Loading promotion info...
He Kept Testing My Love Until I Left
Novelix
Completed
"My boyfriend, Ryan, loved watching me get jealous. So he would deliberately bring other women home and praise them right in front of me, telling me how smart and beautiful they were. He said I was terrible at hiding my feelings. The second I got jealous, it showed all over my face, and he found that hilarious. Whenever he pushed me far enough to make my eyes turn red, he'd laugh and pull me into his arms. “Silly. I was just messing with you.” I believed him far too many times. Until this time, when he brought his childhood best friend, Tessa Reed, to my birthday party. The cake was Tessa's favorite—red velvet. The gift was a necklace Tessa had already tried on. When the cake came out, Ryan even cut the first slice and handed it to her. “Haven't you been saying you wanted to try this place's cake?” Everyone around them laughed and teased. Meanwhile, I—the actual birthday girl—somehow ended up pushed to the edge of the crowd. The candles were almost burned down when Tessa finally leaned toward Ryan and asked quietly, “Don't you think you're taking this a little too far?” Ryan didn't seem concerned in the slightest. “She won't take it seriously. I'll sweet-talk her later, and she'll be fine.” I looked down at the fork in my hand. And suddenly, I realized I remembered everything. Every time he was late. Every time he brushed me off. Every time he treated my sincerity like a joke. He always thought I was easygoing, that once something was over, I would simply let it go. What he didn't know was that once a heart shattered, it could never be put back together the same way again. ..."
Chapters (3)
第1章
My boyfriend, Ryan, loved watching me get jealous.
So he would deliberately bring other women home and praise them right in front of me, telling me how smart and beautiful they were.
He said I was terrible at hiding my feelings. The second I got jealous, it showed all over my face, and he found that hilarious.
Whenever he pushed me far enough to make my eyes turn red, he'd laugh and pull me into his arms.
“Silly. I was just messing with you.”
I believed him far too many times.
Until this time, when he brought his childhood best friend, Tessa Reed, to my birthday party.
The cake was Tessa's favorite—red velvet.
The gift was a necklace Tessa had already tried on.
When the cake came out, Ryan even cut the first slice and handed it to her.
“Haven't you been saying you wanted to try this place's cake?”
Everyone around them laughed and teased.
Meanwhile, I—the actual birthday girl—somehow ended up pushed to the edge of the crowd.
The candles were almost burned down when Tessa finally leaned toward Ryan and asked quietly,
“Don't you think you're taking this a little too far?”
Ryan didn't seem concerned in the slightest.
“She won't take it seriously. I'll sweet-talk her later, and she'll be fine.”
I looked down at the fork in my hand.
And suddenly, I realized I remembered everything.
Every time he was late.
Every time he brushed me off.
Every time he treated my sincerity like a joke.
He always thought I was easygoing, that once something was over, I would simply let it go.
What he didn't know was that once a heart shattered, it could never be put back together the same way again.
...
By the time the party ended, it was raining.
Ryan grabbed the coat draped over the back of his chair and casually placed it around Tessa's shoulders.
Then he turned to me.
“It's pouring out. Tessa lives pretty far away, so I'll take her home first. You can grab an Uber yourself, okay?”
Tessa pulled the coat tighter around herself and smiled at me.
“Ryan, I'm really fine. You can take Claire—”
“She'll be fine.”
Ryan cut her off, his eyes settling on my face with that familiar teasing look.
He was waiting for me to explode.
Waiting for me to do what I always did—tear the coat off Tessa's shoulders with tears in my eyes and demand an explanation.
I met his gaze and calmly nodded.
“Okay.”
Ryan raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised.
He stepped closer and lowered his head, studying my expression.
“Seriously? You're not mad?”
“No.”
I took half a step back, putting distance between us.
Ryan noticed.
He gave a soft laugh.
“Wow. Someone's developing a temper.”
He slipped his hands into his pockets.
“Fine. Wait here. I'll come back for you after I drop her off.”
“You don't have to. I can get home myself.”
“Suit yourself.”
He turned around and walked Tessa out into the rain, shielding her as they went.
I stood beneath the restaurant awning and watched his taillights disappear around the corner.
A cold gust of wind hit me, and I shivered.
I opened Uber on my phone.
Surge pricing had tripled the fare, and the closest driver was twenty minutes away.
