He Ghosted Me 88 Times, I Left Him

Chapter 2

I shook my head to clear the memories, freshened up, and headed downstairs.

The Grand Lounge was bright and quiet. Mr. Carter, the HR director, was already waiting for me.

He stood up and smiled when he saw me. "Ms. Ainsworth, good to see you again."

I sat across from him and ordered an iced coffee.

He offered me the role of general manager for our new regional branch. We'd just started talking about the business plan when someone stormed over.

"Nova Ainsworth!" Liam shouted, and he grabbed my wrist so tightly it felt like my bones would c***k.

His eyes were red, and his voice was rough. "You're leaving me for good, isn't it because of him?!"

Mr. Carter looked thoroughly confused. "Sir, I think there's been a misunderstanding."

Liam laughed bitterly, his eyes dark. "Misunderstanding?"

Before I could stop him, he grabbed Mr. Carter by the collar and raised his fist.

"Liam!" I jumped up and stepped between them. "Have you lost your mind?!"

I stared at him, stunned and furious. "You said there was no misunderstanding, that I should never come near you again! What are you doing now?"

Jake, Liam's best friend, ran over and stood beside him.

"Nova," Jake said sharply, his tone thick with accusation, "If we hadn't run into you guys by chance, Liam would never have known what you were up to." He stepped closer, his voice rising, so nearby customers turned to look. "How can you be so heartless? He's been drinking himself sick every single day, and you? You used up all his money, took everything he had, and ran straight to someone new?"

I stared at him in disbelief.

"Liam," I said, my voice quiet but tight, "is that what you told your friends about me?"

Liam looked away, unable to meet my eyes.

"Eight years," I said, my voice trembling with suppressed anger and hurt. "From cars and apartments to every single meal. Even when your name was the only one on the property deeds, I paid my share."

My voice cracked, but I pushed on. "Even when I had barely 15 dollars left to my name, and you insisted we split the cost of a bowl of soup, I agreed without a second thought! In eight years, you spent less than 58,000 dollars on us. And when we broke up, you demanded every penny back. I transferred it all to you."

I stepped closer until he had to back away. "I did everything I possibly could. Why are you here, bringing your friends to make a scene? What do you want?"

Liam's fist froze in midair. He still wouldn't look at me, but his chest heaved.

Jake and Mr. Carter glanced back and forth between us, shocked.

Just then, Mara hurried over in high heels, then gasped and covered her mouth like she was surprised.

"Nova," Mara said, her tone soft and falsely hurt, "Jake called me. I had no idea you'd already found someone else."

She shook her head slowly, feigning sympathy. "No wonder you ended things so suddenly. Liam loves you more than anything. He's just heartbroken. Can you blame him for being upset?"

She slipped her arm through Liam's and spoke gently, like she was the only one looking out for him. "Liam, let's go. Don't interrupt her date. You just need to focus on your own life now."

Liam looked at her with pain in his eyes, then glanced up at me like he was waiting for me to say something.

I took a deep breath and said coldly, "Liam, this has to stop. Stay away from my work, and stay away from me."

He stared at me for a long moment, then finally dropped his gaze.

Mara pulled him toward the door, and glanced back at me with a triumphant smile before they left.

Jake opened his mouth like he wanted to say something, then followed them out.

The comments blew up.

A: [He's jealous! He still loves her! Asking for the money was just a way to get her to talk to him again!]

B: [But she won't give him a chance! He's practically begging, even if he's too proud to say it, every man needs to save face sometimes!]

C: [She's being so unreasonable. One day she'll regret losing a man who loved her that much.]

I sat back down, picked up my coffee, and took a sip.

'It was bitter. Just like the last eight years.'

"Ms. Ainsworth, are you alright?" Mr. Carter asked awkwardly.

"I'm fine," I said, pulling myself together and smiling professionally. "I'm sorry you had to see that. Let's get back to business."

He handed me the transfer papers, and I signed my name without hesitation.

The scratch of the pen on paper felt like the final period at the end of a very long story.

"Ms. Ainsworth, this branch is in very capable hands," he said with a sigh, patting my shoulder. "Reach out to headquarters any time if you need help, with work or anything else."

"I'll manage," I nodded. "I'll report for duty the day after tomorrow."

*****

I booked a flight for the next evening. Back at the hotel, the comments were still going.

