No Reaction
The caption read: Your cooking is the best medicine.
After being stood up by Ava this many times, my heart was a placid lake. I was even thinking I should just break up with her already, to get out of their way.
1.
I was chewing on a tough piece of grilled beef when my phone screen lit up with Ava’s name. It was just slowing down my kebab consumption. I was about to ignore it, but the side of my hand brushed against the screen and accidentally answered the call.
Guess I had to deal with this.
"Yeah?" I said.
Ava’s voice was breezy, completely normal. "Hey, something came up at the office. Sorry I had to bail on you again. I'll make it up to you, I promise."
I bit off the last piece of beef and picked up a grilled mushroom skewer.
"Right. Got it. No worries."
A hint of suspicion crept into her voice. "Where are you?"
I glanced around at the bustling, noisy street. The Empyrean, our original destination, was definitely not this loud.
"Oh, I was craving some street food, so… yeah." The grilled mushrooms were perfect.
Her voice sharpened with annoyance. "You just decided that on your own? I pulled strings to get that reservation! Not showing up makes me look bad. What am I supposed to tell my friend?"
"Why not just tell her the real reason you couldn't make it? I'm sure she'd understand."
"The real reason? What are you implying now?"
I sighed. "Is Finn feeling any better?"
Her voice dropped, laced with a guilt she couldn't quite hide. "How did you know… No, that's not it. Let me explain."
"Don't bother. I get it," I said, cutting her off. "My kebab's getting cold. Talk later."
I hung up.
"Hey man, your grilled eggplant!" the vendor called out.
"Awesome, thanks!"
Ah, garlic-roasted eggplant. My absolute favorite.
As for why Ava ditched me, it didn't take a genius to figure it out. On my way to The Empyrean, I’d seen Finn's Instagram post: Dinner time, but I feel awful. No appetite. Don't want to eat a thing.
That was my cue. I told the driver to turn around and head for the food truck court. It was practically a conditioned response by now. Ever since Finn entered the picture, he’d always been her number one priority.
Finn was a fresh-faced intern at Ava’s company, full of youthful energy. Ava's opinion of him had morphed from, "He's so incompetent, I'm tempted to fire him every day," to "He's actually trying really hard, and he hasn't had it easy."
I knew then that she was falling for him.
Soon enough, any little problem Finn had in his life, Ava would be the first to rush in and solve it. I watched it happen, feeling completely powerless, completely helpless.
It wasn't like I didn't fight it. We argued, we yelled. But Ava’s excuses were always so infuriatingly dismissive.
"He's just a kid, fresh out of college, with no friends in this city. I'm just looking out for an employee."
"Anniversaries aren't a big deal. We can celebrate later. But his stomach bug is acting up now. You've had that pain before, you know how bad it feels, right?"
"You just sprained your ankle. He has a fever. You can see which one is more serious, can't you?"
So, I became immune. Numb. Getting stood up for a fancy dinner? Compared to everything else, it was nothing. Barely a blip on the radar.
2.
The next morning, I walked into the living room and was shocked to see Ava there. This was a rare occurrence. Usually, after a night like last night, she’d just head to work straight from Finn’s apartment.
She glanced at me, her expression casual. "Got back too late yesterday, so I just crashed in the guest room."
"Hm," I grunted.
She paused, then added, "You're up a little late. Probably don't have time to make breakfast, huh?"
"I'll grab something on the way," I said flatly.
She offered a small smile. "That's a shame. I was kind of missing your porridge and omelets."
My hand was on the bathroom doorknob. "What's there to miss? I'm sure you've already had breakfast."
I shut the door behind me.
I used to wake up early every single day to cook for her. But ever since Finn invaded our lives, she’d gradually stopped eating the breakfast I made.
After changing, I was heading for the door when I saw her standing there, her face a mask of complicated emotions.
"I know I've been busy lately," she said, "and haven't been home for breakfast. I'll try to be home more often from now on."
I managed a thin smile. "Don't bother. I'd rather get some more sleep." That extra thirty minutes of sleep today had me feeling surprisingly refreshed.
She stared at me, looking like she wanted to say more but couldn't find the words. As I reached for the front door, she lunged forward and grabbed my hand.
I looked at her.
Her lips tightened. "I only saw Finn's post later last night. He didn't mean anything by it. And nothing happened between us. Don't get the wrong idea."
Even knowing he’d posted it, she was still defending him. In the past, any time I expressed the slightest dissatisfaction with Finn’s behavior, she’d frown and call me "petty" and "small-minded." If I pushed back, she’d get defensive, accusing me of having a "dirty mind," insisting their friendship was purely platonic.
I just smiled. I was used to her bias.
Seeing my lack of reaction, she pressed on. "I know you're upset that I stood you up. But Finn got sick so suddenly. You know he's all alone here, no family, no one to look after him…"
I pulled my hand free. "I know," I said calmly. "I get it. Can I go now? I'm going to be late for work."
She blocked the door again, her tone growing frustrated. "I told you, nothing happened between us! Why are you still sulking?"
"And I told you I believe you," I shot back. "So why are you still blocking my way?"
"You…"
"Seriously, I'm going to be late."
Ignoring her stunned expression, I walked out.
3.
When I got home that evening, I went straight to the bedroom to grab a change of clothes for a shower. As I passed the study, I heard Ava's voice drift out.
"Just send it to me. I'll take care of it."
