Chapter 8: Christmas Ghosts and Bitter Truths

He kept going, saying his fiancée is an only child, her parents are a doctor and a teacher, they’ll have good retirement, can help with the kids, even bought her a condo before marriage—told them to just move in after the wedding, no mortgage stress.

Hearing this, I looked down on him even more. So he doesn’t want to break up because of her as a person, but because he can’t let go of her family’s perks.

I poured him another drink, "Man, you’re something else—just a class reunion and she can’t forget you."

He laughed, then leaned in, looking all mysterious: "Dude, let me tell you something else."

I looked at him, gut telling me it wasn’t anything good.

He said, when he went home for New Year’s, the class beauty actually contacted him first. She had a boyfriend then, hadn’t broken up yet, and they spent two days together at a resort.

I frowned, remembering that during Christmas break this year, there were two days I couldn’t reach my girlfriend. Every night she’d just send a quick message, saying she was too busy with family to check her phone.

So... this is what really happened?

Looking back, I really was just a sucker.

The truth settled in like a winter chill, crawling up my spine and making my skin prickle. I remembered those two days—her texts short, her voice distant, like I was calling from another planet. All the little things that didn't make sense until now. A part of me wanted to laugh, another part wanted to throw the whole damn bowl of peanuts against the wall and never look back. Instead, I stared at the empty beer bottle, wondering if anything in my life had ever been real.