She gave her secret crush a luxury surprise and handed me a five-dollar bouquet.

That was the moment everything snapped.

While she lit candles and chilled champagne for Damian Ashby,
I stood in our apartment holding the cheapest flowers in the city,
flowers she didnt even bother to remove the price tag from.

Eight years together.
And I finally understood where I ranked.

So I packed my bags and walked out of the home we built
not because I was heartbroken,
but because I refused to be the leftover in her love story.

This time, Im done staying quiet.

The day we won the National E-Sports Championship, my girlfriend of eight years said she wanted to personally present me with flowers on stage.

Standing on the podium, I eagerly pulled out the ring I had hidden, ready to give her a grand proposal.

But then, with a bright smile, she handed the bouquet to her "best friend," Damian Ashby, right in front of everyone.

Under the spotlight, they became the center of everyone's attention.

On the scene and all over Twitter, people showered them with blessings.

Damian's fans even tagged me in posts: "We told you to stop clinging to our couple. Feeling humiliated now?"

I calmly posted a reply: "Respect. Best wishes to you both."

Under the dazzling spotlights, I stood on the podium alongside my teammates.

Evelyn Larkson, my girlfriend, walked slowly toward me with a bouquet of roses in her hands.

She had once said that when I finally won the national championship, she would reveal our relationship during the award ceremony.

Tonight, she seemed to have come just for me, holding roses that symbolized love.

It was the first time she had ever given me flowers, and her expression was so affectionate.

Blushing, I suppressed my excitement, watching her approach with my full attention.

In my mind, I planned it all out. The moment she handed me the flowers, I would drop to one knee, take out the ring, and propose to her live in front of the nation.

Even though we had argued yesterday over some trivial matters.

But hey, what couple doesnt bicker sometimes?

My hand nervously rubbed the ring box in my pocket.

"Congratulations on your championship!" Evelyn extended the flowers toward me.

Just as I was about to take them with a delighted smile, the bouquet bypassed my hands and landed firmly in the arms of my teammate, Damian Ashby.

Damian, Evelyns "best friend," had known her longer than I had.

The smile on my face froze instantly.

Looking at my girlfriend, who gazed at Damian with affection, I stood dumbfounded before laughing bitterly at myself.

It was Damian. Again.

I shouldve seen it coming.

To Evelyn, her "best friend" was always more important than her boyfriend.

Even our argument yesterday was about Damian.

But I never thought shed openly hand over a bouquet of rosessymbols of loveto him in front of everyone.

Damian, with his good looks, had a much larger fanbase in the gaming circuit than the rest of us.

Did Evelyn not realize what her actions meant, giving him flowers in front of all these people?

I quietly slipped the ring back into my pocket as the crowd's screams reached a fever pitch.

The roar was so loud it felt like it could lift the roof off the arena.

Amid the camera flashes, everything around me seemed to dim.

Before the award ceremony even ended, their sweet moment was already trending on Twitter.

Their chemistry as a "shipped pair" sparked countless fans to root for them.

Damian's fans flooded the video comments, tagging Evelyn and calling her "sister-in-law." The scene was lively and full of joy.

But none of that had anything to do with me.

I forced a bitter smile, stepped off the stage, and returned to the locker room alone.

Looking at the flood of blessings on Twitter, I suddenly felt exhausted.

Maybe this was the perfect moment to end things.

So I sent Evelyn a text: "Let's break up. I wont get in your way anymore."

The text had barely been sent when Evelyn called.

I wasnt planning to answer. I hung up and grabbed a ride back to my apartment to pack my things.

The apartment was one we had shared.

Since wed broken up, there was no way I could keep living under the same roof as her.

She could have the place.

While I packed, Evelyn bombarded me with messages:

"What do you mean, break up?"
"Are you throwing a tantrum again? Man up!"
"Alright, everyones saying we should celebrate. Come on, Damian and the others are waiting for you!"

Every word revolved around Damian.

She handed roses to another man and turned around to call me petty.

I looked at my phone and laughed coldly. Then I turned it off, zipped up my suitcase, and left.

With no time to find another place, I returned to the dorms at Apex Gaming Base, where the club had prepared rooms for the players.

The base was quiet since everyone else was out celebrating.

I instinctively powered on my computer and logged into the game for practice.

Only in the game could I find some peace.




It was late at night when Evelyn called again. I was still practicing.

I glanced at the phone on the desk, hit the mute button, and ignored it.

Then came a barrage of texts:

"Why arent you home yet?"
"Where have you been?"
"The flowers I picked for you are wilting. Where are you? Didnt you say you liked flowers from me?"

Do I need flowers given out of guilt?

I turned off the screen, a bitter smile tugging at my lips.

She was always like thisgiving a slap followed by a sweet treat.

I used to love her so much that I didnt see a problem with it. I even convinced myself it meant she cared about me.

But now, Ive woken up. I see through her.

It was time to leave.