100 Things You Taught Me

On New Year’s Eve, the girlfriend who had promised to go home with me was nowhere to be found. Instead, my close friend, Logan, sent two voice notes. “Bro, your girl is mine now! “You have no idea. Ever since we were kids, my dad only ever listens to her. One word from her is worth more than a hundred from me! It works great, I love it, and I’ll definitely use it again!” At exactly midnight, as fireworks exploded outside the window, Chloe called me, laughing. “You have no idea. Thank God I came over! Mr. Creston looked like he was ready to beat Logan up–” “Chloe,” I interrupted her. “Do you remember that my parents have been waiting to have dinner with you?” Silence fell on the other end before she replied, “What? Fireworks are about to go off! I have to hang up. I’ll rush back to you as soon as this is over!” “Don’t bother.” I said as she hung up on me. Then, I opened a file titled ‘Things Chloe Has Done for Logan.’ On the very last page, it read, "Once this list is a hundred things long, I’ll leave.” And today, the list had a hundred things. Chapter 1 I picked up my phone and replied to my boss’s text message. [I’ll join the overseas assignment after the holidays.] Outside the window, fireworks were still going off brightly. On New Year’s Eve next year, there wouldn’t be a seat missing at my parents’ dinner table because I’d be there. … Before leaving the house, I sent Chloe Smith a break-up text. She didn’t reply, and I had expected it. The day Logan Creston returned to the country, she, as his childhood friend, replaced her pinned contact and notifications on social media from me to him. Her reason was, “Logan just got divorced and isn’t doing too well. Right now, he needs our care and support the most.” Later, Logan and I were involved in traffic accidents at the same time. I called forty-three times, and Chloe didn’t answer once. Meanwhile, Logan made a call that lasted less than three seconds, and she answered it immediately. Compared to those forty-three phone calls, this single text message was barely worth noticing. At 3:30 a.m., I finally got home. Hearing the commotion, my parents bolted upright from the couch. “Why are you back so late? Where’s Chloe?” I calmly set my coat down. “Something came up, so she isn’t coming.” Seeing my reaction, they exchanged a look and didn’t pry any further. After I finished washing up, a plate of food that had been reheated who knows how many times was set before me. The rising steam made my eyes water. It was meatloaf, Chloe’s favorite. Exhausted after a long day, I crashed into bed and fell asleep. However, early the next morning, the noise woke me up. As I pushed open the door, I saw both of them on the couch, happily playing some video games. In the kitchen, my dad was making tea, and my mom was reheating the meatloaf. I looked up at the old-fashioned clock hanging on the wall. It was 5:20 a.m. My elderly parents had slept for less than two hours, yet they were forced to get up and prepare a belated New Year’s Eve dinner. Logan was the first person to see me. “Mark, you’re finally awake!” His eyes lit up as he jumped off the couch to drag me over. Before I could say anything, Chloe grabbed Logan’s arm from behind. Sighing helplessly, she bent down to put his shoes on for him. “A second ago you were complaining that you were so dizzy and weak from hunger that you couldn’t even stand straight. Are you feeling better now?” Logan casually ruffled his hair and flashed me an embarrassed grin. “Sorry about that, Mark. My low blood sugar kicked in. She’s making a big fuss over nothing. She insisted on waking up your parents to reheat my favorite meatloaf. I told her not to bother!” I stood there, my hands clenching into fists. Subconsciously, I blurted out, “You love meatloaf, too?” Logan blinked innocently. “Yeah, I’ve loved it since I was a kid! Chloe used to hate it, but I would force her to eat it every time. Afterwards, she’d complain about how much she disliked them. It was hilarious.” Numbness gradually spread through half my body, and only then did I realize the ironic truth. After graduation, Logan got married and settled abroad. And every New Year’s Eve, the one dish Chloe specifically requested was meatloaf. As someone who couldn’t stand the texture, I had forced myself to adapt for eight long years. Yet, during those eight years, I lived like a shadow tailored to Chloe Smith’s preferences. Her gaze drifted onto Logan, wearing a smile I had never seen before. “I didn’t like it back then, but I later realized that