Chapter 3

Joseph's POV

We bought this apartment during our third year together. I oversaw the entire renovation myself, pouring my heart and soul into every corner, filling it with the future I had once envisioned for us.

But now, all that warmth was gone, leaving behind nothing but hollow disappointment.

I opened the closet, took out my clothes, folded them one by one, and packed them neatly into the suitcase I had prepared earlier.

Then I moved to the study, gathered only my essential documents, and left everything else untouched.

Once everything was packed, I called a courier to ship the suitcases to the apartment I had already rented.

When it was finally done, I sat on the couch, staring blankly ahead—until my phone suddenly buzzed twice.

A notification popped up.

Kaiden, whom I had once marked as a priority contact, had posted an update.

"Working overtime and starving, but someone cooked me a midnight snack. Pure bliss."

The attached photo showed a kitchen.

A slender woman in a designer suit, but wearing a teddy bear apron over it, stood at the stove with her back to the camera.

Even without seeing her face, her relaxed posture was unmistakable. It was a side of Whitney that stood in stark contrast to the coldness she always showed me.

In the past, whenever Kaiden threw these petty provocations at me, I would lose my composure and demand an explanation from Whitney.

But now, I simply tapped the screen, liked the post, and blocked them both.

…

Not long after, there was a knock at the door. It was a delivery for me.

I opened it to find a pristine white wedding invitation with intricate gold foil detailing.

At the same time, a message from Clara Jensen popped up on my phone.

She was the daughter of an old family friend, introduced to me by our parents. She was grounded and dependable.

Three days ago, when I brought up setting a wedding date, she agreed without hesitation.

"Joseph, did you get the invitation? It's the design you picked out. Take a look at the sample and see if it's what you envisioned."

I was taken aback. I hadn't expected her to be so efficient and thorough. This sense of mutual effort—of tackling things together—was something I had never felt with Whitney.

I snapped out of my thoughts and texted Clara back a quick "yes".

Then I looked down at the date printed on the invitation again.

Three days left. That was more than enough time.

…

Early the next morning, I went to the office, wanting to wrap up my remaining projects.

The moment I walked into the bullpen, I caught hushed whispers nearby.

"Did you guys see Kaiden's post last night? Ms. Pearson personally made him a midnight snack."

"The whole office is talking about it, and Ms. Pearson didn't even try to deny it. She's basically making it official."

"Honestly, I think Kaiden and Ms. Pearson make a great couple. They look so good together."

I froze for a second. In the past, Whitney had always insisted that office romances were bad for business, which was why we had kept our relationship a secret. So now, she just didn't care anymore?

When a few colleagues spotted me, their conversation ground to a sudden halt, their faces flushing with panic and awkwardness.

Before Kaiden came along, everyone knew that Whitney and I had co-founded the company right after college, and they used to ship us.

Understanding their discomfort, I offered a reassuring smile to ease their concerns. "Don't worry about it. They really do look great together."

No sooner had the words left my mouth than a furious voice boomed from behind me.

"Joseph Gibson!"

Whitney stormed over, radiating a chilling aura, her face grim as her gaze swept across the surrounding coworkers.

Everyone instantly ducked their heads, not daring to make a sound.

"In my office. Now."

She turned and marched into her office, and I followed her in.

Once the door shut, Whitney spun around and stared at me in silence for a long, tense moment.

"What was that 'like' you left on Kaiden's post last night supposed to mean? And why the hell did you block me?"

I leaned against the door, looking completely unbothered. "The 'like' was a sincere blessing. As for blocking you—we broke up, so there's no reason to keep each other's contact info anymore."