Chapter 3

Marie had made it clear to Neal from the get-go that Joyce was flawless in every way except for her personality being a little cold and aloof. She told Neal it would probably take a long time to make Joyce warm up to him. He hadn't minded, though. He'd seen her warm side, so he was willing to do anything he could to make her fall for him. Throughout their five years together, he'd revolved around her. Some of her clothes had to be dry-cleaned, so he would take them to the dry cleaners after getting off work. She'd casually mentioned she wanted to be able to have hot food upon arriving home from work, so he'd quit his job as a jewelry designer, which he'd loved. Then, he'd gotten a low-paying administrative job near her law firm and moved into her place. She didn't like the smell of alcohol, so he'd quit drinking and distanced himself from his friends. After his parents' deaths, Neal felt like he'd lost his home. He was a nomad who would make do wherever he ended up. But after getting together with Joyce, he felt like he had someone to rely on. Home was wherever she was. That was why he went to such lengths to care for her. Fortunately, his efforts hadn't been entirely in vain. Joyce slowly became less icy toward him, making small concessions—like agreeing to their New Year's Day gift tradition he'd proposed. Just as he thought things were getting better, someone else appeared in their lives—Corey Swank, Joyce's college mate. Joyce was a germaphobe, so she'd never allowed Neal to eat in her car. He knew she didn't like it and had never tried challenging her limits. Later, however, he saw that she didn't stop Corey from eating biscuits in her car. The first time Neal had successfully made a dessert, he'd brought it to her, wanting to share the joy with her. She'd pushed it away with a frown, saying that she didn't like sweet things. But later, during a meal with Corey, the latter had pushed the desserts he didn't like to Joyce. She'd accepted them without complaint. Neal's friends liked drinking, so their favorite pastime was meeting at a bar for drinks. Upon learning this, Joyce had forbidden him from hanging out with his friends, claiming she didn't like the noise. But when Corey had suggested going to a bar, her first reaction had been to accompany him instead of turning him down. Similar incidents had happened countless times in the past. Whenever Neal asked about it, Joyce would always tell him she and Corey were just friends and that he was being paranoid. In hindsight, it all boiled down to the fact that she didn't love him enough. Neal felt relieved after telling his friends the whole story. It was like a burden had been lifted from his shoulders. Silence descended upon them. After a long while, someone finally asked, "Why are you still sticking to her if she doesn't like you?" Neal looked at Jasmine York, the woman who'd spoken. He smiled and shook his head. "I'm not staying anymore. I've already decided to end things with her. I'm leaving the country in half a month." … Joyce was still awake when Neal got home. As soon as he entered the apartment, she smelled the alcohol on him and frowned. "Haven't I already told you that I don't like the smell of alcohol? Just give it to me straight if you're jealous. You don't need to ply yourself with liquor." He changed into his lounge slippers and padded to the bathroom. He paused as he passed her and said, "I was drinking because I was happy. It wasn't because of you." She massaged her temples, feeling like she couldn't communicate with him at the moment. Instead of saying anything, she got up to help him to the bedroom. To her surprise, he dodged her and asked, "Are you taking the master or guest bedroom?" Her expression darkened when she heard the rejection in his tone. She couldn't believe her ears. "Are you telling me you want to sleep in separate rooms?" He waved a hand. "You said you don't like the smell of alcohol, right? It'd be better for us to sleep separately." After that, he turned and headed to the master bedroom. He only heard the sound of the guest bedroom door slamming shut after he was done getting ready for bed. Joyce was angry. In the past, Neal would've panicked and hastily tried to appease her. Now, he couldn't care less about her. He got into bed and fell asleep almost immediately. He woke up early the following morning and headed to work to hand in his resignation. It was a simple job, so the handover didn't take long. It was only noon when he got home. When he arrived, he saw Joyce leaving with a cake in hand. His gaze landed on it—it reminded him that today was Corey's birthday. Joyce didn't slow down or spare him a glance despite noticing that he was back. She left the apartment. He didn't stop her because he knew this was the precursor to her giving him the cold shoulder. Since Corey's return to the country three years ago, Neal and Joyce had gotten into countless arguments. She would give Neal the cold shoulder after every one, and once she did that, he would immediately admit he was wrong and coax her until she forgave him. This time, he didn't do that. Instead, he looked away and ignored Joyce.