He then turned to Eddie and added, “Well, the dinner’s winding down. Why don’t you walk your girlfriend out?”
As I stood up to leave, I heard him say, “Honestly, I think Selena and Eddie would make a better match. They’re both my students, and they fit well together in terms of both intellect and looks. When it comes to relationships, beauty alone doesn’t cut it…”
I paused at the door, feeling defeated, and followed Eddie out.
Throughout our relationship, Eddie rarely treated me to anything.
Whenever I envied couples who went out for dinner or movies together, he would scoff.
To him, if I loved him, I should just understand him, no questions asked.
He would rather tackle math problems for days than spare half an hour for a meal or a chat with me.
As we walked, Eddie trailed behind, lost in thought.
With him around, I felt a flicker of hope. I racked my brain for a topic he might find interesting.
I opened my mouth to speak, “Eddie…”
But he cut me off, saying, “There’s something I need to make clear.”
I turned to him, expecting him to explain Selena’s comments.
Instead, he said, “Can you please stop coming to find me from now on?”
I froze; the sound of my heart shattering echoed in my ears. “Why? I’m your girlfriend…”
Eddie continued, “Can’t you see? We finally had a chance to enjoy a meal together, but because of you, no one had a good time. We’re not on the same wavelength, so why force it? You feel uncomfortable, and so do we.
“And please don’t text or call me for a while. I’m really busy these days and can’t afford to be distracted. Every time your messages come through, it breaks my concentration. You don’t understand the pressure I’m under…”
I stood there, feeling utterly desolate, and finally managed to say, “Okay.”
But just as I turned to leave, Selena rushed out of the restaurant.
With a playful smile, she called to Eddie, “Hey, can you grab me a milkshake from that place by the art school later? I had it delivered once, and it was really good. Oh, and don’t forget the fruit from across the street–grab me some of that too!”
Eddie let out a reluctant sigh. “Seriously? Have you finished ordering yet?”
Selena shot me a quick glance before continuing, “And don’t forget my favorite omelet! I’ll send you the files later; can you print something for me? Come on, it’s just a little errand… Are you also so impatient when you’re with your girlfriend?”
Her words hit me like a ton of bricks. How could she say that? I’d never dare ask Eddie for anything like that.
I was always the one tiptoeing around him, nervously asking what he needed and then rushing to get it for him.
I worried that even checking in on Eddie would disrupt his studies and put him in a bad mood.
It dawned on me then–Eddie could buy milkshakes and snacks for girls.
He could patiently listen to their endless requests.
But I was never the one who received that treatment.
Back at school, I tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep.
I lay in bed, scrolling through our old messages, desperately searching for any sign that he loved me.
I used to be a chatterbox, always bursting with new topics to share, eager to pass along anything I found interesting. But Eddie didn’t appreciate that.
He’d tell me not to bother him with “useless” stuff.
Over time, I learned to tread lightly in our conversations, carefully choosing my words.
I wanted to show I cared, to understand what he was going through.
Even when his replies were just a few curt words, seeing those little red notification bubbles made my heart leap with joy.
As I looked back now, his responses were painfully sparse.
Most of the time, it was just “What’s up?” or “Do you need something?”
HV
I couldn’t find any warmth in his words; it was just a cold, hard reality that I had to swallow.
Then Selena posted an update, flaunting the things Eddie had bought for her.
There were photos of them sharing food, captured in a grid of happy moments.
Then came a picture of her leaning against Eddie’s shoulder, with the caption: [Had such a great day! Someone said if he had met me first, he’d definitely be with me. That’s enough for me.]
My heart felt like it had been stabbed.
