My Ex Regrets Losing Me Only After I’m Gone – One hour before we were supposed to get our marriage license, I found out my boyfriend had cheated on me. Again. From his coat pocket, I’d just dug out a small, crumpled receipt for condoms. Holding it up, I asked, “Austin, is there anything you’d like to explain?” Dead silence crashed down on the other end of the line. After a long pause, his voice came through, cold and detached. “So. Are we still getting married or not?” We’d been together for nine years. Everyone knew how much I loved him—that I’d moved to his city for him. That’s why he was so sure I’d cave again. But this time, my voice was the one that cut through. “No. We’re not.” When you’re staring into an abyss, the smart thing is to step back. I’d wasted nine years.
I wouldn’t waste the rest of my life. … Half an hour later, with my tears wiped dry, I crushed the condom receipt into a tight ball and threw it in the trash. Then I made the call that would change everything. “Principal Aron, about that volunteer teaching assignment out west you mentioned… is the offer still open?” The school had announced the outreach program last month—a fast track to a promotion and professional recognition once you returned. Principal Aron had recommended me for it weeks ago, but I’d turned him down, thinking only of the wedding. He sounded surprised. “Ms. Evelyn? I thought you were getting married. What changed?” My answer came without hesitation. “Yes. I’m not getting married anymore.” He paused, but didn’t press. “Alright. Come see me tomorrow to fill out the forms.” About ten minutes after I hung up, the bedroom door swung open. I turned. Austin stood in the doorway.
At six-foot-two, he commanded any room, even with that annoyingly lazy, impatient look on his handsome face. Undeniably gorgeous. It was that face which had so often disarmed me, made me swallow my anger. Our eyes met. He sighed, stepped forward, and pulled me into a tight hug. “Evelyn, our wedding is in two weeks. Can you please stop making a scene?” I tried to shove him away, but his arms were like steel. Instead, I went still, my voice flat with the calm that comes after all hope is gone. “I’m not making a scene. This isn’t a discussion.” A year ago, he’d cheated on me with my best friend, Mallory. Back then, he’d knelt before me, slapping his own face as he begged, his voice trembling. “Evelyn, please forgive me, just this once. I lost my head. Mallory’s going abroad soon—there’s no future for us.” I’d believed him. And reality had taught me the hard truth: they cheat once, they’ll cheat again. The moment I’d softened my heart, I’d signed up to be hurt all over again.
My face cold, I kicked the trash can. “The receipt’s right there. Pick it up and see for yourself.” He didn’t, of course. He choked for a second, then actually said, “Fine, I bought them. But I bought them for us to use—” I cut him off. “Mallory came back two days ago. Did you think I wouldn’t find out?” A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes, followed by a sudden, heavy silence. All the strength drained from my body then. I grabbed my suitcase and turned to leave, but his hand shot out, clamping around my wrist. After the silence, his chosen response was to deflect. “Don’t overthink it. What does Mallory coming back have to do with me?” He let go of my wrist, his tone turning condescending. “Evelyn, we’re adults. We know what we should and shouldn’t do. Do I really need to spell it out for you?” Then, the pressure: “You call off the wedding now—what about the ceremony? What do we tell everyone? How do you explain this to your parents, to mine?” His relentless words made my grip on the suitcase handle tighten until my knuckles turned white. Austin sighed again, reached over, and pried my fingers open one by one.
He put the suitcase back, then gently wiped a tear from my cheek—I hadn’t even realized I was crying. “Don’t cry,” he murmured softly. “I’ll make you something to eat.” I stared blankly at his retreating back. A cold, clear realization settled over me: the man in front of me was a stranger. Somewhere in those nine years, he’d become someone I didn’t recognize at all… But just as he’d said, I was an adult now. And the most important thing for an adult is to take responsibility for themselves. I’d made my first big mistake three years ago. I wouldn’t make the final one now. The next day, as soon as I got to school, I went to Principal Aron’s office to fill out the application. He asked, “Where are you thinking of going?” I’d decided last night.
My answer was firm. “Northern Xinjiang. The elementary school in the Altay Mountains.” On my way home, I kept searching online for information about the Altay Mountain school. When I finally unlocked my apartment door and stepped inside, I froze. Austin was standing in the living room. And he had his arm around a woman. She heard the door and turned. A smile spread across her face. “Long time no see, Evelyn.”