Nothing

I was with him from the very bottom, through every struggle, right to the top. Thirteen years, all in.

Everyone said I'd finally hit the jackpot.

Then I accidentally saw the text on his phone: “If it weren't for your family pressuring me, I would have broken up with her ages ago.”

That night, I packed my bags and walked out, no hesitation.

Three months later, he lost it.

1

It was three AM.

Jake’s phone kept buzzing, and he was fast asleep beside me, his breathing steady. I stood by the bed, watching the flood of messages on his phone.

Besides the usual “congrats on your engagement” texts, the most eye-catching messages were from his mom - over twenty of them. Curiosity got the better of me, so I clicked in.

“You little jerk, how could you say that?”

“When our family lost everything, Emily was there, eating ramen with you, and now you've forgotten all that?”

“If you dare hurt Emily, I’ll kill myself.”

I frowned. This wasn’t the kind of thing you’d expect at this point. Just earlier that day, Jake had staged this elaborate engagement proposal on a yacht, in front of all our friends and family, down on one knee, ring and all. The ring was still on my finger. Though, honestly, I wasn't even sure I wanted it.

I scrolled up.

And saw Jake’s messages.

“Mom, I only feel like family with Emily.”

“If it wasn't for all of you pressuring me, I’d have broken up with her.”

“Even if I did used to like her, thirteen years is a long time, there’s no spark.”

My curiosity had evaporated, replaced by a sense of something close to relief. It wasn't unexpected, more like a confirmation of what I’d suspected. No sadness, just a huge weight lifting off my chest.

Three months ago, Jake had become distant. I thought he was just stressed with work. I didn’t dig too deep, never made a scene. I even made his favorite bone broth and brought it to his office.

But his new secretary turned me away at the door.

I waited five hours with the broth before he finally came out, arm-in-arm with some glamorous client. They seemed to be having a great time.

When he finally saw me, his face turned icy. Ignoring everyone around him, he snapped, “Why are you still here?”

That's when it hit me - the soup was cold.

And so was his heart.

That was also the day I got those pictures of him sneaking into a hotel with his secretary.

The guy who once stood outside a jewelry store when we were just twenty-somethings, pointing to a diamond and saying he'd marry me… at thirty, he was now cheating, giving me the cold shoulder, and saying he'd wanted out for a long time.

Jake had made it.

And me, the woman who helped him get there, had become a burden.

Thirteen years. The most precious things can grow old, become dull, lose their luster. Like me. I was 21, young and vibrant when we got together, now I'm 34. How could I compete with the new, younger women he was now around?

And he was thirty-two, a successful, eligible bachelor.

The world was his oyster, and I was just getting in the way of him fi...