My Only Wish Is to Leave Her

Naomi Henderson, my girlfriend, makes three wishes on her birthday night in front of the birthday cake I have baked for her. Her first wish is for Bryan to stay safe and well every day. Her second wish is for Bryan's project to win an award. Her third wish is for the cat she and Bryan raise together to grow up safe and healthy. Bryan Green is none other than my best friend. I stand by the table, still holding the candles I haven't lit yet, while everyone in the room laughs and joins in on the fun. Bryan turns to Naomi with a playful smile. "How come you didn't make a wish for Julian? He's your boyfriend, you know." Naomi smiles with absolute certainty. "Do I even have to guess what his wish is? He obviously wants to marry me." She takes out a men's ring from the bottom of the cake box a moment later. If this were before, I probably would have nodded along to everyone's cheers, but now I merely watch as she puts the ring on my ring finger. It is so loose that it can slide right off. It is two sizes too big, which fits Bryan perfectly. I chuckle softly. I have loved Naomi for seven years, but moving on from her only takes this split second. Chapter 1 Julian's POV It was then that someone who was enjoying the spectacle joked, "Isn't this Bryan's ring size?" "Oh, cut it out!" Bryan immediately shoved his hand into his pants pocket. His reaction only added fuel to the tension. Then, someone immediately chimed in, "What are you hiding for? Is that really your size, Bryan?" I stood there while everyone laughed, feeling cold all over. Bryan walked over to me and patted me on the shoulder. "You shouldn't take it to heart, Julian. Naomi definitely didn't do it on purpose." He sounded totally sincere, but there was a brief flash of triumph in his eyes. "She's always the one picking out my rings and watches for me, so she must have gotten them mixed up." It turned out that they had already become this close. Naomi helped him with his rings, chose his watches, and even knew his finger size better than she knew mine. Bryan glanced down at my hands again. "Your hands are so slender, Julian, so anything you put on looks as if it belongs to someone else." He finished speaking and looked over my shirt. He sounded like he was just joking as he said, "It was the same when we bought underwear back then. You couldn't even fill out the smallest size, Julian." I stood in place as laughter broke out across the room. My face burned with embarrassment. Naomi just looked at Bryan helplessly. "You shouldn't pick on Julian anymore, Bryan." She sounded like she was reprimanding him, but her eyes were brimming with indulgence. It was then that someone rushed Naomi to cut the cake. "That's enough now! You've already proposed to him, so it's time for you to cut the cake, Naomi!" I grabbed the cake knife and passed it to Naomi. Bryan's phone suddenly chimed. He glanced down at it and instantly broke into a smile. "It's a video of Marshmallow, Naomi." Naomi stopped what she was doing, then went to take a look. "Show it to me." Bryan held the phone out to her, and in the video, a chubby kitten was pouncing on a toy ball. They were standing shoulder-to-shoulder. They were standing so close to each other that it looked as though no one else could ever fit between them. I stood in front of the cake, feeling like a complete third wheel. Naomi finally got around to cutting the cake after some time. She took the knife from me, cut the first slice, and naturally handed the plate to Bryan. "You hardly ate anything tonight, so have this first, Bryan." Bryan froze for a second before smiling at me. "Is this really alright? Julian made this cake himself, so he should eat first." Naomi didn't give it much thought and said, "He won't mind." I suddenly didn't even have the energy to smile when I heard that. In recent years, Naomi had said that phrase to me more than anything else. Bryan was working late, so she went to pick him up. She said, "Bryan is your best friend. You don't mind, do you?" Bryan's project ran into a problem, so she stayed up all night helping him fix the proposal. She said, "I'm only doing this because he's your best friend. You don't mind, do you?" Bryan said his kitten was sick, so she stayed over at his place to look after it. She said, "It's just a cat, Julian. You don't mind, do you?" Naomi had never actually cared about how I felt about it. Bryan took the cake and whispered, "I hope you're not upset over this, Julian. I'm honestly feeling a bit lightheaded today." He even steadied himself against the edge of the table after saying that, as though he were worried that I wouldn't believe him. Naomi immediately reached out to support him. "Why didn't you say anything earlier? You should have a seat first, Bryan." She helped Bryan over to the couch and handed him the cake. She did it so naturally, like she had done it countless times. She never asked if I was exhausted after standing the whole time, and she didn't even notice that I had been running around all day for this birthday party without eating a single thing. I looked down at the ring sitting on my finger. It was so loose that it would slide down whenever I bent my finger even a little. It was just like this relationship. I had tried so hard to hold on so many times, but nothing I did could make it stay. Chapter 2 I didn't say another word—I just grabbed my coat and went home. I received a message from Bryan just as I arrived. "Please don't be mad at me, Julian. Naomi feels really guilty about getting the wrong size for the ring, so I'm helping her choose a new one for you right now." He sent a photo along with his message. He was sitting next to Naomi in a brightly lit jewelry store, trying on a men's ring. Naomi had her head slightly lowered as she examined his hand, evidently checking the fit. I suddenly recalled the past as I stared at the photo. I remembered the first time I introduced Bryan to Naomi. His outgoing personality sparked an instant argument between them. He