All I Did Was Love You​

I was folding my girlfriend’s clothes when she suddenly spoke. “You’re pathetic, you know that? Worse than a doormat.” My hands froze. Before I could say anything, she cut me off. “Of course, you love me, I know that. You’re responsible and you take good care of me. But sometimes… you just don’t measure up to Asher. The things you do, anyone could do them. You’re nothing compared to him.” My mind flashed back to a month ago, when her ex-boyfriend had invited her to a concert. I had declined on her behalf. She was still holding it against me. I dropped the clothes and turned to leave. Just that morning, my boss had offered me a position at our overseas branch. I’d turned it down for her. But now, as I was finally walking away, leaving the space open for her ex, why was she the one crying and begging me to come back? 1 I threw the clothes on the bed. Ava sat there, watching me walk to the door. “What, was I wrong?” “There’s another show tonight, isn’t there?” I said, my hand tightening on the doorknob. “All this passive-aggressive nonsense is just about that, right? Go or don’t go. I don’t care.” She’d never heard me talk back to her before. A slow, incredulous smile spread across her face. “You really think I wouldn’t dare?” “Do whatever you want.” “Leo!” she called out as I opened the door. “What is that supposed to mean? Was anything I said untrue? Will you be happy if you force me to go?” “I told you. Do whatever you want.” I shut the door behind me. A few steps down the hall, I heard the sound of a glass shattering against a wall. I sat in a Starbucks, stirring my coffee and scrolling through my contacts for Ms. Lang’s number. I’d been saving every penny for a down payment on a house for us. The most expensive drink I’d had in years was a two-dollar iced tea. This Starbucks… wasn’t as good as I’d imagined. But I felt a strange sense of liberation. Ms. Lang answered on the second ring. I didn’t waste any time. “Ms. Lang, that offer to transfer to the overseas branch… is it still open?” She paused, then chuckled. “As long as you’re willing to take it.” “I am!” “And your fiancée… the wedding…” “We broke up.” Instead of offering condolences, Ms. Lang burst out laughing. “Good. It’s about time you came to your senses.” For six years, everyone had been subtly and not-so-subtly reminding me that my career was far more important than Ava. When her reckless startup failed, they’d told me I had a bright future and shouldn’t be dragged down with her. But at the time, I couldn’t bear the thought of leaving her when she was at her lowest. And yet, her ex-boyfriend—the one who had dumped her for being poor and run off with a rich girl from overseas—had now come crawling back, just as she’d made a name for herself. And she was letting him. My phone buzzed. It was a new post from Asher. A picture of the two of them, nestled close together, their faces projected onto the giant screen at the concert. Their hands were joined to form a heart for the entire arena to see. No one would doubt for a second that they were a couple. The caption read: After all this time, the right person was waiting for me right where I left them. Ava had liked the post. I took a screenshot and sent it to my best friend. I can’t deal with these two drama queens anymore. He sent back a question mark, along with a screenshot of a blank social media page. I tried sending it to a few other people. They couldn’t see it either. Asher had set the post’s privacy to be visible only to me and Ava. No, that wasn’t right. It was visible only to me. I let out a cold laugh, then blocked and deleted him. 2 After getting the overseas transfer contract from Ms. Lang, most of my anger had dissipated. I had a week before my flight, and I wasn’t about to spend it waiting on Ava. But when I got back to our apartment to pack, I found the place in chaos. Asher was standing in the kitchen, holding a plate of burnt chicken wings. “Ava, darling, are you sure it’s okay for me to make such a mess?” Ava, who was usually a neat freak, just shrugged. “It’s fine. Leo will clean it up.” “Ah, why can’t I be as good at housework as Leo?” “Don’t be silly. That’s work even a maid would turn her nose up at. It’s certainly not for you.” I walked straight past them and into the bedroom to pack my things. Ava looked stunned. Asher put down the chicken wings and followed me. “Leo, I…” Thump. I shoved him. But he flew backward as if he’d been hit by a truck, crashing to the floor. “Asher!” Ava rushed to his side, then glared at me. “Leo, I brought him here. If you’re angry, take it out on me!” My fists clenched. I ignored them and started throwing my things out of the closet and into a suitcase. A document fluttered out and landed at Asher’s feet. He picked it up. His eyes widened, and a flush of red crept up his neck. He dropped the paper and turned to leave. “Asher!” Ava grabbed his arm. He struggled. “Let go! You two are engaged!” I looked down. It was our engagement agreement. 