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The next day, Mom called. “Anna, you and Leo have been dating for so many years now. When are you two getting married? You’re not getting any younger, and he should give you an
answer.”
Just then, my WeChat notification went off. I saw that my college roommate had posted photos on her Moments of her marriage certificate and sweet pictures with her husband. I stared blankly at the red marriage certificate in the photo, lost in thought as Mom’s nagging
echoed in my ears: “Look at them, they’re already married. The girl next door is already running
around; when are you and teo finally going to settle down? I don’t care, you two have to get
married this year, or break up!
I took a deep breath, forcing myself to just agree and get it over with. After hanging up, I
dialed Leo’s number. The other end was a cacophony of finger–guessing games and clinking
beer bottles.
Baby? Leo’s voice was raspy with a hangover, and I could faintly hear someone nearby
joking. “Hey, Leo, the missus is calling to check up on you!” Then came a burst of raucous
laughter, Hearing that, I felt a slight sense of relief. It seemed he really was out with colleagues
last night.
I looked at our photo hanging on the living room wall, still clinging to a sliver of hope, and
asked, “Where are you?”
“At a friend’s place. I had too much to drink last night and crashed here.” Before he could
finish, a sweet female voice suddenly cut in, followed by the sound of footsteps, and then silence.
Leo’s tone was impatient: “Didn’t I tell you yesterday? Why are you still c
I gathered my courage and asked, “So, when are we going to get our marriage license?
voice sounded faint, like a leaf falling in the wind, lost in endless silence.
Leo paused, then said, “Baby, I’m sorry I missed our seventh anniversary yesterday. I got you
a gift. It’s in the pink box at the bottom of the closet. Go see.”
Hearing that, all my anxieties and suspicions from the night before vanished instantly.
I rushed to the closet and found the pink box at the very bottom. Inside was a necklace I’d
admired in a shop window last week, with a blue gemstone in the center. Looking at it, my throat tightened, and tears welled up in my eyes.
“Do you like it, baby?” Leo chuckled softly on the phone, trying to coax me.
It had started raining outside, the raindrops hitting the glass sounded like they were washing
away the unpleasantness of last night.
“I’ll make you something delicious, and when you get back, we can celebrate our anniversary
again.” I said.
I heard Leo lighting a cigarette on the other end of the line and couldn’t help but say, “Leo, please smoke less; it’s bad for you.”
“I know, honey. The rain’s letting up; I’ll be home soon.” Then, I heard the sound of him stubbing out his cigarette.
I excitedly lit the candles and carefully scattered the rose petals I’d bought along the
20:14 Fri, 9 May
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hallway. The table was laden with Leo’s favorite dishes, all made from ingredients I’d rushed to the supermarket to buy the moment I got off the phone. This time, I even made an extra–large and beautiful mango mousse cake.
At 5:30 PM, I heard the key turning in the lock. Suddenly, a pair of strong arms wrapped around my waist from behind. Leo rested his head on my shoulder, his stubble lightly grazing my ear. His warm breath on my neck sent a shiver down my spine.
“You made all my favorite foods. It’s so good to have you, baby.” He said softly,
I gave him a playful nudge, feigning annoyance. “If you’d been here yesterday, you could have had them even fresher! It’s all your company’s fault for making you work so much
overtime.”
Leo shook his head with a sigh, then went into the kitchen to help me with the dishes, saying, “It’s tough finding a job these days. Everyone’s just caught up in the rat race.”
Once all the dishes were on the table, I turned off the lights and lit three long, white
candles. Then, I brought out the red wine and goblets I’d prepared. Leo looked at me, a gentle smile playing on his lips, his eyes full of affection. He leaned in close, saying with exaggerated enthusiasm, “Who’s the lucky guy who gets to have such an amazing
girlfriend like you?” Then, answering himself, “It’s me! Leo!”
