I stared at the photo on my phone, struggling to process the pain it brought.
Suddenly, Eddie’s call broke through my gloomy thoughts, pulling me out of my spiral.
His voice was still that deep, magnetic tone I remembered. “Do you have time tomorrow?”
I steadied myself, a flicker of hope igniting within me. “Yes.”
“Tomorrow my mom has a check–up at the hospital. I can’t make it, so I need you to go with her.”
He still thought of me, at least.
Letting me accompany his mother to the hospital felt like a small acknowledgment of our relationship.
I nodded, feeling a mix of relief and purpose. “Okay, I’ll go.”
I hesitated, wanting to ask, “Do you have time tomorrow… to grab lunch with me and your mom?” But before I could finish my thought, he had already hung up.
Eddie’s family had gone through some tough times, and perhaps that was why he agreed to be with me.
His father used to drive a truck, but one night, he tragically hit a few people and lost his life, leaving behind a mountain of debt.
My family was in business and had some money saved up.
I was so worried about how this would affect Eddie’s studies that I begged my parents for days until they finally agreed to help
him out.
At that moment, Eddie had looked at me and said, “Consider it a loan. I’ll pay you back someday.”
His mother, Amanda Cavill, was hit hard by the tragedy. Her health deteriorated, and there were times when she needed to be hospitalized for observation.
Eddie was swamped with responsibilities and didn’t have time to care for her.
So, I found myself spending most of my days in the hospital, keeping her company.
Your son’s girlfriend is beautiful and so devoted, even before
But behind her back, an older lady in the room would take my hand and sigh, “Oh, sweet girl, why are you doing all this before you’re even married? You don’t know if he’ll marry you at all! Be careful; you might end up with nothing!”
But I didn’t care. I loved Eddie, and I was more than willing to do this for him.
How could I keep score or worry about whether he’d marry me in the future?
Amanda would send special treats for Eddie, asking me to deliver them.
“Is Eddie giving you a hard time again? He can be so stubborn, just be patient with him.”
In the end, she handed me the goodies and patted my hand, reassuring me, “Just tell him I said so. You’re already Eddie’s wife in my eyes! No one else will do!”
I forced a bittersweet smile and didn’t say anything.
I took the treats to Eddie’s school and happened to run into him with Selena.
She was holding onto his sleeve, her eyes wide. “Eddie, thanks for coming with me to the interview. I was so nervous, but seeing you calmed me down…”
When they saw me, they both stopped.
My eyes burned with unshed tears, but I fought hard to keep them at bay.
Selena awkwardly smiled and said, “You two catch up. Don’t forget we’re all going out for dinner later. It’s my treat!”
Once Selena walked away, Eddie turned to me and said, “Are you really going to act like this?”
I scoffed, and the tears finally spilled over.
I had been lying to myself for so long, but I couldn’t keep up the charade any longer.
I clenched my jaw and said, “You’re leaving your mom with me so you can go to her interview?”
He replied flatly, “I just need you to take her for a routine check–up. It’s not like I’m asking you to do something monumental. “Selena got a big interview; she was really nervous and asked me to go with her. What’s more important–her future or your petty jealousy? I know you’re clueless, but you should at least understand priorities.”
Yeah, I was clueless.
Everyone around me kept telling me that Eddie didn’t love me.
At the very least, he didn’t love me enough, yet I was still hopelessly devoted to him.
I kept thinking that if I was a little foolish, it was okay as long as Eddie was smart.
He could make waves in his field, and I’d be there to support him, giving him a worry–free home.
But now, it was clear I was the fool.
Even fools knew pain, and when they felt it, they should let go.
I took a step back and finally said the words I had been dreading, “Eddie, let’s break up.”
