As the workday was winding down, Alexander sent me a message saying he had an engagement and that I should head home first.

I stared at the screen for a second before locking my phone.

Then I called Jim to pick me up.

On the way back, a sudden craving hit me—something sweet.

Chocolate cookies.

"Jim, wait for me here. I’ll be right back," I said as the car pulled up outside the plaza. Without waiting for a response, I stepped out and headed inside.

The bakery—Delights—had been here for years. It was practically a landmark, always filled with people no matter the time of day.

As expected, it was crowded.

I made my way to the glass display on the left and ordered my usual—chocolate cookies and a slice of cheesecake. After paying, I took the paper bag and turned to leave.

The moment I stepped out, I accidentally bumped into two women.

"I’m sorry," I said quickly, already moving to step past them—

"Alicia?"

I froze.

Slowly, I turned back.

One of the women wore a mask and a hat, but I recognized her instantly.

Lilian.

The other woman beside her, barefaced, was clearly her assistant.

Lilian stepped closer, her gaze dropping to the bag in my hands. "Came for cookies?" she asked lightly. "You like this place too? Funny... I love their cookies as well."

"So it’s Miss Lilian," I said, my tone polite but distant. "Even with your busy schedule, you still come out to buy cookies yourself?"

"Of course."

"Well, then you should go ahead. I won’t keep you." I turned to leave.

"Wait," Lilian called from behind me. "You got the chocolate cookies, didn’t you?"

My steps halted.

Delights’ packaging was simple—just a neat paper box. There was no way to tell what was inside.

So how did she know?

"You’re wondering how I knew, right?" she said softly.

I didn’t turn around.

Her footsteps approached, slow and deliberate.

"It’s because I love their chocolate cookies too."

My lips pressed into a thin line.

I already knew what was coming.

I should have walked away.

But my feet felt rooted to the ground, heavy, unmoving.

"Do you remember when Alexander and I were dating?" she continued, her voice almost nostalgic. "He knew how much I loved these, so whenever we argued, he’d bring me cookies to make up for it."

Each word landed like a stone in my chest.

"He’d place them in front of me... and I’d forgive him," she said with a soft laugh. "But there was one time we fought badly. Even when he brought them, I refused to see him."

My fingers tightened around the paper bag.

"I’m pretty sure," she went on, "that the cookies he couldn’t give me that day... ended up with you."

My breath hitched.

"I saw your status update that night," she added calmly. "I didn’t want to ruin anything for you, so I said nothing."

Silence fell.

The air felt colder.

So that was it.

So that’s what it was.

All those moments I thought were mine...

They were never meant for me.

I didn’t say a word.

I simply walked past her and out of the plaza, the paper bag still clutched tightly in my hand.

The evening wind cut through me, sharp and unforgiving.

When I spotted a trash can by the roadside, I quickened my steps.

Without hesitation—

I threw the bag in.

Harder than necessary.

I closed my eyes for a moment before walking back toward the car.

"Miss, weren’t you going to buy something?" Jim asked as I got in. "Why didn’t you get anything?"

I gave a faint smile. "It was sold out. I didn’t buy anything. Let’s go."

He didn’t question me further. The engine started, and the car pulled away, heading toward the Estates.

I leaned back against the seat, watching the streetlights blur past the window.

At some point, my vision began to blur.

Tears welled up in my eyes without warning.

Why did I love chocolate cookies so much?

The answer came to me almost immediately.

When I first arrived at the Blackwood family, I was quiet... cautious. The relatives often praised me for being obedient, well-behaved.

My relationship with Alexander had always been distant—polite, but never close. We would exchange brief nods when we passed each other, nothing more.

Back then, that was enough for me.

I would steal glances at him when he wasn’t looking, quietly satisfied with just that.

Until one day...

Alexander returned home with a paper bag in his hand.

I was sitting in the living room doing my homework. When I saw him, I called out softly, "Brother."

He paused for a moment, as if caught off guard, before walking over and placing the bag in front of me.

"Alicia," he said, his tone unusually gentle, "do you like cookies? I brought you some."

I looked up at him, stunned.

During my time in the Blackwood family, he had always kept a careful distance—not cold, but never warm either.

So why... would he suddenly bring me cookies?

"Don’t like it?" he asked when I didn’t respond.

I shook my head instinctively—then quickly nodded.

How could I not like it?

I had seen my classmates eat them before. The desserts from that bakery were expensive. I had only tasted them once in the past, and even then, the flavor had lingered in my memory for a long time.

Back then, my father’s salary had been enough for the two of us. He had never treated me poorly—but things like this, delicate desserts from a place like that... they were luxuries.

Rare. Precious.

"I’m glad you like it," Alexander said with a faint smile.

Then he turned and walked upstairs.

I sat there, dazed, staring at the paper bag in front of me, still unable to believe it.

Only when Alexander was almost at the top of the stairs did I snap back to reality.

"Thank you, Brother!" I called out.

I didn’t know if he heard me.

But I knew my voice had been sweet.

For the first time, our interaction wasn’t just a polite exchange of greetings.

It felt like... with those cookies, something between us had quietly changed.

Like we had taken a small step closer.

I held the paper bag in my hands, glancing around as a soft warmth bubbled in my chest.

At that moment, even the dullest math and physics problems seemed almost... charming.

I placed the bag carefully beside me, reminding myself to finish my homework quickly—so I could enjoy it properly.

That evening, just as I’d expected, I finished my homework half an hour earlier than usual.

I unwrapped the cookies with care, as though I were handling something precious.

Even then, I didn’t eat them right away.

Instead, I took out my phone and snapped a few photos.

None of them felt quite right.

I scrolled through them again and again until I finally found one that was acceptable.

I posted it as my status.

No caption.

Just a single heart emoji.

It was my silent joy.

My unspoken, girlish thoughts.

The purest, most innocent feeling I had ever known.

That day, the chocolate cookies tasted especially sweet—

A hundred times better than any dessert I had ever had.

After that, I began buying their cookies more often.

Slowly, it became a habit.

If someone asked whether I liked that bakery...

It wasn’t really about the taste.

It was about the person who had given them to me.

...

It wasn’t until now that I finally understood.

The cookies I had treasured for so many years...

Were never meant for me.

They were simply something someone else didn’t want.

The feelings I had held onto for so long—

Were so easily given away to Lilian.

What Lilian didn’t want...

Was passed down to me.

Just like Alexander.

When Lilian left him—

He turned around and married me.