Standing in front of the County Clerk’s Office, I called Ethan Yates. After three ignored calls, he finally replied with a single word: “Busy.” Not even a period. He forgot today was the day we were supposed to get our marriage license. I glanced at the long line in front of me and smiled, finishing my iced coffee. I wasn’t going to be as foolish as last time. Does he really think I don’t know he’s on a date? This was the second time Ethan stood me up. Last time, he didn’t pick up his phone, and I waited in line for a solid three hours. Just when it was about my turn, a young girl behind me whispered to her fiancé, loud enough for me to hear. “Can someone get a marriage license by themselves? If I’d known, I would’ve stayed home and slept. It’s so hot out here!” I didn’t hear the guy’s reply. My heart sank, and I turned and walked away. Later, Ethan’s excuse was that his aunt was sick and he had to take her to St. Andrew’s Medical Center. He even made a call on the spot to prove it. Ha, like that would fool me. I didn’t throw a tantrum; I just locked myself in the bathroom and cried like a fool. If you’re going to lie, at least come up with a better excuse. He wouldn’t let me visit his aunt, couldn’t even describe her condition… Did he forget I’m a doctor? What he didn’t know was that the girl he was on that date with posted about it on social media. And guess what? That girl is my colleague. Ridiculous, isn’t it? One minute, he’s telling me we’re going to get married, and the next, he’s out having steak and wine with another woman. That night, when I got out of the shower, the living room lights were still on. Ethan was asleep in the rocking chair, cradling Rocky. And my heart ached, hard. Rocky is the dog we raised together. He’s seven now. Ethan gave him to me as a sign of our love. I didn’t confront him that night. I’m not sure if it was because I still loved him, or if I was just too stubborn to let go. When I came home after my night shift, the TV was still on, but Ethan was in the dark bedroom on the phone. His tone was irritated, “No way. Last time it was because of Aunt Susan. You’re not convincing me again…” “Mom, I haven’t broken up with Megan Summers yet.” “You can set it up, but I’m not going… You might like her, but I don’t.” Rocky made a sound, and the call ended abruptly. I pretended like nothing had happened. In my heart, I tried to tell myself he had no choice. I gave him another chance. I gave us another chance, after seven years. This time, he had picked the date to get our license. And again, here I was, left waiting. There’s a saying: fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. I wasn’t going to let there be a third time. Because he didn’t deserve my forgiveness. I didn’t go home. Instead, I went straight to the hospital. I had swapped shifts with Ryan Jacobs for today. “Sue, I thought you had something to take care of?” I gave him a small smile and handed him the coffee I just bought. “Plans got canceled last minute. You should go home and spend time with Crystal. We haven’t all been able to catch up lately.” Ryan’s girlfriend, Crystal Young, is my best friend. “Can’t. She’s covering a shift for the new nurse.” The new nurse? That was Tiffany Jones—the girl Ethan went on a date with. Ethan had stood me up, and Tiffany swapped shifts… I pulled out my phone and scrolled. Sure enough, Tiffany had posted on social media—a photo of a dinner table, with steak, red wine, and a massive bouquet of long-stemmed roses. And beside them, half of a phone. I recognized it instantly—it was Ethan’s. There was a tiny diamond sticker I had put on the corner, now catching the candlelight in a soft glow. How long had it been since he last gave me flowers? Oh, right. The last time was when I won a writing contest last year. The prize was $2,000. He bought me a small bouquet of baby’s breath. “Megan, flowers don’t last. They wither in a few days, so I got you something affordable,” he had said, standing in front of me with the Tag Heuer Watch I had just bought him on his wrist. I smiled, holding my cheap bouquet, and took Ethan out for seafood—his favorite. Now, here he was, giving someone else those impractical, expensive roses. Turns out, whether something is “practical” depends on whether it’s “worth it.” I’d always heard from friends that long-term relationships can fade. Without the passion of new love or the commitment of marriage, things rarely end well. So when he proposed, I said yes. There was no thought-out proposal, no ring, no fireworks, and no witnesses. We sat on the couch, discussing it as casually as what we’d have for dinner the next day. He called it maturity—stability. Looking back, maybe that wasn’t the natural progression of love. Maybe it was just settling. He didn’t have any better options. But when did he change? Because I know he loved me once.
