I had been with James for seven years, from undergraduate to graduate school. Our families had met. We had built a life together, or so I thought.

After finishing graduate school, he had moved back to our hometown, Springfield. My parents were thrilled about him. Every time I brought him home, they greeted him with warmth and enthusiasm.

I had even planned to marry him after graduation. But now, everything had changed.

"Lila, James called us and said you were angry with him and aren't picking up. What’s going on?"

"Mom, I didn’t lose my temper. I just didn’t know how to explain. Actually..."

Before I could finish, my mother cut me off.

"If it's not a temper, then what is it? You've been together for seven years, not seven months. Don’t act impulsively."

"Whatever it is, James' father's birthday is coming up. Don't be petty. Come back with him, and don't upset his family."

Before I could respond, she hung up.

I ran my hand over my forehead, frustrated. The situation between James and me was much more complicated than I had imagined.

After all these years, James' parents had treated me like their own daughter. They had always been kind and loving towards me.

Now, with his father's birthday approaching, ignoring it seemed impossible. After much thought, I decided I needed to tell them about the breakup in person.

When I arrived back in Springfield, I guessed my mother must have called James, because soon after, I received a message from him saying he would pick me up.

But when I got off the high-speed train, James wasn’t there. Instead, I received a message from Ella.

It was a selfie of her and James, taken in a hotel. The caption read: "It’s great, I can recharge after a long day of work."

And on her ring finger, clearly visible, was the couple's ring that James and I had picked out together.

I stared at the phone, numb. Another message came through.

— You don’t have a job. James is a college teacher. He’s not suitable for someone like you.

— You should have stayed away from him—someone who doesn’t want to make progress.

— Lila, do you know how much James loves me? He told me that if he could, he’d want to be with me from a distance forever.

— He said, body and soul, that I am the woman who fits him best.

I stared at those boastful and taunting words on my screen. A sick laugh escaped me.

Ella thought her words would hurt me, but all I felt was disgust.

And pity.