My Fiancé Saved Her Painful Days, But Forgot Mine Chapter 01

My Fiancé Saved Her Painful Days, But Forgot Mine Chapter 01

A group of college friends got together for the weekend, and someone talked everyone into playing Never Have I Ever.

Mitch Wilson lost a side bet during the game, so his friends dared him to open the Notes app on his phone and let everyone see.

He unlocked his screen without hesitation.

Right at the top was a detailed recipe for homemade ginger tea, followed by a pinned reminder.

[Her period usually starts around the 25th. Make the tea early. Let it cool to 113°F. Bring the heating pad. She gets cold easily.]

The room erupted in teasing cheers.

I just stared at the screen as a chill ran straight through me.

My period had never once started on the 25th.

Lynn Taylor, my supposed best friend, let out a startled little gasp beside me.

“Mitch, I told you that you didn’t have to write all of that down!”

The room went awkwardly quiet as everyone looked between the three of us.

Mitch rubbed his temples and sighed.

“You’ve gotten cold easily since we were kids, and your cramps can get bad enough to make you pass out.”

“Of course I keep track.”

Lynn turned to me with wide, innocent eyes.

“Shelly, don’t be mad.”

“Mitch and I grew up together.”

“He’s just used to taking care of me.”

Then she gave me a sweet little smile.

“He must spoil you like this at home too, right?”

“He’s always been the type to wait on everyone hand and foot.”

I said nothing.

I just stared at the note, my mind empty.

We had been together for five years.

Every month, when my cramps left me curled up in bed and barely able to move, Mitch would toss a bottle of ibuprofen onto the nightstand and go back to his video games.

If I asked him to heat up the pad or bring me something warm, he would tell me to stop being dramatic.

He always claimed he hated cooking and could not stand the smell of ginger.

I had even stopped buying ginger because he complained whenever he smelled it in the kitchen.

But the truth was simple.

He did not hate cooking.

Ginger did not make him sick.

He just did not love me enough to make the effort.

I lowered my head, opened the wedding planning app, and quietly canceled every digital invitation I had already sent.

…

“Shelly, are you mad?”

Lynn slid closer and looped her arm through mine, her voice sugary sweet.

“That note was just something he wrote down because I forget things.”

“He’s always kept track of little stuff for me, so please don’t fight with Mitch because of me.”

She blinked at me with a pleading expression.

Mitch settled the bill, then handed Lynn his car keys without a second thought.

“Go wait in the car.”

“It’s freezing out there, and you get cold easily.”

Lynn nodded obediently and waved goodbye before heading to the parking lot.

Mitch turned back to me and let out a long sigh.

“You’re still upset about that note?”

I shook my head.

“Mitch, I’m breaking up with you.”

His face froze for a second before irritation tightened his features.

“Shelly, this is ridiculous.”

“Lynn and I have known each other since we were kids.”

“I look out for her a little more than other people.”

“That’s all.”

“You don’t need to be jealous of her.”

I stayed silent.

After a long pause, he sighed again, as though he were giving in to a childish tantrum.

“Fine.”

“I know you get bad cramps too.”

“Next month, I’ll make you ginger tea and heat up the pad for you.”

“Happy?”

“I don’t want it. We’re breaking up,” I repeated.

Mitch’s expression darkened.

“What exactly is your problem?”

“If anything was ever going to happen between Lynn and me, it would have happened long before I met you.”

A bitter laugh escaped me.

That was his logic.

As long as they had never slept together, none of his constant favoritism counted as betrayal.

Lynn suddenly came running back from the car and punched him lightly on the arm.

“Mitch Wilson, this is all your fault!”

“You have absolutely no sense of boundaries, and now you’ve upset Shelly!”

She turned to me with tears gathering in her eyes.

“Shelly, don’t be mad at him.”

“Blame me instead.”

“I’ve depended on him too much for too long.”

“I would hate to be the reason your wedding fell apart.”

“What kind of friend would that make me?”

Mitch cut her off and guided her back toward the car.

“Stop apologizing for nothing, Lynn.”

“Shelly’s stressed from planning the wedding and looking for an excuse to blow up at me.”

Then he turned back to me, his voice sharp with impatience.

“Enough.”

“I’ll make you the ginger tea next month.”

“What more do you want?”

For five years, every time my cramps left me doubled over in pain, he had sat on the couch playing video games.

If I asked him to bring me the heating pad, he called me dramatic.

If I asked him to stay with me, he said I was too needy.

Now he was promising to make me tea.

It was almost funny.

This was not a problem with boundaries.

It was about love, and the complete lack of it.

My Uber pulled up to the curb.

I stepped around both of them without another glance.

“No apology needed.”

“I hope the two of you get exactly the future you deserve.”