He Left Me in the Rain, So I Left Him for Good

My boyfriend, Liam, and I both worked downtown, but he was dead-set on buying a house in the Northside suburbs. We had been fighting about it for over six months. He accused me of being selfish, saying I only cared about my daily commute and didn't understand "long-term property value." That was until Valentine's Day. Liam suddenly called me, his voice ecstatic, telling me he had finally found the perfect apartment right downtown. I was thrilled. Without a second thought, I agreed to meet him after work to sign the papers. But instead of a warm welcome, I ended up standing on a freezing street corner in the pouring rain for an hour. Finally, my phone buzzed with a location pin. "The rain's too crazy. Chloe and I are waiting for you at the new place." The roads were slick, and my heart was racing. I slipped and fell three times on the wet pavement. By the time I dragged myself to the apartment, I looked like a drowned rat. He and my best friend, Chloe, had already signed the papers. They were sitting on the couch, excitedly discussing the future. "This place is so close to my new office," Chloe giggled. "I should rent a place nearby so I can come over for dinner every single day." "Why rent?" Liam smiled warmly at her. "I already picked out a room just for you." They went on and on, debating everything from the style of the sectional couch to the color of the curtains. That was the moment I realized Liam's definition of "property value" was entirely based on where Chloe wanted to live. As for my feelings? I was just an afterthought. If that was the case, it was time for me to walk away. 1 A few feet away, Liam and Chloe were completely absorbed in choosing the accent wall color for the master bedroom. Not once did either of them look up to ask for my opinion. I stood there in silence for a moment, gripped my bag, and quietly walked out. As the elevator doors were about to close, an older woman squeezed in. Seeing me shivering and soaked to the bone, she kindly handed me a pack of tissues. "Here, dry yourself off dear, or you'll catch a cold. It's a storm out there. It's not safe to walk alone. Can you call your family to pick you up?" I lowered my eyes, taking the tissues. "Thank you. But they're busy." Busy making decisions for my life. Sympathy flickered in her eyes, but she was polite enough not to pry further. When I stepped out of the lobby, the downpour had gotten worse. I was on my ninth consecutive Uber cancellation when Liam's car finally pulled up in front of me. The passenger window rolled down halfway, and Chloe waved at me with a bright smile. "Adeline, get in! Liam said you were too stubborn and would rather freeze on the curb for half an hour than call us. I didn't believe him, but wow, you really are silly. Why didn't you just call?" Liam had watched me struggle in the storm just to make Chloe laugh. In the past, I would have thrown a massive fit, screaming at him. But this time, I just silently opened the back door and climbed in. Liam blinked in surprise, looking at me through the rearview mirror. A smug, teasing smile crept onto his face. "Well, look at that. I guess a little rain actually teaches you a lesson. You've gotten much sweeter." The car rolled forward a few yards and stopped again in front of a coffee shop. Five minutes later, Liam returned with a steaming hot chocolate, handing it directly to Chloe. "Your stomach's been sensitive lately. Drink this first." Then, he tossed a stale, wrapped croissant into my lap. "This has been sitting in the glove box for a while. Eat it before it goes bad." As he spoke, his eyes swept over the wet patch I was leaving on his leather seats. "Adeline, can you grow up a little? I didn't pick you up for one afternoon, and you throw a tantrum, get soaked, and play missing in action? Is it fun making Chloe and me worry about you?" So, he hadn't missed how miserable I looked. He just thought I was being dramatic. I gripped the cold croissant, a lump rising in my throat. I wanted to scream at him. But a sudden gust of wind from the half-open window hit me, and I sneezed violently. Chloe lightly punched Liam's shoulder. "Stop being so mean! Turn up the heat. If Adeline gets sick, I'm going to kick your butt." Liam casually reached over and felt Chloe's forehead. "You're already sweating. Don't worry about her. There's a blanket in the back. She can use that if she's cold." Three years ago, I quit my job and moved to this city with Liam. He hated seeing me squeeze into the crowded subways every day, so he worked endless overtime to save up enough money to buy this car. The day he drove it off the lot, he swore he'd be my personal chauffeur for the rest of my life. For a while, he kept that promise. But then, Chloe's mother passed away, and she had a mental breakdown. Thinking a change of scenery would help her heal, I encouraged her to move here. I helped her find an apartment, introduced her to job leads, and even asked Liam to help her prep for interviews and look over her client proposals. Inevitably, they became close. But I never expected that their closeness would push me from the passenger seat straight into the back. Even the AC temperature in the car was lowered from 77 to 70 degrees just because she casually mentioned she was "warm." When I protested back then, Liam had snapped at me. "Chloe gets motion sickness; she needs to sit in the front. Besides, if you're cold, put on a jacket. If she's hot, she can't peel her skin off. Stop picking fights over nothing." I took a deep breath, pulled up my banking app, and hit send. I transferred the $30,000 renovation fund my dad had wired me earlier that morning right back into his account. 