The 99th Time He Went to Her Floor

When my boyfriend pressed the wrong elevator button for the 99th timegoing to my friend Jade's floor instead of minehe looked at me accusingly.

Why didn't you remind me? Well, since we're already at Jade's door, might as well help her change that light bulb.

I froze.

Ever since Jade moved to the floor above mine a year ago, my boyfriend had been pressing the wrong floor button every single time.

Once, when I had a high fever, he delivered medicine to Jade's apartment instead because she had menstrual cramps.

Another time, he was supposed to meet me for a movie, but he delivered the tickets to Jade's place.

Even on my birthday, he showed up at Jade's door carrying my cake.

And now, watching him walk into my best friend's apartment without looking back, I coldly pressed the elevator close button.

He had forgotten.

Today was the day my lease expired. Today was the day I was moving out.

Since he loved going to Jade's place so much, he could stop coming to mine altogether.

When I went downstairs, the moving company had already arrived.

"Miss Winters, we'll start moving now."

I nodded. My phone buzzeda message from Ethan Lucas.

"Where did you go? Don't wander off."

This sudden show of concern made my fingers tremble slightly.

But the moment I opened the chat, his next message popped up:

"Go downstairs to the store and buy me a wrench. Jade doesn't have one here."

I stared at his message for several seconds.

So he hadn't suddenly noticed I wasn't following behind him.

He only realized I wasn't by his side because he needed me to do something for him.

Scrolling up through our chat history, every single message was related to Jade Morgan.

"Give Jade that skincare set your coworker brought you from France. I'll buy you a different one."

"Jade mentioned wanting Japanese food last time. Let's go after you get off work today. I already made a reservation."

Ethan's messages to me were always declarative statements.

He had already decided. He never thought to ask for my opinion.

The most recent message before these was from that rainy day when I asked if he could pick me up.

He said: "I'm already home. Just take a cab back yourself."

But the next second, Jade posted on her social media.

A tilted umbrella sheltering her as she got into the passenger seat.

"Almost got trapped in the rain. Lucky someone came to my rescue."

I recognized that car interior all too well.

I used to think that since he was my boyfriend and Jade was my best friend, I should be happy they got along well.

But my repeated compromises only made Ethan worse.

This time, I didn't reply.

As I was packing in my room, Ethan sent another message:

"Why aren't you back yet? Jade says she wants French food. I'm taking her there first."

"Come meet us later."

This wasn't the first time something like this had happened.

We'd make plans to eat together.

But when I was late because of work or traffic, all that was left for me were cold leftovers.

And Ethan's response to my hurt feelings was always indifferent:

"Jade has stomach problems. She ate first. The food is just a little cold, it still tastes fine. Stop making a fuss."

Stop making a fuss.

When a pipe burst in my apartment and left the whole place flooded, I called him.

He said the same thing: "I don't have time to help you with that. Find a repairman yourself. Stop making a fuss."

So I washed the curtains myself, changed light bulbs myself, slowly learning not to depend on him.

But with Jade, he showed a completely different face:

"You don't need to be so independent as a woman. If you need anything from now on, I'll help you. You live so close to Vienna anyway, it's no trouble."

I didn't understand why the same kind of help was considered "making a fuss" when I was his girlfriend, but "no trouble" when it came to Jade.

I swallowed the bitterness in my heart and messaged Ethan: "You two enjoy. I have things to do."

It took him a long time to reply:

"Throwing another tantrum? Vienna Winters, how old are you? Stop being childish."

I had thrown tantrums before.

Last winter, I had a fever of 102 degrees. I was shivering all over and called him to bring me medicine.

But he said he was at Jade's place. Jade had menstrual cramps and couldn't get out of bed, so he went to rub her stomach.

I said I was suffering too. He was silent for two seconds before saying: "You've always had a strong constitution, haven't you? How bad could it be? Just buy some ibuprofen."

That was the first time I felt I couldn't take it anymore.

He was my boyfriend, yet I could never be his priority.

I asked him for a breakup.

But he didn't say a wordjust blocked me first.

He knew I loved him too much. I was too dependent on him.

So he let me cry for two days, let me cry myself dry.

Then he had Jade invite me out to dinner.

