Sense of Direction Lost in Love

Andy Schmidt, my girlfriend Ruth Sullivan’s ex had zero sense of direction. The only route he knew was the one leading to her place. Whether I was burning up with a 104-degree fever or got interrupted mid-proposal, none of it mattered to Ruth as much as driving her lost ex home. When I put my foot down about moving into the new house my parents had bought me, she finally gave in. On moving day, I followed the GPS directions, only to circle the city three times over, not able to arrive at my destination. As dusk set in, the GPS routed me to a dead-end, where my car spun out of control and plunged into a ditch. Hands trembling, I called Ruth. Before I could say a word, she cut right in: “So, how does it feel to be lost?” My childhood friend Sean Fischer’s voice leaked through the speaker: “I’m the one who messed with your GPS navigation. Just wanted you to feel what Andy goes through every day.” Then my parents chimed in: “The new house is for Andy. We never intended for you to move in.” Listening to their voices, a core-deep chill engulfed me. What was the point of home, if no love was awaiting me in it? Chapter 1 Their voices were thick with smug satisfaction, brimming with the petty thrill of having avenged Andy. The people I once considered my absolute closest had made an utter fool out of me. A sharp, throbbing pain shot through my temples as warm blood spilled from my forehead. Ruth’s voice came floating through the receiver: “I just texted you the address to the actual new house. Put it in your GPS and drive over.” My upper body was pinned tightly against the steering wheel. Not a sound could squeeze past my throat. Getting no answer from me, Ruth let out an impatient click of her tongue. “What now? Are you expecting me to come pick you up? “Ethan, cut the drama. You’re not directionally challenged. Don’t expect to be treated like Andy. “I left Andy’s birthday gift in your car. Bring it over right away.” Before hanging up, she tacked on one last line: “Just drop off the gift and leave. Don’t come inside. You’ll ruin the occasion.” I remembered the little box I saw before getting into the car. Inside was a ring Ruth had ordered a few days ago. At the time, my face had lit up with joy. I honestly thought she had bought it as a peace offering for me. My expectations had utterly betrayed me. By the time the rescue team arrived, blood had already blurred my vision. Inside the ambulance, my phone rang relentlessly. The doctor picked up the call and held the phone against my ear. “Ethan, where on earth are you? I’ve been trying to get through. I was worried sick!” Sean’s voice was laced with frantic urgency. “Andy’s birthday party is almost over, and the proposal ring Ruth prepared hasn’t arrived yet. Hurry the hell up!” A sharp prick hit my fingertip as the doctor drew blood. My heart throbbed with a matching pang of pain. She was about to propose to her ex-boyfriend? What about me? “I can’t deliver the ring,” I rasped, enduring the agony. “Where are you? I’m coming to get you.” Ruth’s tone was desperate, completely oblivious to the fact that I had been in a horrific accident. “Are you coming for me, or the ring?” I was asking something I already knew the answer to. “The ring, of course. “Don’t overthink it. Andy made me a promise. No matter if we were gonna end up together, he’d make a proposal. We’re just fulfilling that promise.” “The ring is in the car. It crashed into a massive ditch on the south side of town.” The second I gave her my answer, Ruth hung up the phone almost instantly. I let out a soft, bitter laugh. A ring meant for her ex took priority over me, her current boyfriend. The ambulance sped quickly to the hospital. The test results revealed multiple fractured ribs. The nurse had to hold my hand just for me to manage signing the surgery consent form. I was wheeled straight into the OR. After the surgery, I was in the hospital for a whole week. Neither Ruth nor Sean showed up to check on me. They didn’t even know I was hospitalized. Lying in the hospital bed, I pulled out my phone and submitted my resignation. Then I opened the very bottom folder in my favorites. Inside were the application materials for overseas postgrad studies. Years ago, it was precisely because Andy went abroad to study that Ruth broke up with him. That was why I had given up on the idea. Now, a plan put on hold for so long could finally be realized. Chapter 2 I came across a video Sean posted on his Instagram. The caption read: “An old wish came true today.” As if deliberately looking to punish myself, I tapped on the video. Drones and fireworks filled the night sky. Andy knelt on one knee, speaking vows of love to Ruth. She had eventually found the ring. None of them cared if I, the person trapped in that wrecked car, was safe, or where I had gone. After being discharged, I wrapped up the paperwork for my study application. At the notary office, I saw Ruth at a counter. She was holding a little boy in her arms, while Andy leaned down to fill out paperwork. I took a step forward, wanting a closer look. My mom bolted out of nowhere, ramming into me and sending me stumbling backward. She stepped close, lowering her voice: “Since you’ve seen it, here’s the truth for you. Ruth gave birth to Andy’s child three years ago. “Because of you, she couldn’t keep the boy or let him see his father. We’re the ones who raised the boy. “Don’t you dare try making a scene.” I looked over at them, a happy family of three. Their bliss made my eyes burn with unshed tears. “You guys knew the whole time? You kept me in the dark like a fool!” My voice choked, and