Hua paced back and forth in her small living room, her thoughts swirling like a storm in her mind. She couldn't take it anymore—the uncertainty, the lingering doubt, the constant presence of Xueyao hanging over her relationship with Ming like a shadow. Every time she saw Xueyao, she felt her stomach churn with unease, and every time Ming brushed it off, a part of her heart broke a little more.
She stopped pacing and grabbed her phone. Her thumb hovered over Ming's contact for a moment, hesitation freezing her in place. What if she was wrong? What if Xueyao really was just an old friend and nothing more? But then, Hua remembered the lingering stares, the whispered conversations, and the unmistakable tension in the air whenever Xueyao was around. No, she wasn't imagining things. Something was off.
Hua took a deep breath and pressed the call button.
It rang once.
Twice.
On the third ring, Ming picked up. "Hua?"
"Ming," she said, her voice steadier than she felt, "we need to talk."
There was a pause on the other end, and Hua could almost hear the tension through the phone. "What's going on?" Ming asked cautiously.
Hua's heart raced, but she steeled herself. "It's about Xueyao."
Another pause, longer this time. When Ming finally spoke, his voice was careful, almost defensive. "What about her?"
Hua closed her eyes, trying to calm her racing thoughts. "I've seen the way she's been around you lately. I've seen how you've been acting too. Ming, I need to know—are you still in love with her?"
Ming didn't answer right away. The silence stretched between them, heavy and unbearable. Hua's heart sank deeper with every passing second, her worst fears threatening to come true.
Finally, Ming sighed. "It's not like that, Hua. Xueyao... she was a big part of my past, but that's all it is—the past."
Hua's grip tightened on the phone. "Then why does it feel like she's becoming a part of your present? Every time I see you two together, it feels like you're slipping away from me."
"Hua, that's not fair," Ming said, his voice growing more frustrated. "I told you, Xueyao and I are just catching up. She's been through a lot since she got back from Korea, and I'm just trying to be there for her."
"Be there for her?" Hua's voice wavered, a mix of anger and hurt bubbling to the surface. "What about me, Ming? Have you even noticed how distant you've been? How much it's hurting me?"
Ming didn't have a response to that, and Hua's eyes filled with tears as the silence grew heavier.
"I don't want to be the second choice, Ming," Hua whispered, her voice cracking. "I don't want to be the girl who's left behind while you figure out your feelings for someone else."
"You're not the second choice," Ming said softly, guilt weighing down his words. "Hua, you mean so much to me, but—"
"But what?" Hua demanded, her voice rising. "But you're still not over Xueyao? Is that what this is about?"
Ming fell silent again, and Hua felt her heart break in a way she hadn't expected.
"I can't do this anymore, Ming," she said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. "I can't keep pretending that everything's fine when it's not."
"Hua, wait—" Ming started, but Hua shook her head, even though he couldn't see her.
"I need some space," Hua said, her voice trembling. "I need time to figure out what I really want... and what you really want."
Before Ming could say anything else, Hua hung up the phone. She stood there, staring at the screen for a moment, her hands shaking as the weight of her decision sank in.
She had just pushed Ming away, but deep down, she knew it was the right thing to do. If he truly cared about her, if he really wanted to be with her, he would come back. But if Xueyao was the one he couldn't let go of, then Hua would have to accept that.
But no matter how strong she tried to be, the pain of losing him, even if just for a little while, was almost too much to bear.
Hua wiped the tears from her cheeks, her chest tight with emotion. She didn't know what the future held for her and Ming, but one thing was clear—she couldn't keep living in the shadow of someone else's love.