My partner insisted on receiving my card so he could pay our restaurant bill.
When Lisa receives her well-earned promotion, she is eager to celebrate.
beside Troy, her lover. Lisa finds out at the lunch that Troy simply wants
to act like the “man” and put up a front, disregarding her and her well-earned position.
However, things take a turn for the worst when he offers a waitress his number, leading Lisa to humiliate Troy and end their relationship.
It was supposed to be a celebration-only evening. Six months into my new position,
I was excited to tell my boyfriend Troy that I had finally gotten a big promotion.
The new, fancy restaurant in town that is well-known for its décor and gourmet food was his suggestion.
“Lisa, let’s just get dressed and head out.” he uttered. “Let’s take advantage of this as we don’t get to do it very often.”
I had to concur; we didn’t always opt to go out and indulge in anything. We didn’t always do this.
“All right,” I replied. “We need a night out, exactly that.”
And I thought we were in need of it. mostly because, despite my want to think otherwise, Troy
and I were meant to be together forever, but I could sense some fractures developing in our bond. Simply put, something felt off.
While Troy wasn’t content in his career, I was happy in mine.
He bitterly observed, “I do so much, but nobody bothers to recognize me,” one evening when he dropped by for salsa night.
Troy spent the entire evening whining about his job while lounging on the couch and dipping his chips into the guacamole and salsa.
I didn’t tell him anything positive about my job because of his attitudes about it.
As I handed him a frozen margarita, I added, “Maybe you just need to give it more time.” “You’ve only been there for a few months now.”
“Please, Lisa,” he murmured. “You couldn’t comprehend. Give me space to be.
However, after I learned about this amazing opportunity, I could not contain my excitement.
I thought Troy would feel the same way about celebrating and being honored.
He told me he was pleased of me and sounded really excited about it, which surprised me.
When he came to take me up from my apartment, he said, “Really, babe.” “This is significant, and you have my admiration.”
The evening got off to a lovely start. Troy arrived carrying a bunch of flowers,
and while I was getting ready, he sat down and waited. On most nights, he didn’t like it when I took longer to get dressed than when he came, but this one was an exception.
I said, “Come on.” “I’m prepared!”
After putting down his phone, Troy got up and guided me out of my apartment to his waiting car.
We drove in silence, and for once it felt pleasant rather than anxious, and I thought maybe Troy was changing. that he was starting to show signs of wanting to be with me and be here.
Our evening was made more romantic by the soft lighting and the breathtaking view of the city skyline from our table. Troy held his champagne glass aloft as we raised a salute to my accomplishment.
“To the most incredible woman I’ve ever met,” Troy exclaimed, clinking his glass with mine. “And to many more triumphs in the future.”
“To the future and to us!” Abruptly swept up in the moment, I echoed.
Troy talked to us about our common dreams as we browsed the menu and placed our food orders.
that we had, from our desire to move in together shortly to the Bali vacation we had been talking about for a while.
Troy uttered, “I just think it’s time.” “And it will be a lot easier for us now that you have your promotion.”
Up until the waitress brought our lunch, everything went smoothly. Troy gave her two winks in an attempt to get her attention as he continued to glance at her.
Troy did this everytime he had something to drink, so I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. He carried himself as if flirting were second nature.
But as our supper was coming to an end, I saw a shift in Troy.
When the check arrived at our table, his normally carefree smile became more tense. The waitress moved aside and he grinned at her.
With a tone of persistence, he said, “You should let me pay with your card.”
It astonished me. Since it was my promotion, I didn’t mind paying for the meal on the one hand.
and I was earning far more than I did previously. However, I had simultaneously anticipated Troy would want to treat me like a princess for the evening.
“Why are you unable to use your own card?” Startled by the furrowed brow on his face, I inquired.
Troy could hardly hide his annoyance.
“Obviously because I don’t have enough money for these lavish dinners, Lisa, and you got promoted! You act as though you don’t know it, even when you do.
I didn’t understand his reasoning.
Placing my purse on the table, I said, “I’ll just pay with my card.” “It’s not very important.”
Halfway through the meal, my lover had switched from champagne to whiskey, and his expression tightened as he took a taste of it.
“Lisa, it’s embarrassing,” he remarked. “You seem to be genuinely attempting to degrade me by preventing me from being the one making the payments.”
I was at a loss for how to respond to Troy’s remarks. I couldn’t understand it. Furthermore, I found it incomprehensible that the waitress was involved in our meal’s payment.
I would have taken offense and defended myself, but I could feel Troy draining my strength.
I thought I was cornered. And I hesitantly gave my card over because I didn’t want to cause a scene.
With a sly smile, Troy took up my card and gave the waitress a dramatic wave, displaying it as though he were making a stately arrival.
The waitress said, “I’ll be right back with the card machine.”
I excused myself to use the restroom because I felt nervous. All I needed was a little time to be myself. Troy was always like this. However, I felt that he was evolving and that the evening was going well.
Naturally, I was in error.
Taking a quick look, I took out my phone and opened my banking app. After a few clicks and swipes, I had my card disabled.
Now let’s watch him pay, I told myself.
Troy’s laughing from across the room caused me to pause near the bar on my way back.
He was writing something on a napkin, maybe his phone number, and making overt flirtatious gestures with the waitress.
He winked as he gave it to her. I was taken aback. I felt wounded. I felt a wave of outrage pass through me.
While the waitress was talking, I went back to the table.
“I apologize, but it appears that there is an issue,” she stated. “We had to decline your card.”
Troy turned aside and stammered, his self-assured exterior collapsing.
“What?” he enquired. “That can’t be correct, surely.”
Pretending to be worried, I advised Troy to give the bank a call.
He took out his phone, dialed the bank, and put the conversation on speaker before leaning back in his chair.
Troy took the number from my card when the representative asked for it, and then he asked for the account password.
Troy faltered at the end. He did not know what to do.
“All right, Sir,” the voice on the other end said. It would be helpful if you could confirm the previous three transactions.
The server sprung from one foot to the next.
I responded, “I can answer that.” A new book, some skincare products, and a candle with a lavender aroma. Additionally, Lisa Simmons is the name on the card, sir.
Troy waited for an answer while the waitress’s demeanor softened to one of understanding.
After that, I took out a different card and paid the amount by myself.
I told the waitress and Troy, “Lucky me, I have two cards.” “But darling, I think you deserve the tip since you seemed to enjoy the service.”
Red-faced, Troy fumbled through his wallet, removing only a few little bills and outdated coupons.
I got up to wait for Troy to say something, anything at all, but he remained silent the entire time.
With a sly smile, the waitress remarked, “Hey, I didn’t take his number.” “I simply discarded the napkin.”
“I’ll make my own way back home,” I said to Troy as I ventured into the evening.
I wasn’t sure if I had made a mistake as I was leaving. Ultimately, though, no relationship should cause someone to doubt who they are or believe that it is improper for them to celebrate who they are.
which was something Troy did frequently.
I believe I’m at last over him.
How would you respond?
