I had the feeling that the day wouldn’t be a good one the moment I spilled my hot coffee over my lap as I was reading the newspaper. I’m not the clumsy type, up until today I have no idea how that cup slipped from my hand and burned my thighs. As I cleaned myself with a bunch of napkins, I realised I wouldn’t have the chance to go home and change before lunch time. So I spent the whole morning with a pair of light-grey pants with stains of brown here and there, much to my colleagues amusement. And a nasty smell of coffee. I love coffee, but not when the smell comes from my own pants. On top of that, I had three meetings that morning where I was the presenter. Impossible to stay at my desk hiding my dirty pants, so I just had to endure my colleagues trying their best - and failing - to keep a straight face.

I finally went home quickly at lunch time. Had a quick shower and put on a new pair of pants. Then my phone rang. It was Karen, my fiancée. She sounded troubled and said she needed to talk to me soonest. We made arrangements to have dinner at The Bistro that evening.

“Are you ok, Karen?” I asked as I tried to slip my arm through the new shirt’s sleeve. I was going to be late for the afternoon but I wanted to make sure she was alright.

“Yes, I am. We’ll chat later.”

And she hung up just like that. Not much her type. It seemed that she was hiding something.

Anyway, I tried to dismiss my thoughts about her throughout the afternoon. Our wedding would be in only two months time, maybe she was nervous about it or just wanted to ask for my opinion about the dress or something else. I definitely had no reasons to be worried. Or so I told myself.

When I arrived at The Bistro, Karen was there already. Another oddity. Usually I had to wait for her. As I stretched my neck to kiss her lips, she moved her head so that I’d kiss her cheek instead. For some reason, my heart started beating quicker. A funny cold chill ran through my body. Karen had never done that.

“How was your day?” she asked as I sat on the chair in front of her.

“Not great, to be honest.”

I told her about the spilled coffee on my pants and how I had to present three meetings before I could go home change.

“I’m so sorry about that, Steve.”

“Ah well, one of those days.” I say with a shrug, trying to sound like it really wasn’t a big deal.

After the waiter brought us our drinks, she held my hand and looked at me in the eyes, with a sad smile.

“Steve, I am so sorry I am going to spoil your day further.” she stared.

Again that funny chill. My stomach shrank too and I bursted in a cold sweat. I tried to shake off any thoughts of what I was now terribly sure Karen would say.

“You’ve met someone else?”

“No, I didn’t. But I want to break our engagement.”

Bang! She had just shot me with an invisible bullet. The restaurant started spinning around, in a mixture of bright yellow and red colours fusing and making me dizzy. I heard people’s chit-chat from a distance even though they were right there, so close. I was aware of the Earth’s real speed now, I couldn’t even see Karen’s face as much as I tried to focus. She was all blurred in shades of pale pink.

“I’m so sorry, Steve.” she said and I removed my hand from hers. I never saw any of this coming. We had been engaged for over a year, she had never complained. Why this change? On a day that I had made a fool of myself in front of everybody.

“What is the reason?” I finally asked, my voice dying in my parched throat. I reached for my glass.

She exhaled a long sigh without facing me. Silence fell upon us, thick and heavy. I stared at her, inquisitively. Even though her head was bowed, I wanted her to feel my bitter eyes on her. I tried to keep cool though. I wouldn’t yell at her nor throw a tantrum. The last thing I needed was to have the whole restaurant gazing at us. Then I saw she was weeping.

“I’m sorry, Steve. I just don’t feel I should do it. I don’t feel as in love with you as I was in the beginning.”

I didn’t know what to respond. I almost wished she had indeed met someone else. I’d have all the reasons to be ugly to her and she’d be the only one to blame. I thought of an ex-girlfriend I had while at university. I had also broken up with her in the same fashion. One day I was in love, the other day I wasn’t. Period. Diana had been terribly hurt but there really wasn’t anything I could have done. I didn’t know what had changed. I didn’t have someone else. It just ended. Poofff, just like that.

“I don’t know why it has changed, Steve.” Karen went on as if somehow she had guessed my thoughts. “All I can say is that I’m really very sorry and I hope we can stay friends.”

I had not stayed friends with Diana. She didn’t want to. Did I now want to remain friends with Karen?

The waiter approached with our food. As I plunged the fork on my roast and started slicing it, I thought I didn’t really know what to say. I never saw this evening come.

“I’ll have to give it a thought, Karen. I cannot decide now.”

“It’s ok, I understand.”

I kept slicing and slicing, long after the roast and the potatoes were cut. I had to let out my anger somehow. What a shit day this one had been.