“My Ex Was Better in Every Way, I Settled for You, And I Regret It Every Day,” She Said During an…

She was bracing for me to lash out, to throw her mistakes in her face, to yell at her the way Brad would have. If I yelled, it meant I still cared. It meant she still had a hook in me. I didn’t yell. I didn’t even frown. I looked at her with the polite, empty detachment of a man declining a flyer on the street.

“There’s nothing to talk about, Chloe,” I said, my voice smooth and utterly devoid of emotion. You wanted a different life and you got it. But I made a mistake,” she sobbed, her voice cracking as a few pedestrians turned to look at the commotion. “I chose the wrong guy. He was terrible to me.” I checked my watch, adjusting my cuff. I met her tearfilled eyes one last time.

“I’m glad you found your way back to him,” I said quietly. “Good luck with the lease.” I didn’t wait for her to respond. I stepped around her and merged into the flow of the midday city traffic. I didn’t look back to see her standing there frozen and weeping on the sidewalk. I didn’t need to. I had a meeting at 2:00, a date at 7:00, and a life that was completely entirely my own.