Chapter 2

Andrew's POV

My finger hovered over the "send" button for a long time, while memories replayed one after another in my mind.

With her arms around my waist, Hayley had promised she'd fly me all over the world. I rested my chin on top of her head, smiling along with her.

But Hayley had forgotten something—I was afraid of heights.

Ever since I fell down a flight of stairs during my senior year of high school, I'd never been able to lean over railings while joking around with them again.

I stopped hesitating and hit send, just like the tens of thousands of instructions I'd issued from the control tower over the past five years. Only this time, I was giving permission for the plane called Hayley Clark, a plane that had never landed for me, to fly far away.

The next day, I stepped out of the control tower. After staring at radar screens for two straight hours, my eyes burned.

Since yesterday, I hadn't received a single message from either Hayley or Dylan. My WhatsApp might as well have been uninstalled.

Thinking back to how anxious and restless I'd felt after sending the breakup message, I suddenly found myself ridiculous.

See? Nobody cared.

The moment I walked into the break room, someone sneaked up on me from behind. "Andrew!"

Dylan wrapped an arm around my shoulders, his handsome face carrying his effortless charm.

Back in high school, Dylan had been the golden boy. He had good grades and was popular with everyone.

Being friends with him meant always having someone to play basketball with. Sometimes, one would even get free drinks from girls who'd bought them for him. Even when jealous guys who liked Hayley made fun of me for being a suck-up, I'd still thought Dylan was a great friend.

Seeing me in a daze, Dylan patted my shoulder. "You look exhausted. Were you covering somebody else's shift again? How many times have I told you? Stop being such a pushover. You need to stand up for yourself!"

Yeah. I needed to stand up for myself. So, I pushed him away.

"I'm tired, Dylan. Can you leave?"

He froze for a moment before his expression shifted into understanding. He said, "Don't be mad. Hayley asked me to explain everything."

I was stunned. Even after I'd broken up with Hayley, she still couldn't be bothered to come talk to me herself?

"What's wrong with you today? Hayley didn't mean to stay out all night yesterday. Just forgive her."

Dylan casually leaned against my bed and drank my glass of water as if it belonged to him.

I blinked in confusion. So, this wasn't about the breakup? Or had Hayley never even read my message?

"I thought you were working overtime yesterday, so I didn't invite you. A new bar opened across town. Couples get 50% off! I drank too much. Hayley was worried, so she sent me home."

He slapped my shoulder playfully. "You know me. Once I'm drunk, I don't remember a thing. Otherwise, I definitely would've reminded her to go home!"

So, that was their important meeting—a night at a bar. I almost laughed.

"I'm not angry. I was working overnight in the tower last night. I didn't go home." I looked at Dylan, an overwhelming exhaustion washing over me. "I really am tired. Stop telling me about whatever goes on between you and Hayley."

Dylan looked surprised, as though he had never seen me act this cold before.

"Okay. Get some rest, then."

At last, the break room was quiet.

I lay down on the bed, expecting to spend hours tossing and turning. But to my surprise, I fell asleep almost instantly.

I was woken by a loud commotion outside. Then, a coworker rushed in. "Andrew, get up! You've got to see this!"

Still groggy, I followed him outside.

Near the arrival gate, three people were arguing.

"Our flight attendants are professionals. They would never violate company policy by contacting passengers privately, and they certainly would not harass anyone."

It was Hayley. She stood between Dylan and a woman, her expression stern. When she spotted me, her eyes lit up. But Dylan's shaky voice quickly pulled her attention back.

The woman barked, "Bullshit! This flight attendant deliberately spilled orange juice all over me, then kept wiping me down. If that's not harassment, then what is? I'm a Platinum member with your airline. Don't make me file a complaint."

"It was an accident, ma'am. I'm sorry. Please don't file a complaint against our crew."

Dylan's face was flushed with humiliation as he clenched his fists tightly.

Hayley frowned slightly. She looked at Dylan, then at me, her eyes filled with confliction.

The woman snorted coldly. "I demand a proper response from your airline. Kneel down and apologize to me. Then, I'll let it go."

"That's enough!" Hayley's voice cracked through the air as she pulled Dylan behind her protectively.

Then, she reached into her pocket and took out a ring. In front of everyone, she decisively slipped the ring onto Dylan's ring finger.

"No!" Dylan protested quietly. "That's supposed to be for your proposal to Andrew!"

"Right now, you're what's important!"

Those were the words I heard Hayley say before she gave me one final glance, as though making a firm decision.

"Dylan Humphrey is my fiance. He already has someone he loves. I'm sure he wouldn't harass you. Isn't that right?"

I released my coworker's arm, then turned to walk away. "Let's go. There's nothing to see."

On the way back, I opened the company system and submitted my resignation.

"Your resignation will be processed in seven business days."