Heartbreak Leads Me to True Love

Sitting on my boyfriend's lap, playfully teasing him, he suddenly turned serious and said, "Get off."

I turned around to see his childhood sweetheart entering through the door.

He explained to me that being too intimate in front of others wasn't appropriate.

I believed him.

Until later, when I saw a picture of him kissing his childhood sweetheart on his secret Twitter account, I finally understood.

I was the outsider all along.

1

The first time I met Derek's childhood friend, Kaylyn, was during our first year of graduate school.

It was a rare weekend, yet he disappeared for the entire night and didn't respond to any messages.

The next day, unable to hold back, I called him. It rang several times before he picked up, "Where did you go?"

There was a lot of noise on his end, and after a moment, a lively and sweet female voice chimed in, "Who's calling, Derek?"

In the wind, Derek's breathing paused for a moment.

"My girlfriend."

Those two words carried a complex, inexplicable emotion, like seaweed growing silently beneath the ocean's surface.

After a brief silence, Derek added, "Honey, my childhood friend came to visit. I'll bring her back to school later to introduce you."

The girl laughed and teased, "Oh, please, who's your childhood friend? I'm the boss!"

"Tsk."

Derek chuckled coldly, "I wonder who was so eager to call me grandpa just to borrow my summer homework."

The call ended abruptly.

I stood there holding my phone, feeling that Derek seemed strange at that moment.

He felt unfamiliar, as if he were miles away from me.

He sent me a location on Whatsapp, and seeing it was only four subway stops away from school, I grabbed a shared bike. By the time I reached the subway entrance, I was drenched in sweat.

There, Derek was holding a suitcase, talking to a girl beside him.

She had her hair in pigtails, wore a schoolgirl outfit with a blue and white plaid skirt, and though she wasn't very tall, she had a great figure and a sweet face.

Upon seeing me, she beamed brightly, "You're so pretty, sister. Derek doesn't deserve you!"

My usually calm and composed boyfriend actually sneered at her, "Whether I deserve her or not isn't for you to decide."

I could keenly sense something was off with his mood.

Kaylyn ignored his anger and commanded matter-of-factly, "Hurry up and get the water you bought earlier. Can't you see your girlfriend is sweating?"

Derek took out a bottle of cold mineral water, opened it, and handed it to me.

I hesitated for a moment, "I'm on my period, I can't drink cold things."

I had mentioned this to him during lunch the day before.

Derek's hand paused in mid-air.

Then Kaylyn took the bottle, looked around, and pointed to a nearby tea shop, "Go get Kaylee a hot milk tea."

Without a word, Derek headed over.

Kaylyn called after him, "I want one too."

"Oh, who was just saying on the subway they needed to lose weight?

Say pretty please, and I'll buy it for you."

Derek's tone sounded strange, and I instinctively sensed something was wrong, so I stepped forward and took his arm, "I'll go with you."

"......"

The atmosphere around us suddenly became awkwardly tense.

In this strange mood, Kaylyn and I each held a cup of milk tea, while Derek dragged her suitcase to a hotel outside the south gate of the school.

Kaylyn insisted on checking out the school cafeteria, curious about the food. So, we had lunch there.

After getting my meal, I asked Kaylyn if she wanted the complimentary soup offered by the cafeteria, and she stood up, intending to go with me.

"Kay, you sit. I'll go."

Because it was the holiday, the cafeteria was almost empty, and Derek's voice was particularly clear.

Kaylyn and I stopped at the same time, and she asked, "Who are you calling?"

Derek paused, then walked over to me, "I was calling my girlfriend, who else?

Son."

Kaylyn fell silent immediately.

She stood under the bright fluorescent lights of the cafeteria, her vibrant face turning slightly pale, looking a bit pitiful.

When Derek served the soup, he only handed me a bowl and went to another window to buy a pot of soup.

I was a bit stunned, "Doesn't Kaylyn want any?"

He seemed distracted and a bit irritated, "This stuff tastes bland and unappetizing. Kaylyn's picky, no way she'd drink it."

I can't describe how embarrassed I felt at that moment.

2

From the start, my relationship with Derek was unequal.

I had pursued him for three years before finally winning him over.

In our sophomore year, Derek switched majors to join our department, and we ended up in the same project group.

