Time to Walk Away

Synopsis

Alex Carter was in the kitchen, washing dishes, and his WhatsApp was still open on the computer. I glanced over and saw a new message pop up. Sophie Lane: [Did she get mad today?] Two seconds later, Alex replied: [Not yet.] Sophie: [Only one day left. I'm definitely going to win your 150 bucks.] I froze for a second, then scrolled up through the chat history. It turned out that Alex and Sophie had a bet going on. They were betting on whether I'd get mad and argue again within three days. If I had lost my temper, Sophie would have won. If I had kept my cool, Alex would have won. Scrolling up further, I saw that every time Alex and I fought, he'd go to Sophie to vent. Alex: [She's throwing another tantrum, every single day. She really thinks she's some kind of princess.] Alex: [She keeps saying she's been with me since she was seventeen. So what? She's the one who's shameless; it's not like I ever forced her.] Alex: [You're so chill. Should've just paired up with you from the start.] As I read through those messages, my vision blurred with tears. Alex was my first love. Nine years, from seventeen to twenty-six. Sophie was my college friend, my bestie. I thought one loved me, the other understood me. But in their eyes, all my pain and hurt was only worth 150 bucks. What did you do when your relationships were a complete disaster? I figured I'd just kick them to the curb.