Chapter 54

The movie starred a pink unicorn. It reminded me of the plush toy in Oliver’s hand—I figured that was the connection. After getting back from the mall, I sat blankly at the desk in our bedroom, that cartoon still looping in my head. And I ended up writing a three-page "report"—all about today's date. I didn’t want Oliver to get the wrong idea about how I felt. After going over what I’d written, I let out a tired sigh, opened up those advice videos again, and decided to rethink my approach. Over the past week, I’d tried pretty much everything—showing concern, giving gifts, even asking him for help... literally every trick the videos suggested. But for Oliver, it was all like background noise. He acted the same as when we first got together—same tone, same emotions. Nothing changed. The bouquet he gave me? Already wilting. Those fading roses sat in that pretty vase, no longer fresh, just quietly dying. I poured myself a glass of wine, staring at it while trying to make sense of my recent