The Last Time I Loved Him (Autumn and Ryan)

Chapter 4

When I stepped off the plane, my parents were already waiting on the tarmac, their arms full of gifts.

They rushed toward me and hugged me tightly. I forced a smile, hugging them back, rubbing my head against their shoulders like I used to as a child. "Mom, Dad... I'm sorry for being so clueless before," I whispered.

"Mia, it's enough that you're back. You've suffered enough out there," Mom said, her voice thick with emotion.

During our ten years apart, they had repeatedly tried to bring me home, but I always found excuses to refuse.

Even during Lunar New Year, when I wanted to introduce Ethan to them, he had other plans.

He insisted we spend the holiday with his family to "experience their atmosphere."

Back then, I foolishly believed it was a sign that his family recognized me as one of their own. I was so eager to be accepted that I agreed without hesitation.

"I'll take you home with me when we officially get married," he had said. "That way, it'll be a proper gesture to your parents."

Looking back now, those words feel like empty promises. Over the past decade, even on the rare occasions I visited home, he never came with me.

Facing my parents' tearful joy, I couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of guilt.

They brought me back to the manor, a tranquil haven nestled in the heart of bustling Rosemead.

Leading me to the central villa, they were accompanied by butlers and maids who greeted me warmly.

"Mia," Mom said, beaming, "this villa has been specially arranged for you. Everything's been redecorated. Take a look-see if you like it."

As I stepped inside, I was struck by the familiarity.

The third floor was filled with my childhood treasures:

kindergarten toys, elementary school drawings, and the guitar I learned to play in middle school.

I touched each item gently, memories flooding back.

For the first time in years, I felt the weight of the past decade lift.

It was as if I had traveled back to a simpler, happier time.

"Thank you, Mom and Dad!" I finally couldn't hold back my tears.

They wrapped me in their arms, just like when I was little.

Back then, they were working hard, starting from nothing, and they raised me with nothing but love. They had worked their way up from selling things on the street, yet their love for each other had lasted all these years. Maybe that's why they agreed to let me go with Ethan back then.

I once thought that the love they shared was the blueprint for my own relationship, but now I see that I misunderstood what true love really is.

Mom patted me gently on the shoulder. "Don't worry, sweetheart.

No one will ever dare to hurt you again. Take some time to clear your head. In three days, we'll host an introduction party, so everyone at the company can meet you!"

This city is where I grew up. I hadn't left it until high school.

It's also the place where I once told Ethan, "When we get married, we have to take our wedding photos in Rosemead."

At the time, all I wanted was to create beautiful memories with him in every familiar landscape.

His response was always full of indulgence, "Okay, we'll go wherever you say. I'll do whatever you want."

I shook my head and smiled bitterly.

The right environment can help someone heal.

Wandering through these familiar streets, with the slight intoxication from the wine, my mind started to clear.

A half evening of walking was just the right amount of time to reflect on the past ten years of my life.

I glanced down at my phone, noticing the missed calls flashing on the screen. I blocked his number.

How long had it been since he last tried to call me? We used to be inseparable.

It was probably because I was so dependent on him that he became convinced I would always belong to him.

So, he hurt me without remorse, openly courting another woman.

I opened the chat log and saw Ethan's messages: sarcastic, insulting, then asking for my location.

Though my fingers trembled, I pressed the delete button.

In that instant, ten years of memories and messages vanished, and my relationship with him ended.

After wandering for a while, I was about to go home when another WhatsApp message suddenly popped up, a video arrived.

Alice was in pajamas, next to a sleeping Ethan.

"Now he's asleep at my place. Since you left, don't come back.

From now on, let me love him well."