I brought it up a few times. Calmly, I thought. I'd say things like, "Hey, I miss spending time with you." Or, "Do you think Seth might benefit from talking to a professional instead?"
She'd always get defensive. I was being jealous. I was being insecure. I was being unsupportive of her trying to help someone in need.
So, I stopped bringing it up. I just watched as my girlfriend slowly became Seth's emotional support system instead of my partner.
3 weeks ago, I got a call from a company in Denver. Big construction firm. They'd been courting me for months about a senior project manager position. Significant pay increase, leadership role, the kind of opportunity that doesn't come around often.
I'd been putting them off because I thought Lena and I were building something together. I told them I needed more time to think.
Then came this past Friday night.
We were supposed to have dinner together. I'd made reservations at this place she'd been wanting to try for months.
Around 6:00 p.m., I got a text.
"I'm at Seth's place. He's really struggling tonight. Don't be jealous. Don't overthink this. He just needs me right now."
I stared at that text for a long time. Something just clicked in my head. Not anger, exactly. More like clarity.
I texted back, "Take all the time you need."
She responded with a heart emoji and, "Thank you for understanding. This is why I love you."
That's when I called Denver back and told them I'd take the job. Could I start Monday? They were thrilled.
Then I called a moving company that does emergency relocations. Costs extra, but I didn't care anymore.
I went through the apartment and started packing. Just my stuff. My clothes, my books, my tools, my electronics. Everything that was mine.
I worked through the entire night and most of Saturday. The movers came Saturday afternoon. By Saturday evening, my half of the apartment was completely empty.
I packed my truck with essentials, arranged for the movers to deliver the rest to a storage unit in Denver, and I wrote a note. Kept it simple.
"Lena, we clearly have different priorities. I refuse to be anyone's backup plan. I wish you the best. Peter."
I left it on the coffee table in the living room, dropped my key next to it, and drove away.
Didn't make any dramatic announcements. I just left.