Chapter 3

The location was so prime that the agent called back almost immediately—a buyer was ready to purchase.

On the way to sign the agreement, my phone rang. An unmarked number. I answered.

"Wendy! Blocking all my contacts is one thing, but packing up every single one of my personal belongings and shipping them to my office! What the hell are you trying to do?!"

"All I did was give the project to Alice! Is that really worth losing your mind over?!"

"Does bullying a new hire make you feel superior? Does it make you feel important?!"

"If you can't even show that much generosity, I think we need to seriously reconsider this marriage!"

First he'd used breakups to threaten me. Now he was using marriage as leverage.

He was simply used to my compliance—certain that I'd never marry anyone but him.

My voice was ice. "I've officially resigned. Who you give that project to is none of my business."

"And as for marriage—you don't need to reconsider. It's off the table."

Jason's voice turned sharp. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Before I could respond, a saccharine female voice drifted through from his end:

"I forgot to grab a towel… Could you maybe… bring one in for me?"

Then came the grating screech of a chair scraping against the floor.

"Something just came up on my end. We'll talk about the marriage when I'm back in the country—"

I hung up before he could finish, blocked the number, and dropped the phone in my lap.

It buzzed a moment later. A text from Leon.

*What time will you be done? I made dinner. I'll be waiting for you at home.*

The word *home* dispelled the chill in my chest instantly.

After replying to Leon, the taxi pulled to a smooth stop at its destination.

The buyer was decisive. After thoroughly reviewing the property title, he signed the purchase agreement on the spot and wired the full amount.

"Ms. Wendy, pleasure doing business. I'll see you at the title office tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow."

Leon's steak was perfectly seared—tender, paired with rum sauce, rich and savory.

I set down my knife and absent-mindedly tapped into my former company's group chat on my phone.

My offboarding paperwork was still being finalized, so I hadn't been removed yet.

An employee on annual leave had been vacationing in the Alps. While staying at a luxury hotel at the base of the mountains, she'd bumped into Jason and Alice.

She'd snapped a photo of the two of them together and accidentally posted it to the main work group.

Though she deleted it within seconds, the image had already been screenshotted and saved by countless employees.

In the photo, Alice wore a striking red puffer jacket, beaming against the snowy mountain backdrop. Jason stood a few steps behind her in a tailored overcoat, his gaze fixed on the young woman—tender, devoted, as if she were his entire world.

The last time he'd looked at me that way was years ago.

Jason quickly posted a clarification in the group:

*The photo is misleading due to the angle. After this business trip wrapped up, I took a subordinate along to unwind as a team-building gesture. Please don't spread malicious rumors—it could seriously damage a new employee's professional reputation.*

I found it deeply ironic.

Years ago, when a colleague spotted me getting into his car late at night, rumors spread through the company that I'd slept my way to Business Director. He wouldn't offer a single word in my defense.

But for Alice, he rushed to explain, terrified she might suffer even the slightest grievance.

I closed the app without expression and accepted the glass of warm milk Leon handed me before bed.

---

At that moment, in the luxury hotel suite in Switzerland.

Jason stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows, staring at his phone with furrowed brows.

In the past, the moment Wendy saw a photo like this, she would have called him in a frenzy, demanding answers.

Had she not seen it?

Or… had she truly stopped caring?

The thought, combined with Wendy's uncharacteristic coldness these past few days, sent a sharp stab through his chest.

But he quickly talked himself down.

Impossible. Wendy had loved him for eight years. Loved him more than her own life. She was just putting on a cold front, waiting for him to come groveling.

…

The next morning, Leon drove me to the title office.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come in with you?" He undid his seatbelt and turned to me, his voice gentle.

I smiled. "It's just signing a few documents. I can handle it. Go on to your meeting."

"All right. Call me if you need anything."

I stepped out, watched Leon's car disappear into traffic, then turned and walked toward the lobby.