Chapter 5

"When I said we're breaking up, I meant it. We're done, Austin."

Austin froze. Slowly, he put the ring back in its box.

As he snapped the lid shut, the guilt on his face evaporated, replaced by his usual cold, indifferent mask.

"Sera, I said I'd get it fixed."

He looked at me like I was a toddler throwing a tantrum.

"Every time something minor happens, you threaten to break up and run away. It's getting really exhausting."

My breathing hitched.

Suddenly, I remembered the night of our project launch party. I had won the grand prize in the company raffle: a fully sponsored, week-long paid vacation.

I had been ecstatic.

I hadn't taken a day off in three months, and I hadn't seen my parents in two years.

But after I booked my flight and my parents took time off work to wait for my arrival, HR called me.

They told me my prize had already been claimed.

"Austin came by and redeemed it. He said he had your permission to transfer the vacation voucher to your department's new intern, Summer Reed."

When I confronted him with tear-filled eyes, Austin didn't even look up from his laptop.

"Oh, that. I must have written down the wrong name by mistake."

"Then go get it back!" I had screamed, grabbing his phone out of his hand.

But the screen was open to Summer's Instagram post.

[A fully paid vacation to a music festival! Best boss ever! Thank you, A~]

It was a slap to the face.

My hands shook as I held the screen up to him.

"An accident? You call this an accident?"

Austin didn't apologize. Instead, he blamed me with chilling coldness.

"The mistake was already made. I just maximized the utility."

"Giving incentives to subordinates builds my authority as a leader."

"Sera, you've been at this company long enough. Can you please start looking at the bigger picture?"

I was driven mad by his hypocritical corporate speak.

That was the first time I ever threatened to break up with him.

Even when he called me Summer a thousand times, I had never thought about leaving.

I stayed in a hotel for three days, but I didn't receive a single text of apology.

Eventually, I realized Austin only treated me this way because he knew how much I loved him.

He knew I would always forgive him.

He knew I had abandoned a stable job in my hometown and moved thousands of miles to this city just because he said he hated long-distance relationships.

The day I crawled back home, he had a smirk of victory on his face.

Taking my suitcase, he had said casually:

"Don't do that again. Be mature."

The Austin standing in front of me now looked exactly like he did that day.

But this time, I wasn't going to crawl back.

I repeated myself, clearer and firmer than ever.

"I am serious, Austin. We are over."

He slammed the door on his way out, leaving only a cold parting shot:

"You are completely unstable right now. Get some professional help and calm down!"

I didn't care where he went.

Summer's Instagram story popped up immediately.

[I always knew I was your first choice.]

In the photo, the proposal ring was back on her finger, fitting perfectly.

I liked the post.

I took one last look at the apartment I had lovingly decorated piece by piece, and quietly shut the door behind me.

The next morning at work, the two of them walked in together.

The office erupted in congratulations.

I ignored the noise, keeping my head down to work on my transition files.

Since joining this company, I had closed deals worth over a hundred million dollars.

Next week, I was scheduled to be promoted to Sales Director, which meant I would lead my own department and would no longer have to work under Austin.

Carrying my files, I stood up and ran right into Austin.