it actually tastes pretty good.” “Pfft, I told you it was the best!” As soon as he said that, my mom walked out of the kitchen carrying a plate of food. Before she could even set the plate down, her body went limp, and she collapsed. “Mom!” Panic-stricken, I rushed over and helped her into the bedroom to rest. When I came back out to get her medication, Chloe suddenly grabbed my arm. Her eyebrows knitted slightly in hesitation, but she spoke anyway. “Dad is taking care of Mom in there. Logan’s blood sugar is low, so go reheat the other plate of food first.” Standing there, a chill ran down my spine. After a long pause, I asked numbly, “Chloe, did you check my text message?” Seeing the clueless look in her eyes, I understood immediately that she hadn’t read it. I should’ve known. In the next second, I pulled my arm back coldly. “The food is in the kitchen. If you want it, you can reheat it yourself. And another thing– Chloe, those are my parents. Don’t address them as yours anymore.” After eight years of dating, the relationship was going nowhere, and as for the answer I had been waiting for… I wasn’t going to wait for it anymore. Chapter 2 Footsteps suddenly sounded outside the door. The next second, the bedroom door was shoved open. Logan rushed up to me, looking anxious. “I’m so sorry, Mark! I had no idea you and Chloe agreed to go back home together. Otherwise, I definitely wouldn’t have taken up her time to come help me!” Chloe’s brows were knitted in a tight frown. “Logan, it’s got nothing to do with you. I came of my own accord…” She paused, seeming mindful of my parents’ presence. I didn’t even look up, my expression indifferent. “Let’s talk outside.” However, Logan ignored me and kept talking. “It’s all my fault. Otherwise, your mom wouldn’t have fallen either. Mark, please don’t be mad. I’ll get out of your hair right now!” With that, he turned around and ran off. Chloe, looking as if she had reached her limit, grabbed my hand and dragged me along to run after him. The moment we got downstairs, she threw off my hand with force. “Mark, Logan and I grew up together, and our families have always been close. You know our history! He came over to spend the holidays with you. Do you have to get so jealous and say such hurtful things to him? “You’re taking this way too far! If something happened to him, could you live with yourself?” Her furious accusations rained down on me. I kept my head lowered the whole time, staring down at the pristine white snow beneath my feet. What could possibly happen to a grown man like him? Yet, no matter what he did, Chloe was always worried about him. When it came to me, on the other hand—when my acute gastroenteritis had me doubled over in excruciating pain, I called her, only to be met with her saying, “There’s medicine in the drawer. Haven’t you always taken it on your own before?” My eyes watered, and I said flatly, “Let’s look for him first.” Chloe and I split up to search. We agreed that whoever found him first would call to inform the other. I walked aimlessly across two streets, my legs numb from the cold. The soles of my shoes were thin, and stepping onto the frozen pavement felt like walking barefoot on ice. After three hours, I gave Chloe a call. “Did you find him?” “No.” After a slight pause, she added, “He isn’t wearing a scarf. He must be freezing.” I looked down at myself. When we ran out, she hadn’t even remembered to let me put on a coat. A bitter laugh escaped me. “Yeah.” The moment I hung up and turned around, my footsteps halted. Inside a diner across the street, sitting right by the window, were a man and a woman. The man was Logan, and the woman was none other than Chloe, who had just told me a moment ago that she couldn’t find him! I walked closer. I watched Chloe smile as she picked up a piece of pancake, while Logan naturally reached out his hand to wipe her mouth clean. As if something had just crossed his mind, Logan suddenly spoke up. “Tsk, I forgot to call Mark. Is he going to be worried about me?” Chloe didn’t even raise her head, her tone cold and stiff. “If he hadn’t made you feel bad, you wouldn’t have run off. Let him worry for a little while. It’ll teach him a lesson.” I stood rooted to the spot as the wind howled. My hands and feet had gone numb from the cold. Standing like an ice sculpture in front of the diner, I watched the two of them keeping warm inside. She was afraid he would be cold, so she went out to look for him. She was afraid he would be hungry, so she ordered a whole table of food. She was afraid he would