Our Three – Person Chat Only Had Two Speakers Chapter 05
Landing in Florence, I turned off airplane mode.
My screen instantly blew up with notifications, the phone growing warm.
At the top were over a dozen frantic texts from Ryan.
[You moved? Why didn’t you tell me, where are you?]
[What’s with that post? My parents are asking!]
[Mia, answer the phone!]
I didn’t reply, but I noticed a rare message directed at me in the group chat.
Ryan: [@Mia My mom’s pushing for the wedding. Chloe’s asking too, why aren’t you replying?]
Followed by two voice notes from Chloe.
Not wanting to listen, I converted them to text.
She was still crying and playing the victim,
“If it comes to it, I’ll call Mia again to apologize.”
“It’s all my fault. You’re about to get married, and you’re fighting because of me. It’s just a job, I can always find another one.”
I stared at the screen and smiled silently.
I tapped the text box and replied to Ryan’s last message.
“You two keep chatting. Don’t bother replying.”
“Happy breakup.”
Sent.
The second it went through, Ryan called.
I answered, met with his suppressed rage,
“Mia, what is this? What do you mean breakup?”
“What’s with that post, and the group chat message?
Seven years together, and you’re throwing it away over this?”
Hearing muffled crying in the background, undoubtedly Chloe, I shot back,
“What else? You brought it up first.”
“Didn’t you say if I didn’t apologize and fix Chloe’s
work mess, you wouldn’t marry me? If we’re not getting married, why stay together?”
He paused.
Then came his exasperated defense,
“Can’t you tell I was just talking out of anger?”
“I really don’t get it. It’s such a small thing, why are you blowing it so out of proportion?”
“A small thing?”
I repeated, my tone turning ice–cold.
“You know damn well it’s not small.”
“You and Chloe chat all day, but ignore my messages. You buy her a four–thousand–dollar engraved bracelet and give me a cheap ten–dollar trinket.”
“I asked you to dinner countless times and got ignored, only to catch you two at the same restaurant. You go to movies alone, travel alone, and you gave her the key to our house, not me. There are too many small things.”
“Ryan, don’t dress up your selfishness and favoritism as me being unreasonable.”
I took a deep breath and delivered the final blow.
“I already told you at the house.”
“I don’t want you. And I don’t want Chloe, my friend of eighteen years, either.”
I paused.
“She’s probably right next to you anyway. Pass the message along, shouldn’t be hard.”
I hung up.
A solo trip was simple and relaxing.
I didn’t have to accommodate anyone, didn’t need to
find mild restaurants for Chloe, or remember to tell
the waiter to hold the cilantro for Ryan.
I ate what I wanted and daydreamed wherever I pleased.
Halfway through the trip, my parents called.
They hesitantly asked about the wedding.
Holding the phone, looking out at the shimmering lake, I muttered,
“We broke up.”
They were silent for a moment and didn’t press.
A while later, Mom asked,
“That girl… Chloe, she hasn’t contacted you?”
“No.”
I answered flatly.
Dad sighed and took the phone,
“Honey, if you’re tired of being out there, come back home. It’s not a big city, but it’s stable.”
I thought about it and replied softly,
“Yeah, let me think about it.”