3 Ava held onto Asher’s arm for dear life. He looked heartbroken, but he wasn’t actually trying to leave. “Leo,” Ava said, her voice tight with anger as she struggled to hold onto him. “Apologize.” I blinked. “For what?” “If you hadn’t insisted on this stupid engagement agreement, he wouldn’t be so upset right now! You were pretending to pack, but you just wanted him to see it, didn’t you?” I laughed, a sharp, incredulous sound. “Ava, I never realized you were this stupid.” She stared at me, speechless. I turned to Asher. “Did you not realize we were living together? Did you not know we were a couple? If you knew all that, why did you even ask if I was angry before? You knew everything, so who is this ‘I’m so shocked and betrayed’ act for?” His eyes grew redder. He made another show of leaving, and Ava held him back. “Leo! That’s enough!” I continued packing, ignoring them. Asher struggled again. “Don’t stop me! Leo has the wrong idea! You’re engaged, I shouldn’t be here!” “Leo!” Ava’s grip on Asher’s wrist tightened as she glared at me. “Apologize!” My hands were balled into tight fists. “No.” “Are you sure?” My jaw was set. “I’m sure.” Ava stared at me for a few seconds, then bent down and picked up the engagement agreement. “See? This is why you’ll never be as good as Asher. All you know how to do is play petty games and get jealous. It’s so obvious you’ve never been abroad. Your worldview is so much smaller than his.” With that, she ripped the agreement in half. Then she tore it again, and again, until it was nothing but scraps. She threw the pieces in my face. She turned, took Asher’s hand, and walked out without a backward glance. I picked up a framed photo of us and smashed it against the floor. The fractured glass drew a line between our faces. I kicked the broken frame into the trash. 4 Three days passed without a word from either of us. We used to talk every single day. Our chat streak had lasted for over two thousand days. But for more than half of those, I was the one who had to start the conversation. In just three days, the flame had gone out. I was in a hotel, finalizing some paperwork for the transfer, when Ava called me, for the first time in ages. “You’re not home?” I kept working. “Do you need something?” She sent me a picture of the apartment. The trash was overflowing. The dishes in the sink looked like they’d been hastily rinsed, with greasy residue caked on them. A pile of her clothes was crumpled on the bed, un-ironed. “If you’re done playing around, you should come home. The place is a mess. You should at least show some concern.” “Isn’t Asher there?” “Asher wants to help, but he’s not good at this sort of thing. He’s used to a certain lifestyle abroad. He didn’t come back to do chores.” I didn’t have the energy to argue. “You’re a successful businesswoman. Just hire a maid.” She was silent for a moment. “Even the best maid isn’t as thorough as you. Asher has very high standards. They’re just not good enough.” “You’re insane,” I said, and hung up. She called back. I blocked her number. A few minutes later, I got a notification that my bank card had been frozen. It was a card Ava had given me. When her startup had failed, I’d stayed by her side. I encouraged her, supported her, and held down the fort at home so she could rebuild. I’d turned down multiple promotions to be there for her. Six years later, she was a respected CEO, and I was still a junior employee. The card was her way of “repaying” me, though most of the money went towards our shared expenses. She was trying to force me to come back. I was so glad I had accepted Ms. Lang’s offer. A new bank card, with a generous bonus for my promotion, was already in my wallet. I didn’t need her money anymore. The next day, I was finishing up my work at Starbucks when I saw Ava and Asher walk in. I stood up to leave, but Asher approached me, a friendly smile on his face. I didn’t understand how he could be so shameless after I’d made my disgust for him so clear. In the ensuing scuffle, my folder of documents fell to the floor. Asher’s eyes widened as he saw the top page. “A transfer letter? Leo… you’re going to the overseas branch!” 5 I snatched the documents from his hand. Ava stared at me. “You’re… leaving?” Asher’s eyes turned red. “Leo, did you know I was applying for that branch? Are you doing this just to show me up?” I was stunned. Ava frowned. “Leo, you saw that Asher has international experience, so you decided to copy him? That branch is his dream! What do you think you’re doing? Rescind the transfer.” I clutched the letter. “No way. Ava, I’m curious. He has a dream, so he gets to pursue it. But when I have one, I’m not allowed? What, are you afraid to let him go?” She hesitated. “I shouldn’t hold him back… He didn’t come back just to be tied to me. I can visit him often. I’ll always respect his freedom.” A knot tightened in my chest. “So you weren’t angry when he abandoned you all those years ago?” Ava closed her eyes. “He had his reasons. Was I really supposed to let him suffer in poverty with me? Leo, opportunities like this are rare. Be a good boy and give it up. I’ll pull some strings and get you a good job here. Stop trying to compete with Asher.” SLAP! The sound echoed through the cafe. Asher gasped and lunged at me. “Leo! How could you hit Ava?” He grabbed my arm. “I won’t go! Leo, don’t fight with Ava because of me, I…” SLAP! Another slap, this one for him. He stopped mid-sentence. “What is all this pathetic whining?” I carefully tucked the transfer letter back into my folder. Ava shielded Asher with her body. “You’re crazy!” I looked at them both, my voice cold. “I’m leaving. It’s my decision. Nothing you say will change my mind.” I glanced at Asher. “And don’t you ever pull this manipulative crap in front of me again. It’s disgusting.” I walked out, leaving the entire cafe staring after me. Ava watched me go, a look of shock on her face. She bit her lip, her eyes narrowed. 