Chapter 2

The after-party wrapped up around midnight.

I stood at the hotel entrance waiting for my ride, the cold night breeze hitting my face.

My phone buzzed. It was a text from Vincent.

"Heading back to the office with Bree. There's an issue with the server architecture that we need to optimize right away. Grab an Uber home."

I stared at the words for a long time.

No asking if I needed a ride. No warmth.

Just a cold work update.

I replied with a simple "Okay," put my phone away, and got into the Uber that pulled up.

When I got back to our shared apartment, it was pitch black.

I didn't turn on the lights. I just sat on the couch in the dark for a long time.

Every single piece of furniture in this apartment had been chosen by both of us.

Our college photo was still hanging on the wall, showing us laughing brightly.

But now, I was the only one left.

I opened my phone and habitually scrolled through Instagram.

A trending post popped up.

Genius Programmer Couple Keyboards

I clicked on it.

It was a photo of two hands—one with sharp, masculine knuckles, and the other slender and pale—resting on two identical mechanical keyboards.

The keyboards were a limited-edition run from a top-tier brand. Vincent and I each had one.

But the other hand in the photo wasn't mine.

The caption read: "Overtime coding at the office. Working with my intellectual soulmate makes all the exhaustion disappear. #HeartbeatEchoRelease"

The poster was Bree.

The background of the photo showed our company’s iconic floor-to-ceiling windows and the city's sparkling night skyline.

The comment section was already blowing up.

"Omg, is that Vincent's hand? Who's the other one? His girlfriend Chloe?"

"Duh, Chloe's hands don't look that young. That's obviously Bree, the new genius girl!"

"So, the launch event was just for show, and this is the real deal?"

"I’ve always said tech guys need to be with tech girls to actually have something to talk about."

I stared at the comments, my fingers clenching into fists until my nails dug deep into my palms.

So, they weren't optimizing server architecture.

They were enjoying their private world as "intellectual soulmates."

And I, his official girlfriend, was sitting here looking like a complete fool.

I stood up, walked into the study, and opened my laptop.

The screen lit up, reflecting my pale face.

I didn't cry. I didn't even feel angry. My mind was terrifyingly calm.

I found our co-founder’s contact info and sent him an email.

Subject: Resignation.

The body of the email was only one sentence: "Due to personal reasons, I am resigning from my position as Creative Director of "Heartbeat Echo", effective immediately."

After hitting send, I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes.

My mind drifted back to five years ago.

I had just graduated and already had a lucrative offer from Moonlight Games, a famous international studio.

But Vincent had grabbed my hand, his eyes shining like stars.

He had said, "Chloe, don't go. Stay and help me. Let's build our own game together—one that will make the whole world's heart beat."

Looking at his dream-filled eyes, I chose to stay.

I gave up a smooth career path and accompanied him, starting from a tiny three-person workshop to get to where we are today.

We made it.

Our game was about to be a massive success, and the company was heading toward an IPO.

But the man who promised to create a heartbeat with me... his heart no longer beat for me.