The Spring She Grew Into

At the dinner table, someone suggested a round of King's Cup, a classic card-based drinking game.

Janice lost the first round, and her penalty was three stiff drinks.

The moment the glasses hit the table, Adrian instinctively reached to grab the one in front of her, but a buddy next to him blocked his move, grinning cheekily, "I get that you two are tight, but you can't mess with the drinking game rules. If you cover for her, the drinks double. That's six shots, Adrian. Think about it!"

Adrian winced at the thought.

Yvette, with her hands propping up her chin, gave Janice a sideways glance. "Janice, you're not a schoolgirl like me. You've been rocking the business scene for years, so this drinking game is old hat for you, right? Three little shots should be a breeze."

Yvette's challenging look was like a punch to Janice's gut.

Janice shot a look at Adrian, who was chuckling nearby, and felt a wave of irritation flood through her.

Without a word, she snatched up her glass and downed the drink in one go. The fiery liquid scorched its way down her throat, searing her stomach, but she gritted her teeth and powered through all three shots.

Yvette was the loser in the second round.

She looked at the full glasses before her, lips pursed in a pout, and kept shooting hopeful glances at Adrian.

Adrian did not hesitate this time. He grabbed his glass and knocked back six shots: "Yvette's my junior, and she really can't handle her liquor."

The room burst into applause and cheers.

There were some curious looks being exchanged, eyes darting between Yvette and Janice.

After setting his glass down, Adrian sneakily reached for Janice's hand under the table, but she snatched it away.

Adrian leaned in, trying to say something, but Yvette's sweet voice cut him off. "Adrian, please check my eye. I think a bug flew into it!"

After one too many rounds of King's Cup, Janice's head was spinning. She lowered it to the table, trying to steady herself.

However, the moment she did, she felt the table shaking in a steady rhythm. Peeking underneath, she caught Adrian's foot stroking Yvette's leg.

When she looked up, Yvette was blushing and nestled in Adrian's arms, playfully pushing him away. "Stop it, don't..."

Adrian smirked devilishly, whispering in her ear, and Yvette's cheeks turned a deeper shade of red.

Janice's stomach churned, and she could not hold back the wave of nausea. She bolted for the bathroom.

After throwing up until there was nothing left, Janice stood up, leaning on the toilet for support.

She stood silently, leaning against the stall door for what felt like forever, her legs going numb. Just as she was about to leave, she heard the bathroom door lock, and then Yvette's sugary voice floated through the air.

"Hubby, when are you going to tell everyone about us? They all think Janice is your wife!"

"Feeling a little green-eyed?" Adrian's voice was muffled, like he was speaking into a pillow. "Hold your horses. Once this new project kicks off in ten days, we're getting hitched right on schedule!"

"But I'm freaking out here. You're not going public with us, and you're shacking up with her. What if you bail on me and marry her instead? She's gorgeous, and her family's got more clout than mine."

Yvette's voice wavered with tears, the hurt clear in her tone.

Adrian let out a derisive laugh. "If I wanted to marry her, I would've said 'yes' when she got down on one knee two years ago. Why would I have traveled the world with you?

"I've been over her for ages. Four years of sleeping together, and I'm bored of her face. Now, I only get that spark with you. Don't believe me? Check for yourself."

"Cut it out! Hey, stop that! What if someone catches us..."

"Don't sweat it, the door's locked." Adrian's voice turned deeper, more intense.

Before long, Yvette's breaths came in quick gasps.

The rising and falling of their whispers pierced Janice's ears from behind the partition, slicing through her heart, leaving her bleeding inside.

Back in college, after each close moment, she would rest her head on his chest, dreamily sketching out her ideal wedding, and he would brush her off with a curt "Not yet."

Two years back, at their graduation, she had gathered her courage and proposed to him on bended knee, only to be told to wait until his studies were over.

She had flown out to see him countless times since, always asking about setting a date, but he would dodge with excuse after excuse.

She had convinced herself that Adrian was just being a typical guy, scared of settling down.

It seemed he was not scared of marriage–just of marrying her.

Janice's world crumbled around her.

She was itching to burst out and give that cheating pair a piece of her mind. Why did they have to do that to her?

However, her anger was so overwhelming that she could not even breathe properly. Her body went limp, and she collapsed against the stall wall, paralyzed and silent.

Time lost meaning until the noise outside finally stopped.

Janice gathered every ounce of her remaining strength to push the stall door open.

The bathroom had a faint, lingering seminal odor.

The mirror over the sink was marked with two large and two small handprints, a stark reminder of the ordeal she had just endured.

Janice's stomach churned, and she clamped a hand over her mouth as she stumbled out of the club.

At that moment, she felt a surge of relief. Only seven more days, and she would be free from him, ready to marry someone else...