On Graduation Day, He Pushed Me Aside For Her Chapter 03
He said that in a perfectly calm and unbothered way, making me look like I was making a fool of myself.
There were questions of course. “Are you really dating Gloria?”
Patrick chuckled at Gloria’s Instagram. “This? She meant the major announcement about the movie.”
His eyes swept across the crowd before landing on me. “You guys didn’t buy that, did you?”
Gloria ducked her head, her cheeks flushed, saying nothing and only fueling the teasing.
In a stark contrast, I zoned out as I saw the faint sheen of lip gloss lingering on the corner of his mouth.
Patrick pulled out a chair beside me and slid his hand under the table, reaching out to pinch my fingers just like he used to. I dodged.
He stopped the move as he turned cold. He withdrew his hand outright and shifted over to sit right next to Gloria instead.
Their arms pressed tightly together, and Gloria was still blushing.
From then on, the topic of the party was all about him and Gloria. Someone asked if they planned to apply for the same university together. Others joked that their future kids would probably inherit their academic abilities.
I sat there like a stranger who had been seated with the group last minute.
Although I wanted to go, Patrick was sitting on the outside, blocking my only way out. I could only stare down at my food, a dull ache twisting in my stomach.
As Gloria leaned for her food, her long hair slipped down to frame her face. Without a second thought, Patrick Muller slipped the black hair tie off his own wrist and tied her hair back neatly for her.
The movement was practiced, as if he had done it countless times before.
Watching his hands, I suddenly recalled how I’d asked him thousands of times to do the same. Back then he’d snapped, “Ivy, I’m not taking these silly girly things.”
Gloria reached for an icy soda beside her and was about to twist open the cap when Patrick put it away with a frown. “This might make you feel worse.”
The party fell quiet for a beat before getting even hotter. “Wait a second, you two actually—”
Gloria couldn’t calm down as she swatted his arm. Patrick merely smiled, then noticed me as if only just remembering I was here. “Your face is all flushed. Can’t handle the sushi, huh?”
He held the icy soda to me. “Have some cold drink to cool down.”
I stared at the frosty can covered in condensation and pouted because I didn’t know how to react.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t feeling well that day.
I’d always been sensitive to very cold drinks, and Patrick used to remember that.
He even kept track of my cycle on his phone so he’d know when to remind me.
But this time, he had completely forgotten.
I refused to take the drink.
Patrick frowned again. “You’re not letting go of your temper, are you? Ivy?”
I shook my head, fighting back tears, then stood up. “I’m not feeling well. Enjoy your party.”
Gloria felt awkward at this. She bit her lip and murmured, “Is Ivy upset because of me?”
Patrick looked awkward too as he took back the soda. “Ignore her. She’s just being dramatic and making a huge fuss.”
Not a single word came out of the crowd as they looked at us in confusion.
I covered my eyes with my hands,but tears still spilled through my fingers. I grabbed my backpack, put back the chair, and bolted straight out of the party place.
I cried all the way home until my eyes throbbed painfully, and my throat grew raw and hoarse from weeping.
Mom was sitting in the living room. She looked up when I walked in and asked: