After Seven Years as His Backup, I Finally Ran Away

I was with him for seven years, and spent six of them as his backup option.

He loved his ideal woman with all his heart, while I gave my whole heart to him.

Until

I saw a post on his ideal woman's social media.

The first photo showed blue seas and skies, the second a sunset.

The caption read: I'm back.

I stared at those two photos for a long, long time, and felt strangely calm.

So I'd stopped loving him.

I couldn't say when it happened, but his casual "Good morning" no longer made my heart race.

And when he lost his temper on the street, I no longer rushed around in a panic.

To me, he really had become a familiar stranger.

I still took care of him as usual.

I made him breakfast, poured him a glass of cooled boiled water, and squeezed toothpaste onto his toothbrush.

I even set the air conditioner to the temperature he liked best.

Then I said goodbye to him as usual.

Without even looking up, he lazily replied,

"Come home early tonight. I'll make sweet and sour carp for you."