Lisa left in the middle of our anniversary dinner again, claiming there was a problem at work. I didn’t try to stop her. I just calmly finished my own meal. Later that night, I saw a new post on her childhood friend’s feed. It was a photo of Lisa’s hands, sleeves rolled up, placing a dish on a table. The caption read: Stomach flu is the worst. Huge shoutout to Lisa for saving me and making dinner. Guess that’s the confidence you get knowing you’ll always show up when I need you. This time, I didn't call her to start a fight. After that, whenever she had to ditch me to take care of him, I stopped protesting. I just smiled and said it was okay. It went on like this, until her friend sent me a photo of them playing the Pocky game, their faces inches apart. I didn’t react at all. That’s when she finally panicked. Her eyes were red, her voice a mix of panic and hurt. "Why aren't you angry?" 01. Lisa had only taken two bites of her steak when her phone rang. "It's work," she said, already grabbing her purse. "I have to go." "Okay. Go on." I cut off a piece of my own steak and savored it. Tender, juicy. Perfectly cooked. Lisa seemed surprised by my calm demeanor. She frowned. "I'll bring you back a gift." And with that, she was gone. I calmly finished my meal. A small pang of regret hit me—our last anniversary dinner, and we couldn't even finish it together. Back home, a new post from Joshua, her childhood friend, popped up on my feed. It was a photo of Lisa’s hands, sleeves rolled up, placing a dish on a table. The caption: Stomach flu is the worst. Huge shoutout to Lisa for saving me and making dinner. Guess that’s the confidence you get knowing you’ll always show up when I need you. I shut off my phone, got into bed, and went to sleep. Sometime in the middle of the night, the soft beeps of the keypad lock woke me. I tensed for a moment, then relaxed when I realized it was Lisa. As I drifted back to sleep, I felt a presence by my bed, as if someone was watching me in the dark. The next morning, I showered and made breakfast. Just as I was setting my plate on the table, Lisa walked into the dining room. She glanced at the sandwich and orange juice, a flicker of confusion on her face. "You... you didn't make breakfast for me?" She hated Western-style breakfasts, and since I was never in the mood to cook two different meals in the morning, I had always made us a traditional breakfast we both liked. "Ah, sorry. I forgot," I said, taking a bite of my sandwich. "You can just order something or grab a bite on your way to work." I finished my meal quickly, ready to leave. When I looked up, her face had hardened. "I know you're mad that I lied to you yesterday," she began, her voice tight. "But you used to get so dramatic, I was scared to tell you the truth..." "I'm not mad." "Joshua's stomach flu was acting up again, and he lives alone. I was worried, so I—" "—I'm really not mad." "Can you please stop this? I've told you a million times, I only see Joshua as a brother. Why can't you just understand that?" "I'm really, truly not mad at you!" My voice rose, sharper than I intended. I saw the shock on her face and softened my tone. "I get it, I do. But I have to get to work. We can talk when I get back." Without waiting for a response, I walked out the door, leaving her standing alone in the quiet apartment. 02. At work, my boss, Ms. Evans, called me into her office to talk about the overseas assignment again. "Liam, this is a fantastic opportunity. The location is great, it's safe... Just give it some more thought, please." She had tried to convince me for weeks, laying out the salary, the benefits, the career growth. But every time, my feelings for Lisa held me back, leaving me unable to commit. But now... I looked up at Ms. Evans, at her expression that was one part disappointment, one part frustration. "I've thought about it, Ms. Evans," I said, my voice clear. "I'll take it." A wide smile spread across her face. Seeing her so pleased, knowing I hadn't let her down, felt like a weight lifting from my chest. After work, I grabbed dinner by myself before heading home. To my surprise, Lisa was already there. That was a rare sight. "You're home late," she said, her expression unreadable. She handed me a small, wrapped box. "Anniversary gift." "Oh," I said, taking it. "Thanks. I'm sorry, I completely forgot to get you something. I'll make it up to you, okay?" Her face seemed to darken. "Liam, can you just listen to me calmly for a second?" she pleaded. "I've told you before. Joshua and I grew up together. He moved to this city all by himself, and it hasn't been easy for him. I promised his parents I'd