6 I was driving to deliver the documents, stopped at a red light, when a car slammed into me from behind. I stomped on the brake, but the car behind me kept accelerating. I laid on the horn, but they just pushed harder, until my car was shoved violently into a wall. Half my body was thrown out the window, my chest crushed between the airbag and the seat. I couldn’t breathe. We were on a deserted road. No one saw. My phone had been thrown somewhere in the car, out of reach. The door of the other car finally opened. Asher stumbled out, reeking of alcohol. He made a shaky phone call. A few minutes later, Ava’s car pulled up. I forced the air from my lungs, shouting through the pain. “Ava! Help me!” “Ava! I’m here!” Asher cried, collapsing onto the pavement. Ava looked from me, covered in blood, to Asher, who had a minor scrape on his ankle. She hesitated for a second, then rushed past me and helped Asher to his feet. “Ava!” I gasped, my vision swimming. “Help me first! Or just call 911! I… I can’t breathe…” “Stop being so dramatic,” she snapped. “It won’t take long to get him to the hospital. I’ll come back with an ambulance for you. Can’t you stop competing with Asher for once? Can’t you see he’s in real danger?” “Ava, I…” I tried to say more, but she was already helping Asher into her car. My pleas were lost in the dust. I don’t remember passing out. Or how a passerby found me and called for help. Thanks to timely medical treatment, my injuries weren't life-threatening. The first thing I did was report the accident to the police. They traced the license plate back to Asher and opened an investigation. But when they questioned him, he was terrified. “I’m sorry… Leo, I don’t know what happened. I… I was sick.” “‘Sick’ gives you the right to nearly kill someone?!” I slammed my fist on the table. “Do you have any idea how close I was to dying?” “Stop it!” Ava pushed me away. “He has depression! Don’t you dare harass him!” “Depression?” I frowned. Sure enough, she produced a psychiatric evaluation. “He was having an episode. Do you have any idea how much he suffers?” I looked at the report and laughed. “You can buy a report like this from any shady clinic. What kind of depressive episode allows you to perfectly stage a hit-and-run in a place with no cameras, with your foot on the gas the entire time? This wasn’t an episode, it was attempted murder!” “Can you please stop tormenting a sick man? Do you need him to actually die before you’ll believe he’s ill?” Faced with her fury, I grabbed Asher by the collar. “Fine. Let’s see what the police have to say about his ‘illness’.” “Ah! No!” Asher started trembling. With just a slight tug from me, he acted as if I’d thrown him across the room. He crashed to the floor, knocking over a medical cart and cutting himself on the equipment. The police rushed in. Ava gritted her teeth. “Officer, I’d like to report Mr. Leo Anderson for assault!” Asher quickly underwent a new evaluation, this one signed by a reputable doctor. When Ava personally submitted the report, I recognized the doctor’s signature. He was one of her business partners. “Ava, I’m the victim here!” I screamed. She instinctively shielded Asher. “Alright, according to the public security regulations, you’ll be detained for a while. I’ll come get you in fifteen days.” Behind her, I saw a triumphant smirk on Asher’s face. I finally understood. It was all a setup. My flight was in two days. A fifteen-day detention would ensure I missed my transfer. There was only one spot available. With me out of the picture, Ava could easily use her influence to get him the position. And he, with his convenient mental health diagnosis, would walk away scot-free. “Ava, you can’t do this to me! You’re fabricating evidence!” Asher’s eyes turned red. “Leo, do I really have to die before you’ll believe me?” He lunged towards the wall, ready to smash his head against it. Ava threw her hand up, blocking his forehead. SLAP! She hit me, her eyes blazing. “Have you no conscience?” “Ava!” I tried to rush at her, but the police were already separating us. “Sir, if you continue to be violent, your detention will be extended.” I could only stand there, teeth clenched, as Ava led Asher away. “I’ll come for you in fifteen days,” she said over her shoulder. All my hope vanished. My one chance was gone. I spent two days in a daze in the holding cell. My phone had been confiscated. Ms. Lang had no idea what had happened to me. After a few hours of not being able to reach me, she would probably just leave without me. I felt a pang of guilt. She had given me so many opportunities, and when I finally accepted one, I’d let her down. “Leo Anderson?” A police officer appeared at my cell door. “Come on. Someone’s posted your bail.”

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