Stood Up

The seventh time Maya stood me up at City Hall, I decided to cut her out of my life for good. If she was at a party, I wasn’t. When she was invited to perform at our university reunion, I left before she took the stage. When my company decided to partner with hers, I quit on the spot. Even on New Year’s Eve, when she came to my parents’ house, I made an excuse about visiting friends and walked out the door. I blocked her number, unfriended her on everything, and went completely scorched earth. No contact from me, no access to me. A clean break. For the better part of the last thirty years, my life had revolved around loving her, taking care of her, obsessing over her. It wasn’t until she left me waiting for our marriage license for the seventh time that I finally woke up. I didn’t want this life anymore. Being alone was better than spending my nights in an empty house, waiting for someone who would never truly be there. … I sat at the marriage bureau in City Hall, waiting for Maya, until the last employee started packing up to leave. At first, when I called, she just said she was busy and told me to wait. Two hours later, her phone went straight to voicemail. A constant, busy tone. The marriage application in my hand was crumpled into a tight, wrinkled ball. “Sir,” a clerk said gently, seeing me still sitting there, “we’re closing now. Did you still need to file for a license?” I snapped back to the present and shook my head. “Thank you, but no. Not anymore.” As I walked out, I overheard a few of the clerks whispering as they passed. “I think I’ve seen that guy a few times. Always comes in alone to get married.” “Now that you mention it, I remember him too. Always waiting for someone who never shows up, right?” My face was a mask of indifference, but inside, my heart felt like it had been shredded. I couldn’t look up, my shame a physical weight. I just walked faster. This was the seventh time. The seventh time I had come to City Hall to marry Maya. Just as I stepped outside to hail a cab, she appeared. She was jogging toward me, slightly out of breath, a practiced look of apology on her face. “Leo, I am so, so sorry. Something came up at work last minute. I’m not too late, am I?” I let out a silent, bitter laugh. The last time, it was work. The time before that, it was also work. It was always work. She couldn’t even be bothered to come up with a new excuse. I just shook my head. “You’re too late. They just locked up.” Maya’s expression shifted to one of indignation. She glanced at her watch and then gestured angrily toward the building. “Can you believe these people? They have to leave the second the clock strikes five. Can’t even wait one extra minute.” She stepped forward and took my hand, placing it on her chest, which was rising and falling dramatically. “The traffic was a nightmare. I had to run the last few blocks. Look, I’m exhausted.” I stared at her, a lump forming in my throat. I wasn’t an idiot. I knew whether she had been running or not. Biting my lip, I asked her the question I’d never dared to ask before. “If you really ran all this way, why isn’t there a single drop of sweat on you?” Her forehead was perfectly clear. Not just dry, but completely untouched by any hint of exertion. The moment the words left my mouth, her face changed. Her brows knitted together, her eyes flashing with anger. Her voice rose. “What is that supposed to mean? Are you saying I’m lying? That I’m intentionally avoiding marrying you?” She pulled her hand back. “I ran all this way, and this is what I get? Disbelief? Leo, I never knew you could be so cruel!” She was a master at turning the tables. But her hysterical rage just screamed guilt. I rubbed my temples, suddenly tired of the fight, tired of her. “Maya, you and I both know the truth.” I turned to leave. Her voice, cold and sharp, cut through the air behind me. “Fine. Be that way. But don’t you dare come crying back to me. Don’t you dare crawl back and beg me to marry you again!” She laughed, a harsh, grating sound. “Let’s just see how long you last this time!” I didn’t turn back. I just kept walking, my lip bleeding from how hard I was biting it. A moment later, my phone buzzed with a text. [Leo, did you strike out again? What a shame. Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll be back for an eighth try soon!] I read the message three times. Even I wasn’t dense enough to miss the taunt. I’d suspected the reason for Maya’s no-shows, but seeing the text from Julian still felt like a punch to the gut, leaving me breathless. Maya and I were childhood sweethearts. From the time we were kids, I had sworn I would marry her. Our parents had laughed and encouraged it. She had always treated me with a unique closeness. That is, until college, when she brought another guy home for the first time. Julian. Seeing them together, the way they interacted, I realized with a dawning horror that what Maya felt for me might not be love. I panicked. The day we graduated, I half-jokingly suggested we go get married. Our parents were thrilled, but Maya turned me down flat. Over the next eight years, I must have asked her dozens of times. She only agreed on seven occasions. And every single one of them ended like this. And every single time, without fail, a taunting message from Julian would arrive moments later. My phone buzzed again. Assuming it was him, I was about to decline the call when I saw the name. It was my best friend, Chloe. She was inviting me to a party tonight. The first words out of my mouth were, “Is Maya going to be there?” “Don’t worry, Leo. I know how things are. I already told her about it, and she said she’s coming!” “Then count me out. If she’s there, I’m not. Maybe next time.” Chloe went silent on the other end of the line, completely stunned. Everyone knew. For years, I was the one who chased after Maya. I was the one who showed up at her graduation with a ridiculous bouquet, who agonized over finding her the perfect job, who cleaned her apartment and cooked her meals like a devoted lapdog. Once, at a friend’s birthday, someone joked that Maya must have saved a country in a past life to deserve me. Maya just scoffed. “He’s like a stray dog that won’t go away. It’s annoying. Who cares?” Back then, I didn’t. I thought I could change her. Now, I did. After hanging up, I sent a group text to all my close friends. [From now on, if Maya’s going to be at a get-together, please don’t invite me.] With that done, I finally hailed a cab home. I showered and then began gathering everything in my apartment that belonged to Maya. I packed it all into a suitcase and called a courier to have it delivered to her place. Just as the courier arrived, Chloe showed up, having heard the news. She saw the packed suitcase and her eyes widened. “Leo, you’re not leaving, are you?” I laughed and opened the suitcase for her. “What are you talking about? This is all Maya’s stuff. I’m sending it back.” Chloe stared for a moment, then watched the courier leave. She turned back to me, her expression one of disbelief. “But Leo, you were supposed to get married today. What happened…?” She trailed off, the realization dawning on her. She knew about all the other times. Her eyes narrowed. “Did she stand you up again? That text you sent… it has to be Julian behind this, doesn’t it? Come on, we’re going to go find her and get this sorted out, right now!” I tried to refuse, but she dragged me out of the apartment and all the way to the bar where the party was being held. We were just outside the private room when we heard Maya’s voice, loud and clear. “Oh, stop it, you guys. How many times has Leo thrown a fit and sworn he’s done? He always comes back. He can’t live without me.” She laughed. “He’s just sulking right now. Give him a day or two, and he’ll be back at my feet like always.” I bit the inside of my cheek, the metallic taste of blood filling my mouth. All these years, I had poured my heart and soul into caring for her, and this is what she thought of me. Worthless. Chloe saw the tears welling in my eyes and squeezed my shoulder. She was about to shove the door open, but I stopped her. At this point, I didn’t even want to see Maya’s face. I pulled Chloe away. As we rounded the corner, the door to the room opened, and Maya and Julian stepped out. Julian spoke first. “Maya, you’ve had too much to drink. You shouldn’t say things like that. What if little Leo hears you? You’ll break his heart.” “Isn’t his broken heart exactly what you want?” Maya slurred, leaning against him. “Making me agree to marry him, then making me stand him up at the last second. Julian, you’re so wicked!” The words hit me, and the tears I’d been holding back finally fell. So that’s what I was. A clown. A pawn in their twisted game. No wonder she’d never seemed happy or excited any of the times she’d agreed to marry me. I was just too blinded by my own joy to notice the contempt in her eyes. Julian wrapped an arm around her, playfully tapping her on the chest. “What do you mean, I’m wicked? This whole thing was your idea in the first place!” “Well, I was just trying to make you happy! It was the only thing I could think of!” They were laughing now, and then, right there in the hallway, they started kissing. I felt like my soul had left my body. I numbly pulled Chloe out of the bar and into the cool night air. The wind felt like it was freezing my heart solid. “Leo, you’re just too good,” Chloe seethed. “That’s why those two monsters think they can play with you like this!” She was still fuming, but I just managed a weak smile. When I opened my mouth to speak, the taste of blood was overwhelming. “It’s over. From now on, Maya and I have nothing to do with