I pathetically chose to reconcile.

After that, I never threw tantrums again.

But this time was different.

I wasn't throwing a tantrum. I was serious.

The movers went in and out, and the things in my apartment decreased piece by piece.

Only then did I realize that after seven years of dating, there was almost nothing of Ethan's in my home.

A pair of dusty slippers, a cup he'd used onceI couldn't find a third item.

Even the slippers and cup were things I had bought.

He had never given me any proper gifts.

When Jade moved, he brought her a housewarming present. On Jade's birthday, he prepared a large bouquet of her favorite white roses.

But to me, he always said: "Those formalistic things are meaningless. When two people live together, it's better to be practical."

I had questioned him, expressed my dissatisfaction.

He said: "I give your best friend gifts to make you look good, don't I?"

I laughed bitterly at myself. My phone buzzedMom was calling.

"Hello, Vienna honey, how did things go with you and Ethan discussing the wedding?"

Not long ago, Ethan and I had met with both our parents.

Both families were very satisfied. When it came time to set the wedding date, Ethan said his career was in an upward phase and there was no rush to get married.

At the time, though disappointed, I still understood his work pressure.

But now, I was only grateful.

A man who couldn't even remember where my door wasafter marriage, would I have to wait alone in an empty house forever?

"Mom. We're not getting married. I'm planning to break up."

Mom's voice immediately became tense:

"Why? Did he wrong you somehow?"

"No, I just suddenly feel we're not compatible."

On the other end of the line, Mom was clearly silent for a moment.

After all, everyone knew I had loved Ethan Lucas for a full seven years.

How deep seven years of feelings ran.

Mom knew. Jade knew too.

I was the one who pursued Ethan first.

To get close to him, I listened to his favorite bands, read books in his field, even secretly joined the same gym just to run into him.

After graduation, he signed with a company in New York.

Without a second thought, I gave up the job my professor had lined up for me and followed him with my suitcase.

Mom was so angry she didn't speak to me for three days, but I only said: "Mom, if I miss him, I'll regret it for the rest of my life."

Back then, Jade had chided me in frustration:

"Vienna Winters, you're going to ruin yourself over this man."

Jade and I had been best friends for ten years. She had long since become as important to me as family.

But no one expected that now she would enjoy my boyfriend's care without a second thought, completely disregarding my feelings.

Looking at Jade's newly posted romantic dinner on social media, my eyes stung.

The video was tagged at that restaurant I had researched so thoroughly.

Flickering candlelight, exquisite dishes, pleasant piano music in the background.

But every time I invited Ethan to go there with me, he always said: "We're about to get married. Can you be a little more frugal?"

"Spending thousands on one meal. Candlelight dinnerwe can have that at home."

He said it so righteously that I could only swallow my expectations again and again.

But now, with one word from Jade saying she wanted it, he took her to that restaurant I had longed for.

When the last item was moved, I collapsed exhausted on the sofa.

The last time I moved, I called Ethan and he said he was too busy with work and told me to find someone myself.

To save money, I could only grit my teeth and move everything myself.

By the end, I was so exhausted that my chronic back problem flared up, forcing me to rest in bed for two days.

But when Jade moved, Ethan specifically took time off work.

"Moving is so exhausting. Your best friend is singlewe should help her out."

I watched him bustling about, sweat soaking his hair, and felt he was utterly unfamiliar.

So he wasn't incapable of helping someone move. He just couldn't spare a single day off for me.

While I was organizing things, my phone exploded with calls.

Ethan was calling: "Vienna Winters, open the door. You even changed the password? What's that supposed to mean?"

I was silent for a moment before speaking: "It doesn't mean anything. Ethan Lucas, let's break up."

But the person on the other end acted as if he hadn't heard me. His voice was suppressing anger:

"Jade remembered you wanted to eat at that restaurant. You didn't come, but she specially got takeout for you. And what do you do? You changed the password and won't even open the door when I knock."

"Vienna Winters, stop being so unreasonable!"

I wasn't sure if he hadn't heard me say we should break up, or if he was so used to dismissing my requests for a breakup as just another unreasonable tantrum.

I was about to repeat myself when he had already hung up.

I laughed bitterly at myself.

