He Left Me in the Dark, So I Walked Away

The motion-sensor light outside the apartment I shared with my boyfriend, Mason, was always broken.

After fixing it once or twice, he completely gave up on it.

I told him, Mason, I have night blindness. I literally can't see in the dark.

He just looked annoyed. Doesn't your phone have a flashlight? Stop being so dramatic.

I didn't tell him that for someone with severe night blindness, a tiny phone flashlight didn't do much.

Until today. I was fumbling in the pitch black, trying to get to our door, when I tripped over some clutter left in the hallway.

I fell hard, scraping my knee so badly that the skin ripped open.

When I looked closely, the clutter was an empty box for a light fixture.

For a second, I felt a spark of hope. I thought Mason was finally going to fix our light.

But then, the light in the opposite hallway flickered on. I instinctively looked up.

Through the glass, I saw Mason clearly.

He was in the opposite building, busy installing a brand-new light for his childhood best friend, Lilah.

We had lived here for three years.

I had tripped and fallen in this dark hallway seventy-two times, and he never cared.

Yet, the light outside Lilah's door was never allowed to go out because of him.

Maybe the noise of my fall was too loud.

My elderly neighbor, Mrs. Gable, opened her door and rushed over to help me.

"Oh my god, sweetie! That's a huge cut on your knee!" she said, her heart breaking for me as she helped me up. "Where is your boyfriend? Why isn't he helping you?"

I forced a smile and said, "We broke up."

I was moving back to my hometown next month.

I wouldn't have to walk in the dark anymore.

I stumbled into the apartment, turned on the lights, and pulled out the first-aid kit.

Just then, my phone buzzed. It was a text from Mason on Snapchat.

"You home yet? I'm not coming back for dinner tonight."

I looked out the window. Across the courtyard, I could see him cooking in Lilah's kitchen.

In our seven years together, he had always complained that cooking was too much trouble. He had never made a single meal for me.

I snapped a picture of my bloody, torn knee and sent it to him.

He replied with a meme of a guy giving a sarcastic thumbs-up.

I let out a bitter laugh and closed the app.

In our apartment building's Snapchat group, neighbors were complaining again.

"When is management going to fix the hallway lights? This is getting ridiculous."

While the landlord stayed silent, Lilah jumped in to play the savior.

"Everyone, let's be understanding. It's not that hard to fix it ourselves. No need to make a big deal out of it."

Her comment immediately triggered another neighbor.

"Lilah, of course you'd say that. You have a 'bestie' who fixes everything for you. Some of us have to pay handyman fees every single time. Do you know how expensive that is?"

Other neighbors quickly chimed in, agreeing.

Soon, Lilah posted a voice note. I tapped it. It was Mason's voice.

"Hey everyone, please don't be mad. Lilah is just being sweet. I've always taken care of her, so she doesn't really know how hard these things can be. I apologize on her behalf. I'm taking a day off tomorrow, and I'll personally go door-to-door to fix everyone's lights, okay?"

I poured rubbing alcohol over my cut. The burning pain flared up, but it was nothing compared to the ache in my chest.

Seven years ago, I had packed my bags and moved to New York just to be with Mason. Now, reality was breaking me into pieces.

When we were looking for a place to buy as our future home, I had researched dozens of condos. I had filled a whole notebook with details.

Mason had rejected every single one of them. In the end, he picked this complex.

I had thought he chose it after careful consideration. It was only after we moved in that I found out the truth.

He chose this place solely because Lilah had decided to rent an apartment here.

The blood kept seeping through the bandage. The cheap ointment wasn't enough.

Helpless, I had to walk back down the dark stairs to go to the ER.

When I got back from the hospital, I ran into Mason and Lilah at the entrance of our building. They were laughing, sharing some late-night takeout.

Mason ran over to me, looking cheerful.

"Hey, Chloe! Come eat with us. Lilah ordered way too much and can't finish it. You can help her eat the rest."

I looked at the messy leftovers on the table and said flatly, "I just got back from the hospital. I can't eat spicy food right now."

Mason seemed to finally notice my heavily bandaged knee. His expression didn't change much. "Oh. Never mind then."

Lilah leaned in, looking concerned. "Oh my god, Chloe, that looks nasty. I can give you some of my first-aid supplies. Mason said I'm always clumsy, so he bought me a huge medical kit last week."

"No thanks," I said. "I have my own."

In my seven years with Mason, I had learned to be completely independent.

As I turned to walk away, I heard them bickering behind me.

"You can barely take care of yourself, and you want to give away medicine?" Mason grumbled. "Don't you know how dark it is outside my door? What if you trip?"

