Chapter 1 : Have You Done It?

"Be honest, have you done it with Alex Spencer?"

The man''s deep voice seeped through the crack in the door, causing me to pause just as I was about to enter.

Through the gap, I saw Alexander''s thin lips press together slightly as he sat in his high-backed chair. "She made a move, but I''m not interested."

"Alexander, don''t be so dismissive. Alex is considered a beauty in our circle. Plenty of people have their eyes on her," said Leonard Johnson, Alexander''s close friend and a witness to our ten-year relationship.

"We''re too familiar with each other, you know?" Alexander frowned.

When I was fourteen, I was sent to the Smith Family and met Alexander for the first time. Everyone told me that I was destined to marry him. We''ve lived together ever since, for ten years now.

"Exactly. You work in the same company during the day, see each other all the time, and then have dinner together at night. You probably know how many times each other goes to the bathroom," Leonard teased, clicking his tongue. "Nowadays, relationships need a sense of mystery. It''s the thrill of wanting what you can''t have that keeps things exciting."

Alexander remained silent, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with Leonard''s words.

"So, will you still marry her?" Leonard''s question made my breath catch.

Alexander''s parents wanted us to get married. He hadn''t said yes or no, and I hadn''t asked him. Leonard was asking on my behalf.

Alexander didn''t respond.

Leonard chuckled. "You don''t want to marry her?"

"...No."

"So, you do want to marry her, but you''re not happy about it, right?" Leonard knew Alexander inside out, having grown up together.

"Leonard, have you ever heard this saying?" Alexander''s lips curved slightly.

"What?"

"Like chewing gum, tasteless but hard to throw away." Alexander lit a cigarette, the smoke blurring the face I had loved for ten years.

My heart clenched tightly. To him, I had become something insignificant.

"Are you going to marry her or not?" Leonard pressed.

Alexander glanced at him. "Why are you so eager to know? Do you have feelings for her? Should I give her to you?"

I felt like a mere object, something he could casually give away. Even a pet would have garnered more affection after ten years.

But to me, he was my light, my everything for the past decade.

His words hurt me deeply, a bitter taste rising in my throat.

I looked down at the household registration book in my hand, biting my lip hard.

"Heh," Leonard scoffed. "What are you talking about? Friends'' wives are off-limits. I''m not that desperate."

Alexander stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray and stood up from the sofa. "Get out. You''re just here to annoy me."

"It''s not me that''s bothering you, it''s Alex. If you really don''t have feelings for her, you should end it and let her find someone better," Leonard said, grabbing his coat from the sofa and heading out.

As the door opened, Leonard saw me standing outside and froze. He rubbed his nose awkwardly, knowing I had overheard their conversation.

He forced a smile. "Looking for Alexander? He''s inside."

My fingers went numb around the household registration book, and I couldn''t speak.

Leonard glanced at the book in my hand, his lips moving slightly as he leaned closer. "Think carefully about what you really want."

He nudged my shoulder and walked away.

The thin household registration book felt as heavy and hot as a branding iron in my hand. I swallowed hard and, after a long moment, pushed the door open.