My fault. I had loved Ethan Lucas too openly, too publicly.

Even he himself didn't believe I would leave him.

The next day, when I went to the mall to buy things for my new place, I turned around a shelf and ran straight into two people.

Ethan was carrying shopping bags large and small. Jade was walking beside him.

The smiles on both their faces stiffened the moment they saw me.

"Vienna, don't misunderstand. Ethan is just helping me buy things, worried I couldn't carry them alone."

Jade explained while trying to reach for my hand.

But Ethan yanked her back:

"Why explain to her? She hasn't even apologized for yesterday."

"Jade, you spoil her too much. That's why she's so ungrateful."

Jade looked at me with concern but still obediently followed Ethan to the checkout counter.

Watching their backs, my heart felt like it had a gaping hole.

Ethan never accompanied me shopping. He said shopping was too tiring, too troublesome.

"If you need something, just order delivery. Why go through all that trouble yourself?"

But now he was carrying bags large and small for Jade without complaint.

Outside the mall, Ethan loaded everything into the trunk.

Jade had already gotten into the passenger seat and rolled down the window to wave at me.

Ethan naturally said: "Get in. I'll drive you both home."

Seeing my eyes land on the "Girlfriend's Exclusive Seat" sticker on the passenger side, he frowned, somewhat impatiently:

"Jade hurt her back at the gym recently. The passenger seat has more space. You sit in the back for now."

Look at that. He remembered all of Jade's habits. He remembered her bad back. He remembered her menstrual cramps.

But he couldn't remember the old injury I got from moving heavy boxes.

My nose stung. I forced myself to speak: "No thanks. It's not on my way."

Jade reached to unbuckle her seatbelt. "Vienna, why are you being like this?"

"Don't you want me in the passenger seat? I'll get out right now."

But Ethan pressed her hand down first and sneered:

"If it's not on your way, forget it. Let's go."

As soon as he finished speaking, the car started and drove away from me.

With me, Ethan never seemed to have much patience.

A few days later, Ethan sent me an address again.

"My mom invited you to dinner to discuss the wedding."

I typed and deleted in the message box, hesitating for a long time before finally replying with a simple "okay."

Even if I had decided to break up, I should give the older generation an explanation in person.

After all, after seven years together, Ethan's mother had been relatively good to me.

When I walked into the private dining room, Mrs. Lucas was already there.

I exchanged pleasantries with her. Only then did Ethan arrive late with Jade.

"Mom, Jade works at the company next to mine. She's also Vienna's good friend."

"This restaurant is close to the office, so I brought her along."

Mrs. Lucas cleared her throat lightly, her expression somewhat unpleasant.

But Ethan acted as if he didn't notice and directly picked up the menu to start ordering.

Everything he ordered was Jade's favorite dishes.

He and Jade both loved spicy food, but I couldn't handle it.

Every time the three of us ate Mexican food together, they would enjoy the peppers with relish while I could barely take two bites before coughing uncontrollably.

"Ethan, don't order so many spicy dishes" Mrs. Lucas frowned and looked at me.

Only then did Ethan seem to remember, saying casually: "Then let's get this almond pudding. Vienna likes sweet things."

Bitterness welled up in my heart. After ordering everything, he finally deigned to consider my taste as an afterthought.

"Ethan," Jade looked somewhat troubled, glancing between Ethan and me: "Vienna is allergic to nuts."

Reminded by someone else, Ethan finally showed some panic, quickly flipping through the menu: "Oh, then we'll change it. How about"

"No need to bother." I stood up and interrupted him.

How ridiculous.

Seven years, yet not enough time for him to learn my tastes.

Even my dietary restrictions had to be pointed out by someone else.

I looked apologetically at Mrs. Lucas and spoke softly: "I'm sorry, Mrs. Lucas. I won't be staying for dinner."

"Ethan Lucas and I have already broken up."

After saying this, I turned and left the private room.

Ethan didn't chase after me.

It wasn't until evening that Ethan finally showed up at my old apartment door.

He rang the doorbell over and over, but no one answered.

Impatience had just begun to show on his face when a neighbor stuck their head out:

"Stop knocking. This is an empty unit. The woman who lived here moved out last week."