Chapter 2

Aldric was the founder of Cromwell LLP, the most elite law firm on Equinox Street.

It was well known that Equinox Street not only dominated the world of capital markets and investment banking but also represented the pinnacle of the Amerethian legal profession.

To be among the top firms on Equinox Street was, without question, to stand among the summit of the legal world.

Cromwell LLP had offices worldwide. It was no exaggeration to say the firm held a near-monopoly on cross-border mergers and acquisitions and private equity work in Amerethia.

Naturally, as the man who built it all from the ground up, Aldric's net worth now edged close to a hundred billion. Meanwhile, I was just one of thousands of practicing attorneys at his firm.

It was true that I stood by his side when he had nothing. But now, with his fame and fortune cemented, I, stagnant in life, was destined to be left behind.

"Even if I disappear, it'll probably be just another Tuesday to him."

Just as I prepared to sign my resignation letter, Aldric appeared behind me without warning. His gaze burned into me with intensity, but the resolute me remained unaffected for once.

Instead of losing myself in his eyes like I used to, I quietly flipped my resignation letter face down and looked up at him with calm indifference.

With a cool and clear voice, he asked, "What are you doing?"

My lips quivered slightly before they formed into a polite smile. "Nothing much. Just reading through a few contracts for project handovers."

His brows furrowed, but he didn't seem to notice anything strange.

Instead, he headed toward the private elevator that led directly to the CEO's penthouse office. "Come to my office, Ms. Walker."

All my colleagues in the office were in an uproar, considering I had been summoned to Aldric's office.

"Oh my gosh, it's Mr. Cromwell! I can't believe he's here at our office and even called Amelia to the office! What's going on?"

"Probably because Amelia, our Ms. Matrimony, was stationed outside the building in a wedding dress yesterday like a lunatic. It has to have affected our company's reputation somehow."

"I think so, too. Yesterday, Mr. Cromwell celebrated his girlfriend's birthday at Wondergrove Theme Park. Everyone was talking about how he was so rich and romantic.

"Then, out of nowhere, Amelia's news took the spotlight and even associated her with his name. If I were him, I would've been pissed as well."

"Mr. Cromwell is far too kind. If I were the CEO, I would've fired an average-performing, reputation-damaging employee a long time ago."

How ironic. I was Aldric's legal fiancée, yet he led the whole company to think I was a foolish, desperate bride-to-be who had no relationship with him.

Up at the CEO's penthouse office, Aldric looked at me with furrowed brows. "The butler said you were never home the whole night. Can't you be more sensible at your age?

"Just because I couldn't make time to pick you up didn't mean you couldn't have taken a cab and gone home."

I fought the urge to tear up and slowly shook my head. "There was a heavy pour, and many roads were severely flooded. It was too much of a hassle."

That was both a truth and an excuse on my part. More importantly, I had no plan on returning to our so-called home anymore. My mind was made, and I would leave for good this time.

Aldric, still clueless about everything, piped up after a momentary silence. "Right—I accept your confession yesterday."

As he spoke, he handed me an envelope. "There are still plenty of preparations to be made for the wedding. Tonight, we'll just go there."

I lowered my gaze and opened the envelope, pulling out a ticket to my favorite musical troupe at a front-row seat.

I knew he was trying to make amends. After some thought, I quietly accepted the ticket. It was what he owed me, anyway, and I had every right to claim it back.

My silence seemingly made Aldric nervous. His Adam's apple bobbed as if he wanted to say something.

Suddenly, the phone lying flat on his desk vibrated, breaking his train of thought. He didn't answer it before me, instead picking up the phone and quickly walking away.

In reality, I had already seen the caller ID when his screen first lit up—Honey.

Was that his latest girlfriend, Bianca?

When I left the company, I found Aldric's deputy and handed in my resignation. Mark Barton, the Deputy CEO of Cromwell LLP, was visibly surprised by my decision.

"Ms. Walker, did you make this decision because of what Mr. Cromwell said to you?"

I pursed my lips, suddenly finding it amusing.

Everyone, including Mark, assumed I had shown up in a wedding dress outside the company as some kind of performance art.

According to their assumption, Aldric scolded me, shattered my illusions, which led to my decision to quit.

They had no idea that I chose to leave because he had broken my heart.

Mark said nothing further. With a swift stroke of his pen, he approved my resignation.

As I stepped out of Cromwell LLP headquarters, I saw Aldric and Bianca. Right where I waited in vain yesterday, they were engaged in a passionate kiss.

Her sultry, swaying body grew softer in his arms, and his breath grew heavier at her kiss. At the height of their embrace, he boldly lifted her off the ground and carried her inside the building.

We brushed past each other without a word from me, but his eyes flashed a warning, as if telling me not to ruin his fun.

At that moment, I finally understood that heartbreak, when it lingered long enough, could turn into numbness.

That night, I arrived on time, with a ticket in hand, to watch the musical. The theater was packed to the brim, with only one seat conspicuously empty—Aldric's.

In the past, whenever he invited me, I would wait for him to arrive before entering the theater. This time, I refused to wait. I let myself sink into the performance, enjoying the show alone.

Aldric never showed, but I wasn't angry. Five years of misplaced trust had already drained every ounce of expectation I once had for him.

Still, I wondered if he had seen my resignation letter.

Well, that didn't matter anymore, did it? Nothing would change the fact that I was leaving, anyway.

After the concert, I didn't go home. Instead, I wandered along the waterfront. Though my phone kept ringing, I couldn't be bothered to answer.