My Ex Crashed Into Reality

When I first bought the Porsche, Carter had told me it wasn't safe for a woman to drive such a flashy car.

If it got scratched or dented, it would be heartbreaking.

He suggested he drive it instead, arguing it would make a better impression on producers and directors.

He claimed that when people saw my boyfriend driving a luxury car and succeeding, I would be the envy of everyone.

It made a twisted kind of sense at the time.

So, I handed him the keys before I'd even had a chance to really drive it myself.

He never once gave me a ride in it, though.

Whenever I asked for a pickup, he was always "busy writing."

My studio is far from home, and the subway is a hassle.

So, a few days ago, I bought a used Volvo XC60 for my commute.

Worried it might make him feel insecure, I hadn't told him about it yet.

And this was my reward for always putting him first.

He betrayed me and completely shattered my dignity.

Just as I was about to confront him, he pulled me aside.

All the tenderness in his eyes was gone, replaced by a cold, hard glare.

"Look, Paige, this is Sloane. Her mom's a producer, and my mom wants us to date. If I screw this up, my script is dead. I'm just playing along for my career. But if you embarrass me, we're done. Right here, right now."

The self-righteous way he said it made him seem like a total stranger.

"But you're my boyfriend! Shouldn't you be explaining us to your mother, instead of doing this to me? Besides, I let you drive this car to help your career. I've barely even sat in it. How could you let another woman drive it? And crash it!"

Carter looked at me like I was an idiot.

"How could my mom ever accept you? You know she wants me with someone in the industry. She won't let me marry some career-obsessed woman. Besides, you gave me the car to drive, right? Who I let drive it is my business."

First of all, I bought this car for myself!

Initially, I was planning to buy a more low-key model, but Carter scoffed at it.

He said it was too plain, that it didn't make a statement.

He said he preferred the Porsche 911.

Then, when we got married, he could pick me up in it, and everyone would be so jealous of me.

To make that beautiful dream a reality, I gritted my teeth and drained my savings on the car.

But now, I couldn't even get in it.

Was this all an act? Or did he really feel nothing for me at all?

A knot of grief tightened in my throat.

Just then, a familiar voice called out from behind me.

"Paigey, what are you doing?"

I turned to see my mom walking toward me, pulling a suitcase.

The moment Carter saw my mom, the hostility on his face vanished, replaced by a dazzling smile.

"Helen! We came to pick you up."

Tears of relief pricked my eyes. My heart leaped. He did come for my mom. He does love me after all.

I followed him as we walked toward my mom.

But when he reached her, he paused, brushed right past her, and then happily took a suitcase from another stylish, middle-aged woman.

He even linked arms with her affectionately.

"You're finally here, Mrs. Fisher! Sloane and I have been waiting forever for you."

I stared blankly as he walked past me, attentively opening the car door for his new girlfriend and her mother.

A chilling numbness spread through me.

I had asked Carter countless times to come home with me to meet my parents, but he always found an excuse, always a firm no.

He claimed he had social anxiety, that he was no good with elders, except for his own mother.

But now, he wasn't just being friendly; he was practically groveling.

I watched Carter drive away in the car I bought, with someone else's mother.

The pain was suffocating.

And that's when my mom chose to walk up to me.

Her next words landed like a slap. "Paige," she said, her voice laced with disappointment, "when are you going to find me a son-in-law who's a real go-getter like that? He looks so promising."

I wanted to scream that the man she just saw was my boyfriend, but he was too busy fawning over another woman.

But seeing the disappointed look in her eyes, the words caught in my throat.