look after him." I could feel the anger simmering beneath her words, but I genuinely didn't understand why. "Don't get worked up. I know. I understand." "If you have something to say, just say it! Stop acting like this!" Her voice cracked with frustration. "How many times do I have to tell you we're just like brother and sister? Why won't you believe me? If I wanted to be with him, why would I be with you?" I tried to soothe her. "Calm down. I'm not angry. I really do believe you." "You..." She took a deep, shaky breath, her chest rising and falling. Finally, she said, "I'm hungry." "Sorry, I already ate on my way home. Why don't you order some takeout? Or there's food in the fridge if you want to make something." The only answer I got was the slam of her bedroom door. 03. I was almost asleep when Lisa came back. She walked in and just stood there, staring at me. "It's raining outside." "Hmm? You should probably dry your hair then. Or just take a hot shower." She was soaked, but I didn't understand the point she was trying to make. Her voice filled with disbelief. "I didn't have an umbrella. I was out for five hours! It's pouring! Weren't you worried at all?" She took a step closer. "You're not usually like this. Whenever we fought before, if I stormed out, you'd call me, or you'd call my friends to see if I was okay. At the very least, you'd leave a light on in the living room and wait for me to come back. But today? Five hours, and not a single call from you!" I kept my voice gentle. "I didn't call because you're an adult. You know how to take care of yourself. Besides, I didn't want to embarrass you by calling all your friends to track you down." Her face froze. She must have remembered her own words from a long time ago. "Can you stop? I'm a grown woman, I know what I'm doing! Do you have to blow up my phone like some psycho? And why are you harassing my friends? Do you have any idea how they make fun of me because of you?!" I remembered that day clearly. I had spent hours frantically searching for her, and the moment I finally found out she was safe, that was the thanks I got. Not relief, not gratitude, but a furious tirade. But I wasn't interested in digging up the past. The handover for my new assignment was starting, and I was just... tired. "Look, just go take a shower so you don't catch a cold," I said, turning away. I went into the master bedroom. My mind was buzzing with work, and it took a long while before I finally drifted off. In the haze of sleep, I thought I felt a hand brush against my cheek, followed by a soft sigh. Then, the mattress dipped beside me. 04. Lisa seemed genuinely angry this time. She started leaving early and coming home late, actively avoiding me. No texts, no calls. I was more than happy for the peace and quiet. The last thing I wanted was more drama. But after five days of silence, a message from her popped up on my phone. [I'm cooking dinner tonight. Come home and eat.] Honestly, I was stunned. Cooking had always been my job. I remember once, I tried to be playful about it, whining about how tired I was of always being the one to cook. She had just hugged me and cooed, "But my cooking is so bad it might put you in the hospital. Besides, I love eating the food my amazing boyfriend makes." Blinded by love, I never questioned the contradiction in her words. I spent my evenings after work poring over recipes, trying to perfect her favorite dishes, collecting my fair share of cuts and burns along the way. I was so wrapped up in the sweet satisfaction of her enjoying my cooking that I didn't think twice. Not until Joshua let it slip that Lisa was actually a fantastic cook. That led to one of our biggest fights. Lisa's reaction, as always, was ice-cold. "Joshua can't cook, and he's a picky eater. You don't expect him to live on takeout, do you? He's not like you, you'll eat anything. I'm just taking care of my brother. You're a grown man, stop expecting people to cook for you. If you think cooking for me is such a chore, then don't. It's not like I need you to." And after that? I think I let her half-hearted apology smooth things over, and I forgave her. What's that saying? Love doesn't just make you blind, it makes you an idiot. Never a truer word was spoken. Still, I texted back: [Okay.] We were on the verge of breaking up anyway. If possible, I wanted it to be amicable. The moment I opened the front door, I heard Lisa's cheerful voice from the kitchen. "Liam! You're home! Go wash up and relax for a bit, dinner's almost ready." I sat at the dining table, a strange mix of emotions washing over me.
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