"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.