"But I have you with me," Lilah giggled. "Why would I be scared?"

"Still, what if? Look at Chloe. She's always so careful, and even she fell."

My heart sank. He knew exactly how dangerous the dark hallway was. He just didn't care because the person falling was me.

That night, Mason didn't come home until 3:00 AM.

In the past, no matter how late it was, I would always text him ahead of time. I would stand at the door with a flashlight, waiting for him, terrified he might trip.

But this time, he called me repeatedly from downstairs, and I didn't answer a single call.

The next morning, Mason blocked me at the bedroom door.

"Were you mad at me last night?" he asked, looking defensive. "Lilah is my childhood friend. Is it really so bad that I help her out sometimes?"

It wasn't "sometimes." He was at her beck and call, 24/7.

I pushed past him and walked into the bathroom. He followed me.

"Can you stop overthinking everything?" he complained. "Lilah is a girl, living so far away from home to work in New York. It's really hard for her."

He forgot that I had also left my home and traveled thousands of miles for him.

"Yeah, I get it," I said quietly.

Mason blinked, looking relieved, as if he had just gotten rid of a heavy burden. He reached out and patted my head. "That's my girl. You're getting so mature, Chloe."

As I was leaving the apartment, I ran into Lilah in the hallway.

I noticed the designer bag on her shoulder. Instinctively, I pulled my cheap ten-dollar tote bag behind my back.

Lilah smirked. "Cute bag, right? Mason got it for me last week. It's a gift for our twenty-year friendship anniversary."

Last week was also my seventh anniversary with Mason.

We had agreed not to exchange gifts and to put our money into our joint wedding savings account instead.

Because I wanted us to have a future, I saved every penny I could, even skipping lunches, just to deposit money into that account.

But when I checked the balance last week, I realized Mason hadn't deposited a single dollar.

Instead, he had used that card to buy several things for Lilahincluding the five-thousand-dollar designer bag she was currently flaunting.

I remembered Mason's mom's birthday party last year. Helen had looked at me with disgust.

"Chloe, as Mason's future fianc, you really need to work on your image. You look so cheap. I honestly don't know what Mason sees in you."

Then she had smiled at Lilah. "Look at Lilah. She dresses so elegantly. You can tell she has class."

Mason had sat there in silence the entire time, never uttering a single word to defend me.

When I got off work that day, I went straight to a real estate agent. The agent was surprised to see me.

"Chloe? I thought you bought that condo to be your dream wedding home. Why are you putting it on the market now?"

"The prices are still going up," the agent advised. "It's a pity to sell it now."

I forced a smile. "There's not going to be a wedding. I don't need the place anymore."

The agent looked awkward and quickly changed the subject. "What about the custom interior design? You spent so much effort on it. Are you leaving all of it?"

"Yes," I said. "I don't want any of it."

The orthopedic chair for his bad back, the cozy home theater room, the perfect mattress... I had custom-designed everything for Mason. It had cost me half a year's salary.

But now that the love was gone, those things felt completely worthless.

By the time I got back to our rented apartment, it was already dark. I saw Mason walking out of the building.

"Why are you so late?" he asked casually.

Before I could answer, Lilah popped her head out from behind him.

"Hey, Mason! You promised we'd walk together, and you're leaving without me again?"

Mason rubbed his arm where she had playfully smacked him, a huge grin on his face. "Hey, princess, you hate the heat and hate waiting. That's why I went ahead to start the car and turn on the AC. It's an hour-long drive. You'd melt otherwise."

A week ago, on our anniversary, I had asked him to take me to see the free fireworks show. It was a twenty-minute drive.

He had refused, saying it was too crowded and hot. In the end, I sat alone in front of the TV watching the broadcast.

The two of them kept flirting and joking around. It took them a while to remember I was even standing there.

"Oh, Chloe," Lilah said, using the tone of a housewife hosting a guest. "Don't worry about the hallway light. I'll have Mason fix it for you as soon as we get back from the concert."

"No need," I said, walking past them.

But Mason grabbed my wrist.

"Wait for me at home tonight," he said. "I have something to tell you. Walk carefully, okay? Don't fall again."

He said it so easily. But to someone with night blindness, climbing those dark stairs was a nightmare.

In the dark, the stairs didn't look like stairs. They felt like a bottomless abyss.

The feeling of stepping into empty space, of falling without knowing when you'd hit the ground... only I knew how terrifying that was.

I pulled my hand out of his grip and let out a quiet sigh. "I'll try."

At midnight, I sent him a text. "Are you coming back tonight?"

Instead of a reply from Mason, I got a photo sent from Lilah's Snapchat.

It was a photo taken from her bed. Mason was sleeping soundly beside her.

