Finding Love at the Right Time

In the private room of nightclub, my boyfriend of three years, Bruce Lambert, was drinking arm-in-arm with a girl he was flirting with.

The next moment, I pushed the door open and walked in.

Everyone turned to look at me, as if I were an unwelcome intruder disrupting their party.

Bruce, with a calm voice, told me not to make a scene.

I laughed; he really thought he was something special.

If anyone wanted a cheating man, they could have him.

I was not putting up with this anymore.

1

"Sherry, don't misunderstand. We're just playing Truth or Dare," Leia said, her arm still linked with Bruce's when I entered.

When I walked into the private room, Leia Hawk's arm was still casually draped around Bruce's. Seeing my expression darken, she flashed a faint smile, gracefully stepping back from him.

Her demeanor was so composed, as if drinking arm-in-arm with someone else's boyfriend was no big deal. "Sherry, don't get the wrong idea. We're just playing Truth or Dare," she said.

"Her calm demeanor made it seem like I was the one overreacting, as if I were the unreasonable one if I made a scene.

I glanced around the room, taking in everyone's expressions. After a moment of thought, I decided to join in.

"Oh, it's just Truth or Dare? Got it, got it," I said with a smile, walking over to the table. I poured myself a drink and downed it in one go. "The more, the merrier, right? You don't mind if I join, do you?"

"Of course not! The more, the better,"

Shawn Spencer, Bruce's childhood friend, chimed in, clearly trying to ease the tension. He poured me another drink and gestured for me to sit next to Bruce.

"What are you doing here?" Bruce muttered under his breath, his brows furrowed as I sat down.

"Just joining the fun," I replied, clinking my glass against his but not drinking. Instead, I swirled the liquid in my glass, my tone pointed. "Why? You don't have anything to feel guilty about, do you?"

Bruce took a sip of his drink, his face unreadable, and said nothing.

The game resumed, and everyone seemed to play it safe, likely because I was there. That was, until the bottle spun and landed on Leia.

"Truth or Dare?" I asked before anyone else could.

Leia paused, her gaze flickering between Bruce and me before settling on me with a faint, almost challenging smile. "Dare."

"Bold choice," I said, giving her a thumbs-up. "Then have a drink with Shawn."

"What?" Shawn blinked, caught off guard, and instinctively glanced at Bruce.

"Why are you looking at him? I asked you to drink with her, not him" I said with a smile.

Bruce's face darkened. "Sherry, don't push it."

"Is that too much to ask? I thought this was just Truth or Dare," I said, feigning innocence. Then, turning to Shawn, I added, "Shawn, you don't have a girlfriend, right?"

The room was thick with tension. Shawn awkwardly scratched the back of his head. "Uh, no, I don't."

"Perfect," I said, pouring drinks for both Shawn and Leia. "If it's no big deal to drink with someone who has a girlfriend, it should be even less of a deal with someone who doesn't, right, Leia?"

Before Leia could take the glass, Bruce snatched it away and slammed it on the table.

"Sherry, there's a limit to being unreasonable," he snapped, his voice low and dangerous.

Then, in a show of dramatic chivalry, he grabbed Leia's wrist and stormed out of the room, leaving the rest of us in stunned silence.

2

I stared at the closed door, my hand unconsciously clenching into a fist until the pain forced me to relax.

I had to admit, Bruce's little hero act would've been impressive-if I weren't his girlfriend.

"Uh, Sherry..." Shawn hesitated, clearly uncomfortable. "Bruce is just like that. Don't take it to heart. Let's keep playing."

"No, I don't want to ruin your fun," I said, forcing a polite smile. "I'll head out."

Today was supposed to be our three-year anniversary.

Instead, Bruce had used the excuse of working late to flirt with another woman, and his so-called friends had cheered him on. Not one of them had bothered to remind him he had a girlfriend.

I had to admit, I felt like a complete failure.

Back at home, I stared at the elaborate dinner I'd prepared, my anger boiling over. I grabbed the dishes and dumped them into the trash, feeling a small sense of satisfaction.

Just then, my phone buzzed with a message from Bruce: "I'll let today slide, but don't pull something like that again. Apologize to Leia tomorrow."

