All Chapters of Mom Left the Hospital, I Left My Girlfriend: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Without Nicole in our lives, things would only get better for both of us.It was already 2:00 pm when I walked out of the train station.I'd broken up with Nicole over text an hour earlier.Five hours had passed since she'd promised to come with me to see Mom off.I was just about to hail a cab when Nicole called."I just got back from the vet and saw your breakup text. What are you upset about this time?" she asked.This time.In Nicole's mind, I was always the one making a big deal out of nothing.Then again, that was how things had gone for years. I would stand there with red-rimmed eyes, waiting for some kind of explanation, only to be met with her indifference until I finally swallowed my hurt and gave in.Now, I shook my head and said nothing."Michael Quinn, are you just not going to answer me now?" Nicole demanded, her tone laced with fury. "Where are you? What are you doing?""The train station," I said.Nicole went quiet.It seemed she had finally remembered th

We'd been together for five years, and this was the first time Nicole had ever thought to bring me something to eat.Then, I opened the container and saw the stale fish and chips inside.Of course.Kevin probably hadn't finished it, and Nicole didn't want the food to go to waste. I was simply the most convenient person to dump his leftovers on.I looked at her without a word."Oh, there's something else," she said. "Would you mind switching apartments with Kevin? His building doesn't allow dogs, and his landlord told him he has to move out right away. Finding another place would be a pain, and yours is the best option I could think of."There was an unusual hesitance in her expression as she spoke.A bitter smile tugged at my lips as I realized that even her leftovers came with a price."Sure."I nodded calmly.I was going home anyway and had no intention of renewing the lease, so if Kevin wanted the apartment, he could have it.In fact, he could have Nicole along with it.

Nicole wanted to stop me from leaving. She didn't want to break up.By then, however, I was already on the train home.As the train pulled away from Aldora, I said goodbye to everything that belonged to my past, including Nicole.My phone kept buzzing. When I finally checked it, her messages filled the screen."Mike, where did you go?""Mike, I know I messed up. Please don't leave me…""Mike, I'm sorry. I know I screwed things up. Please don't leave me, okay?"I read one desperate apology after another, yet none of them stirred anything in me.It was far too late for regret.If Nicole had paid even a little more attention to me, our relationship never would have reached this point.With a heavy heart, I deleted all the messages and blocked her on every app and platform we used. Then, I tapped on my conversation with Mom.She'd asked what time I expected to arrive and told me that my room was already prepared. Early that morning, she'd even gone grocery shopping so she coul

Little by little, Mom began looking healthier, which reassured me that coming home had been the right decision.Now and then, she would casually mention Nicole, and I would always change the subject.I hadn't explained our breakup to Mom in detail because I didn't want her thinking she'd somehow ruined my relationship. Still, after I suddenly quit my job and moved home, even she could guess that something had happened, and I knew she couldn't help feeling guilty about it.Every time Mom had visited me in the past, Nicole had treated her poorly.I knew Mom had put up with it solely for my sake. My relationship had already hurt her far too much, and realizing that only deepened my resentment toward Nicole.I certainly never expected Nicole to come looking for me.Knowing her, I'd assumed that once I left, she would curse me out, convince herself I was an idiot who didn't know how good I had it, and eventually marry Kevin. Then, she could spend the rest of her life waiting for t

Nicole glanced at him coldly. "If you're uncomfortable, go back. I can wait by myself."Kevin was rendered speechless. His eyes immediately reddened. "That's not what I meant. I'm just worried about you, Nicole."This time, however, his wounded expression only made her angry."Did I ask you to worry about me?" she snapped. "Mike wouldn't have left if it weren't for you. Do you really think I haven't figured out what you've been doing all this time? Maybe you can fool my parents, but you can't fool me. From now on, I want nothing to do with you. Leave.""I…"Kevin had probably never imagined that Nicole would speak to him that way. Humiliated and furious, he stormed off.As time passed, I stopped caring whether Nicole was around. She appeared in the neighborhood so often that eventually, she became nothing more than part of the scenery.Then, one day, while I was out grocery shopping, I ran into Amelia Baker, an elementary school classmate who had also sat beside me throughout mi