Tainted Love? I'll Pass

I pushed down my hunger as I watched Rene and Joshua lean into each other, sharing bites and smiles as if I didn't exist. Even when the plates were empty, Joshua made no move to leave.

I asked Rene, "Do you two live together?"

Joshua shrugged, nodding as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

My chest tightened sharply.

Rene smiled gently, looking at Joshua with warmth in her eyes. "Yeah. Josh lives here on his own, and I couldn't just leave him. His lease was ending, and I had the place empty, so it made sense for him to move in. That way, we can keep an eye on each other."

Joshua reached up to pinch Rene's cheek, and he let out a soft sigh. "Honestly, it's kind of embarrassing. I'm all grown up, and yet I'm still relying on a girl half my size to take care of me. It's easy to get comfortable in a life like this, and even harder to leave.

"These days, girls like Rene—who give so much without asking for anything—don't come around often. You know what I mean, Ian?"

I said nothing.

Rene pushed him lightly, laughing. "You're such a sweet-talker."

They joked back and forth for a moment, and then Rene glanced at her phone. A hint of hesitation crossed her face as she said, "Ian, it's getting late. Do you want me to take you back to your hotel?"

She held out my luggage, and I shoved it away sharply. "Rene, have you forgotten who your boyfriend is?"

From the moment I arrived in this city, Rene had been holding Joshua's hand. She remembered every little thing about his tastes and habits, yet she had no idea I was allergic to seafood. The woman I had always cared for so attentively was now cooking for Joshua herself, feeding him as if I weren't even there.

Even worse, they were living together in my apartment without my knowledge, and now they expected me to leave.

I remembered how I had journeyed all this way with a bouquet, waiting outside for two hours, and the ridiculousness of it struck me like a punch. I should have seen it coming.

After graduation, Rene had refused to stay. She insisted on moving to this city, and one of our mutual friends had warned me that her first love, Joshua, was starting a business here. They suggested I be cautious, but I had refused to let baseless fears stand in the way of her choices.

I supported her without hesitation, believing distance wouldn't change us. Instead, Rene grew colder, eventually skipping our daily video calls altogether.

The past month had been worse. She frequently disappeared, citing overtime.

We were at the point of discussing marriage. I had planned to visit my parents together on my birthday, but Rene was unreachable, leaving me to sit awkwardly with my family in front of a table full of food prepared for her.

She called the next day with a perfunctory apology, blaming a last-minute work assignment and promising to make it up to me with a trip together. I stayed up all night planning the itinerary, even coordinating outfits and dresses for photos at each destination.

As expected, she canceled again two days before we were supposed to leave, dismissing the travel plan I had stayed up all night creating.

Though disappointed, I still agreed. I understood her ambition and her determination to prove herself after growing up with so little.

That was why I came to her city on my own, only to be blindsided by the reality before me.