"It's no problem, really. It’s just a little bit of work, I can knock it out in no time."
"Haha, you got it. You owe me a big dinner for this."
I knew what this was. Ava, once again, doing Finn’s work for him.
I remembered asking her once to help me grade some of my students' papers. After two days of waiting, I gently reminded her. She snapped. "It's the weekend! Can't I just relax and have some fun? Do your own work. Helping you is a favor, not my duty."
I ended up pulling an all-nighter to finish them myself.
But ever since Finn joined her company, a man who seemed to know nothing, she had patiently lowered herself to handle his tasks for him.
When I confronted her about it, she said, "He's new to the professional world. It's normal for him to be clueless about a lot of things. Weren't you the same when you first started teaching?"
The memory of the student papers flashed in my mind, and we had a massive fight.
She ended it by saying coldly, "At least when I help Finn, it benefits my company. What do I get out of helping you?"
We gave each other the silent treatment for a long time after that. But I was still an idiot back then, so I forgave her after a half-hearted apology.
After my shower, I settled into bed with my tablet to watch a show. A little while later, the bedroom door creaked open.
I looked up. Ava was standing there with a weary smile. She climbed into bed and wrapped her arms around me.
"You're home! You didn't even say hi, just started playing on your own? Your wife just finished a long day of work, and she's starving."
"Ask Finn to make you something."
Her arms stiffened, and her face went dark. "Why do you have to bring Finn into everything? Can you stop having such a dirty mind for one second?"
I put my tablet down. "I'm not. You just spent all that time doing his work for him. It's only fair he cook you a meal in return, right? To pay you back."
She froze. "You heard that?" Then her brow furrowed. "I told you, Finn's new. It's normal for me to help him out. It's for the good of the company! When the company does well, we both benefit. The money I earn helps us build a better life together!
"Why can't you just understand that?"
So she did remember that I'd invested my inheritance from my parents into her company. Funny, because when I demanded she fire Finn, her response had been, "Who's the boss here, me or you?"
"I guess I don't understand," I said peacefully. "All I know is that if a teacher at my school was still a complete mess at their job after six months, they'd have been fired long ago."
Ava sighed, a long, dramatic exhalation. "Fine, fine. I'll push him to get up to speed. I'll try not to help him anymore. And if you have any student work in the future, you can give it to me. I'll handle it for you. Is that good enough?
"Anyway, I'm hungry now. Hubby, go make me a late-night snack? We haven't eaten together in so long."
She was trying to sweet-talk me, clearly remembering how well it worked in the past.
"No, thanks. You were right before—everyone should do their own work. Besides, I already ate before I came home. Just order some takeout."
Her face instantly turned to ice. She was silent for two long seconds, then she shot off the bed, turned, and slammed the door behind her.
4.
After that night, Ava and I entered another cold war.
But unlike previous times, when I’d be a nervous wreck, unable to focus on anything, this time I was… happy. Utterly, blissfully happy on my own. And I certainly wasn't about to swallow my pride and beg for her forgiveness the next day like I used to.
A week later, around nine at night, her best friend Sarah called me. Her message was brief.
"Eddy, get down to the bar near the office. Ava's—"
I hung up before she could finish.
Her little clique of work friends never liked me. They thought a high school teacher like me wasn't good enough for a "young, successful, independent woman" like Ava. On the rare occasions Ava dragged me to a company party, they’d mostly ignore me or make thinly veiled digs. I wasn't even allowed to look annoyed, or Ava would accuse me of being a bad sport.
Thinking back on it, I was pathetic. But I have to admit, I brought it on myself.
Sarah called again. I declined and blocked her number.
Then I started calling real estate agents to schedule apartment viewings. I’d spent the week looking for a new place. The current apartment wasn't just Ava's; it was close to her office and a long commute from my school. Waking up early every morning left me perpetually exhausted, walking around like a zombie. My colleagues had even suggested I see a doctor because I looked so terrible every day. With a schedule like that, of course I looked terrible.
5.
After I blocked Sarah, her friends started calling me, one after another. I’d just finished a call with an agent when another one came through. I was about to block this number too, but I saw the caller ID: "Maya." I decided to answer.
Maya was the only one in that group who was ever genuinely nice to me. She never joined in on the passive-aggressive comments. It was only fair to return the courtesy.
"Eddy?" she asked tentatively. "Ava's really drunk. She keeps calling your name. Could you please just come get her?"
"Ask Finn to pick her up. I'm busy," I said, eyeing the moving boxes I needed to pack. This was going to be a project.
"But… it's Saturday… and honestly, there's nothing going on between her and Finn…"
Suddenly, a loud crash echoed through the phone, followed by Ava’s furious roar.
"Hang up! Why are you calling him?! What is there to explain to him?!"
I hung up first, not wanting to put Maya in a more awkward position.
After I finished packing, I collapsed on the sofa and idly scrolled through my social media.
As expected, Finn hadn't disappointed me. He'd posted something new.
Feel so bad for someone. So drunk her own boyfriend won't even pick her up. Guess it's up to a lowly intern like me to save the day.
The photo was of Ava, sleeping.
I felt nothing. I put my phone down, then had a sudden urge to go back and like the post. But packing had worn me out. By the time I picked up my phone again a few minutes later, the post was gone.
Just then, the sound of a key turning in the lock echoed through the apartment.
The door swung open. Standing there, the woman who was supposed to be passed out drunk, was Ava. Her face was a thundercloud.
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