He was tall and lean, with sharp features and fair skin. When listening to the teacher explain concepts, his long fingers would lightly tap the desk.

By the time I realized I was staring at his hands, quite some time had passed.

I decided to strike up a conversation, "You switched from another department and haven't taken our core courses. Can you follow the lectures?"

"Not too bad," Derek replied indifferently, "I studied it in high school and competed in contests."

I fell silent immediately.

He was attending a local university, a top student from a middle-class family. It was said he missed the top scores in the college entrance exam, so he chose a university where he could transfer majors with high grades.

His composed aura made him seem like he was from a different world than me, a diligent student from a small town.

People are often attracted to qualities they don't possess, and I was no exception.

Falling for Derek wasn't surprising.

I followed online advice, orchestrating numerous "accidental" encounters with Derek, even pretending to trip and fall into his arms.

He held my waist and softly said my name, "Kaylee."

At that moment, my legs genuinely went weak.

In our senior year, the list for graduate school recommendations came out.

Both Derek and I were on it.

As an outstanding student representative, I gave a speech, subtly mentioning my family background.

After the speech, the applause was thunderous. I instinctively searched for Derek in the crowd and met his deep, bright eyes, his emotions unreadable.

I thought it was admiration, appreciating how I climbed out of the mud to stand alongside such top students.

But it was just my assumption.

Before graduation, Derek finally confessed to me.

After we started dating, Derek was different from before.

He would wait downstairs with breakfast every day and take me out for good food on weekends.

Last week, we went to an expensive Japanese restaurant. He peeled sweet shrimp and placed them in my bowl, even mixing the sushi sauce perfectly for me.

"I made it the way I usually eat. Not sure if it suits your taste."

The bill made my eyebrows twitch, and I was about to transfer money to Derek when he suddenly took my phone from my hand.

"We're dating. Do we really need to split the bill so precisely?"

He suddenly leaned over, resting his chin on my shoulder, his warm breath tickling my ear, "......Honey."

In an instant, my face turned beet red. I opened my mouth but was too shy to speak.

On the night of the graduation ceremony, we had a class dinner, and I got a bit tipsy.

Wanting to clear my head, I headed to the rooftop for some fresh air. Turning the corner, I stumbled upon Derek and his friends.

The lighting was dim, and they didn't seem to notice me.

"Why did you suddenly start dating Kaylee?

You knew she liked you for a while."

Derek stood sideways, a cigarette between his fingers, his expression one I had never seen before-strangely gloomy and cold.

"Because it's not too much trouble."

The next day, after sobering up, he was as gentle and distant as ever.

He would suddenly pull me close at the station, lean down to kiss me, "Come back early when school starts.

I'll take you out."

I thought it was just a drunken fantasy.

The entire summer, I stayed home, helping my grandparents.

After my mom passed away, they took care of me.

To help with expenses, I took an online tutoring job in math and physics, keeping me busy and not in touch with Derek much.

He seemed busy too, rarely messaging me, only sending a quick goodnight before bed.

3

When the first year of graduate school started, Derek and I ended up in different labs.

My advisor had been abroad for the past few months due to a joint venture project, so he arranged for a senior student, Zachary, to guide us in the lab.

Zachary was taller than Derek, with a commanding presence and an air of untouchable elegance.

If Derek was a star, Zachary was like a distant, untouchable moon.

In the place where I grew up, I had never encountered someone like him.

My roommate, Marlee, told me that Zachary's parents were both professors at the university. He had been admitted with outstanding grades and was the top student of his year, securing a direct path to a master's and doctoral program.

He was destined to stand out.

While eating in the cafeteria, I mentioned Zachary to Derek. He chuckled, "Don't get your hopes up; he's way out of your league."

My hand froze on my chopsticks, along with the smile on my lips.

It was the first time I realized he somewhat looked down on me.

In my daze, Zachary, the subject of our conversation, passed by with his tray and suddenly stopped beside me.

He looked down at me slightly, "Kaylee." "...Mr. Clark."

"Come to the lab early this afternoon. There's an issue with the data you submitted yesterday."

After Zachary left, I picked up my tray and said goodbye to Derek.

I stayed late in the lab that afternoon, expecting Derek to wait for me outside the building as usual. But when I stepped out, I saw only the empty trees under the streetlights, casting my solitary shadow.