Ryan knew I hated taking rides alone late at night.
And he still chose to drive Tessa home.
Because he thought making me jealous once in a while would only make me cling to him harder.
Forty minutes later, I finally got into a car.
By the time I reached our Upper East Side apartment, it was almost midnight.
The apartment was completely dark.
I switched on the entryway light, kicked off my rain-soaked shoes, and walked into the living room.
Then I sat down on the couch.
My phone lit up.
Two texts from Ryan.
“Tessa's having some plumbing trouble. I'm helping her check it out, so I might stay here tonight.”
“What do you want for breakfast tomorrow? I'll bring you something.”
I stared at the messages.
The dull ache in my chest had already gone numb.
Before, if he stayed out all night, I would've called over and over until he finally picked up.
And every time, he would respond in that helpless, irritated tone.
“Stop making a big deal out of nothing. I'm just helping someone.”
Then he'd brag to his friends like it was funny.
“What can I say? My girlfriend gets jealous.”
But this time, I simply turned my phone facedown on the coffee table.
I opened my laptop.
An email I'd received three days ago was still sitting quietly in my inbox.
Final Offer: Frankfurt International Assignment.
It was part of my company's global rotation program—a three-year position leading strategic analysis for the European fintech market.
The salary was excellent.
More importantly, it would be a huge step forward for my career.
Three days ago, I'd still been hesitating.
Because Ryan had once told me he could never do long-distance.
I took a deep breath and moved the cursor over the Accept button.
Click.
A confirmation appeared on the screen.
“You have accepted the Frankfurt assignment. A relocation specialist will contact you within 48 hours.”
第2章
The next morning, I had barely reached the entrance of my office building when I saw Ryan's car.
He was leaning against the driver's side door with an elegant paper bag in one hand.
When he saw me coming, he straightened and held it out.
“Your favorite bagel place on the East Side. Just picked these up.”
His voice was gentle, like he was soothing a child throwing a tantrum.
I didn't take the bag.
“I already ate.”
Ryan frowned and pushed it into my hands anyway.
“Eat some more. Last night was my fault.”
He reached out as if to touch my face, then stopped.
“Why are your eyes so red? Didn't sleep well?”
I stepped back, avoiding his hand.
“I was reading some documents last night. Stayed up late.”
His hand froze in midair for a second before dropping naturally to his side.
“You're still mad about last night?”
“Tessa genuinely needed help. She lives alone, and a pipe burst in the middle of the night. I couldn't exactly ignore it.”
He studied me carefully.
“You usually blow up the second you get jealous. You're never like this.”
I looked down at the paper bag in my hands.
The bagel shop really was famous.
But I had never eaten the cream cheese filling because I hated the strange aftertaste.
Years ago, whenever Ryan bought them for me, he would scrape off the filling and eat it himself before handing me the bagel.
But that had been a long time ago.
“I'm not mad.”
I looked up, my voice calm.
Ryan stared at me for a few seconds, as if searching for a crack in my expression.
Eventually, he smiled and draped an arm around my shoulders.
“Good. I booked a restaurant for lunch. I'll make your birthday up to you.”
Just then, his phone rang.
A custom ringtone.
Tessa.
Ryan immediately released me and answered.
I couldn't hear what she said, but his expression changed at once.
“I'll be right there.”
He hung up and turned toward me with an apologetic look that somehow still felt completely entitled.
“Tessa's computer is acting up. She has files on it for a meeting today, so I need to go help her.”
“We'll cancel lunch. I'll make it up to you some other time.”
He didn't even bother asking whether I minded.
“Okay.”
I nodded.
My quick answer clearly caught him off guard.
He opened his mouth, then suddenly looked past me.
Daniel Foster had just walked out of the building.
Ryan raised an eyebrow, his usual contempt returning.
“Isn't that Foster? The guy who used to chase after you in college? Put him in a suit and he almost looks impressive. Shame you can't dress up a personality.”
Then he casually patted my shoulder.
“Be good.”
Ryan had always believed he couldn't lose.
He got into his car and sped away.
Within moments, he disappeared down the street.
I stood there and dropped the paper bag into the nearest trash can.
Once I got upstairs, I opened the HR system and confirmed the next steps for my Frankfurt assignment.
My manager messaged me almost immediately.
“Got your confirmation. Foster happens to be one of the project co-leads, so he'll coordinate the remaining documents with you.”
