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"You Were Just My Backup Plan in Case He Flaked," She Said Without Shame

"You Were Just My Backup Plan in Case He Flaked," She Said Without Shame

Chapter 3

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Megan laughed. "You're brutal."Jess grinned. "I'm just being real."That was the moment something inside me snapped, but not in the way you'd think. I didn't rage. I didn't cry. I didn't scream. I just turned around, walked back to the bedroom, and started packing a bag. She didn't even notice.I didn't say anything that night, not a word. I packed a duffel bag, grabbed my laptop, my keys, and left.She texted me around 11:43 p.m.:"Where'd you go?""You okay?""Seriously, are you mad at me or something?"I didn't answer. I slept in my car that night in the parking garage under my office building. Not because I didn't have options—I have friends, a brother in town—but I needed the silence. I needed a moment where no one could lie to me, distract me, or spin their version of things. I sat there in the dark, staring at the ceiling, listening to the quiet hum of the building above me. And for the first time in two and a half years, I started to feel calm.She didn't try calling. Just a couple more texts in the morning:"Can you come home? I'm worried about you.""Whatever this is, can we just talk?"That last one almost made me laugh. Talk? When exactly was she planning to do that? Before or after she tossed me aside for her flaky main option?I went to work the next morning like nothing had happened. Ran the morning meeting. Closed two deals. Smiled at coworkers. Nobody noticed the bags under my eyes or the weight in my chest. I'd mastered pretending.That night, I went back to the apartment. I didn't want drama. Didn't want to fight. I just wanted clarity. My plan was simple: get her to say it out loud.She was sitting on the couch in a hoodie and pajama shorts, hair up, scrolling through her phone. She barely looked up when I walked in."You didn't answer any of my messages," she said, like I'd just come home late from the bar."I needed a night to think," I replied. Calm. Neutral.She stood and walked over. "Think about what?"I motioned toward the couch. "Sit."She did. I didn't."I want to ask you something," I said. "And I want a real answer."She crossed her arms. "Okay.""Are you still in love with me?" I asked.
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"You Were Just My Backup Plan in Case He Flaked," She Said Without Shame

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