My story with Ethan Yates is a pretty common one. After high school, he got his acceptance letter and asked me out. I was so excited my cheeks were burning red. I liked him. He liked me. We made it through four years of long-distance, staying strong the whole time. After graduation, he moved to my city. I was in medical school, and he started working a year before me. Back then, we rented the top floor of an old, run-down building. Summers were unbearably hot, and winters were freezing. When it rained, the water would drum against the roof all night long, but I could still sleep soundly next to him. He would cover my ears during thunderstorms. He’d wait for me downstairs after my night shifts, even if it was raining, even if it was snowing. One time, his mom got sick, and we sent all our money to help her. Winter was right around the corner, and we couldn’t even afford the electric bill. The heated blanket didn’t work, and he looked so worried, standing there with a kettle, filling hot water bottles to keep me warm. “I’m sorry. This is all because of me,” he said with his back to me. I could see his reddened eyes through the mirror, and my heart felt full and warm. With a man like that, I wasn’t afraid of hard times. And he was so driven. He was supposed to be on a six-month probation at work, but he became permanent after just two. There wasn’t any trick to it. His supervisor liked that he was reliable and hardworking. He did sales, wrote proposals—he was willing to learn anything. When he got his first paycheck, he bought me a bracelet. He held it in his hands like a treasure, and when we locked eyes, we were both so happy. But… it’s been a long time since he bought me a gift. Last year on my birthday, he had to work late. He didn’t even get me anything. On Valentine’s Day, he spent $3 on a streaming service to watch a movie. I had ordered steak, but he canceled it and got fried chicken and burgers instead. I gave him gifts for every holiday, but he accepted them as if they were his due. Sometimes I’d pout and complain, and he’d always say, “We need to save for a house. That’s what’s important.” The house slowly became an obsession for him. He believed owning a house was the only way to truly settle down. I don’t know when it happened, but that constant worry about money slowly chipped away at the simple happiness we used to have. And eventually… our love just faded. “Dr. Summers, someone’s here to see you.” Ethan stood at the reception desk, wearing a long gray wool coat, his head lowered. Even with a mask on, I recognized him right away. I used to joke that I’d been fooled by his looks, but there was some truth in that joke. He was good-looking. Especially when he smiled—his eyes sparkled. I took a deep breath and walked over to him. “Have you eaten yet?” That was the first thing he asked. “I have.” He avoided my eyes. “Your hospital is pretty big.” He had never come to visit me since I transferred to this new job. Too busy. Too far. “Yeah, uh, I had a meeting come up last minute, so I couldn’t make it… Did you wait long?” He finally brought it up. “It’s fine. I just called to let you know I had a surgery today, so I couldn’t come either.” He let out a sigh of relief, his gaze finally landing on my face. He looked much more relaxed. “That’s good. I was worried you’d been waiting a long time. I tried calling you this afternoon, but you didn’t answer or text me back.” “I was in the operating room.” We stood there in silence for three minutes. He finally spoke. “Well, I should get going then.” The moment he finished speaking, I turned and walked away. We both knew we weren’t going to bring up when we’d get our marriage license again. In the past, if we’d missed a movie or a dinner, he would have immediately suggested another time to make it up. When I got back to my office, I saw that I had 11 missed calls. One was from my dad. The rest were from Ethan. My dad knows my job. If I don’t answer, he’ll usually leave a message. But Ethan was just feeling guilty. I called my dad back. I was feeling guilty, too. “Megan, did you take the family record book without asking? Are you two getting a marriage license? Did you tell Ethan about the family situation?”