feel hurt, so she blamed me for three whole hours. Yet, she never once asked me if I was cold. She never asked how long I had been searching for him. She never asked if I was even wearing a coat. I stared at my own reflection in the glass window for a long time before walking away. About a hundred meters later, my phone chimed. It was a voice message from Chloe. “I found him. You can head back first.” I tapped to play it twice. I heard Logan’s laughter echo in the background and a whisper that said, “He’s probably going to be mad again.” “Ignore him.” My finger lingered over the screen for a long while before I sent a reply. [Okay.] I had stopped getting angry about it a long time ago. Getting angry meant there were still expectations. However, with Chloe, I no longer expected anything of her. Chapter 3 After all the tossing and turning, I came down with a high fever that night. I didn’t even know what time Chloe came back. When she noticed something was wrong with me, her cold face instantly filled with anxiety. “You’re burning up! Why didn’t you call me if you felt so sick?” Feverish and delirious, I replied, “If I called, would you have picked up?” She froze for a moment, then burst out laughing. “Listen to yourself. I always pick up your calls.” Hearing my silence, Chloe sighed helplessly. “Mark, you’re crossing the line. Do you know how guilty Logan felt today? Listen to me. Once you’re better, apologize to him. You shouldn’t ruin your friendship over such a trivial matter.” I raised my head. “I’m crossing the line?” “Aren’t you? It’s the holiday season. Stop making everyone miserable just because you’re in a bad mood.” I stared into her eyes before I turned my head away, not wanting to hear another word from her. A moment later, seeing that my high fever still hadn’t broken, Chloe frowned and told me to go to the hospital. Not wanting my parents to worry, I got into the car with her without saying much. Along the way, she kept checking my temperature. For a fleeting second, it felt like a flashback to our university days when we were deeply in love. Back then, when I got injured playing basketball, Chloe ran toward the health clinic, dragging me along in a panic. It was as if a moment’s delay would cost me my life. Halfway through the drive, Chloe’s phone rang. It was Logan. A soul-crushing voice came through the speaker. “Chloe, the cross pendant my grandmother gave me is missing! I’ve kept it on me since I was a kid! It might’ve dropped near the hotel. Can you come help me look for it?” Chloe swerved the steering wheel slightly and looked hesitantly at me in the passenger seat. “Mark has a fever. I’m driving him–” “Take him to the hospital! I’m fine. I’ll just look for it alone. It’s no big deal…” As Logan spoke, his voice trembled slightly. Chloe said nothing, but the car slowed down. Three seconds later, she said, “Logan’s hotel is right up ahead. It’s late. It’s not safe for him to search for it alone…” I opened my eyes and stared at her, my vision hazy from the fever. “Chloe, I’m feeling really awful right now.” “I know. I promise it’ll be quick!” she said anxiously. “Don’t worry, I’ll drive you right after we find it.” Without waiting for me to speak again, she swiftly pulled the car up to the front of the hotel. The moment Logan saw her, he rushed forward and pulled her into a tight hug. Chloe patted his back. “Don’t worry. I’ll help you find it.” Just like that, the two of them walked away along the curb. This wasn’t the first time. During Thanksgiving two years ago, Logan said he felt lonely spending it alone, so Chloe ditched the family dinner to spend it with him overseas. On my birthday last year, a phone call from Logan saying he had a fever sent Chloe running off to bring him medicine, leaving me alone in front of my birthday cake. Most recently, when I went on a business trip, Chloe took my mom to the hospital for a checkup. However, when a call came from Logan saying his dog was lost, she left my mom all alone at the hospital without a second thought. Every time, I had to make way for Logan. Catching my breath, I took a taxi to the hospital by myself. The nurse took my temperature and frowned. “You’re burning up. What took you so long to get to the hospital?” I was too weak to answer. The next second, hurried footsteps rushed into the emergency room. Two familiar figures came into view. After looking around, Chloe strode toward me. Yet, she grabbed the nurse who was about to set up my IV drip. “Please check his foot first!” The anxious tone in her voice was identical to