Never His Second Choice Chapter 01
My mother taught me two ironclad rules for when a relationship is over:
First, when a man starts planning a future without you.
Second, when another woman appears at his side who understands him better than you do.
I looked at my boyfriend Ethan, who’d just landed an offer from a top aerospace company in Seattle, and at Nina, my best friend. Then, out of nowhere, I heard myself say:
“So—in your plans, is there any room for me?”
The words hung in the air. The animated conversation between them died on the spot.
Nina’s face twisted with awkward sympathy.
“Lena, the cost of living in Seattle is really high. With your skill set… it might be tough for you to land a decent job out there.”
Ethan carefully picked the bones out of Nina’s fish, then answered in his usual unhurried way:
“Nina’s right. You should just head back home and find something steady.”
Without waiting for my response, they picked right back up where they’d left off, launching into a technical discussion about aerospace vehicle development I couldn’t follow.
And in that moment, my mother’s words echoed in my head.
I finally understood. In this three-person game, I had already become the piece nobody wanted.
…
Ethan didn’t notice how quiet I’d gone. He was still mapping out his new life with Nina.
“When we get to Seattle, we can rent a two-bedroom with a balcony.”
“And then get that golden retriever you’ve always wanted.”
“Once I get promoted in a couple of years, we’ll go to that racing event you’re always talking about—”
My knuckles were white around the knife and fork. I couldn’t take it anymore.
“And what about me, Ethan? Where am I in your grand plan for the future?”
He paused. He didn’t even look up. Smiling, he pushed the leftover fish from his plate over to mine.
“Sweetheart, a place as competitive as Seattle isn’t right for you. You’ll be much better off back home.”
He couldn’t bear the thought of Nina facing the pressures of a big city, but he could send me back to the stifling small town I’d spent years trying to escape without so much as a second thought.
A waiter approached with two after-dinner drinks, breaking in on the conversation.
“Good evening, sir, ladies. Compliments of the house—two signature cocktails for our couples tonight.”
He set the two glasses down in front of Nina and Ethan.
Nina glanced at me, embarrassed, then pushed her glass across the table with a blush.
“You’ve got it wrong. They’re the couple.”
The waiter apologized profusely, but I was past feeling humiliated.
You couldn’t blame him for the mistake.
Anyone who saw them would assume they were the perfect couple.
Every time we went out together, I could hear the whispers behind us:
“God, look at those two faces. What a pair.”
And I—already ordinary to begin with—looked all the more shabby beside them.
Ethan smoothly placed one of the glasses in front of me.
“Mojito, your favorite. I asked them to swap the mint for basil. Give it a try?”
I knew I shouldn’t keep clinging to his warmth.
But habits don’t unmake themselves in a single moment.
I murmured a “thank you” and looked up—only to see him and Nina drinking from the same glass.
My tears fell silently into my drink.
Through the blur, Ethan looked up. There was no tenderness in his eyes, only a kind of resigned calm.
“Lena, you know you don’t like sharing glasses with people. I couldn’t just let Nina drink both, could I?”
Nina scrambled for a napkin and pushed it toward me.
“Lena, don’t cry. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have taken that drink…”
Ethan reached out and moved Nina behind him—a protective gesture. When he turned back to me, there was a faint reproach in his eyes.
“Lena, get a grip on yourself. Once you’re out in the real world, no one’s going to indulge your temper the way we do.”
I couldn’t sit through another second. I wiped my eyes roughly, grabbed my bag, and walked out of the restaurant.
The scenery blurred past the taxi window.
My phone chimed. I thought maybe it was Ethan apologizing—but it was a LinkedIn message.
A recruiter from a tech startup in Seattle.
“Hi Lena, we’re very interested in your resume. Would you be open to a chat?”