“I’m telling you, getting married is a big deal. You need to think it over carefully. It’s not too late to back out.” “Let’s not even talk about Ethan for a second. What about his mom’s attitude? Do you really think you can get along with her?” After ten minutes of his well-meaning advice… My dad sighed. “Megan, promise me you’ll take some more time to think about it.” Tears fell into my takeout box. “Dad, what are you thinking? I just lost my ID, so I needed the family record book to get it replaced.” Even over the phone, I could hear my dad’s sigh of relief. He wasn’t wrong, though. I had hesitated before, because of Ethan’s mom. Ethan’s mom isn’t an easy person to deal with. We’ve only met twice. Ethan’s dad passed away when he was young, and his mom raised him alone. She worked multiple jobs just to get by. When he finally graduated college and got a job, Ethan became her greatest source of pride. The first time I met her was about a year after I started working. Ethan invited me to dinner at his mom’s place. On the way, his mom called, fussing over him. Not a single word for me. Just before hanging up, he said, “Mom, Megan’s got a sore throat. Can you avoid using any hot spices in the cooking tonight?” When we arrived, she ignored the gifts I’d brought, rushing over to brush the snow off her son’s coat. Ethan tried to calm her down and then introduced us. If her barely-there smile wasn’t a big enough hint, the food on the table definitely made things clear. The entire spread was fiery red with spice. I just smiled quietly and bowed my head. Ethan squeezed my hand under the table, his face showing his frustration. “Mom, didn’t I ask you not to make spicy food today? Didn’t you hear me?” He was obviously trying to give her the benefit of the doubt. “I heard you. But you love spicy food! You’ve been away so long, and I just wanted you to have something you like.” “You can’t put spice in every single dish!” “How was I supposed to know which one you wanted most?” There was no arguing with that. Ethan pulled me up from my seat. “We’re going out to eat.” That’s when the tears started. “Oh, I see how it is! You get a girlfriend, and you forget all about your mother. After everything I’ve done for you all these years… when you were little, your mother…” In the end, I left by myself. I told Ethan, “You should stay with your mom. I’m heading home.” Ethan wanted to come with me, but his mother clung to him and wouldn’t let go. That’s when I really started having doubts. But every time his mom called to cause a fuss, Ethan would handle it efficiently. He’d stroke my hair and say, “Megan, my mom’s had a hard life. But don’t worry, I won’t let you suffer.” Back then, I believed him. I naively thought, I’m marrying him, and as long as he treats me well, that’s all that matters. And eventually, his mom and I started getting along a little better. One day, his mom asked me, “Is it okay if you two get married without owning a house?” That was the one time her tone didn’t have a hint of arrogance in it. “Yes, it’s fine. Ethan and I can buy a house together later,” I said honestly. She nodded, clearly satisfied. Then she turned and praised her son, “I’m not just saying this, but my Ethan has it all—looks, brains, and a great job. You’re lucky to marry him.” From then on, her attitude toward me improved. She even started sending me my favorite pomegranates whenever she sent Ethan a box of oranges. But thinking back now, last month’s box of oranges didn’t have any pomegranates. That must have been around the time she started setting Ethan up on dates again. After my shift, it was early morning. I ate a bowl of pork congee at a cafe near Cedar Grove Estate. I didn’t bring any food home for later like I usually did. I figured I wouldn’t need to anymore. Ethan was asleep on the couch, the ashtray full of cigarette butts. He doesn’t smoke much, usually just a pack every two weeks. Rocky jumped onto my lap, and I sat down on the edge of the couch. Ethan woke up. He saw it was me, then rolled over, “You just got off?” I stroked Rocky’s fur. He was starting to show signs of age. “Ethan, we’ve been together for seven years. Let’s end it on good terms. At least tell me why?” His eyes, which had just closed, snapped open. After a moment, he asked, “What do you mean?” “Your family’s been setting you up on dates. You’re sitting there, having your cake and eating it too. Doesn’t that make you feel a little guilty?” My tone was calm, but his face had gone completely pale. He rubbed his neck and sat up. “How… how do you know?” “That’s not the point.” “My family wants me to find someone who can help me buy a house.”
I… I never thought that would be his reason. “Megan, you know how expensive houses are around here. The price per square foot is insane. There’s no way we could ever afford one on our own…” I took a deep breath and stared into his eyes. “So what?” “Megan, we’re adults. We’ve all had to deal with hardship. I come from nothing. It wasn’t easy to get where I am today. My family home would sell for, at most, $300,000. And even though you’ve always said we don’t need a house to get married, I just want my partner to contribute financially. I know your parents work hard on the farm, and buying a house means renovations too… I can’t even bear to think about it. It just feels hopeless.” He rubbed his forehead, clearly stressed. I laughed bitterly. “So, Ethan, you’re just planning to find a rich wife and solve your problems in one go?” He looked insulted. “Megan, don’t make it sound so awful. My family just wants what’s best for me. And it’s not like I agreed to go through with it.” I threw my phone at him, showing him a screenshot. “You already bought her roses. Guess your charm worked.” I turned and locked myself in the bedroom. Ethan kept banging on the door, “Megan, open the door. Don’t do anything stupid. I’m telling you, without me, you could definitely find someone better. We’re just making each other miserable…” A few moments later, I opened the door and shoved a silver suitcase into his hands. “This is the stuff I paid for in this rented apartment. Now get out.” I pushed him out. Just as I was about to shut the door, he wedged his hands between it. “At least let me gather my things?” I had planned for a clean breakup, but he clearly had no shame. “Ethan, other than what’s in this suitcase, everything else was paid for by me. You want to settle up? Fine by me.” He let go as soon as I said that. “Is there really a need to be this precise?” I slammed the door shut with a loud bang. “You’re holding a suitcase full of things I bought for you. I thought the color suited you.”
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