when she had shouted at the nurses in the clinic back in university. Logan told her off. “Chloe, how could you leave Mark alone in the car? He still has a fever. Aren’t you afraid something might happen to him?” Chloe sighed helplessly. “It’s just a fever. Losing your cross is the real emergency! But let’s get you checked first. He’s not a child anymore. He’ll be fine. If you’re worried, I’ll give him a call later.” After examining him, the nurse sighed softly. “Your foot is fine. Your girlfriend was so worried that I thought it was something major!” Stunned, Chloe replied, “You misunderstood. I’m not–” Before she could finish, Logan suddenly wrapped his arm around her shoulders, raised an eyebrow, and smirked at her playfully. “Did you hear that, babe? I told you I was fine!” Seeing that, the nurse smiled. “It’s sweet that you two have each other. That poor gentleman over there came to the hospital all by himself even though he has such a high fever.” “Huh? That poor guy?” When they both looked toward me, Logan’s face instantly turned pale. “M-Mark!” Chapter 4 Logan immediately tried to explain things to me. “I was just teasing her, Mark! Don’t take it to heart!” I didn’t say a word. I just stared at them both in silence. They grew up together and were a perfect match in every way, so why hadn’t two people so well-suited for each other ended up together? If it were Chloe, she would never have had the heart to divorce Logan. I looked away as I replied flatly, “You don’t need to explain anything to me. We’ve broken up.” “Broken up?” That single phrase set Chloe off. “Mark, is there no end to this? If it weren’t for you, would Logan have sprained his ankle in the first place?” Even in my sickly state, her words made me laugh. “His low blood sugar is my fault, his getting lost is my fault, and now even his sprained ankle is on me?” “Mark, Chloe didn’t mean it like that–” Chloe’s face turned grim. “Isn’t it true? Just to spare your feelings, I abandoned a mountain of work, and Logan left his parents behind! What more do you want from us? Mark, where on earth did you pick up this attitude? You want a break-up? Fine! I’d like to see you begging me to take you back eventually!” Logan urged Chloe to go and pay the hospital fees. After she walked away, he turned around and patted my shoulder. “Mark, you know what Chloe’s temper is like. She was raised to be the center of attention. Just sweet-talk her a little, and it’ll blow over.” I calmly pulled my shoulder away. “Why should I be the one to sweet-talk her?” Logan froze. “Well, growing up, aside from knowing how to sweet-talk me, she doesn’t know how to sweet-talk any other guy–” He cut himself off abruptly. I smiled. “Yeah, you’re the only one she knows how to sweet-talk. So, why don’t you just confess your feelings to her?” Turning pale, Logan quickly shot to his feet but tripped over something. “Ouch–” His sprained ankle swelled up terribly in an instant. Frowning, I reached out to help him, but my hand was slapped away. “Don’t touch him!” A sharp pain shot across the back of my hand, and Chloe shot me a death stare. Chloe said, “Mark, you don’t deserve to be Logan’s friend.” She then fetched a wheelchair and wheeled Logan toward the exit. Countless strange looks from the crowd turned toward me, and the nurse looked at me with pity as she reinserted my IV needle. After that day, Chloe didn’t show up again. Meanwhile, Logan’s feed was updated with a set of photos. The location tag was the Vive City, and the people in the photos were him and Chloe’s parents. The top comment was from Chloe’s mother. [If I had a son-in-law like Logan, I’d die happy.] Last winter, when Chloe’s mother was hospitalized with back pain, Chloe was too busy with work to be there. It was I who gave up a promotion opportunity, took a few days off work, took care of her, and accompanied her through treatment. I stared at that comment for a long time before liking the post and then closing the app. Seven days into the new year, I had arrived at the airport early with my luggage when my phone screen lit up with a notification. “You said you wanted to break up, didn’t you? When are you coming over to get your things? Mark, if you’re willing to swallow your pride and apologize to Logan, I’ll act like this whole breakup thing never happened.” After reading them, I typed a reply and hit send. [You can throw them away.] Then, I turned off my phone. … At the same time, Chloe had just stepped off the plane. She was scrolling on her phone when she came across an update, and she froze.