"Chloe, Mason snores like a literal pig, omg hahaha."

"He worked so hard helping me get the VIP tickets today. He's exhausted. If you have something to say, tell him tomorrow."

He hated crowds when it came to fireworks with me, but he didn't mind them at all to get her VIP tickets.

I stared at the screen and let out a cold laugh. Then, my phone rang. It was my mom.

"Sweetie, when are our families finally meeting? You said it would be this month. It's already the 31st."

Mason had forgotten. I had reminded him so many times, but he still forgot.

My silence gave me away.

"Is it canceled again?" Mom's voice cracked. "What is he doing? Why does he keep dragging this out?"

"I told you not to move so far away, but you wouldn't listen. And now? You let them humiliate you over and over. Is my daughter not good enough? When you were in the hospital last time, my heart almost stopped."

Mom started crying, and my eyes welled up with tears too.

To meet Mason's parents, my mom had traveled to New York three times.

The first time, Lilah had a stomachache. Mason and his parents immediately canceled the dinner to go take care of her.

The second time, Lilah was participating in a jewelry design competition. Mason's whole family went to support her. My mom and I waited at the restaurant for six hours, only to receive a text saying they couldn't make it.

The last time, Mason changed the time and location three times.

I was frantically guiding my mom from one place to another. Terrified of being late again, I rushed across the street and got hit by a car.

I broke three ribs and was rushed straight to the ER.

My mom had called Mason dozens of times, but he never answered.

The moment I woke up from surgery, I told him we were over.

Mason had panicked. He swore to my mom that he would never let me suffer again.

While I was hospitalized, he took a long leave of absence and stayed by my side 24/7.

When I slept, he slept on a tiny cot next to my bed.

When I ate, he fed me, peeled fruit for me, and only ate my leftovers after I was done.

Sometimes in the middle of the night, I would wake up from the pain of him holding my hand too tightly. For a moment, it felt like we were back in the beginning.

Back when his car only had one passenger seat, and it was always mine.

Back when my friends envied me because Mason was the most attentive boyfriend in the world.

Having witnessed my father's infidelity as a child, Mason was the one who had slowly healed my trauma. He had filled the cracks in my heart, telling me he was different.

But in the end, he was exactly the same.

On the day I was discharged, I decided to give him one last test.

"Why didn't you answer my calls the day of the accident? And why did you keep changing the location of the dinner?"

He avoided my eyes. "I was showing some clients around the city... I was running around, so I didn't see my phone..."

But the truth was, Lilah's parents had come to New York for vacation that day. Mason had spent the entire day playing tour guide for them.

Lilah had posted a photo on her Instagram of Mason carrying her parents' heavy shopping bags.

Her caption read: "Whenever I need you, you're always there."

I didn't call him out on his lie. But from that moment on, I began quietly preparing to leave.

Now, it was time.

"Mom," I said over the phone. "You don't need to come to New York anymore. I'm moving back home next week."

"What do you mean? You're not getting married?"

"No," I said. "We're done."

The next day, Mason and Lilah didn't return until noon.

Lilah walked in, kicked off her shoes, and put on the bunny slippers Mason had bought specially for her.

Without even saying hello to me, she yawned and walked straight into my bedroom.

She opened my closet and casually took out a brand-new silk pajama set.

I had seen the packaging for those pajamas two days ago. Mason had told me it was a gift for his mother, so I hadn't opened it.

It turned out it was for Lilah.

I frowned and looked at Mason. "What is this supposed to mean?"

Mason lowered his voice. "Lilah wanted to"

Suddenly, Lilah shrieked from the bathroom.

Mason rushed in, panicked.

Lilah, wearing the revealing silk pajamas, was pointing at a bottle of body wash and screaming at him.

"Mason! You told me you didn't care about my cheap stuff when you bought this for me, but you've been secretly using my body wash!"

She wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning her body heavily against him.

Mason swallowed hard, his face turning bright red.

I couldn't stand to watch it anymore. I interrupted them. "Mason, did you buy that for her?"

I had asked Mason for that specific body wash before. He had told me it was too expensive. When I saw it in our bathroom, I thought he had bought it for me.

Mason's awkward silence answered my question.

I let out a sigh. "I was the one who used it."

Lilah let go of Mason, looking disappointed.

"Oh. I thought it was this idiot. He's been stealing my stuff since we were kids."

She turned to me with a fake smile. "It's fine, Chloe. Just tell me next time. I don't mind sharing things with you."

"Sharing." She was talking about my home, yet I needed her permission.

"Why did you bring her here today?" I asked, looking directly at Mason.

Lilah cut in before he could speak, grinning.

