his head, making him sit up straight.
When we got home, Daniel’s alcohol had fully hit, and he was disoriented.
I put him in the guest bedroom.
Having seen his infidelity, I just felt dirty thinking about sharing a bed with him again.
As I was about to close the door and leave, his phone, which was on the bedside table, lit up.
A familiar profile picture popped up, sending a message:
“Daniel, are you asleep?”
2
It was a celebration dinner, and the atmosphere was relaxed.
Daniel stood on stage, glass in hand, looking vibrant and confident as he announced the mid-year
bonuses.
At the table, Chloe rested her chin in her hand, her eyes shining as she watched him.
Her gaze was full of girlish adoration.
Daniel chatted casually with the employees below, but his gaze always landed on her.
After a few rounds of drinks, Chloe, who couldn’t hold her liquor, quietly left the table.
Daniel noticed. He leaned in, his warm breath tickling my ear, and said:
“Reporting in!”
“Honey, I need to use the restroom.”
I agreed.
I nodded, but stealthily followed him, watching him turn into the fire escape stairwell, which was in the opposite direction from the restrooms.
Chloe’s suppressed sobs drifted into the air, soft and pitiful.
Daniel sat beside her, his voice tender, asking,
<
“Why are you crying?”
Chloe looked up, her eyes red, fixing on him:
“From our college days to your wedding day, you and Amelia are so deeply in love. I envy her so much.”
“My internship ends soon, and I’ll have to take on projects independently. I won’t be able to just follow you around anymore. I’ll make sure to keep my feelings in check from now on, but I really can’t bear to leave you.”
“Please, just one last thing. Can you… kiss me?”
The air seemed to freeze in that instant.
Daniel moved.
But he didn’t kiss her.
Instead, he gave Chloe a gentle hug.
His voice turned hoarse, choked with emotion:
“I’m sorry, we met too late. I’m already married, I…”
Daniel didn’t finish his sentence.
Chloe cupped his face and pressed a deep kiss onto his forehead.
Daniel froze.
But he didn’t push her away; instead, he closed his eyes.
I heard the sound of my own heart breaking.
It echoed in the silent fire escape, making no sound at all.
They left, one after the other.
I looked at my phone screen, where the recording button was still lit, and finally pressed stop.
<
When I returned, Daniel and Chloe were already seated. The celebration dinner was pretty much
winding down. Employees were gathering in small groups, figuring out who lived near whom and how they’d get home.
Daniel, whom I was helping to support, suddenly stopped, as if remembering something, and turned around.
He held up his phone to everyone:
“It’s getting late. The guys need to make sure all the ladies get home safely.”
“Once you’re home, remember to check in on the group chat!”
Everyone chorused, “Okay!”
Daniel, swaying as if very drunk, patted Chloe’s shoulder.
“Chloe, I remember you get carsick. Why don’t you ride with us?”
Chloe hesitated, looking at me.
She seemed to be waiting for me to say something.
“Come with us,” I said. “You’ve had quite a bit to drink too. I’ll drop you off first.”
The ride was silent.
Daniel, usually chatty when he drank, was unusually quiet, pretending to nap with his eyes closed in the passenger seat.
Chloe sat quietly in the back.
He knew that if he talked to me, Chloe would be upset.
Only when Chloe got out of the car did Daniel snap awake. He rolled down the window, waved goodbye to her, and watched her go inside. Even after I started the car, he kept looking in the rearview mirror until Chloe’s figure disappeared.
Then he finally looked at me and said:
3:41 pmDS S
<
“Honey, this Sunday is our tenth wedding anniversary.”
“Let’s go buy new rings then, okay?”
I chuckled softly, not responding directly.
I just gently pushed his head, making him sit up straight.
When we got home, Daniel’s alcohol had fully hit, and he was disoriented.
I put him in the guest bedroom.
Having seen his infidelity, I just felt dirty thinking about sharing a bed with him again.
As I was about to close the door and leave, his phone, which was on the bedside table, lit up.
A familiar profile picture popped up, sending a message:
“Daniel, are you asleep?”
