The drive back home felt like it was happening in a dream. Yuhan held her hand the whole way, his thumb rubbing soothing circles on her skin, but Meiying's mind was already miles away, thinking about what she had to do.
She had made her choice. Or rather, her heart had made it for her. She couldn't be with Weiliang anymore. Not when she was in love with someone else. It wouldn't be fair to keep stringing him along, pretending everything was fine when it wasn't.
When the car stopped in front of her gate, Yuhan turned to look at her. His eyes were full of worry.
"Are you sure about this?" he asked softly. "I can wait in the car if you want. Or… if you need me to come in with you."
"No," Meiying interrupted, shaking her head. She took a deep breath, trying to find her courage. "No, this is something I have to do alone. I owe him that much. I owe him the truth."
She leaned over and pressed a soft, quick kiss on his cheek. "Wait for me. Just wait for my call, okay?"
"I'll be right here," Yuhan promised, his voice firm. "Take all the time you need."
Meiying got out of the car and walked through the gate. Every step felt heavier than the last. She watched Yuhan's car drive away until it disappeared around the corner, and then she turned and walked into the empty house.
Yutang was still at school, so she had the place to herself. Perfect. She needed silence. She needed to think.
She picked up her phone, her fingers trembling as she scrolled through her contacts until she found his name. Weiliang.
She stared at it for a long time. So many memories flashed through her mind their first date, their laughter, the times he'd comforted her when her father was sick, the plans they had made for their future. It hurt. It hurt so much it felt like her heart was being ripped out of her chest.
But she couldn't turn back now. She had crossed the line. She belonged to Yuhan now, in a way that she could never belong to Weiliang again.
She pressed call.
The phone rang once. Twice. Three times.
"Hello?" His voice sounded tired, a little cold.
"Weiliang," she said, her voice cracking immediately. "Can… can you come over? Please. I need to talk to you. It's important."
There was a silence on the other end. She could almost feel his hesitation.
"Is everything okay?" he asked finally.
"No," she whispered. "No, nothing is okay. Please just come. I need to tell you the truth."
About twenty minutes later, she heard footsteps outside. Her heart leaped into her throat. She stood up from the chair, wringing her hands, waiting.
The door opened, and Weiliang walked in. He looked terrible. His eyes were red-rimmed, his hair was messy, and he looked like he hadn't slept properly in days. He stood in the doorway, looking at her, and the distance between them felt like a mile wide.
"You said you wanted to talk," he said, his voice flat. "So talk. What is it, Meiying? What's the big truth you couldn't say over the phone?"
Meiying looked at him, and the tears started falling before she even said a word.
"Weiliang… I'm so sorry. I am so, so sorry."
Weiliang crossed his arms over his chest, his jaw tightening. "Sorry for what? For ignoring me? For pushing me away? Or is there something else?"
He looked at her, really looked at her, and she saw the moment realization started to dawn on him. His eyes flickered down to her hands, then back to her face.
"You saw him, didn't you?" Weiliang asked, his voice suddenly low and dangerous. "You saw Li Yuhan today. I can see it in your face. You went to meet him."
Meiying couldn't lie. Not anymore. She nodded slowly.
"Yes," she whispered. "I saw him."
"And?" Weiliang stepped closer, his eyes searching hers desperately, hoping she would deny it. "And what? Did you just talk? Or did something happen?"
Meiying closed her eyes, tears streaming down her face. "Weiliang… I can't do this anymore."
"Can't do what?"
"Us," she said, the words tearing out of her throat. "I can't be your fiancée anymore. I can't pretend."
The words hung in the air, heavy and final.
Weiliang stood frozen. The color drained from his face completely. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. For a few seconds, there was absolute silence in the room.
"What… what are you saying?" he finally managed to choke out. "Meiying, look at me. Tell me you don't mean that. Tell me you're just confused, that you're just stressed. Tell me!"
"I am confused," she cried. "I am stressed! But that's not all of it, Weiliang. And I can't lie to you anymore. It's not fair to you. You deserve someone who loves you completely. Someone who only thinks about you. And I… I can't be that person anymore."
"Why?" He stepped forward, grabbing her shoulders gently but firmly, forcing her to look at him. "Why? Because of him? Because of that rich guy from the city? Did he buy you? Did he offer you money to leave me?"
"No!" Meiying shook her head violently. "No, it's not like that! I didn't take any money. I… Weiliang, I have feelings for him. I tried to fight it. I tried so hard to push it away, but I can't. I care about him. And when I'm with him… I feel things I've never felt before."
She saw the hurt, the shock, and then the anger flash in his eyes. It was like a slap in the face.
"So that's it then?" Weiliang laughed, but it was a bitter, empty sound. "All these years. All this time we've been together. And you throw it away for him? For someone you barely know?"
"I'm sorry," was all she could say. "I'm so sorry I hurt you. I never wanted to hurt you."
"Well, you did!" he shouted, finally losing his temper. "You broke my heart, Meiying! You destroyed everything we had! How could you? How could you let him into your life like that?"
He looked at her, his eyes filled with pain and betrayal.
"I loved you," he said, his voice breaking. "I really loved you. I was ready to marry you. I was ready to take care of you and your brother. And you choose him?"
Meiying couldn't answer. She just stood there, crying, letting his words hit her. She knew she deserved every single one of them. She knew she was the bad guy here.
"I hate you," Weiliang whispered, looking at her with tears in his eyes. "Right now, I really hate you."
He turned around, walking towards the door. He stopped with his hand on the handle, not looking back.
"I'm not coming back, Meiying," he said, his voice cold and final. "Don't call me. Don't look for me. We're done. Finished."
And then he walked out. The door closed behind him with a loud thud.
Meiying collapsed onto the floor, sobbing uncontrollably. It was done. She had done it. She had broken his heart, and she had destroyed their relationship.
It felt like her world was ending. But somewhere deep down, underneath all the pain and guilt, she knew… she knew she had done the right thing. She had been honest.
She pulled out her phone, her hands shaking, and typed a message to Yuhan.
"It's over. Weiliang and I are done."
Almost immediately, her phone rang. It was Yuhan.
"Meiying?" his voice came through, soft and worried. "Are you okay? Where are you?"
"I'm home," she whispered, her voice raw from crying. "I'm so tired, Yuhan. And I feel so terrible."
"Don't move," he said firmly. "I'm coming to get you. You shouldn't be alone right now."