Chapter 4

The living room fell into a dead silence.

I looked around the apartment.

I chose the sofa.

The dying pothos plant in the corner of the bookshelf was one I had bought.

Every single corner of this place had my touch.

My voice was barely a whisper.

"I'll move out in a couple of days. If you don't want my things, just throw them away. I’ll pack up quietly. I won't bother you."

Julian spun around, a complicated expression on his face that I couldn't quite read.

"Maya, how can you be so heartless?"

He took a step toward me.

"Six years. Six years of a relationship, and you're just throwing it away like trash?"

"Just because of my illness? Am I just some broken toy to you that you can discard whenever you feel like it?"

His eyes grew dark with resentment.

"You're tired of me, is that it? But have you ever thought about how I’m supposed to handle this if you just selfishly walk away?"

My mouth opened, but the words died in my throat.

He used to promise me he would change.

That he would slowly work on his controlling habits.

But when did it happen?

When did all his patience and gentleness go to Chloe...

While he used his rigid ruler to measure my every breath?

Had I not done enough?

He didn't wait for my answer.

He turned on his heel and slammed the door to the master bedroom.

I stood in the silence.

After a long time, I walked into the guest room.

Over the years, this room had practically become my primary bedroom anyway.

A minute late? Silent treatment.

A file submitted late? Sleeping in separate rooms.

Answering back? "Go to the guest room and think about what you did," he would say.

Every single time, I was the one walking through this door.

The next morning, I woke up early.

I arrived at the office before the sun was even up.

I pulled out my presentation slides and double-checked every single data point.

I polished the logic over and over again.

This promotion was incredibly important to my career.

I don't know how long I worked, but suddenly, a high-pitched giggle broke my concentration.

I turned around.

Chloe was throwing her arms around Julian, her eyes curved into crescents.

"Julian! Thank you so much! I promise I’ll do amazing on this presentation!"

She was holding my slides in her hand.

The entire office fell silent, everyone’s eyes shifting between me and Chloe.

Julian stood in the center of the room, throwing a cold, indifferent glance my way.

In that instant, I understood.

He hadn't forgotten about my promotion, nor had he made a mistake.

He was punishing me.

He was forcing me to submit, forcing me to take back the breakup.

Penny hurried over to my desk, looking like she wanted to scream on my behalf.

I shook my head, stopping her.

I quietly stacked my papers, stood up, and walked straight into the senior director's office.

"Mr. Vance, I’d like to accept the transfer to the San Diego branch."

Mr. Vance raised his head, his pen halting.

"And... does Julian agree to this?"

"This is my career, Mr. Vance. I don't need his permission."

When I walked out with the signed transfer form, Julian was waiting for me at the end of the hallway.

The moment he saw me, his usual lecture started:

"You don't need to complain to Vance."

"I gave the project to Chloe because she's a better fit than you. You're always late, Maya. This is on you."

I looked at him, walked right past him, and didn't say a single word.

I went back to the apartment and started packing.

At the very back of the drawer, I found the simple silver band.

I picked it up.

Julian had given it to me years ago.

Back then, he said, “Give me three more years to build the company, and I’ll marry you properly.”

But three years turned into six.

And I couldn't wait anymore.

I placed the ring on the coffee table.

I closed the door behind me.

And boarded a one-way flight to San Diego.

That night, Julian unlocked the door to the apartment.

The moment he stepped into the entryway, his sharp instincts told him something was wrong.

The place felt empty.

His eyes scanned the room and locked onto the silver band on the coffee table.

Frowning, he pulled out his phone and typed:

Where are you? It's late.

But when he hit send, a red exclamation point popped up.

Only then did he realize that Maya had blocked him on everything.