All my friends knew what happened and tried to comfort me, saying I did nothing wrong and blaming Mona because she was the one who cheated. But I was still in the wrong because I loved her.
"Alan, I made it very clear to you that day!
I don't love you anymore. You saw it today. I'm married now. I hope we never contact each other again. My husband would get jealous. I never loved you. I was just playing with you. You were like a little lapdog, always coming when I called. There was no one better at the time, so I chose you. But now I've found someone better, so why should I settle?"
Every word she said pierced my heart deeper than anything Jeff could have said. So she never loved me. I was just a convenient choice.
I don't remember when I got home. CoCo welcomed me with the same enthusiasm, but now he was old, so old he was close to dying, just like my heart.
The next day, I found CoCo lying at the door. Without anyone noticing, it had quietly ended its short life.
The last thing Mona left me was now gone too.
Its body had grown cold, its fur rough and dull, just like me.
I borrowed Sam's phone to call Mona. I thought I should tell her about this, but it was Jeff who answered.
"Mona, CoCo is dead. "
"Oh, is that mutt? Well, it's dead. No big deal. Mona is busy right now. "
"It's you? Where's Mona?"
"She's busy packing. We're leaving in a few days. If there's nothing else, I'll hang up!"
"No! Wait. How is Mona doing?"
"You don't need to worry about that! I'm her husband. I'll take good care of her. Alan, I told you before, you should've kept a closer eye on her. Look, now she's mine, isn't she?
Mona said that once we settle in Sea City, we'll get another dog! Don't worry. I'll make sure she forgets all about you. "
"It doesn't matter, as long as Mona is happy. She's very picky with food, including onions, scallions, garlic, cilantro. She doesn't eat any of that. You should remember. . . "
"Alright, alright, stop talking. It's boring!"
The call was hung up. Jeff is so young. I envy his youth, but I also envy his vitality.
I've grown old, just like CoCo, an old dog. That's why I always felt inferior in front of Mona. She was always young, full of passion and energy, like a fire that never goes out.
I buried CoCo, right next to my parents' graves, the spot Mona and I bought together. We had promised to stay together forever, to grow old together, hand in hand for life.
But I thought she didn't need that anymore.