Simon walked around the central park area, where many couples gathered. However, he didn't pay much attention to them. All he wanted now was to find some fresh air.

For some reason, Simon felt quite thirsty. Next to the park, there was a long bench with a couple of vending machines around it. Simon intended to go there to buy a bottle of water.

As he was about to pay, Simon checked his pocket with a puzzled look. "Oh no, I forgot to bring my wallet..."

He reluctantly turned back. Suddenly, a tall woman with long wavy hair appeared there. "Why not just go for it?" she asked casually and coldly.

Simon felt slightly uncomfortable hearing her way of speaking, but he tried to smile and greet her. "Ah, you go ahead. I still have to fetch my wallet that I left behind."

Unintentionally, he spilled out everything that had just happened. "Oh, what did I just say?" he said while gently hitting his lips a few times.

"Forget about getting your wallet, let me treat you instead."

Simon couldn't hide his astonishment anymore, he felt very embarrassed about his current situation.

"It's alright, you don't need to feel awkward. Besides, I just arrived here too, maybe we can interact with each other. I'm Sandra, by the way."

The woman extended her smooth hand, and Simon looked hesitant, but considering his recent troubles, meeting a beautiful woman might bring him some comfort.

"Simon..." he finally accepted her extended hand.

It was indeed fortunate for them to meet at the same time by chance. Sandra grabbed two orange-colored drinks and handed one to Simon. "Take it, actually, I needed someone to talk to. Are you alone?"

"Ah yes, coincidentally, I am alone here." Sandra pursed her lips. "Thank goodness, no one will get jealous when we chat, right?"

Again, Simon shook his head. He looked down, opened the drink that had just been given to him by Sandra.

"Hey, how about we sit over there? I think that spot might be cooler than here."

It had become Simon's habit to always agree with whatever a woman said, whether it was his girlfriend or any other woman.

They sat on the Japanese grass beneath a walnut tree. Each of them was busy sipping their respective drinks. "Actually, I just returned from a business trip abroad. Well, technically, I came back a day earlier, for one reason, you probably know what I mean." The corner of her lips twitched, and her gaze seemed melancholic.

As if understanding, Simon empathized with their shared problems. "You must have been disappointed..."

"Exactly, how did you know?" Sandra asked.

Simon shrugged his shoulders, although he had initially answered casually. "I wasn't sure what to say, but it seems like I've experienced something similar. Just like you..."

"Can you tell me about it?" Sandra's heavy and irregular sighs made him close his eyes, then slowly open them again. "My girlfriend broke up with me and left with another man..."

"This seems serious," Sandra responded quickly with a comment.

He fell silent, curious about the story behind her melancholic expression. "What about you?"

Sandra shook her head, taking a few sips of her drink. She grabbed her phone and tapped the screen a few times. "Watch this video..."

Simon, being penniless, felt hesitant to touch the sleek, high-end device that exuded exclusivity in its design. Compared to his old, worn-out phone, it was like 1 to 8.

A shabby phone!
That better described Simon's phone.

His gaze turned serious as he watched the short film playing on Sandra's phone. Moans, groans, and whispers could be heard, making him feel uncomfortable.

His heart raced as the video reminded him of Shania. His gaze sharpened as he clearly saw the person in the video, set in a room, and... Everyone would immediately know what was happening there.

Even when the scene in the video became clearer, Simon was shocked, his body trembling intensely. He stood frozen for a few minutes, listening to the activities in the video.

Shania! They're doing it!
Simon cursed, "That cheap girl, she's so willing to sell her body for money?"

"He's my boyfriend, I came from afar to meet her, and that's what I saw when I arrived at her apartment." Sandra spoke with a grim face.

"He...he? He's your boyfriend?"
A single nod made him understand.

His whole body suddenly felt cold, and he trembled. "Sh...Shania?"
He felt deeply disappointed by the girl he had admired for the past three years.

"Only time proves loyalty, and it proves that he wasn't meant for me..."

Sandra had a big heart and feelings, Simon could see that in her hurt expression, as she didn't want to get hurt again.

Simon unintentionally stared at her enchanting face. She had sparkling eyes and a beautiful smile. "Hey, are you daydreaming?" Reflexively, Simon was startled by Sandra's reprimand.

And now, he seemed tongue-tied when he spoke. "Funny, this is so funny!"

Simon saw her looking so sweet, her lovely smile shone through. But suddenly, she started crying. Simon was taken aback. "Wait, didn't you just laugh? What happened?" Simon was puzzled.

Seeing her in tears, his heart felt sad too. "What's going on?"

 ***

Sandra hurriedly booked an online taxi to go home early. She kept smiling, a sense of joy bubbling inside her.

Not far away, a taxi with a logo approached where she was standing. Seeing it, without hesitation, Sandra got in and immediately asked, "Is this the way to Endless Willow Apartments?" The driver nodded.

"Okay, let's go." The taxi moved forward, leaving the city center behind.

In truth, Sandra was very tired today. She hadn't even had a chance to rest in order to meet her despicable boyfriend. Lost in her own thoughts, Sandra ended up falling asleep...

"Sorry, Miss, where should we stop?" The sound of a finger tapping was accompanied by the taxi driver's question, waking Sandra from her sleep.

"Ah, just here's fine. Sorry, I fell asleep," Sandra lifted her face, then got out of the taxi. "Thank you."

As the taxi drove off, Sandra entered the apartment where she lived. Her body felt sweaty, prompting her to quickly enter the bathroom and turn on the shower.

The sound of water splashing was heard. When her body was wet, she suddenly remembered something. She quickly stopped the shower, grabbed a towel, and hurriedly left the bathroom.

In her room, Sandra picked up her phone with a smile on her face. "Simon, he's handsome and kind. Maybe I can ask him out for a walk tomorrow."

Right at that moment, Sandra sent a short message. "Done..."

"Wait, wait. I shouldn't get too excited. What if Simon doesn't want to see me anymore and just laughs at me regarding what happened yesterday?"

Suddenly, Sandra remembered something. Her gaze shifted to the large wardrobe leaning against the door of her room. She immediately went there and opened its contents.

Her expression turned sour when she found a neatly stored cardboard box inside the wardrobe. Sandra reached for it and opened it, her eyes fixed on an old book. "An old diary..." Sandra read the opening page of its contents and quickly closed it. "I will ensure this old diary turns to ashes in an instant, so I won't owe anything anymore."

Sandra took a deep breath, replacing the old book with a new one. "End the old, and begin anew. If the same story continues, nothing will change. It's better to create a different story. Maybe even a bitter life can still taste sweet."

The pen began to scribble on the blank white paper, as the words formed were an expression of Sandra's current feelings.

Suddenly, Sandra heard someone entering the passcode for her apartment. "Could it be Gerald? He's the only one who knows the room password. He must have come to apologize."

Sandra stayed silent in her room, not wanting to act hastily and trying to calm herself. Although she felt hungry, she held back from leaving the room. "Oh, I forgot, don't I still have some leftover chocolates from the trip?"

Sandra searched for them and ended up only being able to chew on a piece of dark chocolate from overseas. At least savoring the very sweet chocolate made her feel a bit calmer.

Her apartment was sometimes used as a workspace, so she didn't have to spend money on finding another place. As his girlfriend, it was no surprise that Gerald knew about this location.

After waiting for a while, the sound didn't come anymore. "Maybe he gave up. Thankfully, I changed the password." Sandra smiled sideways upon realizing that.

But just as she was about to smile, she was startled by a repeated knocking on the door. "Sandra, open the door! We still need to talk! I know you're inside!"

Sandra didn't care; she stayed in her place and continued to enjoy the remaining chocolate. The sound of knocking was accompanied by shouting from her boyfriend. "If you don't open up, I'll make a scene!"

Sandra took a deep breath; her face showed frustration as she threw the nearly finished chocolate wrapper in a rough manner, then drank from the bottle of mineral water that was also from her bag.

Slowly, Sandra walked towards the door and opened it. Gerald immediately barged in and stared at her intently.

"Sandra, I..."

"Go away, I'm disgusted just looking at your face!" Sandra said, pushing the man. "Sandra, please forgive me..."

"Enough, you don't need to bother coming here just to say that. Let it be a thousand times, I still won't accept it!"

"Sandra, please, you said we were going to get married next month, why don't we start preparing now?"

Instead of answering, Sandra forcefully pushed him out of the door with all her might. "Never set foot in this apartment again!"

"Sandra, you have to trust me. My relationship with that woman wasn't serious. How could I ever choose a woman who easily gives her body for money? The one I love is only you, Sandra..."

 ***

Along the way home, Simon kept thinking about Sandra, remembering her gaze, feeling the strong urge to protect her. "Gerald is truly despicable, unfortunately, Shania has already fallen under his spell. My gut feeling tells me Shania will end up like Sandra."

Simon arrived at his semi-permanent home, which was almost decrepit. He stepped on the uneven floor and sat on the tattered carpet. His breath sounded heavy as he observed the state of the place. However, he didn't dare to comment and chose to sit in the worn-out sofa chair.

"Simon, you're home?" An older woman approached him unsteadily.

"Yes, ma'am. Sorry, I didn't buy anything." Simon's face turned gloomy. "Ma'am, I might look for work tomorrow to cover Ella's tuition fees. We have to pay it soon, right?"

The mother looked at him warmly, attempting to smile. "I'm sorry, my dear. I can't help you with anything. Hopefully, we can get away from all of this."

Simon nodded in agreement with his mother's words, his mind wandered to his shabby phone. "I have to charge its battery."

As he observed it, Simon widened his eyes. "A message from Sandra?"