O is for Onions

One night, Ex made himself a hamburger and put red onion on it. He left the chopped red onion out on the counter all night. The next morning,  I woke up with cold-like symptoms - stuffy nose, watery eyes, slight fever. I didn’t think much of it, just thought I had caught a summer cold.
             

The next time Ex had red onion, I figured it out. I had developed an allergy to red onions. Before he found out that I was allergic to red onions, Ex usually preferred white onions. Then he found out red onions made me sick, so he started buying red onions all the time.

                  

He would hide them from me, like I wouldn't find out. I would know red onions were in the house because I would develop a random cold. I could even smell them coming out of Ex’s pores.

I asked him once why he bought red onions when he knew I was allergic. I don’t remember what he said in response, but I will never forget the triumphant gleam in his eye. He had found yet another way to make me miserable and that made his day.