your phone lagging or something?”
I still didn’t speak. I acted like my phone was malfunctioning.
He lost patience and said, “I told you I didn’t need to call her. She wouldn’t dare check up on me, anyway.”
He was speaking to someone else, seemingly thinking the call had ended. Sure enough, Ivory’s familiar voice rang out, sounding sickly sweet. “How can you say that, Harry? You guys are about to be married—Minnie will worry about you if you don’t let her know where you are.”
“I knew you were the most understanding woman in the world, Ivy. I’ll thank the heavens if she turns out to be half as accommodating as you are.”
“I’m not that great…”
An unspeakable noise ended the conversation, and I hung up. I headed home and looked around at the rented apartment I’d spent the past decade of my life in.
Did I feel indignant and resentful?
Over the past decade, I’d gone from being a spirited young woman who was bold enough to love and hate with abandon to a cautious, fatigued shell of my former self.
Everything in the apartment reminded me of my time with Harold.
I took down a photo of us that hung on the wall—I’d had to beg him for a long time before he agreed to have it put up. I’d bought matching mugs as a surprise for Harold, but he’d never once used them. They went into the trash.
He’d once promised me he would give me flowers daily, but the vase I’d prepared had already been empty for too long. It was covered in dust, as was the chess set we’d often played in the past.
I packed all of these things into a trash bag. Once it was full, I took it out to be thrown away. The feelings I’d harbored and the memories we’d created over the past decade went with it.
Once I was done, the apartment was as empty as my heart, which I’d wiped clean of all traces of Harold.
I checked my social media to see everyone sharing videos of Harold and Ivory dancing the waltz at his bachelor party. They looked graceful on the dance floor.
He rested his hands lightly on her waist, looking like he was holding a precious treasure. They twirled elegantly, looking like they’d done this a thousand times before. They gazed deep into each other’s eyes, looking like they were alone in the world.
Everyone talked about how they looked like a perfect match. I liked the video and commented, “They really do look perfect together.”
Shortly after, Harold called me. He snapped, “Why are you being so unreasonable when we’re already about to marry? You made Ivy cry with your comment, you know! I was just starting to think that you were finally becoming sensible, yet here you are, acting like you’ve always done!
“If you really want to marry me, you have to care for Ivy like she’s your sister. That’s the only way I can marry you without worrying about anything else. Do you understand what I mean? She’ll always come first in my heart!”
He was finally owning up to his true feelings. Instead of feeling upset, I laughed. “I’ll remember that.”
After hearing that, he ended the call. I looked at my phone, which showed the time. I only had 16 hours to go.
