Chapter 5

I shook my head and finally said the words that had been buried deep in my heart.

"Let's break up, Natalie."

Her eyes widened. She stared at me in disbelief, and her lips trembled, but she couldn't manage a single word.

A flash of delight lit up in Erik's eyes right before he jumped in to scold me.

"Robert, you can't break up with Nat just because she and I are close. Nat really loves you. Every time she saw something interesting on our honeymoon, her first thought was to get it for you!"

Even now, he couldn't resist bringing up their honeymoon just to rub salt in my wounds. He truly was disgusting.

With someone backing her up, Natalie snapped out of her shock and grew even more furious. She planted her hands on her hips and scoffed coldly.

"You seriously don't know when to stop, do you, Robert? Do you think you've got me wrapped around your finger? You want to break up? Do you even have the right to break up with me?

"For the past ten years, you've lived off of my dime and worked at a job I got for you. What more could you possibly want?"

The long tirade poured out of her without so much as a pause, as if she'd rehearsed it long ago.

So she had actually been this deeply unimpressed with me all along, feeling like she was the one who had contributed the most to the relationship.

If this were before, I might've argued back, debating who had actually given up more for this relationship.

But now, looking at how furious she was, I suddenly chuckled. "Thank you."

Natalie's anger immediately ebbed, replaced by sheer confusion.

"For what?"

The corners of my lips remained curved as I calmly replied, "Thank you for showing me that, in your eyes, I'm nothing but a useless freeloader."

With that, I carried my empty plate and fork into the kitchen, turned on the faucet, and washed them clean.

When I stepped out again, Natalie was still standing in the same spot, completely motionless.

Erik handed her a glass of warm water mixed with honey.

"Nat, drink some of this," he said in a low voice. "It'll help with the hangover. You used to love it."

For once, Natalie barely paid attention to him as she set the glass down on the table.

Her face flushed a deep red. After a long moment, she finally said quietly, "That's not what I meant…"

I ignored her, grabbed the suitcase I'd already packed, and walked out the front door. I had only just stepped outside when a glass was smashed violently against the doorframe behind me, shattering on impact.

Sticky honey water splashed all over me.

Then, another small box was flung to the ground next to me.

Two ceramic rings tumbled out. I stared at the rings by my feet, somewhat bewildered.

Behind me, Natalie sounded utterly aggrieved as she shrieked, "I made those rings specifically for you while I was abroad! I was thinking about you the whole time! Why are you being so unreasonable, Robert? You're even going to run away from home?"

But I just found it laughably absurd. I seriously had no idea what was going through her head.

The inside of the bands was engraved with Natalie and Erik's initials. They were clearly matching couple's rings for the two of them. And yet she actually had the nerve to say she'd made them specifically for me.

I started walking again, pulling my suitcase behind me to find a random hotel to crash for the night. I was leaving this city the next day anyway.

…

The next morning, after washing up, I headed into the office.

To my surprise, the moment I stepped through the doors, a chorus of loud praise hit my ears.

"Wow! Ms. Crenshaw, Mr. Cuoco, you two look so perfect together! And you're wearing matching outfits too! I'm swooning!"

"Ms. Crenshaw, Mr. Cuoco, I ship you two together as well! Can I please get a picture?"

Natalie and Erik stood arm in arm in the middle of the office, basking in everyone's attention. Meanwhile, Paul stood beside them, nodding and smiling ingratiatingly.

As it turned out, they were the people Paul had mentioned were coming in from headquarters.

Catching sight of me, Paul introduced them.

"Robert, this is Ms. Crenshaw, our CEO from headquarters, and this is Mr. Cuoco, our vice president. They're here to inspect our overseas assignments."

Natalie deliberately turned her head away from me, refusing to look at me. The smile that had been on her lips earlier flattened into a cold, indifferent line.

"Who's being transferred this time?" she asked flatly.

Paul pointed at me and two other colleagues.

"These three," he answered with a smile.

Instantly, Natalie's expression froze, and her eyes darkened with shadows.