After My Boyfriend Rejected My 99th Dinner Invitation, I Left

The 99th time I asked my boyfriend, Nathan Cole, to dinner, he turned me down and snapped, "Is eating the only thing you ever think about?" We'd been together for two years, yet every time I wanted to have dinner with him, I had to check his schedule first. He said work kept him busy and he didn't like last-minute invitations. So I learned to ask a week ahead and keep track of every opening in his schedule. One day, while I was out shopping, I passed a new Italian restaurant and texted him. His reply came at once. "How many times have I told you? Stop bothering me with little things like this!" I put my phone away and went in by myself. But when I went to pay, I saw him in the private dining room next door. Nathan always claimed he was too busy to have dinner with me. Yet there he was, sitting with his childhood friend, Vivian Shaw, chatting happily. Vivian laughed. "Nathan, I hope it wasn't too much trouble coming out this late." Nathan slowly cut his steak. "Whenever you want to have dinner, just let me know. I'll always make time for you." So it wasn't that he didn't have time. It wasn't that he hated last-minute invitations. He just didn't think having dinner with me was worth making an exception for. Fine. If he could never make time for me, I would stop asking. For good. 1 When I got home, Nathan was stripping the sheets off the bed in the master bedroom. Vivian stood in the doorway hugging a pillow, two suitcases at her feet. "There's a leak at her place. She's staying here for a few days." Nathan made the bed with the pale green sheets Vivian liked. "The master bedroom gets the best light, so she'll take it. You sleep in the study. I'll take the couch." The study was piled with junk, and once the folding bed was open, there was barely room to stand. Vivian said quickly, "Why don't I take the study?" "Your back's bad. You can't sleep on a folding bed," Nathan said. Then he adjusted the AC for her and took a thin blanket out of the closet. My mom had knitted that blanket for me herself. I reached over and took it back. "She can't have this." Nathan frowned. "It's just a blanket. She'll give it back in a few days." I held back my anger. "It's mine. You both should have asked me before taking it." Vivian apologized quietly, but Nathan's face darkened. "She just moved here. She's only staying with us for a little while. Don't go out of your way to embarrass her." I hugged the blanket to my chest. "I'm just taking back what's mine." He tugged impatiently at his collar. "You've been acting weird since you got back from that restaurant. I had one dinner with a friend I hadn't seen in a long time. There's no need to be so petty." "To you, it was just one dinner. Not to me." I looked at him. "When she wants dinner, you can always make time. When I ask, you say I'm bothering you over nothing. Nathan, you just don't want to spend time with me." He was silent for a few seconds. Vivian explained gently, "Leah, I don't have any friends here. That's why I asked him to keep me company. You two have been together for two years. Don't let something this small hurt your relationship." Nathan latched onto her explanation as if it were the excuse he'd been waiting for. "She already explained it. We're done talking about this." I shook my head. "I asked why you treat her differently from me." Just then, Vivian's phone rang, and she stepped onto the balcony to take a call from her landlord, Martin Keller. Nathan lowered his voice. "Just let her stay tonight. Don't make a big deal out of something so small." He'd said the same thing every time he made me angry. I used to think he was trying to make me feel better. Now I understood. He only wanted to brush it aside so I'd keep putting up with the way he hurt me. I took a step back. "She can have the master bedroom." His face relaxed a little. Then I moved all my clothes, my pillow, and my skincare products into the study. "Leah, what are you making a scene about now?" "Don't worry. I'm done making scenes." I didn't explain. I just shut the door. In the middle of the night, the folding bed left my lower back aching. Nathan opened the door and set down a glass of warm water. "Dinner was greasy. Your stomach meds are right here." That small show of concern made me open my eyes. But then Vivian called from the other room. "Nathan, my phone won't charge." He turned around at once. Through the crack in the door, I watched him crouch by the bed and check her charging cable. Vivian said something, and he laughed and tapped her on the forehead. So easy. So intimate. I picked up the glass of warm water and poured it down the sink. I didn't want his concern if I had to share it with another woman. 