The bustling atmosphere of the restaurant only made the solitary figure of a man stand out all the more.
He lowered his head, his deep eyes filled with fatigue,
gazing down at the cold dishes before him.
The glass of wine in front of him was half empty, like his patience was gradually running dry.
No one knew how many times Alexander had sighed that day,
as the busy tone on the other end of the line,
signaling no answer,
left him utterly exhausted.
"Sir, would you like me to reheat the food for you?"
The waitress approached, speaking awkwardly.
Alexander gave a weary, faint smile and shook his head in refusal.
Convincing himself once again that Isabella must simply be busy, unable to pick up, he tried calling again.
This time, she answered.
Relief washed over him for a fleeting moment,
only to be shattered by the harsh scolding that came through the receiver.
"Are you insane?"
"Do you not realize how annoying it is to call so many times?"
"Can't you stop? Do you have any idea how busy I am with work?"
"You really are pathetic, nothing but a nuisance."
Isabella's relentless reproach, her voice cold and razor-sharp, left Alexander speechless.
Just as he was about to lower his head and apologize like every other time,
a gentle male voice suddenly slipped through the line,
making him freeze.
Accompanied by a deep, husky chuckle, warm and seductive, it said:
"Come now, darling."
"Let's continue. Spread your legs."
"Don't answer the phone anymore, you're already soaking wet down there."
Alongside the man's coaxing words came Isabella's soft moans,
both tender and shy, laced with a certain sweetness.
Before Alexander could even comprehend what was happening,
The call was abruptly cut off.
He stared at the darkened phone screen for a long while,
silent for what felt like an eternity,
before letting out a bitter smile.
Perhaps he had expected too much, for Isabella had never once said she wanted him to celebrate her birthday, or anything of the sort.
It was all just his own wishful thinking.
Exhausted, Alexander was about to pay the bill and leave when, all of a sudden, the large screen in the restaurant lit up,
playing a news segment with a blazing headline:
"The Romantic Confession of Adrian Holt – the World-Famous Genius Singer – to the Beautiful Actress Isabella Hart."
The words struck his eyes like a knife, forcing him to glance at the video now unfolding on the screen.
At an outdoor concert with a dazzling stage,
Adrian appeared in a pristine white suit, dashing like a prince out of a fairy tale.
his voice was gentle as he sang a sweet song.
When the song ended, he tenderly confessed his love in words to Isabella,
who stood frozen in bliss upon the stage.
The stage lights illuminated her flushed face, tinged with both shyness and bewilderment,
her eyes brimming with affection as she gazed at Adrian.
Finally, when Isabella accepted his confession,
fireworks burst into the night sky,
a scene of perfect romance that drove Julian's fans into wild screams.
In the frenzy of the crowd, Adrian tilted Isabella's chin lightly, then bent down and pressed upon her lips a fervent kiss.
Sweet as honey, yet bitter as gall.
Watching to this point, Alexander felt his heart grow weary to the point of collapse.
The people in the restaurant had long erupted into frenzied cheers of excitement.
The clamor crashed against Alexander's ears like a storm.
"Oh, what a perfect couple, how romantic! Adrian truly is the nation's ideal boyfriend!"
"I can't believe it! An heir to a vast fortune, a world-famous singer, and yet he's such a devoted lover. Did you see the way he looked at Isabella just now? Sweet enough to melt me on the spot!"
"They're truly each other's true love. I heard they were even first loves in the past. How romantic is that?"
"Yes! And when Isabella had that accident and was left paralyzed, forced to leave the entertainment industry, Adrian disappeared for a long time as well."
"And when Isabella finally returned, Adrian came back too. Fate itself must have brought them together again!"
"Oh, it won't be long before we hear news of their marriage, I bet. The way they look at each other is just too full of love!"
The voices of the other customers kept rising, each comment more stirring than the last.
Every word pierced Alexander's ears like the edge of a blade.
Sharper still was the sweet, blissful smile in the final scene,
when Isabella gazed at Adrian,
with eyes she had never once turned toward him.
In the end, unable to face the truth, Alexander staggered as he paid the bill and left.
He was not foolish enough to go searching, nor to call Isabella again and bother her.
Instead, he went home, opened the door, and let the darkness swallow his soul whole.
He poured himself a glass of red wine, drank it slowly to the last drop, savoring the sorrow that consumed him.
Yes, compared to Adrian, he was nothing.
He was only a fiancé in name.
By chance, he had saved her grandfather, and thus became engaged to Isabella, only to take care of her while she was paralyzed. Now that she could walk again, and her grandfather had passed away, naturally, she no longer needed him.
Alexander let out a cold laugh, sat wearily in the darkness.
…
The next morning, when Isabella opened the door and stepped into the house, she was genuinely startled.
The room was pitch dark, not a single light on.
And there sat Alexander, surrounded by empty wine glasses,
hollow and lifeless,
something she had never seen before.
A fleeting look of disgust crossed Isabella's eyes. And when her gaze fell upon the birthday cake on the dining table, she glanced at Alexander with contempt before ruthlessly sweeping the cake to the floor.
"I told you I don't like celebrating birthdays. Are you deaf?"
"Or do you not understand human language?"
Her voice was sharp and cold as she lashed out.
"And what are you doing all this for? Do you want money?"
"You don't even clean the house anymore, are you trying to drive me insane?"
Isabella looked him up and down, her gaze cutting.
"My parents give you money, isn't that enough?"
"For someone who just lazes at home, doing nothing, to still receive that much every month, that's already far too much!"
"Truly, you're nothing but insatiably greedy."