With that, Chantal hung up. Just then, the bus Ellis was waiting for pulled up to the stop, and people began to board. He stood there for a few seconds, torn, before turning and walking away from the bus stop....Ondine waited for over an hour, but Ellis never showed up. She sent him a text.noveldrama[Where are you?]He didn't reply.Ondine's brow tightened. She had asked him to come today so she could talk to him face-to-face. After all, they had been together for two years, and for her part, the relationship had been genuine. Now, with her mother seriously ill and in desperate need of money, she'd decided against her original plan to leave for Boreal quietly. She would confront him, explain the situation, and ask to borrow money.She would pay him back one day. She just hoped he would help her. If he did, she was willing to overlook his deception, end things peacefully, and let him be with Chantal. From then on, they would simply be creditor and debtor, with no emotional ties left between them.Ondine waited at the hospital for a long time. Night fell, and Ellis still hadn't come. He didn't answer his phone, and he didn't reply to her messages on WhatsApp. She didn't bother calling again.She stayed by her mother's side until she fell asleep, then quietly left for the university.Just as she reached the entrance to her dorm, a message from Ellis finally came through. It consisted of two photos.The first was a picture of him sitting on the edge of a bed, massaging someone's stomach. From the angle, it was clear the person lying down had taken the photo. That person was wearing the exact same outfit Chantal had on earlier.The moment Ondine saw it, she knew. Ellis had gone to Chantal's place. Thɪs chapter is updated by findnovel.netThe second photo showed Ellis in a kitchen, cooking soup. The shot captured the pot on the stove and his face in profile.A moment later, a text followed the photos.[Wake up. I'm the one Ellis cares about. Who do you think you are, trying to compete with me?][The second I said I had cramps, he came running. In his heart, I'm the most important person.]It was Chantal, using Ellis's phone.Ondine didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Fortwo years, Ellis had acted completely devoted to her, calling her "babe" constantly agreeing to whatever she said Yet, he had never once let her see his phone. She had respected his privacy and never pushed the issue. She used to think he was just a private person Now she knew the truth. It wasn't about privacy; it was about a lack of love. Chantal could play with his phone freely, even sending taunting messages fromhis WhatsApp account, while Ondine wasn't even allowed a glance.She stood there, staring down at the two photos for a long time.A gust of wind rustled the leaves in the trees. The weather forecast had called for a cold front tonight. Ondine pulled her scarf tighter. She had knitted it herself last year, & a matching set for the two of them. Hers was burgundy; his was dark gray She had never see him wear it The signs had been there all along. Perhaps Ellis had never truly loved her. In the end, she didn't reply. She simply turned and walked into the dorm.That night, Ondine dialed a number she knew by heart."Seth, I've made up my mind. I'll marry you. I hope you'll keep your promise."The man's voice on the other end was as cool and composed as ever. "Alright. I'll have my driver pick you up tomorrow. We'll go to City Hall first.”"Okay."