A: [Don't be sad, honey! He just doesn't know how to show how much he cares!]

B: [Right, he never got enough love as a kid. You just have to be patient with him.]

'Patient? How much more patience could one person have?'

I remembered the time I'd had a fever of 102°F, too weak to even sit up.

Liam had blocked me, all because I hadn't replied fast enough while he was working late.

If Mochi hadn't barked and scratched at our neighbor's door until someone came to check on me, I don't know what would have happened.

Now it just felt cruel.

I pulled up my lock screen photo, the two of us grinning like we had the whole world to ourselves.

I stared at it for a long moment, then hit delete.

I lay back on the bed, and the tears finally came.

Mochi jumped up and licked my cheeks with his warm tongue. I held him tight and cried until my throat hurt.

Walking away from eight years wasn't easy. But I knew one thing for sure...

A short sharp pain was better than a lifetime of slow pain.

I cried myself to sleep.

I dreamed of college, of the boy Liam used to be, the one who'd run across town just to buy me hot

Chamomile tea when I was on my period, the one who'd sit quietly beside me while I studied late into the night.

When did things change?

Maybe the first time he blocked me.

Maybe the first time I went running back to apologize.

Maybe when I stopped being myself, and started being exactly who he wanted me to be.

I was done chasing someone who wouldn't chase me back.

*****

When I woke up, I decided to walk through the city I'd called home for eight years, one last goodbye to the person I used to be.

The sun was warm.

I walked slowly with Mochi, and before I knew it, I was standing outside the amusement park where we'd had our very first date.

Memories flooded back; eighteen-year-old Liam won me a giant stuffed bear on our first ride. The twenty-year-old us is celebrating every anniversary right here.

"Woof!" Mochi pulled on his leash, snapping me back to the present.

I looked up. Beneath the Ferris wheel stood a castle of pink flowers, with balloons dancing in the wind, exactly the way I'd always imagined a proposal would look.

My chest tightened. I walked closer, almost against my will.

In the middle of the crowd, Liam knelt on one knee in a sharp suit.

And across from him stood Mara, in a white dress, smiling like she'd just won everything.

My phone pinged. Reminder: Eight-year anniversary with Liam.

'How perfect. How cruel. He'd chosen our anniversary, in the place I'd dreamed of, to ask the woman who'd lied to us both to marry him.'

The comments flashed frantically.

A: [Don't look! It's not real!]

B: [Mara told him her parents were pressuring her to get married and begged him to pretend!]

C: [He set this whole thing up for you!]

'Pretend? Liam never did anything he didn't want to do. He was doing this because he wanted to.'

I laughed bitterly, turned around, and headed back to the hotel.

*****

My bags were already packed. I took them to the airport, and Mochi walked quietly beside me, like he knew how I felt.

After I went through security and dropped off our luggage, I scrolled through social media while I waited. Mara's latest post was right at the top.

At twenty-eight, I finally said yes.

The photo showed her hand, wearing the exact diamond ring I'd stared at in the jewelry store window with Liam.

I gave it a like.

My phone rang. Unknown number.

When I answered, Liam's voice was sharp and sure of itself.

"Nova, I know you're jealous. You've finally come to your senses and want to apologize, don't you? You get one chance. Say You're sorry, admit you were wrong, and I might still take you back."

I didn't say a word.

Over the airport speakers, the announcement came through clearly.

"Passenger Nova Ainsworth, please proceed to Gate 12 for flight ZH1234."

The line went dead silent.

Three seconds later, Liam screamed, "Nova?!"

I heard glass shatter.

"Which airport? Tell me where you are!"

I could hear him running, breathless and desperate.

"Tell me right now! I order you. Tell me where you are!"

The comments scrolled wildly.

A: [He's panicking! He's terrified!]

B: [He's smashing everything in his office! I hear all his awards breaking!]

A woman's voice, frantic. "Mr. Reed, your merger meeting starts in ten minutes..."

"Get out!" Liam roared. "Cancel everything!"

Then came the screech of tires, he must have run straight into traffic.

"Just tell me where you're going," he said, his voice breaking in a way I'd never heard before.

The boarding call played again. I said nothing, and hung up.

Right before I turned my phone off and blocked his number one last time, I heard him scream, "Nova—!"