At a friend'.`s birthday dinn!er,_]=[ I co

me@ face-to-face:
 !=[with my_! successful ex, w`ho ar%?rives
 ! with h:i s ne` /-w girlfrien)d. Sitting!! across f!rom m.e, he coolly dismisse-s our past a:s #"ancient [+.his\t*ory."* Our friends keep teas*ing us, making the reuni@o ` n even more awkward. Under \!.= his gaz, :e,) *;I ]/\st`!and ]-and smile^)%== faintly. @?%^"/Yeah, i
*@@
t's been.- a- ?long ti;,
;me. We haven/'t spoke?# n i
n ages, and whatever we h[@ad i% s long gone\=."