Brief love, Forever Pain

I lived in a rented house not far from Lucian's. He'd asked me to move in with him before.

But I'd always refused, not wanting to give up my place with its annual lease.

Looking back, it was one of the few good decisions I'd made.

My best friend Amanda came over with her child as soon as she heard I was back.

While playing with her kid's toy, she asked, Wendy, how did you find out about him getting a hotel room with someone else

My smile faded as I explained, I'd used his phone to book a hotel once and entered my number. I forgot to change it back.

That simple oversight had shattered my beautiful dream.

Amanda, always passionate and outspoken, didn't hold back. It's unbelievable. Lucian seemed decent, but he's worse than an animal. Good thing you found out before the wedding. Discovering this after marriage would have been like eating dirt.

Amanda has always been a passionate person, never holding back when criticizing others.

Her blunt words lifted my gloomy mood a bit.

Don't worry, she continued, there are plenty of men out there. You're a great catch yourself. You'll find someone suitable.

I smiled warmly, agreeing.

I am pretty great, after all. No need to put myself down over someone who doesn't matter.

I adjusted my mood and returned to work.

Colleagues who knew about my wedding plans congratulated me.

Their smiles warmed my heart,

though a hint of sadness followed.

Who would have thought I'd be single again before they finished the wedding candies I'd given them

During lunch, a coworker whispered.

Wendy, you're not planning to get pregnant soon, are you Everyone knows that manager position is yours. Choosing family now would be such a waste.

I'd worried about this before, torn between the promotion within reach and the small family I thought I was building.

Now, that dilemma had solved itself in the most unexpected way.

Don't worry, I told my coworker, I won't be making such plans for the next few years.

Oh Won't your husband mind she asked, surprised.

I smiled faintly. No one has the right to interfere with my decisions.

She looked stunned for a moment, then gave me a thumbs up. You're so level-headed! But you're right, it's our life. No one else should dictate how we live it.

A wave of bitterness washed over me. If I were truly level-headed, I wouldn't have let things go this far before walking away.

After that conversation, I threw myself into work, deliberately avoiding anything related to Lucian.

I discovered that when you really want to avoid someone, it's surprisingly easy.

For five straight days, I didn't see him once.

Just when I thought he'd given up, he showed up at my door.