Blurb：
After six years of waiting for Brandon to propose, Amanda decides she’s done settling. When Brandon abruptly leaves their friend’s engagement party to pick up Hannah—his childhood friend—Amanda’s final straw breaks. Tired of the constant excuses and emotional detachment, she embraces her newfound freedom. This poignant story explores love, self-worth, and the courage to walk away from a relationship that no longer serves you. Follow Amanda’s journey as she prioritizes her own happiness over a one-sided commitment, with key moments involving Natalie, Tyler, and the complicated dynamic of Hannah’s presence in Brandon’s life.
Content：
During the party, our friends started teasing, asking when Brandon and I were finally going to get married.
I looked at him, a smile playing on my lips.
He just went silent, awkwardly changing the subject.
The friend who’d asked the question shot me an embarrassed, apologetic look.
My smile didn’t waver. I just took a sip of my drink.
I’m a procrastinator, but not a crippling one. And in that moment, I decided. I was done waiting. I was letting Brandon go, and in doing so, letting myself go free.
The awkward moment passed quickly, and the party roared back to life. I laughed and joked along with everyone else, genuinely happy for the two people at the center of it allmy best friend, Natalie, and her fianc.
The teasing had started because, halfway through the night, Natalie’s boyfriend had dropped to one knee and proposed. With her ecstatic yes, Brandon and I became the last unmarried couple in our circle.
During a round of party games, Natalie slipped into the seat next to me and quietly squeezed my hand.
I gave her a reassuring smile.
Of all our friends, Brandon and I had been the first to get together. Everyone assumed we’d be the first to walk down the aisle.
But that was six years ago. And we were still just boyfriend and girlfriend.
By the end of the night, only Brandon, Natalie, her new fianc Tyler, and I remained.
Natalie pulled me into a tight hug, whispering in my ear, Amanda, whatever you do, don’t settle for less than you deserve.
I hugged her back, my voice light. I won’t.
After we waved them off, I turned to get into Brandon’s car.
He was staring at his phone, not even looking up. Hannah’s working late at the office. Her phone died, so she can’t get a ride. I’m going to pick her up.
Okay, I said, my hand already in my purse.
The moment he’d said Hannah, my fingers had instinctively opened the ride-share app. As if on cue, a car was confirmed just as he finished his sentence.
He finally looked up at me. You had a bit to drink tonight. Get home safe and rest up. I’m leaving now.
Mhm, was all I said.
As his car pulled away from the curb, I took a few quick steps back to avoid breathing in his exhaust fumes.
A moment later, my phone buzzed with a voice message from him.
Normally, I would have fumbled for my earbuds, eager to hear his voice. Tonight, I couldn’t be bothered. I just let the app transcribe it.
I’ll head back right after I drop her off. Don’t overthink it.
That was new. He’d never bothered with reassurances before when he ditched me for Hannah.
I typed back a single reply: OK
The chat bubble showed he was typing then it disappeared. He sent nothing.
I didn’t really care.
Ever since I’d made my decision, a strange sense of peace had settled over me. Before, the thought of HannahBrandon’s childhood friendhad me tied in knots of anxiety and insecurity. She had turned me into someone I didn’t recognize.
I’d lost count of the number of hysterical fights we’d had about her.
And every time, he’d just watch me with those cold, detached eyes.
When are you going to stop? I see Hannah as a sister. Her parents trusted me to look after her, that’s all.
I gave her a job at the company because she’s qualified. Stop being so paranoid.
If that’s what you want to believe, there’s nothing I can do.
The same lines, over and over. I could recite them by heart.
I went home but didn’t wait up for Brandon. I just went to sleep.
As expected, he never came home.
I knew he wouldn’t.
A message pinged on my phone in the morning.
Hannah’s power went out last night. I stayed to help her fix it, got late. Didn’t want to wake you.
Another ping.
I got a room at a hotel, didn’t stay at her place.
He was always so brazenly honest about it, never hiding anything about Hannah. He seemed to think that as long as he told me the facts, he’d done his part.
My phone buzzed again.
Booked us a table at that restaurant you love. Dinner tonight.
That was his classic move. An explanation, followed by a treat. Whether I accepted his peace offering or not, he would consider the matter closed. As long as he felt he’d explained himself, I was expected to drop it.
So many times, I’d tried to push, to scream that we needed to actually talk things through, but the look in his eyes always said the same thing: he just didn’t get it. He saw me as a petulant child throwing a tantrum.
And so, more often than not, I was the one who swallowed my hurt, plastering on a smile and playing the part of the mature, understanding girlfriend just to please him.
I replied: Sounds good.
Brandon could handle spicy food, but he didn’t enjoy it. He would never suggest that place on his own.
I should have been thrilled.
Instead, all I felt was a profound emptiness.
I knew better than to expect Brandon to pick me up, so I called a car myself.
And, once again, my instincts were right.
On the way to the Szechuan restaurant, we passed by his office building. And there he was. I watched from my car window as Brandon, a faint smile on his face, shielded Hannah’s head with his hand as she slipped into the passenger seat of his car.
