In the seventh year of my relationship with Leigh Ellis, her family extended a warm invitation to my mother and me to join them at their ancestral home for the New Year.
My mother was ecstatic, her joy lighting up the room. Determined to make a lasting impression on her future in-laws, she spent the entire afternoon meticulously preparing. She even pulled out an elegant dress she hadn’t worn in years, its fabric still rich with memories of another time.
On the way to the ancestral home, Leigh suddenly received a call from her childhood friend, Wendell Gatlin.
Without offering much explanation, she told us to find our own way and drove off in a rush, leaving us behind.
Barely a minute after we stepped out of the car, my mother crumpled into the snow. The icy cold awakened her old illness and her heart stopped.
Panic surged through me as I fumbled to call Leigh. Her car carried an AED; her return was my mother's only chance.
But no matter how many times I called, every ring was met with an unforgiving silence.
When she finally picked up, her tone was sharp and irritating. "Harris Laurier, didn’t I tell you to figure out your own ride? Can’t you understand simple words?" she snapped.
"Wendell’s stomach ulcer is acting up. I need to check on him immediately."
"Ask Auntie to hold on for a bit. Once she gets to the mansion, I’ll personally apologize to her," she added dismissively.
Before I could say a word, the line went dead. When I tried calling again, her phone was turned off.
I clutched my mother in my arms, tears blurring my vision as she slipped away right there in the snow.
An hour later, Wendell updated his social media. In the photo, he and Leigh stood close in the courtyard of the ancestral home, spring couplets in their hands. Their faces radiated joy as they leaned against each other.
“Celebrating the New Year with the one I love most is the greatest happiness of my life!” the caption read.
My heart crumbled to ash. I tossed the engagement letter and ring into the trash with trembling hands.
Then, I liked the post and commented: "Happy New Year. Wishing you a lifetime of happiness together."
——
Barely a moment later, Leigh, whose phone had been off all this time, called me back:
"Harris, what’s the meaning of that comment?" she demanded, her tone sharp and indignant.
"Wendell posted a New Year greeting and you respond with something so passive-aggressive? What’s your problem?"
"And now it’s dark and we’re about to start the reunion dinner. Wendell even pushed through his stomach pain to make Auntie’s favorite sweet-and-sour pork."
"Our whole family is waiting for you. When are you and Auntie planning to arrive?"
Grief engulfed me like a tide, leaving my heart heavy and lifeless, as still as dead water.
After losing my mother, I reflected deeply and came to understand so much more.
With a calmness I hadn’t felt in days, I said, "We’re not coming. Have dinner without us."
Her voice immediately rose, sharp and accusing.
"Harris, you better think this through!"
"My parents invited you over mainly to talk about our wedding. If you’ll back out over something so trivial, then maybe we shouldn’t even bother discussing marriage."
I nodded, my tone unwavering. "We shouldn’t."
"Leigh, let’s break up."
For a moment, she was completely silent, stunned into disbelief. In the seven years we’d been together, we had fought, argued and disagreed, but never had the word "breakup" crossed my lips.
She couldn’t fathom that I had actually said it.
Then, cutting through the silence, Wendell’s voice emerged beside her.
"Leigh, my stomach seems to be acting up again. Could you help me back to the room to rest?"
Without hesitation, she replied, "Of course," and then spoke sharply into the phone, "Harris, you said it yourself. Fine, we’ll break up. But don’t come crawling back to me later."
I didn’t say a word, ending the call without another thought.
By the time I had buried my mother, the seventh day of the New Year had arrived. In all that time, Leigh hadn’t called or messaged even once.
Her social media stayed eerily silent, while Wendell’s was a flurry of activity, updated like clockwork every single day.
One day, it was photos from the flower market; the next was from a temple fair and the day after that, it was a skiing trip.