complained that Naomi was too cold, while she complained that Bryan was too talkative. I sat beside them and laughed, sincerely thinking it was nice that they had become friends. Bryan, Naomi, and I went out for burgers after that. Bryan kept stealing fries off my plate, so Naomi shot him a cold look and pushed the plate toward me. "You shouldn't steal Julian's fries. You can order some yourself if you want them." I thought Naomi would always be the one to side with me, but at some point, their constant bickering turned into inside jokes only they understood. I gradually became the outsider, just smiling along as they shared a laugh. I realized then that in a three-way dynamic, the person squeezed out first was always the last one to figure it out. Naomi was picking out another ring for me, yet Bryan was still the one wearing it to test the size. They probably never realized how absurd it looked. I received a screenshot from a friend at 11:00 pm, which showed someone in the group chat urging Naomi. "You should go talk to Julian and make it up to him, Naomi. Your whole 'wrong ring size' situation was honestly pretty insensitive." Naomi replied a few minutes later. "Julian's just overreacting right now. I'm already looking for a new ring for him. He'll be fine once he calms down." Bryan added in the group chat, "It's all my fault. I'll apologize to Julian in person tomorrow." Naomi immediately replied, "How is it your fault, Bryan? You were put in an awkward spot today too. Julian shouldn't have taken it out on you." I looked at the message and realized it didn't hurt as much as I expected. I thought perhaps it was because I had suffered so much pain back then that all there was left after reading her reply was a dull numbness. Chapter 3 Naomi returned home a short while later, holding a new ring box. She cautiously handed it over to me, saying, "It was my fault for getting the wrong ring size earlier, so I went out and bought a new one for you, Julian." She slipped the ring onto my finger as she spoke. It actually fit my finger this time. I lowered my head and noticed the tiny letters engraved into the inside of the ring—N & B. It clearly indicated Naomi and Bryan. I stared at those initials and broke into a sarcastic laugh. Naomi followed my gaze, her expression stiffening for a moment. "I think the sales assistant must have given us the wrong ring. You shouldn't read too much into it, Julian." Just then, a second receipt fell out. I looked down and noticed it was from the same shop and on the same day. Naomi had bought two men's rings that day, with the ring engraved with her and Bryan's initials costing three times as much as the other one. I suddenly realized that the ring had never been bought for me. Naomi hesitated and reached out to touch my shoulder, but I stepped back. She froze for a moment before she said softly, "I'll get you a new one when we register our marriage, Julian." It was the same excuse again. I was once again told to wait for my turn. Naomi had always believed she could just make up for hurting me later. I suddenly remembered our first trip together. I had spent two whole weeks planning it—when to watch the sunset, where to eat seafood, and which beach would be the least crowded—but when we got to the airport, I discovered that neither ticket had my name on it. Naomi was stunned for a long time before finally saying, "I think I mixed up your ID number with Bryan's. I've already bought the tickets, and the hotel bookings couldn't be refunded, so I'll make it up to you and go with you next time, Julian." In the end, Bryan and Naomi went on the trip without me. Bryan posted a bunch of photos of the island, including sunsets, palm trees, and Naomi standing by the water with his coat over her shoulders. I had been upset about those photos for a long time, only for Naomi to come back with nothing but a box of chocolates from the airport, saying, "I'll take you with me next time, so don't be upset, Julian." Later on, the band I had liked for many years came to hold a concert, which Naomi managed to snag two tickets for. The seats were side by side. I was so thrilled I stayed up all night, but at the gate, the staff looked at the names on the ticket faces and politely told us, "These tickets are registered under Ms. Henderson and Mr. Green." Naomi awkwardly pinched the bridge of her nose. "I made another mistake." In the end, Naomi and Bryan took the front-row floor seats. Bryan posted a photo on his social media once the concert was over, with Naomi leaning against his shoulder, holding up a light stick. "Listening to my favorite song with the person who gets me like no one else." I confronted Naomi about it, but she only sighed and said, "You're overthinking this, Julian. Bryan is your best friend, not a stranger. I couldn't just leave him standing outside the venue all by himself, could I?" Naomi always had her reasons, while I was always the one who had to take the high road. I removed the new ring, put it back in its box, and turned toward the bedroom. I then started packing my belongings. It wasn't until I started packing up that I realized how few of my own belongings were actually in this house. Naomi bought the dark gray cashmere blanket on the couch right after Bryan complained about feeling cold when he visited in the winter. The men's slippers by the entryway were kept exclusively for Bryan, and the fridge was crammed full of his favorite sugar-free sparkling water. Meanwhile, we had been out of the iced tea I loved for a very long time. I reminded Naomi a bunch of times, but she would always say, "I'll get it next time." In the end, the "next time" just never came. I found the black wallet in my desk drawer while I was packing. Naomi had given it to me for my birthday the previous year. It had cost around 42 dollars, and the box was already worn at the corners. She had said, "It's not about the price. It's the thought that counts." Yet, for Bryan's birthday this year, Naomi had given him a custom-made watch. She