He still had that expressionless look. For a moment, he paused, then strode towards me.

The girl let out a surprised "Oh!" and grabbed Jacob Quinn's sleeve.

"Why're you suddenly walking so fast, Jacob?"

Jacob didn't shake her off, letting her hold on.

He stopped in front of me, looking down.

"What are you doing here?"

The light scattered in his eyes. Until today, I thought it was his gentleness.

I forced a smile, trying to lift the corners of my mouth. I handed him the carefully wrapped gift.

"Jacob Quinn, I'm here to wish you a happy birthday."

Just as Jacob was about to take the gift, the girl suddenly spoke up.

"Oh no! Jacob, the restaurant we booked is going to run out of time. We gotta go!"

Jacob's movement halted, and he took a few steps forward, pulled by the girl.

Then he stopped, looking back at me.

"Why're you just standing there? Come on."

My steps were unsteady as I subconsciously followed them. The scene replayed in my mind on a loop.

I knew I was unnecessary, trailing behind them, like a burden in the front seat of the taxi.

But could I really give up on someone I've loved for so many years, just like that?

In the backseat, the girl chatted away, telling stories about the lab that I couldn't understand.

Jacob responded quietly, and the atmosphere between them was harmonious.

I couldn't help but recall the details of our interactions.

Initially, I too enjoyed sharing life's little stories with Jacob. Even though he never responded, I was persistent.

Later, when I excitedly talked about the kitten under the dorm, he interrupted me.

"Diana, do you have nothing better to do every day?"

After that, I never spoke another word of nonsense to him.

Naturally, I didn't know he would listen so intently to someone else's "nonsense."

I clutched the handle of the gift bag tightly, the pain in my palm sharp.

The overwhelming fatigue and sadness nearly crushed me.

The taxi driver noticed my reddened eyes.

He joked, half-seriously.

"Hey, young man, don't just chat with your girlfriend."

"Your sister's about to cry from neglect."

A silence fell over the backseat.

My vulnerability exposed, I hastily wiped away my tears. Embarrassment flooded my heart.

Soon, the girl let out a light laugh.

"Oops, sorry, forgot about you."

"I'm Grace Anderson, Jacob's junior by a year."

"But I skipped a grade, so now I'm a graduate student under the same mentor as Jacob, and I'll likely pursue a PhD with him."

"Who are you? Which school do you go to? Who's your mentor? Published any papers? Jacob's never mentioned you."

She smiled, but her smile carried a hint of mockery.

So she was Grace Anderson.

I confess, it's embarrassing, but I often lurked on Jacob's school's forum.

Jacob was quite popular, and there were frequent posts about him.

He never shared his life with me, so I could only learn about him this way.

Grace Anderson's name often appeared alongside his.

They called the two of them the golden couple of the Materials College.

I'd seen their photos together.

It seemed to be from some competition, both standing on the top podium.

They held up a trophy, smiling freely.

I admit, at that moment, I was truly envious.

The wind outside roared past my ears, while Jacob remained silent.

Facing Grace's blatant challenge, he had no intention of defending me.

"I'm Jacob Quinn's... girlfriend."

I spoke softly.