When I Died on Love Anniversary

My boyfriend had promised me a romantic day at the beach, but when we got there, he brought his so-called "dream girl" along. Things took a turn for the worse when this girl deliberately led me onto a mossy reef. I slipped three times in a row, my joints were scraped and bloody and my boyfriend didn’t even bat an eye. Instead, he pointed at me and scolded me in front of everyone, saying, "You fell because you're stupid. Why blame others? Didn’t your parents teach you how to walk?"

The dream girl pretended to go get medicine, but my boyfriend stopped her, telling her, "Just stay away from her so you don’t get hurt. There's no pharmacy around; it's just a little bleeding. Let her deal with it." Not long after, the girl scratched her feet and my boyfriend rushed her to the hospital, heartbroken over her minor injuries.

I stayed calm and didn’t make a scene, just counted down the days until I could leave. Seven days later, I disappeared without a word and my boyfriend, who was always so composed, went completely nuts.

***

My boyfriend, Mason Stone, completely forgot our anniversary. To make up for it, he planned a beach date. I went all out— flawless makeup, a sexy swimsuit and was ready to bask in the sun. But when we got there, Mason introduced a new guest, "Jessica, this is Naomi Sutton, a high school classmate who just returned from studying abroad. I invited her to join us."

Naomi playfully hit Mason’s shoulder and teased, "Mason’s been so tight-lipped. He never mentioned he has a girlfriend. Looks like he really treasures you!" Mason’s eyes were warm, but he wore a slightly disappointed smile.

I stood there, stunned, as if struck by lightning. Naomi’s face was all too familiar. Just a week earlier, I’d had to borrow Mason’s computer for an urgent work task because mine had broken down. While using his computer, I accidentally clicked on a hidden file labeled “Naomi.” To my shock, it was filled with tens of thousands of photos of the same girl, all taken five years ago. In one group photo, Mason’s gaze was fixated on Naomi's profile—just like it was now: lingering and affectionate.

It hit me hard. Naomi was the heroine of his life. Despite being a photographer, Mason had never taken a single photo of me in our five years together. I had tried to persuade him to, but he always brushed me off, saying, "I work more than ten hours a day and it’s really tiring. Why make me work after work too?"

I had looked through the photos Mason had taken of Naomi and it was clear he’d gone to great lengths to capture her at her best. He could snap hundreds of shots from the same angle just to get the perfect one. It wasn’t that he was unwilling—it was that I wasn’t the subject he cared about.

The realization hit me hard, like a thorn piercing my heart. I wanted answers but couldn’t bring myself to ask. Last night, Mason had said he would take me to the beach to unwind. It was the first time in five years he had actually initiated a date. As I packed, I noticed he had quietly slipped in a new camera. I was thrilled, thinking I was finally stepping into the role of his dream girl.

But then he brought Naomi along and flirted with her right in front of me. The relationship I once cherished now felt like it was turning my stomach.

“Naomi, that photo is great, but try to smile more naturally!” Mason’s soft voice pulled me from my thoughts. I saw Naomi leaning against a coconut tree, striking pose after pose as Mason guided her patiently. I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. If they were so into each other, I’d step away.

Naomi finally noticed me and waved enthusiastically. “Jessica, the coastline here is amazing. You should get a photo too!”

I stopped dead in my tracks. It was clear that the man I’d loved for five years only had eyes for his dream girl. It was impossible not to feel utterly rejected.

In a daze, I thought, why not just take the first and last photo Mason ever took of me as a breakup gift? Naomi’s sly smile was still fresh in my mind as I followed her suggestion and stepped onto a mossy reef. The next moment, I felt my knees slam into the stones with a painful crack.

I had worn non-slip sandals, but they were useless on the slippery moss. I tried to stand but fell again. To avoid hitting my head, I used my palms to break the fall, but the reef was covered in sharp shells. One of them sliced into my right palm and I curled up in pain. The reef was cold, the moss was slimy and my swimsuit, which I’d chosen for the photos, only highlighted my humiliation and vulnerability.

“Baby, are you okay?” Mason’s rarely seen distressed expression surfaced as he tried to help me up, but his nails dug into my wound. As I struggled to pull away, I glared at Naomi, who was pretending to be worried. “Are you trying to humiliate me on purpose? Congratulations, you’ve succeeded!”

Naomi's voice trembled as if she was the one wronged. “Is it wrong to want you to take beautiful photos?”

Mason’s expression shifted in an instant. Not only did he loosen his grip, but he also pushed me away. “Jessica, you fell because you were being careless. It has nothing to do with Naomi. Didn’t your parents teach you how to walk properly?”