I paused for a moment, and then Zachary's voice came from behind, "Why aren't you leaving?

Did you forget something?"

I shook my head, "No, I'm just about to head back, Mr. Clark."

He nodded, "Alright, let's go together then. It's on the way."

Walking side by side, I couldn't help but notice that my shoulder barely reached Zachary's chest.

But I'm 1.72 meters tall, quite tall for a girl.

No wonder he always seemed so prominent in a crowd.

Zachary stopped at the entrance of the girls' dormitory. His dorm was across a flowerbed on the opposite side.

I waved, "Goodbye, Mr. Clark."

He looked at me with his clear, cold eyes for a few seconds, then said, "Goodnight."

That "goodnight" didn't linger in my mind because the next day, Kaylyn arrived.

On the third day of the holiday, Kaylyn suggested visiting a famous spot in Jestrya.

During the National Day holiday week, N City was swarming with tourists.

Derek disliked crowded places, so he refused.

Kaylyn sneered, "If you don't accompany me, I'll tell Mr. Murphy and Ms. Gill when I get back."

"How old are you, still playing the tattletale game?"

Derek scoffed, and Kaylyn lunged at him, grabbing his collar with a smug smile, "So, are you coming with me or not?"

"Fine, fine, I'll bring my girlfriend along too, okay?"

Then Kaylyn turned to me, "Sister, do you want to join us?"

I took a deep breath and smiled at her, "Sure."

At the most popular wishing platform, the crowd was overwhelming. Kaylyn, being short, almost got lost among the people.

Derek quickly grabbed her wrist and pulled her out.

She stumbled before regaining her balance, glaring at him, "Derek!

You hurt my wrist!"

"If I hadn't grabbed you, you might have been knocked over and trampled."

Derek gritted his teeth, "Stay close to me and Kaylee from now on, no wandering off."

Clearly, he was genuinely angry.

Kaylyn mumbled an "oh" and obediently followed behind him.

While Derek went to buy water, she leaned over and whispered in my ear, "Kaylee, how do you put up with Derek's bad temper?"

I was silent for a moment before replying, "He's quite nice to me."

He truly was.

Even in the months we had been dating, he always kept a perfect balance of politeness and composure.

I had never seen him angry, and I thought nothing could ever disturb his composure.

But then Kaylyn appeared.

I suddenly realized he wasn't always in control.

At least his childhood sweetheart, Kaylyn, could easily ignite his temper with her every move.

I remained silent for the rest of the day, but that was typical of me, and Derek didn't seem to mind.

As night fell, Derek received a call and returned to say, "Jason is here with his girlfriend. He asked if we wanted to hang out tonight."

"Of course!" Kaylyn replied without hesitation, "Tell him to bring his girlfriend, and we'll go sing!"

Derek seemed to remember me then, turning to me and explaining softly, "Honey, this is Jason, a childhood friend who grew up with Kaylyn and me. He's two years older and already working.

He's visiting N City with his girlfriend. You should come too."

The streetlight cast a warm glow on his pale face, and I was momentarily lost in thought before agreeing.

After waiting in the private room for a while, Jason arrived. Kaylyn volunteered to go meet them but didn't return for quite some time.

I drank a bottle of beer and was about to head to the restroom when I stumbled and fell onto Derek's lap.

The background music switched to the next song, "The Only One" by Accusefive.

"Do you really understand the definition of 'the only one'? It's not as simple as breathing."

The room was dimly lit, the screen flickering, and the emotions in his eyes were unclear, like a calm lake or turbulent waves.

"...Kaylee."

He called my name in a hoarse voice, then leaned in to kiss me.

The unease and confusion from the afternoon almost vanished in his warm kiss, and I clung to his collar, softly calling, "Derek."

My voice, soaked in alcohol, was sickeningly sweet.

A slight noise came from behind, and Derek's expression darkened as he pushed me away, "Get up."

Turning around, I saw Kaylyn standing at the door, her face pale, looking as if she might collapse.

She didn't look at anyone, just stared intently at Derek.

In that moment, the room seemed like a stage, spotlighting only the two of them as the lead actors, while the rest of us were mere background.

