The moment the idea flares in my head, I quickly smother it under another thought. A heavy, resigned thought that I amplify until it drowns out anything else.

It's better this way.

To add to the effect, I say it out loud. As I shuffle out the door, I mutter it under my breath. "It's better this way. It was too scary. I'm not ready for a relationship. Girlfriends are too much hassle. Women are just trouble. I can't be tied down. I need my space, my freedom. It's better that I don't even know where she is."

As I step out into the white room, I hear the grind of a fax machine. I slowly turn around. Mr. Safeway is standing in the doorway with a sheet of paper in his hand. I glance down at the message printed on it. It simply says:

"Tell him."

"There has been a slight change in my orders," Mr. Safeway says. "Ms. Miriam Harris has been transferred to..."

As soon as I am back on the escalator, I grin, and whisper, "Suckers."