I shrugged and told her the boxes were ready whenever she wanted to take them. Laura didn't move toward the boxes. Instead, she crossed her arms and leaned against the counter like she was preparing for an argument she thought she could win. She said I was blowing something small into a huge problem.
She repeated that Nico was just someone she met for dinner. She said adults are allowed to have conversations with people from their past. Then she added that if I wasn't so paranoid and controlling, I would understand that. That part didn't land the way she expected.
I told her calmly that adults are also allowed to end engagements when their partner lies to their face. She scoffed and asked what lie I was even talking about. So I reminded her. She said work dinner.
She sent a photo pretending to be with coworkers. She told me the place was across town. Meanwhile, she was dressed for a date at a restaurant 15 minutes away, meeting the one ex she claimed she had blocked everywhere. Laura waved her hand like I was listing minor inconveniences.
She said it wasn't a big deal and I was embarrassing myself by acting like a detective. Then she asked if I had followed her. I said yes. That made her shake her head like she was the reasonable one in the room.
She said, "Wow, so now you're stalking me too." I didn't bother reacting to that. Instead, I told her something simple. If she had told me earlier that she wanted to reconnect with Nico, I would have ended the relationship immediately and saved us both months of planning.
But she didn't do that. She let me work overtime to pay for a wedding while she scheduled anniversary dinners with someone else. Laura's expression hardened. She said I was twisting the situation and acting like a victim.
She said nothing even happened between her and Nico. I nodded and told her that didn't actually change anything. Because the kind of person who sets up secret dinners with their ex while planning a wedding isn't someone I'm interested in marrying. Another long silence followed.
Finally, she looked at the boxes again and asked where exactly she was supposed to go at midnight. I told her that part wasn't complicated. Nico seemed like a good starting option. For a moment, I thought Laura might argue again.
Instead, she let out another short laugh, grabbed her phone, and walked straight to the door. Her movements were sharp and annoyed, like she was the one inconvenienced by the situation. She pointed at the boxes and asked if I seriously expected her to carry all of that alone. I told her I'd help bring them downstairs.
Not because I felt generous, just because I wanted the situation finished quickly. Neither of us said much while we moved the boxes. The hallway was quiet, and the elevator ride was even quieter. Laura kept tapping on her phone the entire time, probably messaging someone.
When we reached the building entrance, a ride was already pulling up to the curb. That answered the question of where she planned to go. We placed the boxes near the car. The driver stepped out and opened the trunk.
Laura shoved the smaller bags in first and then turned back toward me. She didn't apologize. She didn't explain anything. She just shook her head like I was the unreasonable one.