Giving Up After the 100th Time

When I was waiting for Theodore at City Hall from dawn to dusk, he was accompanying his first love on a hike.

I called him dozens of times, but he rejected my calls instantly each time.

He finally picked up on the twentieth call.

"Why are you blowing up my phone when you simply didn't see me for a day? Why are you acting so desperate? Sammy's feeling unwell because of her heart and I still need to take care of her at the hospital. We'll talk later about registering our marriage."

Ten years of love. This was the 100th time Theodore had left me alone in front of City Hall for his first love.

I hung up and calmly tossed the wedding ring away.

This marriage? I was done with it.

A chuckle came through the other side of the phone. I could hear Samantha Thompson's voice, crisp and cheerful.

"I'm so sorry, Ellena. My heart is acting up again, and Theo insisted I stay in the hospital for a few more days out of worry. Once we're back, I'll make sure he apologizes to you."

I didn't respond and simply listened to Theodore Stewart's indifferent voice.

"You're just too soft-hearted. You won't even realize it when people walk all over you. Don't take it too seriously, Ellena. Sammy has always had poor health. As for the marriage registration today, we'll talk about it next time."

Not that he forgot about our marriage registration today. He simply chose not to even text me because he was too busy accompanying the one he truly cared about.

In the past, I would have already broken down. I would have begged Theodore for an explanation in hysterics.

But now? I simply felt calm.

I coolly said, "It's fine. I'm hanging up now."

Theodore thought I'd finally learned to read the room, and even his voice was a little softer. "That's good, then. I can't leave Sammy like this. In a few days, we'll…"

I hung up with an icy expression. I glanced at City Hall with its doors shut tightly before pulling the ring off my finger, tossing the ring into the nearby trash can.

On my way home, I tapped open Samantha's Facebook profile.

Just a moment ago, she posted, [I'm hiking with the love of my life now! The boss is very busy today, but he's still willing to make some time for me! Love you!]

Then, there was a picture of them holding hands tightly, with their cheeks touching like a couple. The sunset cast a glow over them. It was a serene and perfect moment.

The comments were filled with words of congratulations.

I casually left a comment as well. [I wish you everlasting happiness.]

To be honest, we didn't even have a handful of decent photos together after all these years. I had asked Theodore to come hiking with me more than once, too. But he always smiled and said he would go when work wasn't so