each other.” After finally convincing Chloe to go home, I went back to my apartment. On the way, the courier called. He was at the designated address, but the recipient wasn’t answering her phone. I’d forgotten—Maya never answered calls from unknown numbers. I told him to wait, hung up, and dialed her number myself. I could hear the loud music of a bar in the background, but her smug tone was unmistakable. “Well, well, look who came crawling back. Where’s all that courage you had when you stormed off and left me on the street earlier?” The old me would have apologized profusely, groveled, said anything to make her happy. The new me just said, flatly, “I had your things sent to your apartment. They’re at your door. You should probably go get them.” Her voice became even more triumphant. “Oh, Leo, what did you buy me this time? Trying to get back in my good graces?” She laughed. “Weren’t you the one who sent that dramatic text to all our friends? The one who wouldn’t even be in the same room as me? And now here you are, already trying to suck up.” I didn’t say another word. I just hung up. As the call disconnected, I thought I heard her ask what I’d sent her, saying she’d have to see if she liked it before she decided whether or not to forgive me. I just shook my head and smiled. After all those years of being her doormat, she really did think I had no dignity left. That was fine. She would learn. After that night, I had no more contact with Maya. Her number, her social media—all of it deleted. When friends invited me out, I always asked beforehand if she would be there. Eventually, they got the message and would only invite one of us at a time. Soon, it was the day before our university’s anniversary celebration. Chloe had already called to make plans. As a distinguished alumnus, I had received a formal invitation. I hadn’t expected Maya to be there too. But it made sense. She was always a top student, and her company had provided a lot of support to the university after graduation. Of course they’d invite her. When Chloe and I arrived, the campus was packed. I glanced at the program and saw her name immediately. She was the seventh performance. After the sixth act, I made an excuse and left. As I was walking out of the auditorium, I thought I heard someone call my name, but I didn’t look back. A moment later, I got a text from my old college advisor. [Leo, why did you leave in such a hurry? I called out to you a few times. Your girlfriend’s performance is next, aren’t you staying to watch?] [Thank you, Professor, but I had to leave for an emergency. And I’m single. I don’t have a girlfriend!] I sent the text and shook my head. I had been so obsessed in college that even my advisor knew our story. What I didn’t know was that my advisor was standing right next to Maya when he sent that text. And that she saw my reply. In the dim light of the auditorium, her expression was unreadable. After leaving campus, I headed to my office. I’d been in such a rush to leave the reunion that I’d forgotten my bag. When I got there, I saw a new project proposal sitting on my desk. The name of the partner company on the proposal was Maya’s. I immediately called my boss, confirmed the partnership, and then resigned. “Boss, I need to resign for personal reasons.” “Leo, this is so sudden! I was about to put you in charge of this new project.” “Thank you, sir, but I can’t. I don’t get along with that company.” After the call, I typed up my resignation letter. If the company was going to work with Maya, the best way to avoid her was to leave. I left the letter on my desk and walked out. When I got back to my apartment building, I noticed the light in the hallway was on. My floor only has two apartments, and the one next to mine was vacant. The light was almost never on. As I got closer, I saw her. Maya was standing in the stairwell, smoking. The floor around her was littered with cigarette butts. She must have been waiting for a long time. Luckily, I was quiet. She didn’t see me. I immediately turned and hit the elevator button. Just as the doors were closing, she must have heard the sound and stepped out of the stairwell. I could faintly hear her yelling. “Leo, is that you? I know you’re back! You’re in that elevator, aren’t you!” As the elevator descended, to buy myself some time, I pressed the button for every single floor on my way down and then hopped out, letting it ascend on its own slow journey. It was a jerk move, but it worked. With Maya camping outside my apartment, I went to a nearby hotel for the night. I had just checked in and was heading up the stairs when she burst through the front door. She was panting, sweat dripping from her forehead, her face flushed from exertion. “Did someone just check in?” she demanded of the front desk clerk. “Was it a man named Leo?” “Answer me! You have to tell me!”