Me Before You: My Ex's Brother Should Know What I Taste

Isla's POV:

"F**k! Babe, please stop it. Someone might hear..."

"They won't. My friends are coming soon. We need to hurry."

I stood in the KTV hallway, my heart pounding as the summer rain soaked through my clothes, turning the cake I had made for Aiden into a soggy mess. Behind me, my boyfriend and a woman were having s*x.

Aiden, my childhood sweetheart. The woman,I don't know.

Today was his 25th birthday. I had finished my art class early to surprise him with a cake, arriving an hour ahead of schedule. I hadn't expected to walk in on this scene.

Their moans cut through me like a knife. I was frozen, unable to move or breathe. The scene was surreal, a grotesque parody of our shared history. I felt nailed to the spot, numb.

Aiden and I had been neighbors since we were 3. We went to the same schools from elementary to college. We'd been officially together since high school graduation, five years now. Everyone around us-parents, friends and classmates-said we were meant to be. We were supposed to get engaged next month. Now, witnessing him cheat, it was a bitter joke.

He is a liar! And I am a joke!

I debated whether to leave quietly or storm in and smash the cake on them. I should be furious, but I was oddly calm, unable to do either.

"Hey, isn't that Aiden's girlfriend, Isla? Why aren't you going in?"

"Yeah, he said you'd be late, but you're earlier than us. You must really love him, throwing a birthday party for your boyfriend."

These were Aiden's colleagues from his law firm, all there to celebrate his birthday. They all knew I was his girlfriend. Their tones were full of envy, as always.

They often said, "Aiden, you're so lucky. Your girlfriend's not only beautiful but also your childhood sweetheart. We're all jealous."

Facing them now, I stiffened. I couldn't even fake a smile. My nerves felt stripped away, leaving nothing but emptiness.

Just then, the room door opened. Aiden came out, hurriedly fixing his clothes. He looked at me with panic in his eyes. "Isla, how long have you been here?"

I didn't look at him. My gaze was fixed on the floor, expressionless. His colleagues saw the lipstick mark on Aiden's face and the woman sneaking out, covering her cheek. They immediately understood what had happened, feeling awkward and uneasy.

"Isla..." Aiden grabbed my arm, stumbling over his words. "Let me explain..."

I shook him off. "Don't touch me. You're filthy."

My cold voice made his face change. "Baby..."

"This word make me disgusting. No need to explain." I still didn't look at him, my calmness unnerving. "I've been listening for ten minutes. Quite a show."

I told myself not to cry, not to make a scene, or I would only embarrass myself. Ten minutes... I knew what Aiden thought: I was supposed to be in class, I was always so responsible, never letting my students out early. How ridiculous!

Smack-I hit the cake into the floor. My eyes finally reddened. "How long has this been going on?"

My face was drained of color, my wet hair sticking to my cheeks, making my delicate features look even more fragile. I had dressed in his favorite blouse and pleated skirt, now a joke!

He was speechless, staring at me. I was always gentle but had a strong will. We knew each other too well. No matter what he said now, I wouldn't listen.

"Heh, guess it wasn't the first time," I sneered. My stomach churned, making me want to vomit.

"Isla."

I recalled the past, from childhood. Whenever I was bullied, he'd be the first to stand up for me. He had always protected me, but this time, he was the one who hurt me.

At this moment, his throat was tight. "I'm sorry."

"Let's break up," I said firmly. I couldn't describe my sadness and breakdown. I couldn't even cry, my voice still unnervingly calm. "We're done."

I turned to leave, dragging my stiff legs, numb and struggling. Break up. It's over.

"No, we can't break up! Isla, it was my mistake..." Aiden hurried after me.

I suddenly stopped. Ding ding- But the hope lasted just a second. I pulled off the engagement ring and threw it at his feet. It hit the floor with a sharp clang.

"Aiden, we've known each other for 20 years. Even if you don't love me anymore, there should be some respect, some friendship. What did I do to deserve this? How could you treat me like this?"

I said it and then ran out of the place. I wasn't a naive girl. I knew how dark and twisted people could be, but in this moment, 20 years of trust crumbled.

Running to the elevator, I bumped into a man just stepping out. "Sorry," I mumbled, my voice choked with sobs. I ducked into the elevator, desperately pressing the close button, wanting to escape this suffocating place.

Third Person POV:

The man at the elevator door extended a strong arm, stopping Aiden.

"What's going on?" he asked in a deep voice.

Aiden watched helplessly as the elevator doors closed. Isla didn't even look back at him.

Grabbing the man's arm, Aiden pleaded, "Matthew, she's breaking up with me..."

The rain outside hadn't stopped. I ran down the street, letting the cool rain drench me.

How could I describe my feelings for Aiden?

Since we were little, our families always joked we were perfect for each other, destined to be together.

Yes, perfect.

Neighbors: "Hey, there goes Aiden's little wife, just out of school."

Classmates: "Hey, Aiden, some guys were messing with your girl."

Friends: "Childhood sweethearts, so cute together, you guys are like a fairy tale."

These words followed me around.

Everything fell into place. When we grew up, it was natural to become a couple, natural to get engaged, natural to plan a wedding.

I always thought I was meant to marry Aiden. I shut out all other men, seeing only him, her one and only.

I labeled myelf as "Aiden's girlfriend, Aiden's future wife."

Everyone envied me for having a boyfriend who loved me so much, and I felt incredibly happy.

Now, my boyfriend had betrayed me.

I didn't know how long I ran, but I was out of breath.

Sitting on the curb, the rain washed my tears away.

What hurt was that the boy who vowed to protect me forever, the man who said he couldn't wait to marry me, chose to end it by cheating.

If he'd just told her earlier that he didn't love her anymore, it wouldn't hurt this much.

Twenty years of trust, shattered so easily. Childhood sweethearts meant nothing in the end.

If it's worthless, then let it go. In this world, we can live without anyone.

A car drove by, splashing mud towards me. I didn't even notice.

But suddenly, I felt someone appeared, shielding me from the spray with his back, keeping me dry.

A man held an umbrella over me.

I slowly looked up, my eyes falling on the hand holding the umbrella. His wrist was pale, fingers long and slender, contrasting sharply with the black umbrella handle, like a piece of art.

The umbrella kept all the rain away. I saw the man looking down at me.

He said, "Ms. Eliana, it's time to go home."