Chapter 8

I let out a sigh. "I really don't know what to do." "What do you mean you don't know what to do? Break up with her already! I'll introduce you to my cousin." Yeah, no thanks. Even if I did break up with Isabelle, I would still want someone smart and understanding, not some immature, ditzy woman who hadn't grown up yet. I was 27, not exactly young. My plan was to have a stable family and kids by the time I was 30. I really thought Isabelle and I would be walking down the aisle soon, but with all this happening, I was at a loss. I wanted to break up, but I was reluctant to do so. It was past 11:00 pm when Isabelle called. I had just laid down on the bed. "Sorry, Bryce, did I wake you? I just got back from the dinner—" I wasn't in the mood for her lies, so I cut her off. "Isabelle, where are you right now? I'll come meet you." I wanted to have a real conversation and say everything that needed to be said. If she could commit to what I needed, I'd give her another chance. If she could not, it was better for us to end it now instead of torturing each other. "Oh? I just got home." "Then I'll come over." "Why? Do we really need to talk now? I'm about to go to bed, can we meet tomorrow?" Her shaky, nervous tone made my heart sink. The answer, the one I'd been dreading, was all too clear. It was hard for me to pretend that I didn't know what was going on. After a long pause, I asked slowly, "You're staying at Sean's place again, aren't you?" She went silent. "Bryce, I—" A surge of anger hit me. I bit my tongue, took a deep breath, and finally made a decision. "Tomorrow, please return the engagement ring. Isabelle, we're done." "Bryce! Didn't I tell you that I'm willing to marry you? I don't want to get back with him." She was willing to marry me? She said it like she was doing me some grand favor. It was as if I should feel grateful for that. However, I wasn't some hopeless romantic anymore. I was an adult looking for a stable relationship, someone to settle down with. "Isabelle, just return the ring." I hung up. She called me again, and again, three times in a row. I ignored all of them. Then, she texted me, saying, "Bryce, can you stop being so jealous for no reason? Sean and I are just friends now. Can you stop getting so jealous for no reason? Haven't I been nice enough to you? Didn't I send you flowers? I've never done that for anyone else." I stared at the message, but I couldn't even muster a smile. It seemed that she was thinking about how grateful I would be when she sent me flowers. It wasn't out of her feelings for me. I bought her so many things—expensive necklaces worth hundreds of thousands, and small treats for just a few dollars—yet I never once asked for her gratitude. Shaking my head, I didn't reply. A few moments later, my phone rang again. I set my phone to vibrate mode as I was afraid it would disturb Jerome and his cousin. However, this time, it was a call from Emma instead. Before I could pick up, the phone call ended. She called again right after. "Bryce, are you really breaking up with Isabelle?" "Yeah." "Why? Just because of Sean?" Emma sounded upset. "Do you know that Isabelle chose you over him?" I scoffed. "Why does she even need to choose? I'm her boyfriend. We were already discussing our marriage plans, and she still needs to make a choice?" "No, that's not what I meant! Bryce, you don't understand. Isabelle and I talked after that. While crying, she told me she's fallen for you and that she can't live without you! How can you break up with her just because you're jealous? That's childish!" Her words made me angry. "Am I the childish one or is she the childish one? Why don't you ask her what she was doing in her office after work today? Or better yet, Emma, imagine if your boyfriend was hugging and kissing his ex in his office. What would you do?" Emma was stunned. "What? No way, I don't believe it! Hold on, I'll ask her!" She hung up. That was the last I heard from her that night. Somehow, I drifted off to sleep. I had a strange dream; it was full of memories of Isabelle from the past. I remembered the first time we met and how her eyes widened when she saw me. I remembered our first kiss—how her expression was a mix of longing and resistance. I remembered how she pushed me away in panic when I tried to be intimate with her. I used to think it was just because it was her first time. However, everything seemed to make sense now. All along, there had been Sean, a man who looked a little too much like me. The next morning, I woke up feeling groggy as I hadn't rested well. As I stepped into the living room, I saw a woman in just a tank top and panties. She turned, screamed when she saw me, and dashed into her room. I felt a little awkward. I'd forgotten about Jerome's cousin and was walking around in just sweatpants. However, I didn't have time to linger on the awkwardness as it was almost time for work. I grabbed some clothes from the dryer, changed quickly, and headed out the door. When I got to work, I spotted someone familiar standing outside the building. It was Isabelle. Had she come early to return the ring? Not wanting to make a scene because of my personal life, I quickly pulled her aside to a quiet corner. I didn't waste any time. "Did you bring the ring?" She looked up at me, her eyes red and swollen like she'd been crying for hours. Her face was pale. She looked exhausted. I looked away. I couldn't afford to let my heart soften. She'd crossed a line, and I couldn't just overlook it. "Bryce, you came to the office yesterday, didn't you?" I stayed calm. "Yeah, I did. No need to ask, and no need to explain. I saw it with my own eyes—you and Sean hugging and kissing." "No!" Her voice was sharp, defensive, even angry. "We didn't kiss! It was just a friendly hug! He came to tell me how hard things have been for him abroad these past few years, and I just felt sorry for him. That's it! Don't accuse me of things I didn't do!" I thought back to what I saw. It was true that there hadn't been a kiss. But I had seen Sean kiss the top of her head. Maybe she didn't realize it. Perhaps she was innocent. However, even just the hug was too much for me. "A friendly hug? What kind of friends hug like that? Isabelle, if I had a female friend and hugged her like that, how would you feel? "Although, honestly, this example doesn't even fit. Because you know very well, I've always stayed respectful. I've never given you any reason to feel insecure or jealous. I've never crossed a line with any woman." She lowered her head, biting her lip, looking all pitiful. "I know you're good to me. It's me who has disappointed you. But I swear it won't happen again. If it does, I'll—I'll let a car run me over when I walk out the door!"