LOGINThe night air was cold, but I did not care. My heart had not been still since she walked out of that office. I told myself to let her go, that I had already said enough. But the truth was simple. I could not.I left the hotel, still in the same clothes I had worn all day. The city was quiet, filled with lights and the sound of cars far away. My thoughts were louder than anything around me. Every step I took pulled me closer to her.I found myself standing in front of her apartment. The building was quiet, tall, and covered in soft light. I looked up and saw her balcony. She was sitting there, her knees pulled close, her hair falling over her shoulder. She looked small, fragile, but strong in the way she always had been.I walked up the stairs slowly. My chest felt tight, my palms warm. I did not know what I would say, but I knew what I needed to. When I reached her door, I knocked lightly.She turned, startled. When she saw me, she froze. For a long time, she did not move. Then she st
Ellie’s POVWhen I saw him standing in the lobby of the American branch, my whole body froze. For a moment, I thought I was dreaming. The light from the tall glass windows hit his face, and everything around me stopped moving. Adrian. Here.He was dressed in his usual calm style, dark suit, clean tie, sharp eyes. The kind of man who could walk into any room and make people turn. But for me, the air felt too heavy to breathe. My fingers gripped the folder I was holding so tightly that the edges bent.He looked right at me, and my stomach twisted. For a second, his eyes softened. Then his expression changed… that same distant look I used to hate.“Ellie,” he said simply.I nodded once, trying to look calm. “Sir.”He blinked, maybe surprised by the formality. “I didn’t know you were here.”I gave a small, forced smile. “Transfer. It was approved last month.”He nodded slowly, eyes never leaving me. “I’m here for business.”Of course he was. That’s what he wanted me to believe. But somet
The office has never felt this quiet.It has been a week since Ellie left, but her absence still fills every corner. I walk in every morning and feel it. The air is heavier. The light from the windows looks duller. Even the sound of the elevator seems slower, as if the whole building is mourning with me.People still greet me, still say good morning, but I barely respond. I hear their voices, but the words don’t reach me. I spend hours staring at reports, pretending to work, but my mind is somewhere else. Every document, every file, every meeting reminds me of her.Her laughter used to echo here. Her calm voice used to balance the noise of the day. Now, it’s gone, and everything feels wrong.Clara still
New York feels like another planet.The air is colder, the people move faster, and even the silence has a sound. I have only been here for a week, but it already feels like I have been living a different life for months. Every morning, I wake up before sunrise and watch the city lights fade as the sky turns pale. It should feel exciting. It should feel like a new beginning. But it doesn’t. It only feels quiet.Sometimes I wonder if peace can also hurt.My apartment is small but neat. The bed faces a tall window that shows part of the city skyline. At night, the lights from other buildings keep me company. I like to imagine that behind every glowing window, someone else is also trying to figure out how to start over.Work starts at eight. I leave early every day because I don’t want to be late, even though the office is only a few blocks away. I walk instead of taking a cab. The air bites my skin, but it helps clear my head. The streets are busy with people holding coffee cups, talking
The morning felt longer than usual.Maybe because I knew she was leaving.The office buzzed quietly, people moving about, papers shuffling, voices mixing into one low hum. I tried to keep my focus on the documents in front of me, but my eyes kept drifting to the glass door. Every sound, every soft footstep, made me look up.But it was never her.Ellie had not been to my office since yesterday. She was packing her things, getting ready for the transfer. I had signed the approval letter myself. I told myself it was for the best. That it was the right thing to do. But the truth was, it felt like signing away something I wasn’t ready to lose.I picked up my pen and forced myself to read the report again. Numbers. Projections. Deadlines. Everything that used to make sense now felt empty.She was the one person who had made this place feel alive. Her quiet presence, her soft voice when she said “good morning,” the way she tried to avoid my eyes but failed every time. I could almost hear her
The office felt heavier than usual this morning. The walls looked the same, the desks still lined in neat rows, but something inside me had changed.Adrian had not spoken to me in more than two weeks. He passed me in the hallway as if I were air. He joined meetings and never once looked in my direction. His silence had turned into a wall, and each day it grew higher.At first, I told myself I could handle it. I tried to lose myself in work, in reports, in emails. I tried to make it seem normal. But every hour that passed made me realize I was pretending. The more I tried to stay strong, the more it hurt.That morning I sat at my desk and stared at my computer screen for a long time. The numbers blurred until they stopped meaning anything. I felt tired, inside and out. It was not just about him anymore. It was about peace, and how far away it felt.So I opened a new document and started typing a letter. My hands shook a little.To the Human Resources Department,I am requesting a trans







