The man in front of me turned around almost instantly, while my sister beside him displayed an impatient expression and glared at me. I was out of breath, my makeup smudged by sweat, looking utterly disheveled. Seeing that the two of them seemed to be getting along just fine, I finally felt some relief and said to Bradley:

“Brad, I’m Lena.”

Bradley looked at me, then at my sister, with a contemplative expression. Yet, he didn’t immediately let go of my sister’s hand. This action only made my sister look at me more provocatively. Before I could say anything further, my sister jumped in:

“Sorry, Brad. I happened to come here because I noticed Lyn hadn’t shown up for a while and didn’t want you to worry, so I came to keep you company.”

Her insincere words almost made me laugh with anger. I followed her lead:

“Well, thank you for your kindness. Now that I’m here, you can go.”

But my sister instantly changed her demeanor. She looped her arm around Bradley’s and leaned against him, provoking me further:

“But I find spending time with Brad more comfortable, Lyn. You’re just too rigid.”

Her words filled me with dread. Bradley's need for control is so intense that he was intolerant of any criticism about his possessions. I, feeling like a woman abandoned by her boyfriend, fell to my knees, clutching Bradley’s pant leg, tears streaming down my face as I cried out:

“Brad, you can’t treat me like this. You love me the most. You promised you’d always be with me.”

At last, Bradley, who had barely spared me a glance throughout, looked at me with growing impatience. The tenderness from yesterday had vanished, replaced by a cold indifference, as if he were looking at a stranger. He smirked slightly and sneered:

“Lyn, your sister is right. The way you are now is just boring.”

Upon hearing this, I felt like I was finally breaking down. I rushed forward to confront them, but Bradley merely sidestepped my attack. I stumbled and fell to the ground, my once carefully chosen dress now dirty. Seeing me in such a state, Bradley frowned:

“Lyn, you know, this only makes me more annoyed with you.”

At that moment, my sister provocatively wrapped her arms around Bradley’s neck and kissed him lightly. He seemed momentarily stunned but soon deepened the kiss, oblivious to my helpless gaze from the ground.

Finally, feeling utterly defeated, I buried my face in my hands and began to cry uncontrollably. My sister took the opportunity to link arms with Bradley and walked away. Before leaving, I saw her give me a smug smile and mouth:

“See, Lena, no matter what you have, it will always belong to me in the end.”

When their figures disappeared from view, someone nearby, looking on with pity, came to help me up. I quickly composed myself, declined their offer, and coldly stood up.

No one noticed it, a faint smile was curling at my lips.