Finally We Got Lost - Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I never doubted love, but love can change in an instant. Especially after four years. This relationship had already soured–1 should have realized it sooner. But love makes you blind. I pulled out a large cardboard box and opened the storage cabinet that filled an entire wall.

Inside, there were remnants of our love–Kuromi plaster figurines we painted on rainy days, handmade pottery projects, bracelets, and phone cases. The wall was covered in photos, a visible timeline of our four years together. From our early days of warm embraces to later photos where we only posed with half–hearted peace signs.

I didn’t even know when Vincent’s heart had started to change. I took a deep breath, wiping the redness from the corners of my eyes, then tossed everything from the cabinet, piece by piece, into the box. I tore down every photo from the wall as well. The yellowed adhesive left stark marks on the white wall, mirroring my scarred, fractured heart.

As I packed, memories surfaced, and daylight slowly faded. Once the box was filled, I took it downstairs to the dumpster, then lay on the sofa, exhausted. After some time, the door opened. Vincent walked in, turning on the lights in the living room.

“Kaylee, why are you sleeping here? You’ll catch a cold.”

I stared at him for three seconds before looking away. “I was cleaning the house and fell asleep accidentally” 

Vincent glanced around the room, noticing the changes, “Did you throw away a lot of stuff? It feeds emptier.” 

I nodded lightly, “Graduation’s here, it’s time to throw out the old and bring in the new.”

Graduation season is not only a time for decluttering, but also for breakups. Anything tied to the past had to go, along with the traces of a love that no longer held meaning.

“Alright, we can go shopping together later and redecorate our little nest.”

Vincent nodded, not giving it much thought. Watching his casual demeanor, I felt a slight ache in my chest. If he’d looked a bit more closely, he’d have noticed that everything missing was part of our couple’s collection or love mementos–things I’d never discard without a reason.

But he was too busy texting to notice anything. After all, Alina filled his thoughts now. A notification pinged on his phone. Vincent glanced down, and his expression shifted.

“Kaylee, today’s our anniversary! Why didn’t you remind me? Did you forget too?”

Only then did I realize that his phone’s calendar had reminded him of today’s date. Hearing his reproach, I felt a dull weight settle inside me.

“You seemed too busy, so I didn’t mention it.”

I had reminded him this morning, but someone preoccupied wouldn’t have registered it. Sensing my indifference, Vincent looked a bit uneasy.

“Babe, that was my fault. Let’s make it up another day, like we used to, with all the ceremony and excitement.”

He gently held my hand, trying to appease me with a soft tone. Just then, his phone rang again. It was a voice call from “Sailor Moon.” He instinctively declined the call, but Alina dialed right back. Seeing his guilty expression, I gave him an excuse to leave.

“Go ahead and take it; it could be urgent from the lab.”

After all, the lab had always been his go–to excuse whenever he had to step out unexpectedly. This time, I said it myself to save him the trouble of lying again. Vincent hesitated, then quickly went to the balcony to answer the call.

When he returned, he gave me a light hug and said softly, “You really understand me. It was an urgent lab issue. I need to go handle it and wrap up this project.

“When things settle down, I’ll take you out for a proper anniversary celebration. We’ll stay in the Disney castle, and I’ll make you feel like a princess.”

I turned slightly away from his embrace, lowered my gaze, and nodded.

“Okay.”

It was a simple response, devoid of any expectation. I had long since stopped believing in his promises. But when I saw a red notification on Instagram, I instinctively opened it. Alina had posted a new update- The picture showed Vincent sipping coffee in the lab’s break room.

“Sharing the same cup of coffee with my boyfriend, more intimate than a kiss.”