James sat slumped on the freezing hardwood floor.
He had always assumed Emily was gentle by nature, that no matter how much of a fuss she kicked up, she would ultimately stay right here in this house. He believed that no matter how much he neglected her, she would always be waiting in the exact same spot for him to turn around.
He had taken her six years of meticulous, unwavering care completely for granted. He was used to the hot meals waiting for him every morning. He was used to his shirts and ties being perfectly paired and laid out. He was used to her putting him first, always yielding, always understanding.
He treated her deep devotion as his birthright, brushing off her brightest, most eager hopes as trivial. He had turned a blind eye to every ounce of her silent suffering.
It was only now, staring at an empty room, that it finally hit him—he had thrown away someone incredibly precious.
With trembling hands, he dialed her number again and again, only to be met by the cold, mechanical voice of the carrier stating the phone was powered off.
…
The moment my plane landed, I turned my phone back on. The avalanche of notifications was so massive it completely froze my device. Unable to use Apple Pay and carrying no cash, I found a random seat in the terminal to wait for the phone to unfreeze.
My gaze drifted out of focus. Couples walked by, families of three headed out on vacation, everyone bustling past with smiles on their faces. It felt like I was the only person who had arrived in this city carrying such a heavy heart.
I thought back to the past, back when I was still incredibly clingy with James. No matter where I went, I’d report my day to him—what I ate for lunch, a pretty flower I saw on the street—I’d take photos of everything and send them all.
And back then, James wasn’t so dismissive. He would reply to every single message, reminding me to go easy on the spicy food, or telling me to stay away from the pollen so my allergies wouldn’t act up.
That was until Chloe came back from abroad. She seamlessly inserted herself into James’s life, and by the time I noticed, they were already inseparable.
James was always busy with work, and whatever little free time he had, Chloe monopolized. By the time he got to me, there wasn’t a single second left to spare.
At first, I was naive. I thought if I just treated him better, if I just pushed myself harder, he would see how special I was and cherish everything I did for him.
Until one day, I realized something. When James was around me, he would secretly turn off his hearing aid.
He thought my caring was “nagging.” Even when I stayed up late fixing his work spreadsheets until my migraines flared up. I memorized all his dietary restrictions, spending six years ensuring not a single harsh ingredient touched his stomach. I knew his hearing aid was sensitive to moisture and loud noises, so I kept our home dead silent, always speaking in soft, gentle tones. I never screamed or shrieked the way Chloe did.
I couldn’t warm his heart. And slowly, my own heart grew cold, until it was completely frozen.
When someone doesn’t love you, your docility is boring, your dedication is a burden, your grievances are dramatic, and your departure is just a childish tantrum.
When would he finally understand? All of my sacrifices were built on the foundation of love. And he had killed that love with his own two hands.
Now that I didn’t love him anymore, what right did he have to demand I go back to that life?
It was all over.
