Only When My Love Was Gone ，Did He Realize His Mistake.

There was a time when every argument I had with him about his relationship with Isabella ended with him patiently explaining that they were just friends, that nothing had happened, and that I was just overthinking things. At least back then, he’d give me some kind of response, even though his words never felt sincere.

But eventually, he stopped saying anything at all.

I was the one who would spiral, my emotions erupting like a volcano, only to quietly cool down afterward.

And now, I finally understand, and I’ve let go.

Looking back at myself then, I must have seemed like a madwoman. Every time I broke down, I must’ve looked awful.

No wonder Daniel got frustrated with me.

In that moment, I didn’t want to ask him anything. I just wanted to sleep.

He stared at me for a while, and when I didn’t react, he softly called my name, “Olivia?”

I pretended to be sound asleep, keeping my eyes tightly shut and not moving.

After a while, he finally left.

I heard the sound of running water from the bathroom—he must’ve gone to wash up. The sound was surprisingly soothing, and as it trickled on, I unknowingly drifted off to sleep. I didn’t even notice when he climbed into bed.

The next morning, I woke up early and went straight to the office.

The entire day, I immersed myself in work, and the hours flew by in a blur.

After work, I ate dinner alone before returning home.

As soon as I walked in, I saw Daniel sitting on the couch.

“Why are you home so early?” I asked as I took off my shoes.

“No overtime,” he replied.

“Oh.” I nodded, hung up my bag, and was about to head to the study.

“Olivia,” Daniel called out, “I already bought your birthday gift, and I wanted to give it to you yesterday…”

“Thank you!” I took the beautifully wrapped box from his hands.

Inside was a delicate bracelet.

“It’s lovely. I like it,” I smiled at him. “I’ll wear it tomorrow.”

As I turned to leave, Daniel suddenly grabbed my arm.

“I’m sorry,” he said hesitantly. “I couldn’t keep my promise yesterday. When I was almost at the restaurant, Isabella called. Her ex-boyfriend started stalking her again, and she was really scared. She lives alone, and it’s not safe—”

“I understand,” I interrupted calmly. “She shouldn’t have to face danger alone. You’ve mentioned before that her ex has unstable emotions. It’s fine, let’s not talk about this anymore. I still have some work left. I’m going to the study.”

“Olivia!” He didn’t let go of my arm.

“Hmm?” I turned back to look at him.

“I haven’t eaten yet.”

“Oh, I already ate. You can order takeout,” I said, gently pulling my arm out of his grip and walking toward the study.

Just as I sat down, I heard the door slam shut.

I got up and walked out to find that Daniel was already gone.

He brought the gift and even apologized, but I didn’t take the opportunity to respond gently. He must’ve gotten upset.

From that moment on, Daniel and I were once again in a silent standoff.

In the past, during such silent treatments, I would spiral into anxiety, trying desperately to think of ways to reconcile with him.

But now, after a few days of silence, I actually felt a strange sense of relief.

Daniel was sleeping in the guest room, and I was alone, enjoying the vast expanse of the bed. I slept more soundly than I had in a while.

In the mornings, I no longer woke up early to make breakfast for him. Sleeping an extra half hour had become my little indulgence.

At work, I didn’t constantly think about Daniel, nor did I text him all the time. I even realized that my work efficiency had improved significantly.

Tasks that I used to scramble to finish at the last minute, I was now able to complete ahead of schedule.

After work, I no longer felt the need to rush home to cook.

To make sure Daniel ate healthily, I’d once spent a lot of time learning how to cook, preparing meals every evening.

But he was always busy with work and social events, so it was a miracle if he managed to come home for dinner twice a week.

No longer revolving around him, I finally discovered that I had a lot of free time.

During this period, I binge-watched an entire TV series, finishing it in just three nights.