The music continued to play- "Always clear and insightful at crucial moments, your lack of certainty."

"You don't want to prove, prove that I'm your only one."

Jason and Derek, along with Kaylyn, lived in the same neighborhood and had been close since childhood.

His girlfriend seemed to be someone their families knew.

When they met, they chatted enthusiastically about topics like when they'd join the family business, what brand their first car would be, new watches and jewelry, and their families' new houses.

The conversation was filled with expensive content, yet their tone was casual, as if discussing the weather or what to eat tomorrow.

For them, this was probably just everyday life-a world far removed from mine.

I listened quietly, noticing that every time Derek spoke, Kaylyn's tone would become sharp, as if she was angry with him.

What was she angry about?

I thought I knew the reason but didn't want to dwell on it at that moment.

The conversation grew more lively, and Derek finally suggested, "Why don't we find a quiet bar for a drink?"

Kaylyn didn't respond, but Jason agreed, and they all headed out in small groups.

Derek lingered behind, finally remembering me, "...Kaylee."

I propped myself up on the table, slowly standing and shaking my dizzy head, "You all go ahead.

I need to return to school; the dorm closes at midnight."

He glanced at his watch, "It's already eleven."

I nodded, "There's still time."

Derek paused, then returned and wrapped an arm around me, "Kay, are you unhappy?"

He was quite observant, so picking up on my mood shift was easy for him.

In the past, he hadn't mentioned it, probably because he didn't care or thought it was insignificant.

Seeing my silence, he leaned in closer, "Is it because I pushed you away just now?"

My eyelashes fluttered lightly as I closed my eyes and softly replied, "Yes."

"It's because that posture earlier... wasn't very proper and might give the wrong impression.

Jason is like family, having watched me grow up since childhood, and he knows my parents too. I don't want his first impression of you to be like that."

He spoke so sincerely, his warm breath brushing against my ear, making my heart race, and I couldn't help but be moved.

I believed him, but I still didn't join them at the bar.

"I don't usually drink, and I already had some while singing earlier. If I continue, I'll end up completely drunk."

I looked at him seriously, "You all go ahead. I need to go back and rest."

Derek smiled.

He leaned over and gave me a quick kiss, whispering with a hint of mischief, "Sometimes, I'm curious to see how carefree you are when tipsy."

As we headed downstairs, Kaylyn and the others had already hailed a cab and were urging us to hurry. So, Derek only walked me to the school gate.

I strolled slowly back along the sycamore-lined avenue, the cool night breeze gently swirling the scattered leaves around me.

I reached out to catch one, and when I looked up again, I noticed a figure not far ahead.

The person was wearing a white hoodie and light khaki cargo pants, leaning against a lamppost with a slightly upturned face, soft hair falling gently.

It was Zachary.

He had something in his mouth, which I initially thought was a cigarette, but as I got closer, I realized it was a lollipop.

"Senior Zachary."

He opened his eyes to look at me, a hint of intoxication in his gaze, "Kaylee."

"It's so late, why aren't you back at the dorm?"

"I was with my boyfriend, entertaining his childhood friends. They went to a bar, but I don't drink, so I came back."

I paused, then asked him, "What about you, Senior Zachary?

Why are you..."

Zachary gave a slight smile, leaning his head on his hand, "Coincidentally, I was also drinking with friends. They wanted to go to a bar, but I didn't want to, so I came back."

Perhaps it was the alcohol, but his voice wasn't as cool as usual, carrying a softer, more intimate tone.

I didn't know what to say, so I just fiddled with the sycamore leaf between my fingers.

Zachary let out a long breath and straightened up, "Let's go. It's on the way, so we can walk back together."

He wasn't much of a talker, so the walk was mostly silent. I felt a bit awkward and tried to find a topic, "From a distance, I thought you were smoking, but it turned out to be a lollipop."

Zachary chuckled, "I don't smoke."

"Oh..."

"Smoking's bad for you, and honestly, drinking isn't much better. Tonight was an exception, so I'm having some candy to sober up."

He paused and asked, "Do you want one?"

I was taken aback, stopping in my tracks, unsure how to respond. He pulled a new lollipop from his pocket and handed it to me.

So, he was offering me a new candy.

Of course, Zachary wouldn't say anything inappropriate.

