Ethan kept giving me hope, only to rip it away when I was about to let go-leaving me crushed, hopeless, and utterly defeated.


    "He''s not someone worth liking, and I don''t want to waste any more time loving someone who will never love me back


    I wasn''t a genius, but I knew when to walk away.


    "L, he never loved me. In fact, all be''s done is hurt me repeatedly. How could I stay with someone like that?"


    The thought of Ethan''s actions made me frown slightly. A sharp pain in my stomach caused me to bite down on my lip.


    There was a pause on the other end of the line, L seemed hesitant, and after a moment of silence, her voice came through cautiously.


    "Eve, maybe things aren''t exactly how they seem. Maybe he''s done a lot for you but just hasn''t told you about it."


    L was testing the waters, probing my feelings and trying to gauge my boundaries.


    "L, it doesn''t matter what he''s done. If he hasn''t stood up for me, it''s not love. Love means having someone''s back, being biased in their favor, and offering unconditional trust. He never loved me."


    I didn''t know if Erhan''s feelings for Leah -interest.


    h were love ar son


    r something else, but what I did mow was that his feelings for her were pure-untainted by any agenda or self


    But with me? It was different. There was noparison between Leah and me. She was the one he would always choose, while I was the one left on the sidelines, never truly picked.


    "He probably just doesn''t know how to express his feelings," L said softly, her confidence wavering. "I heard he''s cut ties with his family. Maybe he really does


    you but just doesn''t know how to show it."


    I sighed deeply. L had always lived in a world where people were kind, where the dangers of the heart were easily overlooked. She believed the best in people, piecing together fragments of goodness and seeing a person''s whole character through that lens. "L, he doesn''t deserve love. If he really loved someone, he''d understand what it means to set boundaries. He''s always defended Leah, never choosing between us because he can''t.


    "I won''t pursue him, and I don''t want anything to do with him anymore. I just want to hold onto whatever dignity I have left"


    They could call me selfish or say I didn''t know when to be gracious. I didn''t care. I was done ying their games, I refused to be their toy, and I refused to be humiliated by him any longer.


    "Alright, Eve, just promise me you''ll take care of yourself. I know I''m not there with you, but don''t forget to look after yourself," L said gently, sensing the finality in my tone. She didn''t push the matter further, shifting to lighter topics before we eventually ended the call. When the call ended, the apartment fell into its usuall silence.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    It was like living in the wilderness-isted, with no real social ties, no meaningful connections, I waspletely on my own, trudging through life in solitude. Liam, ever the sharp one, had heard about the business deal I''d securedst night. He wanted to take me out to celebrate, but I turned him down. I knew things weren''t going great for him either, and thest thing I wanted to do was burden him.


    "If you don''t want to grab a meal with me, I won''t force it," he said, sounding slightly disappointed. "But make sure you keep an eye on Mt. Odom. We can''t afford to slip up."


    He''d been swamped with worktely, so he hadn''t been able to focus much on this project


    "Got it, don''t worry. I''m pretty confident about this one," I reassured him