The Kindest Goodbye

Ever since I said 'I do' to Lucas, I placed his needs before mine, tailoring even my meals to suit his taste buds.

He was a total seafood junkie. Me, though? I used to break out in hives just thinking about it.

I had sucked it up more times than I could count, just to make him happy.

However, all my toughing it out? He just took it as a given.

Last time, my allergy went nuclear, and Lucas did not even blink. Dragged me to a seafood feast anyway.

I ended up gasping for air in the ER, and he was moaning about how I ruined the fun, calling me oversensitive. He even had the nerve to say Yvonne would never pull a stunt like that, because she had been his seafood buddy since they were in diapers.

Was I blind or what, trying to push his childhood crush out of the picture?

Seriously, if he really cared about me, would he play the comparison game when I was feeling like death warmed over?

"Oops, Harriet's allergic, my bad, totally slipped my mind," Yvonne cooed, her words dripping with fake pity. "I just love seafood, and Lucas, bless him, he's always going along with it."

I just flashed her a tight smile and shot back, "Yeah, he's super considerate of you."

Lucas's face turned stormy, and he slammed his cutlery down like he was trying to make a point.

Mad? I was just calling it like I saw it. What was he mad about?

Right then, my soup showed up. I kept my head down, focusing on my bowl, but Lucas made a big show of sitting right next to me.

That left Yvonne across the table, chomping on her cheek and shooting me the stink eye.

The rest of the meal passed in dead silence.

I was about to bounce the second I finished my soup, but Lucas caught my hand. "We need to talk," he said, all serious.

"Lucas, my parents say they miss you. They want me to bring you over. Got time later?" Yvonne butted in, reaching for his arm like it was the most natural thing in the world.

However, Lucas, in a move that shocked us both, kept his distance, leaving her hanging. He did not even bother to answer her.

I threw him a curveball. "Hey, did you check out that news article I sent you yesterday?"

Lucas blinked, surprised, and whipped out his phone to scroll through our texts.

I watched his face lose color as I said, "Lucas, there was an incident involving a plane yesterday. I was freaking out that you'd be upset for me. But what about you? If I had actually died, how long would it have taken you to notice?"

I left Lucas standing there, lost, and caught a cab back to my parents' place.

After a lot of thinking, I decided to come clean to my parents about my divorce and all the bottled-up frustration from the past few years.

That heart-to-heart got me their understanding. All they have ever wanted was for me to be happy.

I crashed at their place for the next few days. I used to be all about Lucas, hardly ever hanging with Mom and Dad.

It was funny how staring death in the face could make things crystal clear.

If I could not be the only one in the spotlight, then forget it.

Lucas started showing up after work with gifts in tow, cozying up to my parents and quizzing Mom about my favorite meals—stuff the old Lucas would never bother with, thinking it was not manly.

He even got me presents—a bracelet and some lady's perfume.

I barely gave them a glance.

"Don't you like them?" he asked, all careful and concerned. That was new for him.

I gave him a weird look. "Ever seen me wear this kind of bracelet? And the perfume—it's too sweet, not my style."

I watched his expression fall as I laid it out without pulling any punches.

"Yvonne put you up to this, didn't she? Sorry, but I'm not into being just like everyone else."

Back in the day, I would have been over the moon to get anything from him.

Lucas's jaw tightened, and in a sudden burst of anger, he knocked the pile of gifts to the floor.

"Why do you have to talk like that? The hike with Yvonne was planned way before, and it's not like I could've stopped the plane from having issues. Look at you! You're totally fine, aren't you?"