2 Vivian had said she'd stay three days, but she was still there on the fifth day. Her makeup took up half the bathroom cabinet, and the table was covered with her magazines. When I got home from work, Nathan was taking an apple pie out of the oven. Once, when I was so hungry my stomach hurt, I'd asked him to bake one for me. He'd said he was no good in the kitchen. Now he cut his homemade pie into neat slices and set them in front of Vivian. Vivian sat cross-legged on the couch, raving about his baking between bites. The two of them talked and laughed. They looked more like a couple than we did. When Nathan finally noticed me, he asked almost as an afterthought, "Want some?" Only two broken pieces from the edge remained on the plate, as if they were a handout meant for me. "I don't want any." I walked into the kitchen and saw a gift box in the trash. It was the matching dinnerware set I'd ordered a month earlier as a second-anniversary gift for Nathan. Vivian was holding the blue mug from the set, with Nathan's name engraved on the bottom. "Where did that mug come from?" Nathan replied carelessly, "From the cabinet. It hadn't been used anyway." "That was an anniversary gift." Vivian put it down at once. There was a lipstick mark on the rim. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know. How much was it? I'll pay you back." Nathan took the mug to rinse it. "It's just a mug. We can buy another one." His tone made it clear he was defending Vivian. I asked, "The box was labeled 'Second Anniversary.' Didn't you see it?" He paused, then said impatiently, "So what do you want? She already apologized, and she offered to pay you back." I took out the other mug, the one with my name on it, and dropped it in the trash. Nathan had no idea this wasn't just about a mug. Whether Vivian wanted a mug or dinner with him, Nathan gave her whatever she wanted. But his own girlfriend was always left on the sidelines. There was no point in keeping my half of the set. A relationship held together by only one person was even less worth keeping. As soon as I got back to my room, I canceled the dinner reservation and the flower-arranging class I'd booked for our anniversary. When Nathan saw the refund notice, his face changed. "Next Tuesday is our anniversary. Why would you cancel the dinner reservation? I have to work, but I can still set aside two hours for us." Before I could say anything, Vivian jumped in. "Since you two don't have plans anymore, could Nathan go with me to the furniture outlet? They're having their biggest sale next Tuesday." "I'll go with you during the day," Nathan agreed without a second's hesitation. Then he looked at me. "We can celebrate a little later. We'll just make another reservation." I looked at him. "You can't just change a reservation at a restaurant that popular. You either show up or you don't." His face darkened. "I think you're just trying to compete with Vivian. Taking her to the furniture outlet won't take long. We can celebrate our anniversary anytime. Don't be so petty." Every time he played favorites, he expected me not to compare. If I never compared, I wouldn't notice that Vivian always came first and I got whatever was left. In the end, I made another reservation at the restaurant and took my mom there on our anniversary. Halfway through dinner, I saw that Vivian had posted on Instagram. In the photo, she was standing outside the furniture outlet, with a trunk full of stuff behind her. The caption said, "Ever since we were kids, whenever I ask, he always has time." At the edge of the photo, I recognized Nathan's watch on his wrist. He didn't arrive until half past eight that night, carrying a matcha cake. "Traffic was terrible. Happy anniversary." I didn't like matcha. Vivian did. Nathan could never keep track of what I liked, but he remembered everything about Vivian. He frowned at the food, which had long since gone cold. "Why didn't you wait for me?" I glanced at the time. "You said you'd give me two hours. There's still an hour and a half left. That's plenty of time for you to finish this meal." My mom got up and went to the restroom. Nathan lowered his voice, but his impatience showed. "Don't talk to me like that in front of your mom. It's our anniversary. Can't you be a little more understanding?" I pushed the cake back toward him. "Take it with you. Vivian likes matcha. I don't." And I was done loving Nathan, too. When I got home, I took our wall calendar down. It was crammed with his meetings, his business trips, and his days off. For two years, I'd arranged my whole life around his free time. But not anymore. Nathan wasn't worth it. The next day, Nathan stared at the empty wall, and his face darkened. "Where's the calendar?" "I threw it out." "Why?" I opened the door and said calmly, "I won't need it