I pushed open the conference room door.
Daniel was sitting at the table reviewing paperwork.
When he saw me, he looked up and handed me a checklist.
“These are the documents you need to prepare: passport, medical clearance, and visa application.”
“The deadline's tight. Everything has to be submitted by next Friday.”
He paused, his voice warm.
“If you need help with anything, just let me know.”
“Thank you.”
I took the checklist from him.
His gaze was sincere and open.
第3章
Back at my desk, I started clearing out my drawers.
There really wasn't much.
Most of it was little things Ryan had given me.
He liked leaving things around my workplace as a way of staking his claim.
A music box.
A pair of earrings I'd never worn.
A small decorative desk calendar.
A few ticket stubs from trips we'd taken together.
I pulled out a cardboard box and placed everything inside one by one.
Apparently, removing someone from your life wasn't nearly as difficult as I'd imagined.
That weekend, I scheduled my pre-assignment physical at the occupational health clinic designated by my company.
The clinic happened to be close to Ryan's office.
The night before, he'd offered to come with me.
I'd been busy filling out the last few fields of my visa paperwork, so I'd absentmindedly agreed.
At eight that morning, I waited outside the clinic.
The October wind was bitterly cold, and I pulled my trench coat tighter around myself.
Eight-thirty came.
Ryan still hadn't shown up.
I was about to text him when his message appeared first.
“Tessa's cat suddenly got sick. It's throwing up really badly, so I need to take them to the emergency vet.”
“Go in without me. Call when you're done and I'll pick you up.”
I stared at the two lines on my screen.
I didn't want to reply with a single word.
I put my phone on silent, slipped it into my pocket, and walked inside.
Bloodwork.
Basic tests.
Vaccination records.
Everything went faster than I expected.
It wasn't even eleven when I finished.
I sat on a plastic chair in the hallway, pressing a cotton pad against the spot where they'd drawn blood while people passed in front of me.
I'd always been terrified of blood draws.
Ever since I was a kid, the sight of a needle made me dizzy.
Whenever Ryan came with me, he'd cover my eyes with his hand and whisper stupid jokes in my ear.
But that day, I watched the needle slide into my vein by myself.
And I realized it wasn't actually that frightening.
Just cold.
When I finally stood up, a violent wave of dizziness hit me.
My blood sugar had dropped.
My legs went weak, and I collapsed back into the chair.
Cold sweat formed on my forehead, and even breathing became difficult.
When people were at their weakest, instinct made them reach for someone.
With trembling fingers, I called Ryan.
It rang for a long time before he answered.
“Done with your physical?”
His voice came through the phone.
But the background wasn't filled with the noise of a veterinary hospital.
I heard soft music.
The crisp clink of silverware against plates.
“Ryan...”
My voice was weak.
“They took my blood. I'm really dizzy. Can you come pick me up?”
There was a second of silence.
Then Tessa's cheerful voice came through the phone.
“Ryan, this cheese board is amazing. Come on, try some.”
My grip tightened around the phone.
“Where are you?”
Ryan immediately sounded irritated.
“I already told you. Tessa's cat needs surgery, and I'm waiting with her for the results. If you're going to get jealous, fine, but don't use your health as an excuse.”
“I'm not lying. I really—”
“Enough!”
He cut me off mercilessly.
“Jealousy stops being cute when you take it too far. You were never like this before.”
The call disconnected.
My screen went dark.
I sat frozen in the crowded clinic hallway.
People were talking all around me, yet I felt like I had been dropped into a freezer.
So that was what my weakness and my pleas for help looked like to him.
Just another performance.
A nurse eventually noticed me and brought me a cup of orange juice with some whole-grain crackers.
I forced myself to swallow them bite by bite.
I swallowed that tiny bit of warmth into my stomach.
And with it, the last attachment I still had to Ryan.
When I got back to the apartment that evening, Ryan still hadn't returned.
The place was empty and dark.
I didn't turn on the main lights.
I left only the small entryway lamp on, walked into the bedroom, opened the closet, and pulled out a suitcase.
Then I began folding my clothes into it one by one.
Everywhere I looked, there were traces of the life I'd built here.
The curtains I'd chosen.
The rug I'd bought.
The plants I'd raised on the windowsill.
But now, I didn't want to take any of it with me.
