Sense of Direction Lost in Love

Their voices were thick with smug satisfaction, brimming with the petty thrill of having avenged Andy.

The people I once considered my absolute closest had made an utter fool out of me.

A sharp, throbbing pain shot through my temples as warm blood spilled from my forehead.

Ruth’s voice came floating through the receiver:

“I just texted you the address to the actual new house. Put it in your GPS and drive over.”

My upper body was pinned tightly against the steering wheel.

Not a sound could squeeze past my throat.

Getting no answer from me, Ruth let out an impatient click of her tongue.

“What now? Are you expecting me to come pick you up?

“Ethan, cut the drama. You’re not directionally challenged. Don’t expect to be treated like Andy.

“I left Andy’s birthday gift in your car. Bring it over right away.”

Before hanging up, she tacked on one last line:

“Just drop off the gift and leave. Don’t come inside. You’ll ruin the occasion.”

I remembered the little box I saw before getting into the car. Inside was a ring Ruth had ordered a few days ago.

At the time, my face had lit up with joy.

I honestly thought she had bought it as a peace offering for me.

My expectations had utterly betrayed me.

By the time the rescue team arrived, blood had already blurred my vision.

Inside the ambulance, my phone rang relentlessly.

The doctor picked up the call and held the phone against my ear.

“Ethan, where on earth are you? I’ve been trying to get through. I was worried sick!”

Sean’s voice was laced with frantic urgency.

“Andy’s birthday party is almost over, and the proposal ring Ruth prepared hasn’t arrived yet. Hurry the hell up!”

A sharp prick hit my fingertip as the doctor drew blood.

My heart throbbed with a matching pang of pain.

She was about to propose to her ex-boyfriend? What about me?

“I can’t deliver the ring,” I rasped, enduring the agony.

“Where are you? I’m coming to get you.”

Ruth’s tone was desperate, completely oblivious to the fact that I had been in a horrific accident.

“Are you coming for me, or the ring?”

I was asking something I already knew the answer to.

“The ring, of course.

“Don’t overthink it. Andy made me a promise. No matter if we were gonna end up together, he’d make a proposal. We’re just fulfilling that promise.”

“The ring is in the car. It crashed into a massive ditch on the south side of town.”

The second I gave her my answer, Ruth hung up the phone almost instantly.

I let out a soft, bitter laugh. A ring meant for her ex took priority over me, her current boyfriend.

The ambulance sped quickly to the hospital.

The test results revealed multiple fractured ribs.

The nurse had to hold my hand just for me to manage signing the surgery consent form.

I was wheeled straight into the OR.

After the surgery, I was in the hospital for a whole week.

Neither Ruth nor Sean showed up to check on me.

They didn’t even know I was hospitalized.

Lying in the hospital bed, I pulled out my phone and submitted my resignation.

Then I opened the very bottom folder in my favorites.

Inside were the application materials for overseas postgrad studies.

Years ago, it was precisely because Andy went abroad to study that Ruth broke up with him.

That was why I had given up on the idea.

Now, a plan put on hold for so long could finally be realized.