At a company dinner, in front of the entire team, my fiance's assistant nonchalantly dropped a piece of eggplant he'd just bitten into right into her bowl.
Without a second thought, Isabella picked it up with her chopsticks and ate it.
The moment we got home, I told her I was calling off our engagement.
She pinched the bridge of her nose, annoyed. Because I ate the eggplant he gave me?
It was the eggplant he'd already taken a bite of, I corrected her.
Ethan, honestly, calling you insecure isn't an exaggeration. You blow every little thing out of proportion. She scoffed. Fine. You want to break up? Go ahead. Just don't come crawling back to me when you regret it.
She was so sure that I loved her, that I could never leave her.
But she didn't understand that even the deepest love can be eroded by a thousand cuts.
This time, I was really leaving.

I told my parents I wanted to change our families' arrangement that very night. They were surprised, but they respected my decision. After that, Isabella and I fell into our usual cold war. She blocked my number, unfriended me on all social platforms, and removed me from her gaming friends listher standard operating procedure after every fight.
She was confident I couldn't bear to lose her, that I would eventually swallow my pride and come back to her, begging.
But this time, as my cursor hovered over the Send Friend Request' button, I didn't click it.
A week later, a notification popped up in the company group chat.
Today is Ms. Willow's birthday. She's treating everyone to dinner tonight. Attendance is mandatory, no exceptions.
Not wanting to make things awkward for everyone else, I went.
When I entered the private room, the first thing I saw was Isabella in the seat of honor, with Mason pressed up right beside her. His lips were practically touching her ear as he whispered something to her. They were in their own bubble, a world no one else could enter. A moment later, they both burst out laughing, their faces so close they nearly kissed.
I couldn't watch anymore and found a seat in a quiet corner.
People started presenting their gifts to Isabella. I ignored it all, pouring myself drink after drink. But soon, a shadow fell over me. I looked up into Isabella's beautiful, impatient face.
Ethan, where's my present?
In the past, I would have started planning for her birthday months in advance. The most memorable one, I spent over six months building her a perfect, to-scale replica of the house from her favorite movie, Up. When the balloons lifted it into the air, she'd said we would be just like the main characters, together until the very end.

I believed her then. I never imagined her promise wouldn't even last three years.
Faced with her demanding question, I just said flatly, I forgot.
My indifference clearly infuriated her. She lost all patience.
Ethan, are you done with this tantrum?
Is this little incident really worth a week of sulking?
I looked at the smudge of her lipstick near Mason's ear and felt a wave of nausea, like I'd swallowed a fly.
I'm not throwing a tantrum. And I was serious about calling off the engagement.
Her expression froze for a second, but she regained her composure when Mason took her hand.
Ethan, please don't misunderstand, Mason said, his voice dripping with false sincerity. I only gave the food to Isabella because I didn't want to waste it. If you hate me that much, I I just won't eat at the table next time. I can eat leftovers when everyone's done.
His words immediately sent Isabella into a protective frenzy.
Mason, don't say things like that! You deserve the best in the world. The one who shouldn't be here is Ethan. Who does he think he is? Does everyone have to cater to his whims?
Isabella, don't say that, Mason cooed. Ethan might be a little sensitive, but he's still your fianc. You have to be patient with him. I really don't want you two to fight because of me.
Patient with him? Who does he think he is? If my parents hadn't begged me to go through with this engagement, I would never have gotten involved with him. He's always getting upset over nothing. He's not a real man at all.
Mason walked over to me and patted my shoulder, his tone patronizing.
Ethan, man to man, you're being a bit dramatic this time. Isabella's been so upset she can't even sleep. I know you two aren't the most compatible, but you have a family arrangement to think of. You should both just take a step back.
I slapped his hand away. You know what I admire most about you, Mason? I sneered. Your ability to play the victim. The way you can steal someone's girlfriend with your two-faced act and not even blink.
Mason's smug expression faltered.
Isabella exploded. Ethan, who gave you the right to slander Mason?
Slander? Then tell me, why does he have a matching version of everything you buy for me, which he then flaunts at the office? Why is it that every time we fight, he's the one spreading a twisted version of the story in the breakroom? And how does he know about the mole on your
Enough!

A sharp crack echoed through the room. Isabella had slapped me, hard, in front of everyone.
The world went muffled for a moment, but my vision was crystal clear. I could see the pity, the scorn, the contempt on the faces of my colleagues.
As the ringing in my ears subsided, I heard Isabella's loud declaration.
From now on, everyone is welcome to like the photos of me and Mason together. When we hit one thousand likes, I'm dumping Ethan and marrying Mason.
With that, she grabbed Mason's hand and stormed out. Just before the door closed, he shot me a triumphant, mocking smirk.
After they left, the room started to empty.
Someone snickered. He pushed his luck without having the capital to back it up. I bet he regrets it now.
A kinder colleague offered some advice. Pride is worthless, man. Just apologize. Otherwise, she's really going to marry that guy.
I knew this was just her way of forcing me to apologize.
But this time, I couldn't bow my head. Not even if it killed me.
Soon, the once-boisterous room was empty except for me. I picked up a bottle of hard liquor and downed it. The alcohol burned its way down to my stomach, and the sting brought tears to my eyes. A decades-long relationship was ending, just like that.