Proposal No. 101

My boyfriend, Drew Myers, has proposed to me 99 times. Meanwhile, his childhood sweetheart, Tammy Fowler, has relapsed into depression 99 times.

When Drew makes his 100th proposal, Tammy's depression strikes once more.

As usual, he picks up Tammy's call, a gentle smile playing on his lips.

With a tired sigh, he turns to me and says, "She's having another breakdown. We'll have to put the proposal on hold this time."

Despite it being my birthday, Drew starts clearing away the freshly served dishes as if it were any other day.

Fearing I might complain, he shoots me a cold, disapproving glance.

"I know you're jealous of Tammy, but she's the one who's struggling. You're a soldier. You should be the bigger person and give her some leeway."

Not only does Drew want me to eat Tammy's scraps, but he also orders me to bring them climbing gear at midnight.

When Tammy shares intimate photos of them hugging online, his only reaction is to lash out at me.

"Do you honestly find satisfaction in pushing Tammy to another breakdown? Is this the honor of a soldier? Your cruelty sickens me!"

Over and over, he tears down my character and mocks my integrity.

But this time, I simply look down at the special forces recruitment letter in my hand and say nothing.

Drew remains oblivious.

At last, I'm the one who's letting go.

The bouquet of flowers fell to the floor. Without so much as a glance in my direction, Drew Myers turned and walked out the door.

We had been together for five years, and this was already the 100th time he had proposed to me.

Everyone was convinced it would finally happen this time. The date had even been carefully chosen to coincide with my birthday.

Our friends had been waiting patiently for two hours. However, he ended up arriving late because Tammy Fowler had insisted on watching a movie first.

Suddenly, the door flew open once more, and the melting cake splattered across the floor.

Drew paid no attention to the spilled mess and carefully packed away all the vegetarian risotto. It was my favorite dish.

Perhaps it was the pitying stares from the others that made him uncomfortable. He struggled to find the words to explain himself.

"You know Tammy's been in a bad mood lately. Anyway, it's just a proposal. We've done it so many times already. One more or less won't make a difference.

"I'll go and try to calm her down. You look after the guests. If everything goes well, I'll come back later tonight and make it up to you for your birthday.

"By the way, no one's touched the barbecue ribs, right? I'll pack those up too. You guys can just order something else."

Some friends seemed ready to defend me. Meanwhile, I happily helped Drew pack the food and even asked if he needed anything else.

He pointed toward the dishes and ended up clearing more than half the table. "Sorry, but Tammy's a clean freak. She won't eat anything that's been passed around."

Watching me move about, he seemed genuinely pleased. "It's nice you're not causing a scene today. Keep it up."

Before this, I always forced him to choose between Tammy and me. In the end, we both ended up hurt, and he would storm off to spend the night at Tammy's.

But this time, I just didn't feel like arguing anymore.

Before long, Drew walked out holding two big bags. One of my friends slammed a hand on the table in disbelief.

"I can't believe he's actually taking the food!"

Drew had a busy social life, while I was often working late into the night.

He always insisted that taking leftovers was embarrassing, yet he never bothered to order food just for me.

The only thing he had brought me was scraps meant for his friend's dog. He even had the nerve to scold me for wasting it.

"People used to consume grass to survive. What's wrong with eating leftovers? Stop acting so spoiled."

Looking back now, it was clear he cared more about his ego than about me.

I stayed to see the guests off. Outside, the sky was clear, but my heart felt cold.

I unlocked my phone just as Tammy posted something online.

"Thanks to Drew for ditching the proposal and bringing so much delicious food. It's too bad my stomach's limited. I had to throw most of it away."

Just then, a message from Drew popped up. "There's still plenty of food left. You can have it for lunch tomorrow."

After a long pause, I finally tapped the call button.

"Commander, I'd like to return to the unit."

By the time I finished tidying up, it was already late into the night.

Drew still wasn't home. Honestly, I wasn't surprised anymore.

Out of nowhere, his call came through. "Bring the climbing gear from home to Tammy's place. Now."