I sat silently in the living room. It was over ten minutes before she finally came out of the bathroom. Her expression was noticeably better than when she’d been facing me..
Noticing my stare, she shot me a glare and hurried back to the bedroom.
I didn't follow her in. Instead, I sank into memories of the past few years.

I'm an orphan. Never had a formal education.
I met Sophia when she was working a summer job after high school graduation.
Her family was poor; her mother was sick, her father disabled; they couldn't afford her college.
After a month of knowing her, I fell for her.
I gathered my courage and pursued her; we got together.
I ended up covering her tuition and living expenses. Having been in the workforce for years, I had some savings. I even helped pay for her mother’s treatments.

The early days were sweet. She was gentle and lovely. I was the envy of many coworkers—they said I was lucky to land a college girl, that it would give our future children a better start.
I thought so too, so I cherished what we had.
Sophia and I had agreed long ago to marry after she graduated.
But things changed when she started her senior year internship.

After entering the company, she saw the glamour of the world; when we were together, she grew increasingly impatient.
After graduation, she found fault with everything I did.
Now, only a year after graduation, I couldn't even remember the last time I held her.
She came from a village. Everyone in the village knew about me, saying I was a reliable, hardworking guy, kind-hearted enough to support Sophia through college.
I know that’s partly why she hasn’t broken up with me outright. She’s afraid people will gossip, call her ungrateful.
But I also knew her heart was no longer with me.
Richard was older than me, but he was rich. Even divorced, his wealth far surpassed mine.
Breaking up was just a matter of time; it was my unwillingness that held on.
I often wondered if I was really just paranoid.
After all, I hadn't found conclusive proof.
I often wonder if I’m just being paranoid. After all, I haven’t caught them in the act. I’ve never worked in a big company—maybe she really has to socialize for work.
My anger faded a little. I still wanted to save this relationship.
I didn't sleep all night. At 6 AM, someone knocked.
I got up to answer; Richard Chamberlain stood at the door.
"What are you doing here?"
Richard ignored me. He stood at the door and called out, "Sophia, are you awake?"
I tried to close the door, but he stepped inside, blocking it. "I'm looking for Sophia, not you."
"What are you doing here?" Sophia came out in her pajamas.
Richard brought his hand from behind his back; it held a gift.
"I meant to give this to you yesterday, but we were having such a good time I forgot."
"Remember when I tore your stockings last time? These are the same ones; I know you'll like them."
Stockings? Torn?
Sophia had never worn stockings around me. And now a man was giving her stockings, claiming he'd torn a pair?
I saw Sophia blush slightly, shyly charming.
"Have you no shame? Flaunting an affair like this?" My anger finally boiled over.
Last night I'd talked myself into saving things, but they were already at this stage?
"Affair?" Richard looked at me. "Get this straight. In love, the one who isn't loved is the third wheel."
"Sophia, if you don't want to tell him, I will."
He turned to me. "A toad like you doesn't deserve Sophia."
I'd been holding back, but couldn't anymore. Blood rushed to my head; I punched him square in the face, knocking him back.
SLAP!
Sophia's slap landed on my face immediately after I threw the punch. She glared at me. "What are you doing?"
She hit me to protect him? The fire inside me roared. "I'll kill you both!"
I charged forward, eyes red, ready to tear him apart.
Richard fought back. Sophia rushed to help him, grabbing me.
Richard was tall and strong, worked out regularly. With Sophia helping him, it was two against one. I didn't gain the upper hand.
Neighbors heard the commotion and came out to pull us apart.
I usually got along well with neighbors, helping out when needed.
"Sophia, why are you helping an outsider hit Mason?"
"Yeah, what's going on?"
"Who are you?" someone demanded of Richard.
"He started it!" Sophia snapped, glaring at me before rushing to check on Richard.
His nose was bleeding, his lip was cut. Sophia asked tenderly, "Does it hurt?"
I was more injured than Richard, but she didn't care about me at all; her eyes were only for Richard.
Richard gave me a challenging look. "Just a scratch. It's nothing."
The neighbors sensed the problem. Someone quietly asked me what happened; I stayed silent, my face grim.
"Apologize to Richard, or I'm calling the police," Sophia said coldly, carefully wiping blood from Richard's face.
"You want me to apologize to him?"
Sophia was firm. "Yes. Apologize to Richard."
"Ouch..." Richard suddenly winced. "Sophia, I'm sorry. I broke the watch you gave me."
Only then did I notice the cracked watch on Richard's wrist.
I didn't recognize the brand, but that wasn't important.
What mattered was that Sophia had given it to him.
All these years, Sophia had never bought me anything.
Back in college, she said once she started earning, she'd buy me a watch.
I thought she'd forgotten. Turns out, she just hadn't wanted to.
"It's okay, I'll buy you another one," Sophia soothed Richard.
"This Rolex Submariner isn't cheap; it cost over $10,000," Richard said, throwing me a challenging look.
"My salary is higher now; I can afford it," Sophia's gentle voice stabbed my heart.
Her first paycheck went entirely to her family.
Since starting work, she hadn't spent a dime on me.
Richard looked at me. "No way. He has to pay for it."
Sophia snapped back to reality, glaring at me. "Just apologizing isn't enough now. You have to pay. I still have the receipt – $10,800."
My heart died completely at that moment. "I'll pay for the watch. Now, you calculate how much I spent on you over the years and pay me back."
"What kind of man are you?" Richard sneered. "What about Sophia's compensation for her wasted youth?"
"Sophia, don't waste words on him. Call the cops. Let's see who pays then."
Sophia actually called the police. Neighbors buzzed around, advising us to settle privately, saying calling the cops was unnecessary.