Chapter 2

"Alice transfers to the business division tomorrow. She needs results to establish credibility. The wetland park proposal is already mature—let her cut her teeth on it."

I gripped the folder in my hands so hard my knuckles went white, rage surging straight to my brain.

"I spent six months leading a team to land that project, and you're handing it to her to *cut her teeth on*?"

"This is a strategic company decision." Jason's voice didn't waver.

I let out a cold laugh. "Is this the board's strategic decision, or your personal decision to prop her up?"

"Wendy, everyone was new to the workforce once. Don't be so selfish. Get it ready—one week for the handoff."

"And if I refuse?"

"Either hand over the project or leave the company. Your choice."

Looking at that cold, merciless face, a scene from years ago flashed through my mind.

Back when an executive at a partner firm made a mistake, they'd called me to shift the blame—screaming at me over the phone for more than an hour.

When Jason found out, he was so furious he wanted to rip up the contract and confront them. I was the one who stopped him.

I'd cried and told him: if we terminate now, then that hour of humiliation I endured would have been for nothing.

Jason had grabbed my hand and run with me to the nearest church, where he promised before God that he would never let me suffer again.

Now every ounce of suffering in my life came directly from him.

Alice timidly reached out and tugged at Jason's sleeve, her expression innocent and wide-eyed.

"Jason, if Wendy doesn't want to, just forget it… Don't fight because of me…"

Jason's voice turned gentle. "When I make a promise, I keep it."

I'd originally planned to stay until the project was fully delivered before resigning. Clearly, there was no point in waiting.

I swallowed the nausea rising in my chest. "My resignation letter will go straight to your inbox. But until my last day, I'm not handing over anything to her. After I'm gone, the project is no longer my concern. Do whatever you want with it."

With that, I shouldered past him and walked out of the office.

I downloaded the resignation form, filled it out, and sent it to the CEO's email.

Half an hour later, Alice appeared at my desk holding an approved termination slip.

"Wendy, here's your termination form—Jason already signed it. Could you please transfer the wetland park project's underlying data to me?"

I pushed the hard drive and stack of printed materials I'd already organized across the desk. "It's all here."

Alice smiled as she gathered the core files into her arms, eyes glittering with triumph. "Oh, Wendy, I'm about to fly to Switzerland with Jason on his private jet for a business trip, so I won't bother you any longer. Thanks for the project."

Shortly after she left, a text from Jason popped up.

*While I'm away on this trip, book the hotel for the wedding. When I get back from Switzerland, I'll officially announce our relationship at the celebration dinner.*

Even now, he was absolutely certain I wouldn't leave.

Convinced that no matter how much he trampled my dignity, I'd keep orbiting him like a loyal dog.

But he was wrong.

I didn't bother replying. I blocked his number and started packing my things.

That evening, Leon drove me to the apartment building. After confirming multiple times that I didn't need help, he drove away.

The apartment sat in the most prime location in Manhattan.

Jason had bought it after his first big payday as an entrepreneur. As a gesture of his love, the deed was in my name alone.

Memories flooded in like a tide as I packed.

The kitchen dishes—we'd picked them out together, jostling through a crowded flea market. The oil painting in the living room—a master's original he'd bid on during a business trip to Tokyo, just because I'd once mentioned in passing that I liked it. Those clay figurines on the TV stand—we'd spent an entire afternoon at a pottery studio making them for our anniversary.

I threw them all in the trash. Every last ounce of love I'd ever felt for Jason, discarded along with them.

Two days. That was how long it took to completely empty the apartment.

Jason's belongings filled two oversized storage bins. I scheduled a DPD same-day delivery, with the shipping address set to his office.

When it was done, I sat on the living room sofa.

Outside the window, the lake shimmered in the fading light. Inside, the only traces left were the faint impressions on the carpet where furniture used to stand.

A shame. But not worth mourning.

I scrolled through my phone contacts and called the city's largest real estate agency. I listed the apartment for sale.