Seraphina froze. It took a moment for her to press her hand against her burning cheek, staring at Julian in utter disbelief.

"Julian, you hit me... for Clara?"

Under the gaze of the onlookers, Julian closed his eyes, his voice laced with exhaustion.

"Seraphina, for the past year and a half, it was I who failed to maintain proper boundaries with you. Do not involve Clara in this."

Having said that, he turned to me and spoke gently.

"You should head home first. I’ll handle the rest."

I nodded. But at that moment, Seraphina erupted once more.

"You can't leave!"

Her eyes were bloodshot, and tears streamed down her face.

"Clara, I only want one thing from you today. Have you completely given up on Julian? Do you still love him? Just give me an answer, and I promise I will never bother you again."

At those words, Julian’s heart seemed to hang by a thread. He and I locked eyes for a split second before we both quickly looked away.

I turned back to the emotionally crumbling Seraphina and shook my head with a sense of helplessness.

"Seraphina, if you continue to harass me, I will call the police. Even if you are no longer a citizen of this country, you can still spend time in detention."

I paused, then added, "As for your question, that is my private business. I have no obligation to tell you."

With that, I didn't care to spare another glance at either of them and walked straight out of the café. I had no idea how much more they argued or how much of a scene they made afterward.

...

In the underground parking lot.

Seraphina seemed like a different person; she was hysterical, acting like someone who had lost her mind.

"Julian, how could you do this?"

"Weren't you the one who loved me the most? How can you look back? You're divorced! You said you would stay in the UK to be with me!"

Julian rubbed the bridge of his nose, suddenly finding Seraphina completely unreasonable.

"Seraphina, I have said it many times—to you and to everyone else. We are a thing of the past. My kindness toward you, as Clara put it, was just a 'first love complex' at work. I was wrong."

Seraphina raised her voice. "You were wrong? How can you say you were wrong now?"

Her face was a mess of tears, looking pitiful.

"Have you forgotten what you said the day Clara arrived in the UK?"

"I said she didn't suit you at all, and you replied that suitability didn't matter as long as she was 'appropriate.'"

"Have you forgotten that back in university, we signed organ donor agreements together, promising to be together in life and death?"

"Have you forgotten all of that?"

Julian watched Seraphina quietly, but he didn't reach out to wipe her tears as he used to.

"I remember. But it's all in the past."

"Seraphina, people need to look forward. We are back home now; your ex-husband can never hurt you again, and I should return to the right track of my life."

His tone suddenly softened, and a gentle expression appeared on his face, as if he were thinking of a precious treasure.

"During the six months I've been apart from Clara, I've realized many things."

"I realized that what I’ve always wanted is a light at home that is always on for me, and a person sitting in a familiar spot waiting for me. And Clara... she waited for me for five years, silently enduring grievance, loneliness, and neglect."

"Do you know how much my heart ached when I realized that? In my life so far, I have been fair to everyone—my parents, my patients, my friends, and even to you as an ex. I did my absolute best for everyone."

"Everyone except Clara. My wife, the person I should have cherished and protected the most, was the one I neglected the most."

Julian looked at Seraphina with a solemn expression.

"Seraphina, regardless of whether Clara still loves me or is willing to accept me, there is no future for you and me."

"The regrets of our youth... now that I've reached this point, I no longer feel regret."

He emphasized every word.

"Between you and me, let it end here."

On my way home, my car suddenly broke down.

I was just about to call my insurance company for a tow when a Mercedes G-Wagon pulled over and parked right in front of me. A strikingly handsome man stepped out, his voice sounding somewhat cold.

"Do you need help?"

I instinctively frowned and took a cautious step back. "I’ve already called my insurance."

The man nodded, but then he rolled up his sleeves and opened my car’s hood anyway. After a quick inspection, he looked at me and spoke flatly.

"Your little electric car has a battery drain. If you don't mind, I can jump-start it for you. It’ll be enough to get you home."

Hearing this, I leaned in closer, though I made sure to stay within a polite social distance. "How do you do that?"

The man drove his G-Wagon closer until our cars were almost touching, and then he performed a series of technical maneuvers I didn't quite understand. He clapped the dust off his hands and shut my hood.

"All set. Go ahead and see if it starts."

With that, he moved his car further away. Fortunately, the traffic on this stretch of road was light, with only the overhead traffic cameras working diligently. I got in, pressed the accelerator, and turned the wheel; sure enough, the car moved smoothly.

As I passed his car, I rolled down my window and pulled out my phone.

"Thank you so much. Can I transfer some money to you as a token of my appreciation?"

Money was the most practical and efficient way to say thanks. However, the man refused, his expression remaining indifferent.

"I’m not short on money. If fate allows, you can treat me to dinner next time we meet. If not, just consider this my good deed for the day."

As soon as he finished speaking, he hit the gas, and the G-Wagon vanished into the distance in the blink of an eye. I put my phone away, simply thinking I had encountered a handsome and kind-hearted stranger, and didn't take his words to heart.

After I got home, I received another message from Julian.

[I'm sorry about what happened today. I won't let Seraphina bother you again.]

I replied with a single word:

[Okay.]

Not long after, Julian sent another text.

[Regarding the question Seraphina asked today... can I know the answer?]

He quickly followed up with:

[If you don't want to say, that's fine too.]

Looking at these messages, I let out a soft sigh. I thought I had made things clear enough at my house last time—didn't wanting no intersection mean cutting off all possibilities? Perhaps I hadn't been thorough enough.

This time, I typed out a serious reply.

[Julian, I’ve always been someone who can let go as easily as I can pick things up.]

[From the moment I threw away our wedding ring, I stopped loving you.]

[Even if there was a lot of lingering attachment back then, six months have passed now. All the love and hate have settled.]

[I said before: if you can stop mentioning remarriage and stop harassing me, we can still be ordinary friends.]

[If you can't do that, then we should remain strangers. Don't contact me anymore.]

I saw the "typing" status flicker for a long time. Finally, he only sent back one sentence.

[I understand. I won't cross the line again.]

When I came out after my shower, I discovered that $45,000 had been transferred to my account. There was a note attached:

[The money for the anniversary gift. Now we are even.]

Looking at the words "even," I didn't send the money back. If Julian wanted to pay me back, then so be it. The watch was worth $35,000—I hadn't even worn such an expensive piece myself—and the remaining $10,000 could be considered his compensation to me.

I wasn't going to be a fool. I had no intention of acting morally superior when it came to a fair refund.

Just then, a new friend request popped up on my phone. The profile picture was a creamy-white Munchkin cat, and the username was just one word—

Nathan

.

I never added strangers, so I hit "Decline" without a second thought. To my surprise, the person sent another request immediately.

This time, the note simply said:

[?]