I put up with the spicy food and even learned
to cook it, all for Mark.
But I don’t like spicy food. I get an upset
stomach.
If Mark cared, he would’ve known.
He didn’t even think about it, blaming it on
く
me for being high–maintenance.
>
After dinner, Sarah said, “Mark, let’s go to
karaoke! Wanna come, Abby?”
“You guys go. I have a headache. I want to go
home and sleep,” I said.
Mark glanced at me, relieved. “Okay, I’ll take
you home first.”
He was surprised I wasn’t going to follow
them like I normally do, but he was glad I
wasn’t.
When I got to my door, Mark peeled out, with
Sarah’s giggles fading away.
If Sarah had said she had a headache, Mark
would have stayed and taken care of her.
<
୮
I was never that important.
Whatever.
We’re breaking up, so who cares?
I opened the door and saw our engagement
photos hanging in the living room.
I remembered us laughing.
I found out later that Mark only got engaged
and asked for the love locks to make Sarah
jealous.
I cried that night, trying to get over it. I got it
together the next day. Mark was engaged to
me, so what could happen?
Г
I was too naive.
I took them off the wall.
And the flowers in the living room needed to
- go.
Mark gave me the flowers when we got
engaged.
I loved them.
When they died, I replaced them.
It was the only bouquet Mark ever gave me.
Sarah got enough flowers from Mark to fill a
garden.
<
I threw them away.
I was starting to forget things.
That night, Mark came home drunk, looked
around the living room, and frowned. “Where
are the photos and the flowers?”
“You didn’t like them, right?” I said. “So I took
them down and threw them out.”
Mark had asked me to take down the
engagement photos, and he said he hated the
flowers.
Now that I did, he was mad.
“You can’t handle that I got Sarah a St.
Christopher’s medal, so you’re going crazy?”
<
Mark grabbed my chin. “You took down the
wedding photos so everyone would think we
were falling apart, right?”
He looked at me, angry.
“I did what you wanted,” I said, no longer
willing to fight.
“Wanted?”
“You wanted to have a kid so you could trap
me, so I’m giving you the chance tonight.”
Mark kissed me.
He was a fire, but I was numb. I pushed him.
away.
“I’m tired.”
Mark stared at me. “Are you playing hard to
get? Are you still mad?”
“No,” I said.
“You’re acting weird. You used to want me to
touch you,” Mark said, guessing.
I didn’t say anything. I thought of all the times
I tried to get his attention.
Mark only wanted to touch me when he was
drunk.
He just saw me as Sarah.
“We’re getting wedding photos tomorrow. The
wedding is next week,” Mark said, walking
into the bathroom.