anymore." No one keeps track of a soon-to-be ex-boyfriend's schedule. To me, those pages were nothing but trash now. 3 On Friday, my store manager, Diane Brooks, slid the transfer form for the new Northbrook store across the counter to me again. The position came with a 30 percent raise and a housing stipend for the first year. Last time, I'd turned it down because of Nathan. Northbrook was only a 40-minute drive away. But he'd said, "We hardly see each other as it is. If you transfer there, what's even the point of dating?" This time, I took the form. "I'll give you an answer by Monday." That afternoon, during inventory, the acrylic panel on the top shelf of a display case came loose. I reached up to catch it, and it sliced my wrist open. Blood quickly soaked through the gauze I pressed against the cut. A coworker took me to the hospital and called Nathan, my emergency contact, on the way. He didn't answer. A long while later, he finally called back. "What's so important that you keep calling?" "I hurt my hand. I need stitches. My coworker was worried I wouldn't have anyone with me after she left, so she called you." It was loud in the background. "I can't come right now. Vivian lost her wallet with all her ID in it. I'm at the police station with her, checking the security footage." He paused. "Just wait there for a while. I'll come to the hospital when I'm done." Before he hung up, I heard Vivian calling him over. I heard his footsteps quickly fade away. I got four stitches at the hospital. Even after my wound was bandaged, Nathan still didn't show up. It was raining when I left. I couldn't hold an umbrella with my injured hand, and one shoulder was soaked through in no time. Nathan didn't get home until ten that night. When he saw the gauze on my hand, he looked stunned. "How did you end up needing that many stitches?" "Four." "Didn't you say it wasn't serious?" "I never said that." He crouched to read the discharge instructions and asked when I needed to change the dressing and whether I'd had a tetanus shot. Then he rolled up his sleeves and went into the kitchen. In the past, his concern might have softened me. Now it only felt like a cruel joke. I was done giving my heart to a man who split his between two women. Half an hour later, he came out with a bowl of creamy chicken soup. He'd left out the onions and the black pepper I hated. "I'm sorry about today." He continued softly, "She lost her ID and all her bank cards. I couldn't leave her alone at the police station." He reached out to touch my hair. "Does it still hurt?" I turned my head away. Nathan's hand froze for a moment, but he went on. "Don't do any housework for the next few days. You need to keep the wound dry." I nodded vaguely, then ignored him. I didn't need his concern. It had come too late. At 11, Vivian came home, her eyes red. "Nathan, the elevator just stalled for a moment. It scared me." He stood up at once. "How long were you stuck? What did the management office say?" "Less than a minute. They said it was nothing serious, but I'm still scared." Nathan grabbed his jacket. "I'll go with you." I held up my hand. "My hand hurts so much that I can't even pour myself a glass of water. The doctor said I need someone with me. Do you really have to leave right now?" He hesitated for a moment. "Your meds are on the table. I'll pour you some water so you can take them. I'm going with Vivian to the management office. They're about to close." Vivian lowered her eyes. "I'm sorry. I was trapped in an elevator once before, so I still get a little panicky." Nathan stepped in front of her. "She's alone in this city. She can't manage without me." I looked at him. "I went to the hospital alone today, too. As my boyfriend, where were you?" For a few seconds, he didn't say anything. "You're not like her. You've always been independent. You can take care of yourself." So the reward for being independent was being ignored. I picked up the transfer form and signed my full name, Leah Tanner, on the line. Nathan noticed it. "What's that?" "Work paperwork." "Want me to look it over for you?" "No." I put the form in my bag. "You're right. I'm very independent. I can take care of myself just fine without you." That night, he went with Vivian to the management office. By the time he came back, it was 12:30. Maybe out of guilt, Nathan offered to go with me to get my dressing changed the next day. But I refused and said a coworker would go with me. For the first time, he wasn't on my schedule. And he never would be again. 