2 "Adeline, what do you want to eat? A new Mexican place just opened around the corner. I heard their spicy chicken wraps are amazing! Too bad you can't handle spicy food, otherwise I'd totally drag you there." As Chloe spoke, she took a sip of her soda and naturally offered the straw to Liam. Liam was a total germaphobe. When we ate together, he insisted on using separate serving forks. Yet now, he took a sip from her straw without a second thought. "If you want to go, we're going. Don't bother asking her. She's way too picky and cheap anyway." I squeezed my phone tightly, refusing to take the bait. All those times I pinched pennies just so we could save up for our future home had turned into me being "picky and cheap" in his eyes. When we arrived at the restaurant, there was a long line wrapping around the block. Liam naturally pushed me to the back of the queue. "Wait here and hold our spot. Chloe and I are going to check out the shops next door." For the first time in my life, I didn't argue. As I stood in line under the cold drizzle, I opened Amazon and emptied my shopping cart, deleting every single rug, lamp, and curtain I had saved for our new home. For years, Liam and I had shared a single Prime account. Since we were ending things, it was time to untangle our lives. And that was when I noticed something I had missed before. Over the past year, Liam had used my account to buy hundreds of items for Chloe. Everything from designer tumblers to a smart TV and a mini-fridge. The money I had painstakingly saved by skipping lunches had been spent entirely on Chloe. Suddenly, someone tapped my shoulder. I turned around, and Liam immediately popped a chocolate into my mouth. The rich, familiar sweetness melted on my tongue. My mind flashed back to five years ago, when he had traveled eighteen hours on a cheap bus just to hand-deliver this exact brand of chocolate to me for Valentine's Day. Seeing me stare at him blankly, Liam smiled, pulling me into a tight embrace. "Happy Valentine's Day, Adeline." I instinctively looked past his shoulder and caught Chloe's eyes. For a split second, the sheer, poisonous envy in her gaze was impossible to hide. Just then, the hostess called our name. I pushed Liam away with all the strength I had. "Let's just eat." Once seated, Liam glanced at the menu and quickly ordered without consulting me. "We'll get the signature beef tacos, the spicy chicken wraps, and a side of habanero salsa. Chloe, anything else you want?" Chloe smiled demurely. "You already ordered all my favorites." Then, as if suddenly remembering I existed, she looked at me with mock concern. "Oh, Adeline doesn't eat spicy food. Maybe we should swap the spicy chicken wrap for a mild beef and cheese burrito?" Liam hesitated for a second before waving his hand. "No need. We'll just get her a mango juice to cool her mouth down. If it's too spicy, she can just scrape the salsa off." I didn't say a word. I just poured myself a glass of water. When the food arrived, Liam carefully picked out the onions, which Chloe hated, from his taco and placed the perfect piece on her plate. "Here you go." I looked away and took a bite of the wrap. The burning spice hit my throat, and tears instantly sprang to my eyes. Liam hurriedly pushed a glass of mango juice toward me. "Drink this." I didn't touch it. I poured another glass of water and choked it down instead. He frowned, muttering under his breath, "What are you throwing a tantrum for now?" before turning back to feed Chloe. But I wasn't throwing a tantrum. He had simply forgotten, once again, that I am severely allergic to mangoes. After dinner, Liam was supposed to drive Chloe home. But she pointed at a neon-lit bar across the street, her eyes sparkling. "It's Valentine's Day! Going home now is so boring. Let's grab a drink and experience the nightlife!" My throat was itching, and my skin was starting to burn from the cross-contamination of the food. I shook my head. "You guys go. I'm really tired and feel sick..." Before I could finish, Liam cut me off coldly. "We're already here, Adeline. Don't be a party pooper." I suddenly realized that ever since Chloe moved here, "don't be a party pooper" had become Liam's favorite phrase. And to keep the peace, I had compromised countless times. But tonight, I was done. "Have fun. I'll just call a cab." Liam snatched my phone right out of my hand and shoved it into his pocket. "Stop making a scene!" With that, he grabbed Chloe's hand and pulled her into the crowded, pulsing bar. The moment we sat down at a booth, Chloe dragged Liam straight to the dance floor. I sat in the dark corner, the pounding bass making my head throb. I got up, wanting to find a quiet restroom to splash cold water on my face. But after only two steps, a heavy, sweaty hand clamped onto my wrist. "Hey beautiful, let's get a drink," a drunk guy slurred, pulling me toward him. Panic flared. I instinctively yelled over the music. "Liam!" The music was deafening, but I saw Liam turn