had slipped the receipt into a book, which ended up falling into the gap in our couch. That watch cost 4,200 dollars—exactly 100 times the price of my wallet. Naomi stood in the bedroom doorway, watching me pack my clothes into the suitcase. She finally spoke impatiently, asking, "How much longer are you going to keep this up? I bought you another ring and even apologized to you. What else do you want from me, Julian?" I lowered my head and zipped my suitcase closed. "I don't need your apologies anymore, Naomi." Naomi turned and walked away in annoyance, while I made no effort to chase after her. In the meantime, the email confirming my long-term overseas assignment was sitting quietly in my inbox—the flight was booked for tomorrow. There was never going to be a next time for Naomi and me. Chapter 4 It was early the next morning, and I went to Bryan's house to retrieve the wooden photo frame I had made for him when I was 18 years old. It held our first photo together, and on the back of it, I had written, "Julian and Bryan, brothers for life." Bryan held the photo frame for a long time back then. "If anyone ever messes with you, I'll deal with them myself, Julian." I used the backup code to unlock the door, only to find Bryan coming out of the bedroom. He was wearing a shirt that I recognized immediately. It was the limited-edition matching piece I had gone to several stores to find for Naomi's birthday the year before. I had originally planned for us to wear them as matching couple shirts, but she later told me that the cut was too structured and stiff for her. She claimed it wasn't her style, but it turned out that it suited Bryan perfectly. Bryan caught sight of me, looking visibly startled. He recovered quickly with a smile. "What brings you here, Julian?" He ran a hand through his hair, sounding groggy as he continued, "Marshmallow kept throwing up last night. Naomi wouldn't stop worrying about it, so she insisted on coming over. We didn't finish dealing with it until 3:00 am. We were both so exhausted." I stared at his open collar, slowly clenching my hands into fists. Bryan looked at me and flashed a suggestive smirk. "Naomi is surprisingly attentive. She threw a blanket over me when I passed out on the couch last night. She was worried that I'd catch a cold." I suddenly felt cold all over and looked up at the half-closed bedroom door. "Did you two sleep together?" Bryan chuckled nonchalantly. "It's not like it's the first time. I mean, in the past, when Marshmallow fell sick overnight, we'd always just doze off together while looking after it." He patted my shoulder reassuringly and continued, "You can rest assured that I've already checked her out for you, Julian. She slept in my arms all night and didn't do anything to me. You just need to get her to stop staying up so late. She's got some serious dark circles." Naomi leaned against the doorway and chuckled softly. "Who was the one who kept saying they couldn't sleep last night and that I was too skinny to hold comfortably?" Bryan turned around to face her. "Why are you calling me out like that, Naomi?" They were laughing and fooling around with each other again. Bryan moved too fast, almost crashing right into Naomi. Naomi's laugh cut short. She looked like she meant to back off, but she'd already stumbled into Bryan's chest. Bryan seemed to realize it too, but he didn't pull away right then. They stood there together in that charged silence, acting as if they had completely forgotten I was still standing at the door. I squeezed the wooden photo frame tightly, then suddenly laughed out loud. "Do you know what this makes you, Bryan? You're being the sidepiece. You knew Naomi was taken, yet you still went after her." In that instant, the laughter came to a sudden halt. Bryan's face drained of color. He quickly lowered his head, acting deeply hurt. "How can you say that about me, Julian? Naomi is just like a friend to me." I flashed him a sarcastic smile. "Do friends usually come out of each other's bedrooms wearing couple shirts?" Naomi's expression instantly hardened. "That's enough, Julian." I looked at her coldly. "You think I'm overreacting here? You spent the night in the same room with him, and you expect me to act like nothing happened between you two, huh?" Naomi scowled. "Did you really have to say it like that? Bryan really does understand me better, speaks to me better, and is more entertaining than you. You're probably just jealous, right? Do you really need to paint us in such a disgusting light?" I felt my hands trembling as I heard what she said. I accidentally dropped the wooden photo frame, causing the glass to shatter all over the floor. The photo popped out and landed right among the broken shards. I instinctively knelt to grab it, and Bryan rushed to reach for it too. I gasped in pain as the broken glass cut our hands at the same time. Naomi, however, checked on Bryan first. She rushed over, grabbed his hand, and asked, "How could you be so careless? Is the cut deep?" Bryan shook his head. "I'm fine. Julian got hurt, too, Naomi." Naomi finally spared me a glance. She looked at the blood on my palm and immediately looked away. "Julian can take care of himself. What if your hand ends up scarred, Bryan?" I knelt among the broken glass, barely feeling the pain anymore. Naomi walked out with Bryan, and as she passed by me, she said coldly, "You should get your emotions in check first. You can apologize to Bryan after that, Julian." They then slammed the door shut right in my face. I tossed the photo in the trash can once I reached home. I packed my personal documents, bank cards, and a few pieces of clothing into my suitcase one by one. I suddenly received a message from Naomi then. "I'll take you to your favorite restaurant tonight. You can apologize to Bryan then, and we'll move past this, Julian." I stared at the message before quietly switching off my phone. I closed the suitcase with a soft click, knowing very well that I would never return to this place.