No explanation, no apology-just demands and accusations, as if I were the one in the wrong.

When had it gotten to this point? When had every argument become about him putting me down?

I sat down, reflecting on everything.

It hit me then-my relationship with Bruce had never been equal. Not from the start.

Because I was the one who pursued him, he always held himself above me, as if I was lucky to have him.

For him, I learned to cook, to bite my tongue, to be the perfect girlfriend to match him-patient, understanding, and endlessly accommodating.

But what did he ever do for me?

Was it the constant belittling? The dismissive attitude? Or the way he crossed every boundary with other women, especially Leia?

I'd told him more than once how uncomfortable I was with how close he was to her.

But instead of listening, he'd just brush me off, calling me petty and insecure, never once giving me the reassurance I needed.

I scrolled through our recent messages, and it was always I who reached out first. I'd send paragraphs, only to get a few cold, indifferent words in return.

It finally sank in-this three-year relationship I'd poured my heart into was nothing more than a one-sided fantasy.

After rereading his latest message, I made up my mind. I typed out, "Let's break up," and hit send before immediately blocking him.

3

When my best friend Beth called, I was in the middle of packing.

"Sherry, are you okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" I paused. "Did Bruce contact you?"

Beth hesitated. "He said you were being dramatic and asked me to talk some sense into you. Is this about Leia?"

Beth had been out with her coworkers at a nightclub and happened to run into Bruce and his friends.

She'd seen Leia there and casually mentioned it to me, which was how I found out his "overtime work" was just a lie.

"I'm not being dramatic," I said firmly.

"Hmm?"

"I'm not being dramatic," I repeated. "I broke up with him. For real."

I'd always thought ending a three-year relationship would feel like a punch to the gut, but instead, it was like a weight had been lifted.

Maybe deep down, I'd known Bruce didn't really care about me. Maybe I'd been preparing for this ever since I noticed the way he looked at Leia.

Now, I was finally ready to let him go.

After the breakup, I didn't want to stay under the same roof as Bruce, but finding a new place on short notice wasn't easy. I crashed at Beth's for a while, juggling work and apartment hunting.

Finally, after a week, I found a decent short-term rental near my office. I gave it a quick clean and started moving in.

During that time, Bruce didn't try to contact me once.

I took it as his silent acceptance of the breakup.

But since I still needed to grab the rest of my things, I unblocked him just long enough to let him know I'd be stopping by. I didn't want him thinking a burglar had broken in.

He didn't reply, and I didn't care. I blocked him again right after.

I purposely chose a weekday to move, hoping to avoid running into him.

Of course, the one time I didn't want to see him, he was home.

A week apart, and he looked the same-just a little more tired, with dark circles under his eyes.

But I wasn't in the mood to care. I nodded politely and said, "I hope I'm not interrupting," before heading to my room to pack.

"How long are you going to keep this up?" Bruce grabbed my hand just as I was about to open the door.

"Let go," I said, pulling away. "We're already broken up."

"I didn't agree to it."

"I don't need your permission," I shot back. "It takes two to agree to a relationship, but only one to end it."

Bruce blocked my path, as if he were making some grand gesture. "I'll try to keep my distance from Leia. I promise."

So he did know how much her presence bothered me.

"Bruce, have I been too nice to you all this time?" I laughed. "I don't love you anymore. Why do you think I'd be grateful just because you're throwing me a bone?"

I pushed past him into the room.

I'd always treated this apartment like a home, filling it with little touches that made it mine.

But now, as I packed, I only took the essentials-clothes, makeup, and a few personal items.

"I won't need the rest," I said, gesturing to the things I was leaving behind. "You can do whatever you want with them. If Leia's uncomfortable, just throw them out."

Bruce's face hardened. "I told you, it's not like that with her."

"Oh," I said flatly, dragging my suitcase toward the door. Seeing he wanted to say more, I added, "Bruce, ending things amicably is the least we can do. Come on, we are adults."

His expression shifted, but pride kept him from saying anything more. Instead, he muttered, "You'll regret this."

Regret?

What a joke. Why would I regret leaving someone who only ever drained me? If anything, I was relieved.