around. He heard me. But just as he started to take a step toward me, Chloe bumped into a group of guys nearby, spilling her drink. Liam hesitated for a fraction of a second, then turned his back on me to rush to Chloe's side. Seeing that no one was coming to help me, the drunk guy grew bolder, dragging me toward his booth. His grip was like iron. Summoning every ounce of strength, I shoved him away and screamed for Liam again. "Liam! Help me!" But he was too busy shielding Chloe, completely ignoring me. As the drunk guy lunged at me again, I swung my arm and slapped him hard across the face. The man stumbled, clutching his cheek. His eyes turned bloodshot with rage. He raised a massive fist and punch me squarely in the face, knocking me to the ground. "You crazy bitch!" I crashed into a table. Glass bottles and cups shattered, raining down on me. Shards sliced deep into my skin. Screams and shouts erupted all around me. As my vision began to fade into darkness, I saw Liam finally sprint over, tackling the drunk guy to the floor. He turned around, his face pale with horror, reaching out to scoop me into his arms. My body flinched away from his touch instinctively. Then, everything went black. 3 When I opened my eyes, I was lying in a hospital bed. A dull, throbbing pain radiated from every inch of my body. I looked down to see my arms wrapped in white bandages. Seeing me stir, Liam quickly handed me a cup of warm honey water. "Drink this, it'll help with the headache. Oh, by the way, your dad called. He wanted to know why you returned the $30,000 renovation wire." I took a slow sip of the water and said flatly, "We don't need it anymore. So I sent it back." Liam froze, then gave a dry, annoyed laugh. "Are you seriously still mad? Chloe accidentally stepped on someone's foot last night and the guys were hounding her. That's why I couldn't get to you right away." "But don't worry, I beat the crap out of that guy for you. He won't be getting out of bed for at least three days." He said it so righteously, as if his belated revenge made up for everything. As if I was the unreasonable one for holding a grudge. I dug my nails into my palms. "If a person is already dead, does crying at their funeral make any difference?" Liam's face darkened. "What do you want me to do, Adeline? It was an emergency. I had to choose..." Chloe chose that moment to walk into the room, her eyes brimming with tears and guilt. "Liam, don't fight with Adeline. Last night was all my fault. If we hadn't gone to the bar..." Liam reached out, gently smoothing her hair. "How is this your fault? Honestly, it's her own problem. There were hundreds of people in that bar last night. Why did that creep target her and not anyone else?" I stared at him, my eyes burning with disbelief. Chloe pulled on Liam's sleeve, whimpering. Liam sighed, his tone softening slightly. "Fine, I'm sorry. Okay? Chloe and I have a meeting with the interior designers today. I already messaged your boss on WhatsApp to request a sick day for you. Get dressed." I bolted upright, my voice shaking. "Liam, my project launches today." I had told him repeatedly over the phone yesterday that these two days were critical for my career. I had begged him not to schedule anything. He had promised he wouldn't. And then he threw my career in the trash. Liam blinked, then waved his hand dismissively. "Your company has plenty of people. They don't need you for one day. And honestly, if it's that stressful, just quit. I can support you." With one casual sentence, he dismissed years of my hard work. My fingers trembled violently. I closed my eyes and said the words clearly. "We're breaking up, Liam. You can decorate that apartment however the hell you want." The room went dead silent. Chloe quickly chimed in, her voice trembling. "Adeline, please don't be mad. I'll call the designers right now and reschedule." Liam's brows furrowed. He clearly thought I was using a breakup as an empty threat to manipulate him. The tiny shred of guilt in his eyes vanished, replaced by pure annoyance. "If you don't want to go, fine. Chloe, let's go." The moment the door slammed shut, my phone rang. It was my dad. "Sweetie, don't skimp on the house renovation. I just wired the $30,000 directly to Liam's account. I know it's hard for you kids to buy a place nowadays. Your mom and I want to help as much as we can." My heart stopped. "Dad, you wired the money directly to Liam?" When he confirmed it, I bit down on my knuckles to keep from sobbing. It took everything in me to keep my voice steady. "Thanks, Dad. I'll... I'll come visit you and Mom in a couple of days once things settle down." I hung up, desperate to call Liam and demand the money back. But before I could, my work phone rang. My team lead said there was a catastrophic bug in our launch code. If we didn't patch it immediately, not only would I lose my job, but I'd also be held legally and financially liable for the damages. Swallowing my panic, I rushed out of the hospital and ran back to the office. For the next forty-eight hours, Liam didn't call or text me once. On the other hand, Chloe kept spamming our Snapchat group chat with blueprints, fabric samples, and furniture options, constantly tagging me. Miserable and exhausted, I muted the notifications. Forty-eight hours later, the launch was a success. The crisis was averted. But the moment the system went live, I walked into my manager Alisa's office and handed in my resignation. Alisa looked at me with deep regret, but she didn't try to stop me. She knew what I had been going through. The second I stepped out of the office building, I dialed Liam's number. It went straight to voicemail. I opened Instagram. Chloe had posted a picture thirty minutes ago. She was holding a signed document with a red ink thumbprint on it, flashing a huge peace sign. The caption read: "Officially moving into my forever home with Liam!" It was a co-habitation agreement, giving her permanent rights to the apartment. I let out a cold, bitter laugh. I tapped the heart button and left a comment: "Congratulations. The house is all yours. Now tell Liam to return my dad's $30,000." 