Chapter 3

Mia stared at me in absolute horror as blood dripped onto her white dress.

Ethan scrambled for napkins to wipe her face, bellowing at me in fury:

"Scarlett! Are you out of your mind?!"

"Mia was just trying to help you! Are you so sick with jealousy that you're resorting to violence?!"

A few brown-nosing colleagues joined in, yelling and pointing fingers at me.

I swept my gaze over the room before locking eyes with Ethan. "You don't have the right to tell me what to do anymore."

"I quit."

Ethan flushed with rage, but before he could speak, I had already turned on my heel and walked out.

His furious shout echoed down the hallway behind me: "Remember what you said today, Scarlett! Don't you dare come crawling back begging for your job!"

I walked out of the corporate building and wandered aimlessly down the avenue until I found myself standing outside our old university campus.

Stepping onto the grounds, I watched students laughing and running across the lawn. A wave of memories washed over me, pulling me back ten years.

Back then, I had entered university early on an accelerated music scholarship. I remembered the first time I saw Ethan—standing on the sunlit field, wearing an open white suit, singing with a guitar in his hands.

When his song ended, he caught me staring, smiled warmly, and invited me to sing a duet with him.

A young girl's first crush is often that simple, and that reckless.

From that day on, we talked constantly, and my feelings grew deeper with every passing day.

Until Mia showed up.

All Mia had to do was bat her eyelashes and flash a flirtatious smile, and Ethan's heart was completely hooked.

She was his untouchable goddess, his perfect first love.

Later, when Mia landed an overseas exchange program, she dumped him without a second thought.

I was the one who stayed by Ethan's side through his heartbreak. I poured my savings and my music catalog into launching an indie label after graduation and handed the CEO seat directly to him.

As the company grew, we naturally ended up getting married.

Everything changed two months ago when Mia returned.

Ethan suddenly grew distant, spending every waking hour clinging to her side.

I reached into my coat and pulled out a vintage white microphone I always kept with me, shaking my head with a self-deprecating chuckle.

This was the very microphone Ethan had handed me all those years ago.

"Well, well. Weren't you acting all tough back at the office, Scarlett?"

"Now you're standing here like a stray dog, reminiscing about the good old days?"

I turned around to find Ethan and Mia walking toward me, looking smug and triumphant.

They had apparently come to campus for a walk down memory lane—and maybe scout some cheap student talent while they were at it.

Mia tugged gently at Ethan's sleeve, putting on her sweetest voice.

"Scarlett must realize she made a mistake, Ethan. She's just too proud to admit it, so she came here hoping to run into you and make amends."

Mia stepped closer, looking at me with pity.

"Scarlett, you don't need to play games. If you want to come back, just say the word. I have plenty of openings on my team. I'll find a spot for you."

Ethan scoffed coldly. "A talentless hack wants to come back? Fine. Go buy two iced lattes for Mia and me right now, and maybe I'll consider forgiving you."

He wrapped his arm around Mia's waist, looking down his nose at me.

Without a word, I flicked the power switch on the vintage white microphone.

A deafening, high-pitched screech of feedback tore through the air.

Ethan winced in agony, clamping his hands over his ears. "Scarlett! What the hell are you doing?!"

"Are you trying to deafen me?! Turn that damn thing off!"

I let out a low laugh and tossed the microphone right into his chest.

"If you want coffee, send your side piece to fetch it."

Ignoring his furious curses, I turned around and walked away.