It was a lemon-flavored candy, and the sweet and sour taste gradually cleared my head.

Just like three days ago, Zachary walked me to the building and stopped there.

I said, "Thank you, Senior Zachary. You should head back."

"Okay."

He agreed but didn't move, "I'll watch you go up before I leave."

Because I can't handle alcohol well, I rarely drink.

This rare occasion left me sleeping until noon the next day.

When I opened my eyes, I saw a message from Derek: "Awake yet?

Message me when you get up, and I'll take you to lunch."

I asked him, "What about Kaylyn?"

The typing indicator on his end lasted a long time before he finally replied, "She had something to do and left this morning."

Kaylyn's sudden appearance and departure felt like a brief interlude in a movie, and once it ended, the story returned to its usual course.

But I couldn't shake the feeling that something had changed.

Derek began to zone out frequently, even during our dates.

Once, when we went to see a movie, he said he needed to use the restroom before the film started, but he never came back for the entire show.

Halfway through the movie, I couldn't hold back any longer and went out to look for him. I found him outside the stairwell, smoking, looking troubled.

I hesitated for a moment before pushing the door open and standing in front of him.

The swirling smoke made me cough, and he immediately put out the cigarette and turned to me, "Why aren't you watching the movie?"

"Is something wrong?"

He was silent for a long time before saying, "It's nothing, just some family issues."

I remembered Derek mentioning before that his family owned a company run by his parents.

I carefully suggested, "If it's something with your family's company, I can cover our date expenses for a while..."

Before I could finish, a fleeting emotion crossed his eyes, a mix of mockery and pity.

But when I looked again, it was gone, as if it had been my imagination.

Derek smiled and ruffled my hair, "It's not so bad that I need to use a girl's money. Don't worry, honey."

This situation lasted for about two months.

As the weather cooled and lab assignments piled up, Derek and I saw each other less and less, sometimes going three days without a meal together.

His messages became increasingly distant.

I asked him about it, and he said it was because of his busy schedule with classes and experiments, along with family matters, so he couldn't help but neglect me.

But I discovered the truth by accident.

A senior from my lab, during a break, mentioned a blogger she followed who finally got together with his longtime childhood sweetheart.

"The girl kept avoiding her feelings, and the guy, out of options, got a girlfriend to make her jealous. Eventually, the childhood sweetheart realized her feelings, and they talked it out-it's like something out of a drama!"

She showed me the Twitter post.

It was a photo, likely taken at a bar booth, with bottles and glasses cluttering the table.

A girl's pale, slender hand held a glass, seemingly untouched, as a guy tilted her chin for a kiss.

The lighting was dim, obscuring their faces.

But I instantly recognized Kaylyn's twin ponytails and the small mole near Derek's ear.

It felt like my blood froze, and intense pain surged from all directions. I opened my mouth but couldn't make a sound.

The senior noticed something was wrong, "Kaylee, are you okay?"

Only then did I realize my fingers were trembling slightly.

As I struggled to breathe, a warm hand suddenly rested on my shoulder.

I slowly regained my composure and turned to meet Zachary's gaze.

"I'm sorry, Senior Zachary..."

I managed to say with difficulty, "I suddenly feel unwell. Can I take the day off from the experiment?"

I must have looked terrible because Zachary, who was usually strict about lab work, granted my request without asking any questions.

I hurried back to my dorm, opened Twitter, and revisited the account the senior had shown me.

The account owner didn't seem to use it often, having posted only a few times since the beginning of the year.

One post from April, just before graduation, read: "What should I do if she clearly likes me but stubbornly refuses to admit it?"

The top comment, with the most likes, boldly suggested: "Find someone to make her jealous!

"

Memories from the graduation party night flooded back.

Derek's friend had asked him, "Why did you suddenly get together with Kaylee?

You knew she liked you for a while."

And Derek, smoking, had replied coldly, "Because it wouldn't be too troublesome."

Of course, I wasn't troublesome. I had even willingly shared my non-threatening family background with Derek during a speech, making him realize I was the perfect choice.

For three whole years, I had offered my cherished love to him.

Initially, he ignored it, and later, he accepted it only to use me as a tool to provoke another girl into acknowledging her feelings.

So, what was I to him?

Just a means to fulfill their perfect love story?