Today, though, I'd had enough. I asked her, "What position are you in to speak to me like this? First, you know he has a girlfriend, yet you don’t avoid suspicion. You have no sense of boundaries and act all preachy. Second, John is not so important that I need to flee to another city to avoid him. And lastly, this is my home. If you’re going to stay, then behave, or get out. For years, I’ve tolerated your holier-than-thou attitude, always seeking validation from someone else’s boyfriend. Do you really think it makes you superior?"
Emily didn’t expect me to lash out suddenly. In fact, no one did. They were all stunned into silence.
I dumped the fish they had cooked into the trash. "I'm allergic to seafood. The smell of fish makes me nauseous." Then, I looked at John and said, "If you cared about me even a little, you’d know how much I despise the smell of fish, but all you see is how much Emily likes it."
John shut his open mouth.
I knew he was used to siding with Emily against me, but when I confronted him, he began to feel guilty and ashamed. I looked at him calmly, "John, let’s break up."