Thanks for Not Showing Up

Lying in bed, I kept flashing back to the last few years.

When Michael and I first got together, he was all in. Said the air felt sweeter just being near me. One text and he'd drop everything to show up. Super possessive, though. Any guy around me? Instant sulk. Even my girlfriends had to pass his little character test.

He handled everything, like we were living some domestic dream. People probably thought it was a bit much, but I didn't mind. Back then, I liked it.

But that guy? He was long gone.

And me? I wasn't the girl who built her world around him anymore.

My phone buzzed on the pillow.

It was from Kallie.

[Michael, this is the happiest birthday I've had in years. Thank you. I'm really happy.

Oh, and I prepared a surprise for you on my social media. Go take a look.]

Before I could even blink, the message disappeared.

Kallie: [Oops, sorry Elsa. Sent that to the wrong person. Please don't be mad, okay?]

I snorted and chucked the phone.

Wrong person? No. It was deliberate.

The first time I met Kallie, she was fresh out of college—lost, awkward, and pretty much ignored by everyone.

One screw-up almost got her fired. She came to me crying about her messed-up family and hard life. I felt bad, so I gave her a shot. Took her under my wing.

That's how she got close enough for Michael to even notice her.

Later, when he wanted her as his secretary, I didn't think twice. I was actually happy for her.

Who knew the sweet, polite girl was playing the long game?

I helped her climb up, and she paid me back by driving the knife in deep.

***

The next morning, I booked a ticket home and went straight to the office to quit.

Michael looked stunned when I handed him the letter. "You're serious?"

I smiled. "What else?"

He went quiet. After a long pause—

"Stay. The company needs you."

"This place doesn't belong to just one person." I turned to leave, not waiting for his okay.

Right as I hit the door, he rushed over and grabbed my arm.

"Two days!"

I looked back.

He looked panicked. "Give me two days to wrap things up. I'll go with you to get the license. Just trust me one more time, okay?"

I stared at him, silent.

"Please? One more chance?"

For once, he actually looked like he meant it. Like what I said would change something.

A wild thought hit me—what if I told him I was marrying Leon? The brother he could never quite measure up to?

But I didn't say a word. Just walked off.

Back home, I stepped into the study. Photos everywhere, each one dragging up a memory.

But instead of getting emotional, I just felt annoyed.

I yanked them all down and started feeding them to the burner.

Halfway through, Michael walked in—totally unannounced. He should've been at work.