I felt on the verge of total collapse. So the little room Ruth had prepared in the new house was meant for their son, not ours. “How could we not keep it from you, given how little sense you’ve got? “Nothing you can change now. Causing a scene won’t do you or Ruth any good.” A relentless stream of accusations drilled into my ears, as if I were the villain, and not victim. With the paperwork finished, Andy held the child in his left hand and took Ruth’s right hand as they walked outside. Just then, Ruth’s eyes caught mine. She panicked for a split second, but quickly regained her composure. She looked me up and down. “How did you even get your driving license? Pretty impressive to drive a car straight into a ditch.” Her biting sarcasm invoked the terrifying memory of the accident. Thinking of it now, a thread of terror still haunted me. I looked at her, her lover and child, then said: “Not quite as impressive as secretly raising another man’s child behind my back for three whole years.” Ruth hurriedly yanked her hand out of Andy’s grasp. “I had no idea I was pregnant when we broke up. “My health didn’t allow an abortion. You can’t blame Andy for that. “The new house was so the boy could go to school nearby. Once he turns eighteen, you can have it back.” Andy reached out and took her hand once again, the diamond ring on her finger gleaming brilliantly. “You did nothing wrong. You don’t need to explain yourself to anyone.” My mom yanked me toward the exit, her voice icy: “If you wanna throw a tantrum, do it outside. You’ll scare the boy saying things like that.” The moment she spoke, the little boy in Ruth’s arms burst into tears. “Why is he screaming? I’m scared.” My mom hurried forward, scooping the child into her arms. “It’s okay, darling. It’s okay now.” She patted the boy’s back as she walked away, casting a glance of disgust toward me. My chest trembled violently. “None of you did anything wrong. It’s all my fault. “Ruth, let’s break up. The wedding is canceled. I won’t stand in the way of you being a good mother.” I walked back to my counter and resumed the paperwork. Ruth froze on the spot at my words. Just as she was about to take a step towards me, Andy gently caressed her palm. “We gotta go to the kindergarten now.” Holding my pen, I stared at the paperwork for a long while. I didn’t snap back to reality until the tip of the pen punctured a hole through the paper. My eyes drifted down to the faded scar around my forearm. Ruth lived in an old garden house, where I had pointed out several potential fire hazards. Yet she brushed them off as cheap excuses I was making to force her to move. “What if Andy gets lost? He’s bad with direction and only knows this one route. “If you want to move, go ahead. I’m staying here.” That very night, the electric water heater caught fire. My entire arm was badly burned. Only then did Ruth relent and agree to move. Little did I know then, she’d been stringing me along with lies after lies. Chapter 3 I returned to the old house to grab only my personal documents and some certificates. Since I was making a fresh start, I wouldn’t be taking any item carrying old memories with me. I removed my key and set it down on the hallway cupboard. As I pushed the door open, Andy was standing right outside. “Ethan, what are you doing here?” I cast a glance at him and walked straight past. Andy hurried after me. “I got lost again. Could you drive me to the kindergarten?” “No.” I turned him down point-blank and started the engine. To my surprise, he jumped right on the hood of my car. “Please, Ethan, today is my son’s first day of school. I promised Ruth I’d pick him up with her.” Having no other choice, I let him into the car. “Let me show you a photo of us taken a couple of days ago.” Andy said, holding his phone up in front of my face. My eyes remained glued to the road ahead. “Don’t distract me while I’m driving.” But he refused to back down, pressing on relentlessly from the passenger seat. “Are you scared to see how happy we are? Worried you won’t be able to suppress your jealousy?” His voice suddenly spiked in volume: “Ethan, weren’t it for you, Ruth and I would have gotten back together ages ago. “You’re just the rebound guy. It is me who she loves. This is proof.” He thrust his phone in my face once again. On the screen, Ruth was wearing a pure white wedding gown, kissing Andy beneath snow-capped mountains. When we were preparing for our wedding, she had crossed wedding photos off the list without hesitation. She had said then: “Taking wedding photos is such a hassle, and a waste of time. They just end up collecting dust at home. “We can generate some using AI. Nobody will be able to tell.” I felt a momentary daze. He was right. It was hard cold proof she had no love for me. A blaring horn snapped me back to reality. I nearly rear-ended the car in front of me. I flipped the turn signal and pulled over to the curb. “Get out!” Andy stepped out, the corners of his lips curling into a smug, triumphant smirk. That evening, I was packing at the hotel, preparing for the flight early next morning. I wanted to arrive early and settle in before school started. A police officer knocked on my room door: “Mr. Fuller, we received a report claiming Andy Schmidt’s disappearance is related to you. Please come with us for a little talk.” Ruth stood behind the officer, her eyes landing on me with a bone-chilling coldness. “Ethan! You knew damn well that Andy has zero sense of direction, yet you dumped him out of the car in an unfamiliar neighborhood and left him stranded! “I can’t reach his phone, and we’ve searched everywhere in vain. “If you