The Summer Heat Was Thirty Degrees And His Lie Was A Hundred Chapter 07

Julian knew my parents’ address perfectly well.

Last New Year’s, we’d both gone back to our respective hometowns.

On New Year’s Day, we’d stared at each other through a FaceTime call like a pair of idiots, laughing and exchanging wishes.

The very next morning, he drove over twelve hours straight to surprise me at my doorstep.

I vividly remembered him stuffing an expensive jewelry box into my coat pocket, claiming it was a gift from his parents.

“Take it,” he’d said softly, pulling me close. “Consider it interest for making you wait. I’m going to marry you eventually.”

Back then, I’d nodded solemnly and promised I would wait.

Now, everything had fallen apart, and those days were gone forever.

Julian awkwardly offered a greeting to my dad, trying to thrust the expensive gifts into his hands.

I stepped forward, my voice entirely flat as I intercepted him.

“My dad doesn’t drink or smoke.”

Julian froze, his hands hovering mid-air before he awkwardly pulled them back.

I told my dad to head inside first.

Some things simply needed to be buried once and for all.

Julian’s eyes were heavily bloodshot as he looked at me.

“Chloe, after waiting out here for you all night, I finally understand exactly how you felt at that restaurant.”

“The anxiety, the panic, the terror… I’m so terrified of losing you.”

I remained completely unmoved, calmly correcting him.

“You’re mistaken. I wasn’t afraid of losing you.”

Julian flinched, his voice dropping into a ragged, desperate whisper.

“Chloe, I never wanted things to get this out of hand.”

“I swear I didn’t mean to leave you waiting that night. There was an actual emergency.”

And that emergency, as always, was Savannah.

I didn’t offer a reply.

“Savannah answered your call that night. She told me you never wanted to see me again, so I had no idea you were actually sitting in that restaurant waiting for me.”

“And that apology video—she literally begged me to film it.”

“She claimed she just wanted an apology to show a few colleagues who were gossiping about her in the office. I was just trying to pacify her. I had absolutely no clue she was going to drop it into the company-wide Slack channel. I only found out when I went to your office to look for you…”

Tears of profound agony filled Julian’s eyes.

“Chloe, I am so sorry.”

“I never wanted to hurt you. I’ve been drowning in guilt.”

His casual attempt to pacify her had systematically destroyed my professional reputation.

An “I’m sorry” at this point was completely worthless.

Julian stared at me intensely.

“There is absolutely nothing between Savannah and me. I don’t feel anything for her.”

“Chloe, the only person I love is you.”

Then he began rambling about his high school days.

He admitted he’d harbored a massive crush on Savannah back then and had even written her a love letter.

Savannah’s brutal, public rejection had shattered his fragile teenage ego.

So when they crossed paths years later, his unresolved insecurity took over.

The moment she reached out to him for help, his ego wouldn’t let him say no.

Julian simply wanted to show her that he’d become a successful, capable man.

“I liked the way she looked up at me with admiration. I liked that she depended on me, but it had absolutely nothing to do with romance.”

“I just wanted to prove to myself that she lacked judgment back then, that’s all…”

I nodded slowly. “I get it.”

“Chloe, please don’t be like this,” Julian practically begged, his voice breaking.

“I already forced Savannah to pack up and leave my apartment. I swear to you, I will never involve myself in her life ever again.”

“It’s been so long now. Have you calmed down? Let me take you back to the city. It doesn’t matter that your lease is broken, you can just move directly into my place…”

“We’ve been together for four years. This is all just a series of stupid, minor misunderstandings. Don’t be so ruthless.”

Now that we were broken up, he was suddenly willing to let me move in.

But I no longer wanted to.

“Right, they’re all just minor things,” I murmured, my voice dripping with irony. “Even the fact that you helped Savannah slander me to my entire company is just a small detail.”

Julian’s face drained of color instantly.

“It was a hundred-degree summer day in Metro City. I came home drenched in sweat to a broken AC unit, and you told me to just tough it out.”

“And the very next minute, I saw Savannah’s Instagram post.”

Bringing up that day for the first time, Julian looked completely blank and disoriented.

“What Instagram post?”

I didn’t answer his question.

“In that exact moment, a lifetime of suppressed compromise and resentment completely boiled over.”

“The HVAC technician texted me back the second he got a free slot and raced over to save me. When he saw how miserable I looked, he automatically knocked twenty dollars off the bill.”

“He was a complete stranger I’d never met before in my life.”

“And you? The man who was supposed to love me was busy playing savior to Savannah.”

The stark contrast forced me to realize that sacrifices and deep affection didn’t guarantee a happy ending.

“Julian, I am never going to compromise my own sanity for you ever again.”

“There’s no future for us. Go back, and don’t come here again.”