The phone rang incessantly. I watched the name “Julian Winthorpe” flash repeatedly on the screen, but I never pressed the answer button. The screen displayed his relentless messages, asking frantically about my mother’s whereabouts, where she had gone, and where I was, why I wasn’t answering. I looked at the content of the messages, my fingers trembling slightly, a mix of emotions swirling inside me. He was finally remembering to care about my mother and me, but for me, it all meant nothing now.
I looked at the flashing name on my phone screen, and finally, I turned it off. I had been out of work for a while. These past few days, I had cut off all contact and all sounds from the outside world, hiding myself in a corner of this city. Since my mother passed away, I hadn’t rested properly. I felt so tired, my eyelids too heavy to lift. All I wanted to do was sleep.
I tried to clear my thoughts, to find a way to start anew. But reality felt like an impenetrable net, binding me tightly, making it impo- ssible to breathe. Julian Winthorpe, that name that was once the most beautiful thing in my life, had now become my deepest nightmare. I never imagined that the person I had loved for so long, the person for whom I had sacrificed so much, had been meti- culously planning a grand deception from the very beginning of our relationship. I had known Julian when he was just starting out, full of youthful ambition. And I was just a fresh graduate, full of dreams and aspirations for the future. I gave him everything I had.
But what I never expected was that he had never trusted me, that for all these years, he had been testing me. How foolish I was, working tirelessly with my mother, saving every penny to pay off his debts, only to end up like this. My tears had almost run dry. I once thought we would continue on together forever. But now, I realized how terribly wrong I had been.
Julian was always busy. I used to believe his busyness was all for our future, so even if I didn’t see him for long periods, I never
cared. Until that day I overheard his conversation with Olivia Reed.
This world is truly laughable, isn’t it? Compared to his deception, I almost wished our relationship had ended in a brutal, full–blown
betrayal. But facts don’t change with my mood. I genuinely couldn’t accept it. Therefore, in the end, I chose to leave. I chose to step
out of this world filled with lies and betrayal. I handed in my resignation, telling no one, including Julian. I just wanted to escape,
escape this place that had broken my heart, and this man who had caused me such unbearable pain.
But what I didn’t know was that in the days since I left, other places wère experiencing the turmoil Julian was creating. Because he
couldn’t find me, Julian began asking company employees about my whereabouts. The first person he sought was the company’s
Deputy CEO, the one responsible for important personnel transfers. I had deliberately concealed my departure, and the Deputy CEO
didn’t know I was doing all of this behind Julian’s back. So when Julian came looking, he was completely terrified, speaking with
extreme caution, afraid of angering Julian.
“Mr. Winthorpe, Lila July has already resigned. Didn’t you have other arrangements for her?”
6
