Chapter 3

"Jacob, what you said in there... Lena must be angry." It was Chloe's voice.

"What does she have to be mad about?" Jacob let out a soft laugh. "She's just too rigid. I bet she'll come to me with the revised and apologize within half a day."

"You really know she'll never leave you." Chloe's voice was playful and teasing.

"It was just a joke between friends," Jacob replied casually.

I stood behind the door with my cup of water in hand. I didn't push the door open. I didn't storm in and demand an explanation. I simply turned around and walked back to my desk.

…

After work, I stopped Jacob in the underground parking garage.

"We need to talk."

Jacob was about to open his car door. Chloe was already sitting in the passenger seat.

"About what? Did you fix the ?" He glanced at his watch. "I've got to take Chloe to the hospital for a follow-up. She caught a bit of a cold after getting soaked that day."

I looked him in the eyes, my voice quiet but steady. "Let's break up."

Jacob's hand froze on the car door. He turned and looked me up and down.

"Lena, what are you making a fuss again about now?" Irritation filled his voice. "Is this because I didn't let you go out into the field today? Can you stop mixing work with our relationship? You're always making trouble for yourself."

I stared at him. "I'm not making a fuss."

"Enough," he cut me off and opened the driver's door. "I don't have time to humor you right now. Calm down."

I watched the exhaust fumes drift across the ground as his car pulled away.

I remembered the day we graduated from college. Beneath the plane trees, the sunlight was blazing.

Jacob had worn a white shirt, his press badge around his neck, when he reached out his hand to me. "Come work the front lines with me. We'll win the biggest award."

Because of those words, I'd turned down an offer from the documentary division.

I'd devoted all my time to practicing broadcast delivery and studying emergency-response knowledge.

Every time we went out on assignment, I'd checked his equipment three times.

I'd thought we were fighting side by side. Instead, I'd spent all these years being compared to Chloe.

He said I wasn't adaptable enough. He said I didn't know how to play the social game.

I took off the press badge around my neck and slipped it into my bag.

For the first time, I decided to live for myself.

...

I submitted my resignation to the station and began my one-week handover period.

Dale Davis, one of our senior cameramen, came over to my desk.

"Lena, Jacob took Chloe to that evacuation center you scouted before." He lowered his voice, clearly angry on my behalf. "He didn't even tell you. He just stole your story assignment."

My fingers paused over the keyboard.

The situation at that evacuation center was complicated. Several elderly people who lived alone were extremely resistant to appearing on camera. It had taken me an entire month to slowly earn their trust.

"Let him." I continued organizing my handover documents.

Dale sighed. "I'm just pissed off for you. You pulled so many all-nighters over that story."

…

That afternoon, the station's internal group chat suddenly erupted.

Something had gone wrong at the evacuation center.

During an interview with an elderly man who had lost his grandson, Chloe had repeatedly pressed him for details in an attempt to make the story more emotional.

The man became overwhelmed and collapsed on the spot. His family members and other displaced residents surrounded the news van.

I immediately grabbed my coat and ran outside.

Even though I was leaving soon, I couldn't stand by and watch those disaster victims suffer a second time.

When I arrived at the evacuation center, the scene was in complete chaos.

Jacob kept Chloe firmly behind him, shielding her from the furious crowd.

"Everyone, please calm down! There was a problem during the handover!" Jacob shouted at the angry family members.

I pushed my way through the crowd.

The moment Jacob saw me, his expression darkened. He strode toward me and immediately laid into me.

"Lena, how did you handle the handover?"