He did it. It's over. After three years together, Tyler dumped me. At first I was confused, then angry then sad, then angry again. Now I'm just annoyed. Who dumps their long-term partner with whom they'd discussed marriage, kids, and a future for a bubbly author-barista-chocolatier they met two weeks ago?
Had I been distant recently? Sure, but I've also been working my ass off for this client so I could get the pay raise with the promotion I was going for. And so what if I'm uptight? There's nothing wrong with liking things to be *just so.* But that's another thing Tyler doesn't understand. He's been handed everything. He never had to be top of his class or perfectly pressed to get ahead in life. He's never been publicly humiliated by using the wrong fork or glass.
I didn't want his parents thinking I was dating him for his family's money. It's bad enough that his mom disliked me because I wasn't a dog person. I'm allergic and their sentient fur balls shed on everything. Of course, I compounded this when I mentioned I had no plans to be a stay-at-home mom. Not, that there's anything wrong with that. But it's not for me. Plus, why should I have to give up my career? Tyler would happily be the stay-at-home parent... if it ever occurred to him to question gender norms.
But noooo. I'm the villain for wanting Tyler to live up to his potential. I'm the inflexible, unfun (ex)girlfriend for having a plan for everything.
So here I am. In our apartment. Boxing up my things and coordinating a move. It should have occurred to me that letting him be the sole signer of the lease would bite me in the ass. But we were young(er), my pay was shit, and his parents were worried about his safety if he lived in an area we could both afford at the time. It was some serious NIMBY bullshit, but it allowed me to pay off my student loans quicker. I'll miss being able to drop off my dry cleaning with Tony in the lobby and the convenience of having a coffee bar on premises. But I'll live.