4 Ten minutes later, Chloe's contact card flashed on my phone. I picked up, but a strange male voice spoke on the other end. He told me Chloe had been in a horrific car accident. She was in the ER, and I needed to get there immediately. My blood ran cold. No matter how furious I was, Chloe had been my best friend for years. She had no other family left. If something happened to her... Horrible scenarios raced through my mind. I sprinted through the hospital corridors, frantically searching the ER, but there was no sign of her. The sheer exhaustion and panic of the last few days finally broke me. I collapsed onto the floor of the hallway, sobbing hysterically. Suddenly, two shadows fell over me, blocking the harsh fluorescent light. A playful voice giggled. "Adeline! Surprise!" I slowly lifted my tear-stained face. Chloe was standing there, locking arms with Liam, beaming from ear to ear. Both of them were clean, pristine, and completely uninjured. Seeing my bewildered stare, she laughed. "You were ignoring Liam and me, so I had to play a little trick to get you out here. I didn't realize you loved me this much! Oh my gosh, I have to post this on Insta." She whipped out her phone, shoving the camera right in my face. Her expression was innocent, but the malicious triumph in her eyes was unmistakable. She did this on purpose. She lied to me, paraded her emotional affair in front of me, and actively tried to push me over the edge. And my boyfriend of five years stood just two feet away. He didn't stop her. He didn't even reach down to help me up. He just said half-heartedly, "Okay, Chloe, one picture is enough. Adeline's shy." Something in my brain snapped. I lunged forward, snatched the phone out of her hand, and slammed it onto the tile floor with all my might. "Get the hell away from me!" I screamed. Chloe let out a dramatic gasp, stumbling backward and falling gracefully onto the floor. Liam's face transformed into a mask of rage. He shoved me aside violently, rushing to scoop Chloe into his arms. "Adeline! Are you out of your mind?" "Chloe was just trying to bring us back together, and you smash her phone?" His shove was so powerful that I flew backward, my back crashing hard against the concrete wall. My arm scraped against a sharp metal bracket on the wall, and hot, crimson blood began to drip down my sleeve. Liam's hand twitched when he saw the blood, but he forced himself to look away, hardening his heart. "You love telling people to get lost? Fine. Pack your shit and get out of my apartment today." I stared at him, my voice dead and cold. "Fine. Give me back the $30,000 my dad wired you, and I'll burn every memory of you." Liam choked on his words, momentarily stunned. But Chloe quickly pulled out the co-habitation agreement from her bag and tore it to pieces, sobbing. "I don't need this anymore! I'll leave right now." Panicking, Liam turned to me and snapped, "Adeline! She's your best friend! How can you be so incredibly greedy? You want the money? Fine, I'll transfer it to you later. Now pack your things and get the hell out!" With that, he chased after Chloe. I wiped the tears from my face, got into a cab, and went back to the apartment we shared. Just as I finished packing my bags and opened the front door, I ran directly into Chloe. In the collision, a document fell out of her hand. Catching the smug smirk on her face, my stomach dropped. I bent down and grabbed the paper before she could. It was a purchase agreement for a condo. The buyer was Chloe. The down payment paid: $30,000. My hands shook, but my voice remained steady as I looked at Liam, who had just walked in behind her. "Liam. Do you have time to pay me back now?" Liam rubbed the back of his neck, trying to avoid my eyes. "You wouldn't let Chloe live with us, and she needed a place of her own. This condo was having a massive flash sale. It would've been stupid to miss it, so I lent her the $30,000. We can just save up more money later and renovate both places together." I looked at him, my heart turning to ice. "So, without my consent, you took the money my father earned with his sweat and tears, and used it to buy her a condo?" Liam mumbled, "We're all friends, Adeline. I was just trying to help." My heart was entirely dead. I pulled my suitcase behind me and walked past him into the elevator. Liam stood there, his fists clenching and unclenching, but he didn't take a single step to follow me. The moment I walked out of the building, I drove straight to the police precinct. "I'd like to report a grand larceny and financial fraud."