“When did you get back?” I asked joyfully.

“I’ve been back for two days now,” Atlas replied flatly. Although he sounded calm, I felt disappointed. It seemed I wasn’t that important to him since he could come and go without notifying me.

My mood plummeted, and I said nothing.

He continued, “You don’t need to worry about that and just focus on your work.”

"What do you mean?" I replied, slightly annoyed.

"Do you have time to worry about me?" he spoke forcefully, avoiding my question.

I knew he was in a bad mood, so I didn’t respond. Instead, I hung up, thinking he should know what it feels like for me to hang up on him. I waited a while, but he didn’t call me back. I felt even more dejected.

While scrolling through my phone, I realized I hadn’t seen Ivanna and Lauren for several days. I called them, but Ivanna’s line was busy. Immediately after, I called Lauren, and she answered with a complaint, “You finally remembered me!”

“Why are you like Ivanna? You’re always complaining like