4 On my mom's 60th birthday, I planned to go home by myself. I'd told Nathan three weeks in advance, but I had a feeling he wouldn't make it on time. I didn't remind him. I didn't see the point in asking again. At five o'clock, I carried the cake downstairs. Nathan's car was parked at the curb. Vivian was in the passenger seat, and the trunk was stuffed with her luggage. I opened the passenger door, but Nathan said, "Vivian gets carsick. You sit in the back." That seat was supposed to be mine alone. Nathan had once said that no other woman would ever sit there. I never imagined all his rules would change the moment Vivian showed up. When we got to my mom's place, Nathan went in empty-handed. Vivian, on the other hand, had brought a silk scarf, and my mom couldn't stop thanking her. When the seafood stew came to the table, Vivian had just picked up her bowl when Nathan suddenly put his hand over hers. "You're allergic to seafood. Don't touch it." My mom froze. Seafood stew was her signature dish. "I didn't know Ms. Shaw was coming." "Now that you know, there's still time to fix it," Nathan said, moving the seafood stew away from Vivian. Then he looked at me. "There's a restaurant nearby. Go get her a salad." I still had stitches in my wrist. Before I could respond, my mom's face darkened. "Leah came to spend my birthday with me, not to run errands. And her hand is still hurt. "There's plenty of food on the table. If Ms. Shaw can't eat this, she can just eat a little less." Nathan frowned. "Allergies are serious, Evelyn. There's no need to make things difficult for her just because she's not family." The whole table went quiet. On my mom's 60th birthday, he'd brought along an extra guest without warning, then accused my mom of giving her a hard time. I didn't want my mom upset at her own birthday dinner, so I got up, went into the kitchen, and made Vivian a salad. When I brought it out, Nathan had already opened the box for the birthday cake I'd ordered. Vivian saw the mango on top and said softly, "I can't eat that. It's okay. You guys go ahead." Nathan stopped me. "Order a different one." "It's my mom's favorite flavor." "It's just a birthday. One cake is as good as another." My mom slowly took off her party hat and pushed the cake away. "Then let's not have any." Only then did Nathan seem to notice my mom's expression. But instead of apologizing, he turned to me and lowered his voice. "Leah, it's your mom's birthday. Do you really have to ruin the mood like this?" Suddenly, I didn't want to say anything at all. He didn't care about me, so he didn't respect my family either. Yet he still thought this whole mess was my fault. Just then, Vivian got a message, and her eyes turned red. "My landlord says I have to leave. He thinks I'm too much trouble because I kept calling about the broken lock." Nathan stood up at once. "I'll go talk to him." I looked up. "Now?" "This can't wait." "It's my mom's 60th birthday. It's rude to leave like this." He glanced at Vivian. "Your mom has a birthday every year. Vivian has nowhere to stay tonight. Some things are more urgent than others." My mom went pale. I took a deep breath, swallowed my anger, and opened the door for them. "Go." Vivian said quietly, "I can stay at a hotel." Nathan frowned right away. "It's not safe for you to stay at a hotel alone." Then he looked at me. "I'm just helping her out a little, and you act like I'm choosing between the two of you." "Aren't you?" I shot back. "I'm just dealing with an emergency." Nathan's frown deepened as he shook his head. "Fine. I understand." I stepped aside again and motioned for them to leave. He stood in the doorway like he was waiting for me to give in the way I always used to. The elevator doors were about to close, and Vivian called out, "Nathan, are you coming or not?" He looked at me, then finally reached out and stopped the elevator doors. I said calmly, "Nathan, we're breaking up." His expression stiffened, and he reached for me. "Just because I'm helping her deal with her housing problem?" I shook my head and stepped out of reach. "In the past two years, I asked you to have dinner with me 99 times. Every time, I had to plan ahead, check your schedule, and make sure I never bothered you at the last minute. "I always thought you were like that with everyone. Now I know you were only like that with me." Nathan frowned. "Don't threaten to break up with me." "I'm not threatening you. I'll separate your things from mine and move out tomorrow. I'll keep paying the rent for the remaining three months." Vivian held the elevator open again, and Nathan finally stepped inside. "Calm down. We'll talk tomorrow." The doors slowly closed in front of me. I went back to the table and cut the cake with my mom. After she blew out the candles, I sent the signed transfer form to Diane. "The new Northbrook store. I'm in." Then I removed Nathan as my emergency contact, left our shared calendar, and revoked his access to the smart lock. This time, Nathan wasn't even on the waiting list.