Elsie
The right time to dump my boyfriend of four years probably wasn’t while sitting at an expensive restaurant, surrounded by tables full of people, on the night I expected him to finally propose.
But I never claimed to be in my right mind, and I couldn’t let this go on anymore. It wasn’t worth it.
I sipped on a glass of ginger ale to calm my stomach, trying to breathe despite the tight red dress clinging to my body that was forcing all the air from my lungs.
Squeezing the non-existent life out of my cloth napkin with clammy hands, I closed my eyes, trying to shut out the din of chattering people that pounded into my head.Though the light fixture dangling above our table was dim, it radiated enough warmth that sweat beaded on my forehead and made my antiperspirant work harder to fight the threat of Niagara Falls pits appearing beneath my arms.
My boyfriend, Ben, sat across from me, alternating between cutting his steak into the tiniest morsels I had ever seen and tapping his phone screen to see if he had any notifications. As always, the relationship with his phone was far more important than the one he had with me.
It didn’t matter how hard I tried, what I wore, or how much makeup I plastered on my face, my boyfriend was always glued to his phone. I probably could have painted my face like a clown, or better yet, sat here naked and he still wouldn’t have given me the time of day, wouldn’t have spared me a second glance.
My dad had set us up four years ago when I was a junior in college. Ben had recently graduated and received a job offer to be a marketing manager at the same retail chain my dad worked for. He thought we’d make a good pair, though I’m sure that was simply parent-speak for him liking the stability Ben offered. If my dad had bothered to ask what I actually liked in a man, he would’ve known that Ben wasnotit.
Sure, he was handsome, but he had a habit of acting entitled and rude; he never thought about anyone but himself. My dad didn’t see that side of Ben, though. My boyfriend was an excellent faker, schmoozing his superiors as if that was the job he was hired to do. No one truly saw the man beneath the mask—the one that only I was privy to. My dad only saw the successful man with a stable job that could provide for his daughter.
It was too bad the guy turned out to be a turd bucket.
Yep, I just called my boyfriend a turd bucket.
Ben was the instant success story that everybody dreamed of emulating, and I was quickly lost in his shadow.
Meanwhile, I started my career by selling mini-donuts.
Yep. Mini-donuts.
I went to school to be a writer, but when you’re drowning in student loans, writing doesn’t always pay the bills. No one wanted to take a chance on someone fresh and untested. Now, two years after college, I was finally finding my place in the writing world, freelancing as much as I could, but it still didn’t even come close to Ben’s success.
I’m sure my dad meant well when he schemed to get us together—wanting me to be cared and provided for—but Ben’s personality was…not for me. He cared only for himself, and what he could get out of everything and everyone. When he spoke to people, he didn’t see their eyes, only dollar signs.
He hadn’t even noticed that I ordered the shrimp risotto tonight—even though I was deathly allergic to shrimp.
Rubbing at my temple, I watched him check his phone for the umpteenth time.
Did he even remember I was sitting here?
I let out a frustrated breath, blowing the dark-blonde hair from my eyes as I glared at the bulge in his jacket draped over the chair. Ben had been dropping hints about proposing for the past week, but I hadn’t been convinced he’d ever commit to doing it. At least, until we sat down at the table and I caught a glimpse of the box in his pocket when he took the jacket off.
That’s when the panic set in and I knew I had to end things. Tonight.
When we first met, Ben was a sweetheart, buttering me up like he did with everyone else. But as time passed, his true colors started to show, and he didn’t bother to hide his cruel side with me anymore.
Needless to say, marrying someone like him was not what I imagined for myself.
Maybe I would be happy once I saw the ring on my finger, maybe I’d adjust to being the wallflower for the rest of my life. I’d never admit to anyone that he made me unhappy. I was a people pleaser to my very core and had prepared to marry Ben, if he ever asked, because I couldn’t envision saying no to him. That was the annoying thing about being me: I was so desperate to be wanted, to not be alone. Ben met that desire—even if it was only halfway.
Besides, no one ever said no to Benjamin Sallow.
At least until now.
Now, none of it mattered.
“How’s your steak?” I asked, my voice drowned by the cacophony of voices filling the room.Ben’s jaw clenched as he chewed, his eyes still fixed on his phone. No response. “Ben?”
His jaw froze mid-bite, eyes wide as he looked at me, before quickly swallowing and giving me a sheepish smile.
“Sorry, babe. Lost in thought.” The phone clicked as he turned off the screen. “How’s your dinner?” Of course, he didn’t bother to look at my plate to see that I hadn’t touched it, nor did he wait for my answer before tapping again on his phone.