have any issues, take them out on me. Why go after Andy?” I knitted my brows at them. “Andy was the one who insisted I drive him to the kindergarten so he could pick up his son. “Where he got off was barely a hundred yards from the kindergarten.” Sean let out a sneering laugh. “If you’re going to lie, at least come up with something believable. School doesn’t start until next week! “Ethan, haven’t you pranked Andy enough times over the years? How nasty of you!” “I’m lying? I pranked him?” My throat constricted, a sense of powerlessness spreading through my chest. “Were it not for a guilty conscience, why would you hide out in a hotel?” Ruth asked as she tried to suppress her rage. “Stop arguing for a second. Finding Andy is the priority now.” The police officer’s reminder jarred Ruth to her senses. She grabbed me roughly and dragged me outside. Her movement was so violent that it tore sharply at my surgical wound. My foot slipped, sending me crashing to the ground. As if completely blind to my deathly pale face, she shoved me toward the roadside. “Before we can find Andy, don’t even think about going home!” Enduring the stabbing pain, I dragged my weak, limping frame along the curb, inching forward one agonizing step at a time. Chapter 4 The search went on until the early hours of the morning, leaving me completely exhausted. Still, there was no sign of Andy. Rounding the corner ahead brought me to my parents’ house. I thought that even if I just stood outside the courtyard and caught one last glimpse from afar, it would be enough. Once I went abroad, God knew when I’d ever see them again. Through the glass, Andy’s figure appeared in my line of sight. Alongside my parents, Ruth, and Sean. While the outside was pitch-black, a warm yellow light leaked through the windows. The whole group was gathered around the child, laughing and chatting. They found Andy. Yet not a single person had notified me. Andy noticed me standing outside. He pushed open the door and walked into the yard. “I came back, but everyone seems to have forgotten about you. “Though if I were you, I wouldn’t go inside. Wouldn’t wanna remind everyone how you abandoned me and make them mad all over again.” I turned my back to him, fighting to steady my emotions, though my shoulders trembled out of control. He pressed on: “Honestly, I never had difficulty with directions to begin with. Your good buddy Sean drove the long way every single day to drop me off at Ruth’s doorstep. “And your parents tried every trick in the book to create chances for us to get back together.” I froze where I stood, at a loss for words. “Oh, right. The wedding will go on as scheduled. Ruth already reached out to the planners. Just me taking your place for the groom.” It took me a long moment to gather myself. “Ruth and I have already broken up. There’s no need to report your affairs to me.” Having uttered what I thought was a clean break, I turned around to leave. As if rehearsed, Andy suddenly bent sharply at the waist, blocking my path with his body. “Ethan, please! If you’re mad, take it all out on me! Just don’t hurt my boy.” He grabbed my arm, his fingernails digging viciously into my skin. Jolted by the pain, I instinctively kicked him in the stomach. The next second, Ruth appeared just in time to prop him up. “It was my fault for being such a fool and getting lost. He’s right to be upset. “It’s not his fault. I just won’t go out anymore.” As he spoke, Andy clutched his stomach, his face contorted in pain. Ruth immediately checked on him, cooing softly like she was comforting a child: “Wherever you wanna go in the future, I’ll go with you. I won’t ever leave you alone again.” She raised her head toward me, hatred burning in her eyes. “Don’t you dare lay another finger on him or the child! “Your parents and Sean were right all along. You’ve been nasty ever since you were little. You don’t hold a candle to Andy. “I’m gonna make sure you learn your lesson today!” Hearing the commotion, my parents and Sean stepped out from the house. Before I could react, someone grabbed me from behind. My hands and feet were bound tightly. My dad stepped forward and took my phone away. “We’ll let you have a taste of the despair Andy felt this afternoon, to make sure there won’t be a next time.” I tried desperately to explain: “Andy isn’t bad with directions at all! He’s pretending! You’ve all been fooled! “Mom, Dad, please, hear me out...” Sean let out a cold sneer: “Ethan, drop the act. We all know you’re the real liar here.” Together, they dragged me into the car. “I was with Andy for four years. Do you really think I wouldn’t know if he was lying? “Settle down now. Once time’s up, I’ll come get you.” Ruth dumped me into a giant maze inside an abandoned amusement park. Night hung heavy. Dark, looming walls surrounded me on all sides, every single turn identical to the last. I wandered in circles, utterly unable to find a way out. My legs gradually gave out. Just as she wished, I was trapped. The very last trace of affection I had left for her flickered out then. My vision blurred, and darkness took over me. The next day, the repair shop called to inform Ruth that her car was ready. “We couldn’t get the massive bloodstain off the seat no matter what, so we had to replace it with a new one.” The night the car crashed into the ditch, Ruth had gone only to retrieve the ring and hadn’t noticed the blood at all. “Was Ethan injured?” she asked herself only now. At the thought, she immediately drove over to the maze. She flew a drone over the area to search, but I was nowhere to be found. A terrible wave of dread coiled around her heart.