Chapter 3
"Break up? You're seriously breaking up with me over something this small?" Alex slammed the pretzel down on the table.
The clean table instantly turned into a mess.
He continued, "Quit being so petty, Lilianna. You know what Julia is going through. Is it really a crime for me to look out for her?
"You need to check your attitude. If you keep acting like a child, we can push the wedding back another few years."
He kicked his chair back in frustration. It toppled over, clipping a water glass on the edge of the table.
The glass shattered on the floor, and a stray shard sliced right across my calf, leaving a cut that immediately began to bleed.
I let out a humorless laugh.
He actually thought he could still use our wedding as a threat.
He had no idea I was already over him.
*****
First thing the next morning, I handed in my resignation at work.
I would be gone in a week.
To speed up the transition, I pulled late nights to wrap things up as quickly as possible.
On the fourth night, I walked into the apartment to find Alex waiting in the living room. He said, "Are you seriously still giving me the silent treatment?
"It's been four days. Get over it already. Here. I got you this. You've been wanting this forever, right?"
He shoved a gift box into my hands.
Inside was a ring, a band with a tiny diamond chip in the center.
Over the five years we'd been together, Alex had bought me handbags, clothes, and designer necklaces, but never a ring, not even the simplest band.
"I'm going to design the perfect ring myself," he used to promise. "And I'll put it on your finger when I propose."
That non-existent ring had become my obsession, the ultimate symbol of commitment I was desperate for.
How tragic that it finally appeared now, when I couldn't care less.
He glanced at his phone. "Julia wants to apologize, so she booked a table. It's at that BBQ place you've wanted to try."
Before I could say a word, he grabbed my arm and pulled me out to the car.
*****
Julia was already waiting in our private booth.
The second she saw us, her eyes welled up. She stood up, fidgeting nervously with an air of fragile guilt. "I'm so sorry, Lilianna. Everything that happened on Thanksgiving was my fault.
"I was in a bad mood and dragged Alex away when he should have traveled back to your home with you. I'll keep my distance from Alex. Please don't blame him. He's completely exhausted."
She reached for her glass of wine, letting the diamond ring on her finger catch the light.
It was almost identical to mine, except her diamond was massive.
The truth hit me. The ring for me wasn't a thoughtful gesture. It was the cheap giveaway tossed in with her shopping bag.
"This is my apology toast," Julia said, raising her glass and getting ready to down it.
"Enough. Lilianna won't hold a grudge," Alex said, taking the glass from her and replacing it with juice. "Your period's due soon, and you always get bad PMS. Alcohol will make you feel worse."
Even though I'd already moved on, hearing that still made my heart ache.
My boyfriend tracked another woman's period, yet remained completely oblivious to mine.
I'd spent the last few days pale and curled up in pain from severe cramps, and he hadn't noticed a thing.
My own glass of wine sat untouched as a sharp cramp twisted in my abdomen.
Alex ordered with practiced ease, clearly knowing Julia's preferences by heart. "We'll take two orders of the beef foreshank and three of the prime tenderloin. Oh, and skip the spicy garlic marinades."
Julia sipped her juice, smiling as she chimed in to add Alex's favorite cuts of pork.
Sitting across from them, I felt like an unwanted intruder, an awkward third wheel crashing a romantic dinner.
Once Alex finished rattling off all the orders, he finally looked at me. "Lilianna, do you want anything?"
He slid the menu over. "Oh, and skip the lamb skewers. Julia can't handle the smell."
Lamb skewers and garlic marinades were my absolute favorite.
But with Julia around, my tastes were always completely ignored.
I set the menu down. "No, I'm not hungry. Go ahead without me."