The sun was blazing, fluffy white clouds hung low, and the light spilled softly onto the wooden table inside the café.

“What?”

Emily Learoyd’s voice broke slightly, her hands trembling as they clenched the hem of her shirt.

“I said…” Michael Hale met her gaze, firm and calm. “Let’s break up.”

Even though she was sitting in a café, Emily felt like she was standing beneath a sky filled with exploding fireworks—loud, disorienting, and impossible to ignore.

Her thoughts were a mess. The only thing that managed to come out was, “Why?”

It didn’t make sense. Sure, they’d only been together for a few months, but everything had been going smoothly. They never fought, always communicated, worked as a team… And he wanted to break up, just like that?

They had promised—if he passed the civil service exam, they’d get married. He said he’d give her a real home.

“Does there have to be a why? You know what kind of person you are,” he snapped.

The girl next to him stopped him with a raised hand and spoke up instead, her voice dripping with disdain. “You really thought you could land someone like Michael and live your little dream life? A weed hoping to grow into a rose just by pretending hard enough. Honestly, are you dumb or just delusional?”

A rose? That metaphor barely made sense. And “dumb”? That was basically calling her brainless.

But now wasn’t the time to argue semantics.

The sudden breakup left her stunned, but she wouldn’t cling. That wasn’t her style.

“Michael, are you sure about this?”

Her eyes dropped to their entwined hands on the table. She didn’t mean to sound hurt, but her voice cracked a bit.

“We’ve been together since high school. Eight years,” the girl added proudly, like she was reclaiming what was hers.

Emily ignored her entirely. Her eyes, glassy, focused on Michael.

He looked away. “Sophia was my first love. I never got over her.”

Emily let out a breathless laugh in her head. First love, huh? Classic.

“I’m your girlfriend now. We were planning a future,” she reminded him, calmly but firmly.

“You said that?” Sophia’s voice suddenly turned soft, completely different from the person who just insulted her.

Michael picked up on her shift immediately. The word “marriage” had clearly touched a nerve.

“That was just me being dumb, babe. I only said it ‘cause I was mad at you. I just care about you too much,” he said quickly, holding Sophia’s hands and trying to explain.

“Sorry, babe. You're the only one I want to marry.”

Sophia’s smirk grew wider as she turned to Emily with a smug look.

“Michael and I were never apart, not really. I’m only telling you today ‘cause you helped him with those exams or whatever. Don’t get it twisted—you’ve never been more than the extra. You’re just some orphan girl with no parents, no backing. Who’d marry you unless they’re nuts or desperate?”

She said it like it was a fact, all arrogance and ice.

Knowing Emily looked decent only made Sophia even angrier. Pretty girls with no power—it only made them easier to use and toss away.

Emily looked at the two of them, all hands and fake smiles, and felt her stomach turn. Like biting into an apple and finding half a worm.

So, what do you do—spit it out or swallow?

“Michael, you know me. If you're ending this, then get her to shut up and tell me why.”

Michael knew her too well—she wasn’t the kind of girl to mess with. This was someone who once pushed through an appendix inflamed to hell just so she wouldn’t miss a job interview. She didn’t back down.Michael gave Sophia’s hand a reassuring pat, his eyes signaling her to chill—he had it under control.

“We broke up back then ‘cause her dad didn’t approve of me,” he explained, glancing at Emily, trying to sound honest. “Now that I’ve landed a government job, which is gonna be announced soon, her dad’s cooled off thanks to Sophia sticking around. He’s finally okay with us being together.”

Emily’s face calmed a bit, but her heart sank as reality hit her hard. So that’s it… she was just some—

What even was she? A rebound? A backup plan? Just someone for him to kill time with when he was down?

“Emily, whatever was between us wasn’t love. At most, we were just study buddies grinding in that pay-to-enter library. We’ve never even held hands. You call that dating?”

Truth was, he’d just thought she looked sweet and easy to fool. Who knew she’d turn out to be such an old-school prude? Didn’t even let him hold her hand, let alone anything else.

“This isn’t love, Emily. Let’s just end this without drama.”

His words hit her like a slap to the chest. Her whole body felt like it’d been shoved into ice water. She was freezing—but more than that, lost.

So, what *was* love, really?

While she stood there wordless, Sophia couldn’t hold it in anymore. “Come on, who dates like you? Just guarding your V-card like it’s a buried treasure or something. I mean...”

She suddenly placed a hand over her not-even-showing belly, face softening like she just walked out of a mom-and-baby magazine. “I’m already pregnant with Michael’s baby.”

Emily’s mind went blank.

So Michael had been hooking up with Sophia behind her back, *while* dating her? And now there was even a baby in the picture?

Even if she wanted a family, this guy? Not worth it.

“Fine. I’m done.”

Michael immediately turned to Sophia, eyes warm and voice full of affection. “Sophia, let’s go.”

“Hold up.” Emily’s voice cut through, stopping them in their tracks. “Michael, if we’re breaking up, fine—no problem.”

“But you need to say it, right here. That I’m not the one who came in between you two. That *she* was the one who interfered in our relationship.”

Splash—

A cup of warm lemon water hit her face.

Emily flinched, caught completely off guard.

“What a joke,” Sophia sneered as she slammed the cup down. “Acting all innocent while playing the victim. You think no one sees through you? Please. Grew up in some orphanage and now you’re pretending to be pure? Bet you've already been through a dozen beds. Third wheel? Babe, you could be fourth, fifth, or sixth for all I care.”

Emily gave a slow, calm smile as she wiped the water from her face.

“Michael, stand up.”

Her cold, sharp eyes, that icy tone—she carried a presence that made him rise without a word.

Then came a swift, loud—"PAK!"

The slap echoed through the quiet café. Michael's head jerked, cheek turning red under all those staring eyes. Even the waiter holding tissues froze in shock.

Emily shook out her tingling hand and sat back down like nothing happened.

Say what you will about her, she didn’t care. But dragging the orphanage into this? Unforgivable.

She knew how tough life was for every kid raised there. They were survivors. No one got to trash that part of her.

“I’m holding back ‘cause you’re pregnant,” she said, locking eyes with a stunned Sophia. “But every time you insult me or the orphanage again...”

She pointed at Michael, gaze fierce. “He’s getting slapped.”

Then she turned to Michael. “If you don’t speak up, I’ll show up at your shiny new job. Good luck getting past probation with a scandal like this.”