I opened the door slowly.
Trinh Viet stood outside.
His hair was messy.
His eyes were red.
The man who always looked calm and composed in front of everyone now looked exhausted.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Three and a half years together.
There were countless times when I imagined him standing in front of me, asking me not to leave.
But now that it really happened…
My heart was strangely quiet.
“Lam Te…”
He lowered his voice.
“Can we talk?”
I stepped aside and let him enter.
Not because I had forgiven him.
Just because I wanted to hear what he had to say.
He sat on the small sofa in my room.
The same sofa where I had spent countless nights crying silently after he forgot another promise.
He looked around.
For the first time, he seemed to notice where I lived.
A twenty-square-meter room.
A small table.
A simple bed.
A wardrobe with only a few clothes.
His expression changed.
“You have been living here all this time?”
I looked at him.
“Yes.”
“But why didn’t you tell me?”
I smiled faintly.
“Would it matter?”
He opened his mouth.
But no words came out.
Because he knew.
Even if I had told him, he probably would have said:
“Wait until I finish this project.”
“Wait until I’m less busy.”
“Wait a little longer.”
I had waited for three and a half years.
I was tired of waiting.
Trinh Viet rubbed his hands nervously.
“Lam Te, about Gia Di…”
I interrupted him.
“I don’t want to hear about her.”
He froze.
“I just want to explain.”
“There is nothing to explain.”
“No, there is.”
His voice became urgent.
“She really is only my junior sister. We grew up in the same research group. My mother likes her because she visits often. The snow mountain trip is just a group activity.”
I looked at him quietly.
“Then why did you never take me?”
He stopped.
The room became silent.
I continued.
“Three and a half years, Trinh Viet.”
“My birthday.”
“Our anniversary.”
“The beach.”
“You promised me so many things.”
“But every time, there was always something more important.”
His fingers tightened.
“I was busy.”
“Yes.”
I nodded.
“You were busy.”
“But you weren’t too busy to remember that she likes smoked meat.”
“You weren’t too busy to book a trip she wanted.”
“You weren’t too busy to reply to her messages.”
His face turned pale.
“Lam Te…”
“I’m not angry because you went to the snowy mountains.”
I looked at him.
“I’m hurt because I finally realized that when someone matters to you, you will always find time.”
Those words made him lower his head.
For the first time, he had no excuse.
No explanation.
No sentence saying I misunderstood.
After a long silence, he whispered:
“I know I made mistakes.”
I smiled.
“You know now.”
He looked at me.
“I want to fix them.”
I shook my head.
“You always say that after something happens.”
His eyes became painful.
“Then tell me what I should do.”
I looked out the window.
The Beijing winter sky was gray.
Three years ago, I had stood by this same window dreaming about a future with him.
A future where we traveled together.
A future where he would hold my hand and proudly introduce me.
A future where I would feel chosen.
But dreams could disappear quietly.
Not because of one huge betrayal.
Sometimes they disappeared because of thousands of small disappointments.
“I don’t know,” I answered.
“Because I spent three and a half years telling you what I needed.”
“And you never heard me.”
Trinh Viet remained silent for a long time.
Then he suddenly said:
“Tomorrow is my birthday.”
I looked at him.
“I know.”
He was surprised.
“You remember?”
I almost laughed.
Of course I remembered.
I remembered every important day about him.
His birthday.
His favorite food.
His schedule.
His habits.
Everything.
Because I loved him.
But love became painful when only one person carried it.
“I bought your gift two months ago,” I said.
His expression changed.
“You did?”
“Yes.”
“Where is it?”
I looked toward the corner of the room.
A small box was still there.
Untouched.
I had planned to give it to him after surprising him at his apartment.
I had even written a card.
But now…
There was no reason anymore.
Trinh Viet slowly walked over and picked up the box.
His hands trembled when he saw his name written on it.
“Can I open it?”
I didn’t answer.
He opened it.
Inside was a watch.
The same model he had once stopped in front of a store window and admired.
“You remembered…”
His voice cracked.
I looked away.
“I remember everything about you.”
A tear fell from his eyes.
“But you forgot me.”
That sentence completely broke him.
He sat there holding the watch.
A gift from someone he had slowly pushed away.
After a while, he stood up.
“I’ll prove it to you.”
I looked at him.
“Prove what?”
“That I still love you.”
I didn’t reply.
Because at that moment, I realized something.
Maybe Trinh Viet did love me.
Maybe he never intended to hurt me.
But love without action was just a beautiful word.
The next morning, something unexpected happened.
When I arrived at work, everyone was looking at their phones.
My colleague walked toward me with a strange expression.
“Lam Te… did you see the news?”
I frowned.
“What news?”
She handed me her phone.
On the screen was a photo from a research conference.
Trinh Viet was standing beside Chu Gia Di.
But that wasn’t what shocked me.
The headline underneath made my hands freeze.
“Top Young Researcher Trinh Viet Announces Engagement With Partner From His Research Team.”
My breathing stopped.
Engagement?
I stared at the photo.
Then my phone rang.
It was Trinh Viet.
I answered slowly.
“Hello?”
There was silence on the other end.
Then his voice came.
“Lam Te…”
I looked at the screen again.
At the article.
At the photo.
At the words I couldn’t believe.
“What is this?”
His breathing became heavier.
“It’s not what you think.”
I closed my eyes.
That sentence again.
The same sentence I had heard countless times.
But this time…
Something felt different.
Because before he could explain, another message appeared on my phone.
From an unknown number.
It contained only one photo.
A photo of Trinh Viet and Chu Gia Di from three years ago.
The day he first told me he was too busy to take me to the beach.
And below the photo was a sentence:
“Lam Te, you deserve to know the truth about why he never had time for you.”