"Chloe, Mason's mom gave us a rare gemstone. Aren't you the winner of last year's jewelry design championship? I'm going to stay here for a few days so you can help me design our couple rings."

"Please, Chloe! Helen's birthday is next week, and she really wants to see us wearing them. We're on a tight schedule. Just help us out, okay?"

"You want me to design your couple rings?" I asked, a cold chill running down my spine.

Mason rubbed his nose, looking guilty. "There's one more thing, Chloe."

"My mom's birthday gala this year is going to have a lot of famous designers. Lilah is entering the competition this year. Since you were last year's champion, we were thinking... maybe you shouldn't go to the gala this year? We don't want you to steal Lilah's spotlight."

"Don't worry, my mom knows about this. She won't blame you for not coming."

I let out a soft laugh. So this was the "important thing" he wanted to tell me last night.

"You don't want me to go so the two of you can announce your relationship to your family, right?" I asked coldly.

Mason's temper flared instantly. "Chloe! What the hell are you talking about?!"

Lilah looked hurt, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Chloe, you're really misunderstanding. Mason is just like a brother to me."

"Maybe I should just leave. I won't stay here. I'll figure out the rings myself."

Mason grabbed her arm and glared at me, raising his voice. "Chloe! You are being absolutely ridiculous!"

"No wonder your mom is so bitter and single. You inherited her exact psycho personality. You're impossible to love."

My heart physically ached.

The wound he had once healed was ripped wide open by his own hands.

He grabbed Lilah's hand, shoved past me, and walked toward the door.

"Come on, Lilah. Let's go."

I took a deep breath, forcing my tears back.

"Mason, let's break up. For real this time."

He let out a dry, mocking laugh without even turning around.

"Chloe, are you really using this cheap trick again to make me stay? I'm sick of your drama."

"I'm serious," I said to his back. "I've already canceled the lease. Next week, I'm"

The heavy slam of the door cut off my words.

The day I finished packing everything was the day of Mason's mother's birthday gala.

Right before I was about to leave for the airport, Mason showed up. He froze when he saw the empty apartment, but he didn't ask questions. Instead, he grabbed my hand hurriedly.

"I thought about it," he said quickly. "It's bad if my future fianc doesn't show up to my mom's birthday. I'll take you there. Just promise me you won't try to outshine Lilah."

He dragged me toward his car. I figured I should tell his mother face-to-face that the engagement was off anyway, so I went with him.

But as he kept driving, I realized something was wrong. The surroundings were getting darker and darker.

"Mason, why is it so dark? This isn't the way to your mom's house. I can't see anything."

"It's a shortcut. You just don't know it."

When the car finally stopped, he helped me out.

"Mason, is the party here? Why are there no lights? I literally can't see."

"Mason? Can you hear me? Where are we?"

Suddenly, the hand holding mine let go.

"Chloe, tonight is too important for Lilah. I can't take any risks. Just wait here for a bit. I'll come back and get you as soon as the gala is over. Be a good girl."

"Mason! Mason!"

I reached out in the direction of his voice, but my hands grabbed nothing but cold air.

I heard his footsteps pause for a second, but when I reached out again, he stepped back.

The car engine started in the distance, and soon, the sound faded into the night. There was nothing left but absolute silence.

I stood there, my entire body shaking.

I couldn't believe it. Mason had actually abandoned me in the middle of nowhere just for Lilah.

After what felt like hours, I forced myself to calm down and tried to call for help.

"Is anyone there?" I called out, my voice trembling.

Suddenly, I heard rustling footsteps nearby.

"Well, look at that. What's a pretty girl doing out here all alone in the dark?" a rough voice sneered.

My instincts screamed danger. I heard the footsteps of several other men approaching, smelling of cheap beer and cigarettes.

In a panic, I turned and ran blindly in the opposite direction.

The next second, my foot stepped into empty air. My world spun.

Cold, dirty water rushed into my nose and mouth. The freezing water filled my lungs, and I gasped for air, suffocating.

Meanwhile, Helen's birthday gala was a huge success. As the party was winding down, Mason finally remembered me.

A sudden wave of anxiety hit him. He tried to call me, only to realize he had confiscated my phone earlier so I wouldn't disrupt the party.

Looking panicked, he grabbed his jacket to leave.

But his mother, Helen, stopped him.

"Mason, I can tell you don't really care about Chloe anymore. Why don't you use tonight to announce your engagement to Lilah instead?"

Mason looked at Lilah, who was staring back at him with hopeful eyes. He opened his mouth to speak.

Suddenly, a guest gasped loudly. "Mason! Isn't this your fianc on the news?!"