A cold certainty washed over me. I unlocked my phone.
Sure enough, a series of new messages were there.
Hannah’s joining us for dinner. She’s been working so hard lately, hasn’t had a decent meal in days.
She doesn’t like spicy food. We’ll go to that Szechuan place another time, I promise. I’ve booked a different restaurant.
Sending you the new address now.
I switched off the screen.
And told the driver to continue to the original destination.
Brandon had already canceled our reservation, so I had to wait in line. The place was packed. It took an hour before I was seated.
My phone buzzed incessantly in my purse, but I ignored it, focusing only on the food.
The spice was so authentic it brought tears to my eyes. But it was a good burn. A cleansing one.
Only after I’d paid the bill did I finally take out my phone.
As I suspected, it was flooded with over a dozen missed calls and messages from him.
Are you there yet?
Are you throwing a fit again? I told you I’d take you next time.
Hannah has a sensitive stomach, she can’t eat spicy food. You’re practically her sister-in-law, can’t you be a little more understanding?
Now she feels so guilty she can’t even eat. Get over here, now!
The same old script.
But it was more than we had texted each other in the last month combined.
On the way home, I found myself wondering what had made me fall for Brandon in the first place.
I think it was that rainy afternoon. He was trying to launch his startup and had just been rejected by an investor for the twentieth time. My boss had just sent back my design draft for the thirty-fifth revision. We both ducked into the same coffee shop to escape a sudden thunderstorm, and just started talking.
It was awkward at first, just small talk to fill the silence. But by the time the rain stopped, we had clicked. After that, getting together felt like the most natural thing in the world.
I never believed in love at first sight. It always seemed too shallow, an emotion without foundation, destined to fade as quickly as it appeared. Yet, for six years with Brandon, I often thought I was one of the lucky ones, that I’d found my soulmate in a chance encounter.
But thinking back now
Were these six years truly a story of mutual love, or was it just me, procrastinating on the inevitable breakup?
Natalie took me out for drinks.
With wedding planning about to consume their lives, she wanted one last night to just relax before the chaos began.
She’s a lightweight, and it didn’t take long for her to get tipsy. But even then, she was slurring, insisting she had to get me home safely first.
I felt a bittersweet pang. My best friend, drunk off her ass, was still putting me first. Brandon, on the other hand, would always, always choose Hannah over me.
It’s okay, I soothed her. I’m staying at your place tonight. We can go home together.
I’d moved out of Brandon’s place for a few days, needing space to untangle the mess of our relationship in my head. With Tyler out of town on a business trip, Natalie had insisted I come stay with her and keep her company during her last few days of freedom.
When we got back to her apartment, I helped her onto the sofa. She mumbled, her words thick, Amanda if something’s broken, you throw it away. Don’t force it.
She’s known me for over a decade. Even if I never said a word, she could read the turmoil inside me.
I smiled and stroked her hair.
Just then, my phone lit up with a message from Brandon.
Are you done with your tantrum? When are you coming back?
Come home and I’ll take you to that Szechuan place, how about that?
You’re a grown woman, Amanda. Running away when you’re upset isn’t the answer. Do you really think this is mature?
For the first time, I didn’t reply.
Tyler returned from his trip. I figured it was time for me to go, but Natalie wouldn’t hear of it. Instead, she shooed Tyler off to his parents’ place for a few days.
He just gave her a resigned, adoring look and agreed, even asking me to take good care of her.
I was mortified, but Natalie just waved it off. Don’t be silly. You can stay as long as you need, sister.
A couple of days later, she told me Tyler was hosting a get-together for a university friend who was visiting from abroad. It’ll be a mix of guys and girls, she said. You should come.
I knew she was worried about me, afraid I’d sink into a depressive spiral. She’d been hovering over me constantly, filling my days with distractions. I agreed, if only to get a change of scenery.
The party was at an exclusive lounge that Tyler was a partner in. There, I met the friend he was hosting: Justin Cooper.
He wore a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, giving him a polished, scholarly air. But his personality was anything but stuffy. He was charming and funny, effortlessly keeping the party’s energy high. The atmosphere never lulled with him around.
Through conversation, I learned that Justin was incredibly successful. He came from a wealthy family but had built his own company from the ground up, taking it public in just a few short years.
As the night wound down, he asked if he could add me on social media.
I froze, a little embarrassed. Whatever my internal decisions, I hadn’t officially broken up with Brandon yet.
Justin smiled, seeming to read my hesitation. Oh, don’t get the wrong idea. Natalie showed me some of your design work. It’s got this amazing blend of professional polish and creative spark. I was just wondering if you’d ever considered a change of work environment.
I glanced at Natalie, who just shrugged. I just showed him your portfolio, Amanda. The rest is up to you. But I think you should at least connect. You can always decide later.
I had to admit, I was tempted.
I took out my phone and scanned his QR code.
Amanda!
I spun around to see Brandon, his face a mask of fury.
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