You're Missing Out, Cheater

We were just about to leave when Chad suddenly swung the door open and appeared in front of Quinn.

The moment he found out she and I were having dinner at Cloudscape, he kicked up a fuss, insisting that she took him along.

He didn't mention anything else. He just said that he liked me and wanted to "get closer."

Quinn gave me an awkward look, clearly caught in the middle. Chad, meanwhile, was practically plastered to her side as if he couldn't get close enough. He was staking his claim right in front of me.

"Come along, then," I said, keeping my voice even.

Quinn's eyes lit up. It was as if she was afraid I'd be jealous, she hurriedly added, "Mateo, Chad's really sweet. He told me he admires you a lot."

How quick of her to defend him. I almost laughed as I thought to myself, "Admire me? Please. He was not here for me—he was here for her. She needn't make up some weak excuse just to ease her own guilt."

Not wanting to get dragged into whatever this was, I got changed, grabbed my things, and headed out the door.

In the parking garage, Chad clung to Quinn's arm, whining that he would get carsick and had to sit up front. She turned to me again with a conflicted look. "Mateo…"

I slipped into the back seat without a word.

Chad gave me a smug glance before climbing into the passenger seat like he'd won. Throughout the whole drive, he kept talking to her.

I was unconscious for six months, and that was all it took for him to worm his way into her life.

And she hadn't stopped him.

At first, she kept her replies short, still aware that I was in the back seat. But after a while, she started engaging and asking him questions.

I leaned back and shut my eyes, pretending to nap.

When we got to Cloudscape Hotel, every dish she ordered was spicy, which was Chad's favorite. Only after I looked at her did she remember I existed and added two dishes I liked.

Chad sat beside her, of course. When the food arrived, he casually used the shared ladle to serve her, like it was second nature.

I kept my head down and focused on my food. But Chad kept pushing it. He even reached over to wipe the oil from the corner of her mouth right in front of me.

People were starting to look.

They could have done whatever they wanted at home as long as they did it behind closed doors—but not here, not in public. Quinn represented me when we were out. Her behavior reflected on me.

I set my cutlery down and looked at Chad coldly. Chad blinked at me, all innocence and fake surprise.

"Oh—sorry, Mateo. Force of habit. Don't be mad, okay?" His voice was soft, and his eyes were glistening with the threat of tears.

And that was when Quinn snapped—for the first time since I left the hospital.

"Mateo, that's enough. You're being ridiculous," she said, her brows drawn tight with irritation.

I looked straight at her. And suddenly, I didn't want to keep playing the fool, so I spoke. My words were clean and sharp—like a blade cutting through the last of her pretense.

"Are you feeling guilty, Quinn? Or is there really something going on between you and Chad?"

Quinn didn't answer. She just stood there, shaking.

I glanced at the time. There were still five hours until my flight. I didn't want to waste another second, so I stood up and walked out.

Chad leaped from his seat, trying to block me, but he slammed right into a passing server.

A full bowl of hot soup flew toward me. I stumbled back just in time—and it missed me by an inch. Feeling relieved, I exhaled.

Then came Chad's piercing scream. The soup had landed square on Chad's face without a single drop missing.

He shrieked in pain. The server was frantic, apologizing again and again.

Quinn panicked. Ignoring my presence, she shot up from her seat, rushed to Chad, and pulled him into her arms.

"Chad, it's okay. I'm here with you. I'll bring you to the hospital right now."

Then, she looked at me and snapped. "This is all your fault, Mateo! Why can't you just leave Chad alone? You should've stayed in that bed forever. You should've never woken up!"

With that, she clutched Chad close and stormed out of the restaurant. And just like that, I was done with Quinn. The Quinn who once promised to love me for a lifetime… was gone.

Her love was rushed under the weight of time and circumstance. All that remained was a selfish, greedy woman who wanted it all but gave nothing back.

I turned to the server and reassured her it wasn't her fault. The security footage would have shown that Chad ran into her himself.

After everything was handled, I left Cloudscape without looking back. I went home, grabbed my suitcase, and headed straight to the airport. Not even for a minute did I want to stay here anymore.