“You jerk!”
He set me down roughly on the grass, my legs almost buckling under me as I regained my balance.
Overcome with embarrassment and frustration, I burst out, “What the hell is your problem?”
“Why would you propose like that, in front of everyone? Were you trying to humiliate me?”
“Yes, and so what?” He shouted back, his voice booming over mine.
But why?
His anger was baffling.
He had always acted on his own, deciding what he thought I need without ever consulting me.
Every time I eagerly shared my idea with him, he would douse my enthusiasm with his cold logic. He always rationalized his decisions, never once considering my feelings It was always about what made sense to him, never about what I wanted.
To him, I was nothing more than an accessory.
Even less than Aria, who could help him in his career.
So why, why was he angry?
“You hesitated! You actually hesitated when I proposed! Is it because of Rolin? Do you want to leave me for him?”
I looked at his angry face, lifted the corners of my bitten lip, and said:
“Leo, this isn’t about Rolin. It’s about me. I’ve spent so many years making everything about you–about us–and in the process, I lost myself.”
“But whether it’s you or Rolin, I am first and foremost myself.”
“This is where it ends, Leo, we’re breaking up.”
After three years, I finally found the strength to let go.
