Chương 2 - Đường Về Nhà Đầy Nước Mắt

“She is not just my employee. She’s your best friend.”

“That makes it worse.”

He stared at me.

“What exactly are you accusing me of?”

“I’m not accusing you of anything.”

“That’s obviously what this is.”

“No. I’m telling you I don’t want to marry you.”

He went completely still.

From the hallway, I heard Megan inhale.

Ryan’s face hardened.

“The wedding is in fourteen days.”

“I know.”

“You don’t cancel a wedding two weeks out over this.”

“I’m not cancelling it over this.”

“You literally started packing because I leased a parking space.”

I closed the suitcase.

“The parking space is just where you finally made it impossible for me to keep pretending.”

“Pretending what?”

“That I’m the person you’re building a life with.”

His eyes flashed.

“Oh, come on.”

“No.”

I pointed toward the living room.

“Her clothes are in our house. Her food is in our refrigerator. She has a key. She works with you, eats with you, rides home with you, and somehow every inconvenience between the three of us gets solved by asking me to absorb it.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“When she blocks my parking space, I park somewhere else.”

“She’s nervous about scratching the car.”

“When she turns down the air conditioning, I’m difficult for saying I’m cold.”

“That is not what happened.”

“When she cries, I’m the one who needs to change my tone.”

“She’s sensitive.”

“And I’m not?”

He opened his mouth.

Nothing came out.

I nodded.

“Exactly.”

Megan appeared at the bedroom door.

Her eyes were already wet.

“This is my fault.”

I looked at her.

“Yes.”

That surprised all three of us.

She blinked.

“I didn’t mean—”

“But Ryan is more responsible.”

Ryan’s expression went flat.

“Claire.”

“You’re the one I agreed to marry.”

Megan whispered, “I’ll go.”

This time I let her.

She grabbed her purse and left without another word.

Ryan waited until the front door closed.

Then he said, “You’re humiliating her.”

I actually laughed.

There was no humor in it.

“That is what you’re worried about right now?”

“She thinks she destroyed our relationship.”

“She helped.”

“She didn’t do anything.”

“Then why do you keep protecting her from the consequences of everything she does?”

He shook his head.

“You’re jealous.”

“No.”

“You are.”

I sat on the edge of the bed and opened my work email.

Ryan stared at the screen.

“What are you doing?”

I clicked the message from my director.

The transfer offer was still there.

I typed four words.

I accept the Seattle role.

Then I hit send.

Ryan’s face changed.

“You’re moving?”

“I was offered a promotion.”

“When?”

“Three days ago.”

“And you didn’t tell me?”

“I was going to turn it down.”

That landed.

He looked at me for a long time.

“For us?”

“Yes.”

He swallowed.

“And now?”

“Now there is no us.”

My phone rang before he could answer.

Mom.

I almost ignored it.

Then I realized Ryan had probably already called her.

I answered.

She didn’t say hello.

“Claire, what are you doing?”

I closed my eyes.

“Hi, Mom.”

“Ryan says you’re cancelling the wedding.”

“I am.”

“Because of a parking space?”

I looked at him.

He looked away.

“No.”

“Your aunt already booked flights. Your father’s cousins are coming in from Ohio. We paid deposits. The hotel block is full.”

“Mom—”

“Do you understand how embarrassing this is going to be?”

That sentence hurt more than I expected.

Not, Are you okay?

Not, What happened?

Embarrassing.

“Did Ryan tell you why?”

“He said you’ve been under a lot of pressure and got upset over Megan’s parking.”

Of course he did.

Dad got on the phone.

“Claire.”

His voice was calmer.

“Don’t make a permanent decision in the middle of a fight.”

“It’s not the middle of a fight.”

“You’ve been with Ryan six years.”

“I know.”

“So take a night. Cool down.”

“I have been cooling down for a year.”

Silence.

Then Mom again.

“Please don’t do something you can’t take back.”

I looked through the bedroom door.

Megan’s cardigan was still hanging over one of my dining chairs.

“I’m trying to do exactly that.”

I hung up.

Ryan stared at me.

“You told them before you told me?”

“You were packing.”

“So you called my parents.”

“I panicked.”

“No. You built a jury.”

“That’s not fair.”

I zipped my suitcase.

“I know.”

I left that night.

Not because I had a perfect plan.

I didn’t.

I checked into a corporate apartment my company kept downtown for traveling employees.

My hands shook while I carried my suitcase into the elevator.

I cried after the door closed.

I cried so hard that first night I gave myself a headache.

Leaving someone you still love does not feel powerful.

It feels terrible.

The next morning, Megan showed up at the corporate apartment.

I still don’t know whether Ryan gave her the address or she got it from another mutual friend.

She was holding a paper bag from my favorite breakfast place.

I opened the door but didn’t let her inside.

“I brought you coffee.”

“I don’t want coffee.”

She looked wounded.

“Can we talk?”

“I think we are.”