Chapter 3

Leaving the reception, I submitted my resignation letter to the company.

The HR manager replied instantly.

"Are you sure about this, Chloe? Do you need us to inform Mr. Sterling?"

"No need to tell him."

The HR manager didn't push further.

"Alright. It's late. Please come to the office tomorrow morning to hand in your official paperwork."

After confirming, I went home to pack.

My phone buzzed.

On Snapchat, in the group chat named "Natalie's Recovery Project," Clara tagged me.

"Chloe, did you throw a tantrum and leave again?"

"Natalie was so looking forward to this wedding with Ethan. We couldn't bear to let her down, so we planned a mock wedding for her."

"We were worried you'd be upset, so we didn't tell you the truth."

Tyler chimed in with his usual mocking tone.

"Yeah, Chloe. Natalie lost her memory saving your life. Don't be so petty all the time."

Ethan sent only a few short words.

"Be good. I'll throw you an even bigger wedding next time."

Promises like this... I had heard them a thousand times.

On the day of the pre-wedding trip, Ethan said he would take me somewhere farther next time.

On the day I gave up the house, Ethan said he would buy me a more expensive one next time.

I waited and waited, only to receive broken promises time and time again.

This time, I was done waiting.

With a swipe of my finger, I left the group chat.

Then, I turned back to my packing.

Under my pillow, I found a journal.

It was the love diary Ethan had written for me.

The day Natalie moved into our house,

worried she would feel uncomfortable, the three of them threw away our couple photos and our customized couple ornaments.

They erased every single trace of my history with Ethan.

Only this journal had been secretly hidden by me.

It had been my only comfort through countless sleepless nights, helping me survive the pain.

But from now on, I didn't need it anymore.

I tossed the journal into the trash.

I turned around,

only to notice that the roses I had planted on the balcony had been replaced with sunflowers—Natalie's favorite.

The once-minimalist walls were now covered in her cute stickers.

Without me realizing it, Natalie had slowly filled every corner of my home, erasing me piece by piece.

After packing for hours, I realized my belongings

couldn't even fill half a suitcase.

I laughed bitterly. Before I could zip my suitcase,

the front door swung open.

The four of them walked in.

Natalie was barefoot, clinging to Ethan's back.

Clara carried her shoes, while Tyler held the train of her wedding gown.

Seeing me, their laughter froze instantly.

Ethan gently put Natalie down, instinctively trying to explain.

"Chloe, Natalie had too much to drink because she was happy. I had to carry her back."

A drunken Natalie looked up, her tone annoyed.

"Hey! Ethan, I'm your wife! Why are you so worried about what she thinks?"

With that, she reached up to pinch his ear.

But her legs gave out, and she fell right back into his arms.

Ethan let out a helpless chuckle.

"Alright, alright, my little drunkard. You're right, okay?"

Natalie huffed, pointing a finger at me.

"Chloe, you've been living in our house for months. Now that Ethan and I are married, it's not convenient. You should move out."

How hilarious.

Ethan and I had bought this house three years ago.

I had personally chosen every single piece of furniture.

And yet, after living here for just a few months, she acted like she owned the place.

Seeing my cold expression,

Clara quickly tried to smooth things over.

"Natalie, finding an apartment is hard right now. Chloe is great at keeping things tidy. Just think of her as a live-in housekeeper."

Tyler nodded in agreement.

"Exactly. You newlyweds will be busy. It's perfect to have her do the chores, right, Chloe?"

Ethan shot me a warning look.

He was telling me not to say anything I shouldn't.

Everyone stared at me, waiting for me to force a smile and agree, just like I always did.

But this time, I only let out a soft chuckle.

"No need to go to all that trouble. I'm leaving right now."

With that, I grabbed my suitcase and walked toward the door.

The three of them froze in shock.

Ethan instinctively reached out to grab my arm.

Behind him, Natalie suddenly gagged.

Ethan panicked, turning around to rush her to the bathroom.

Clara and Tyler hurried after them.

One patted her back, one handed her tissues, and the other started making a hangover soup.

Once again, I was left standing there—the invisible fifth wheel.

I smiled bitterly,

picked up my suitcase, and walked out without looking back.