Chapter 3

On my last day, Maya stopped me by the break room.

I didn't want to go in.

She stood near my desk, smiling. "Just a quick word. It won't delay your packing."

I followed her inside.

The break room was empty. She placed her cup on the counter and slowly stirred her coffee.

"Lily, do you hate me?"

"Not really," I said.

She smiled. "It feels like you look at me like I stole something that belonged to you."

I wasn't in the mood for games. "Get to the point."

Maya leaned against the counter, lowering her voice. "You're in love with Danny, aren't you?"

I said nothing.

My silence gave her the answer she wanted.

Satisfaction flickered in her eyes.

"I have to hand it to you," she murmured. "Loving someone for seven years while pretending to just be his little sister takes talent."

The words hit like a slap. My face went pale.

"Have you ever considered that if he actually liked you back, he would have confessed years ago?"

"That's none of your business," I said.

"It is, actually." Maya smiled slightly. "Now he talks to me about projects, movies and his family. He'll even drive across town just because I mentioned I wanted late-night takeout."

She paused. "Care to guess if he's ever complained to me about how needy you are?"

My fingertips went cold.

She held up her phone. On the screen was a text from Danny.

“Lily's always been like this. Completely helpless without someone around.”

Below it was another message.

“If she had half your drive, I wouldn't be this exhausted.”

I stared at those words, my eyes stinging terribly.

This time, I forced myself not to shed a single tear.

Maya took her phone back. "Our team is having dinner this weekend. Are you coming?"

I didn't answer.

She gasped softly, as if suddenly remembering. "Oh right. You get upset so easily. Coming along might ruin the mood for everyone."

I turned to leave.

She raised her voice behind me.

"Lily, I'm just giving you a friendly warning. Don't make a complete fool of yourself."

Footsteps echoed outside, and a few coworkers glanced through the doorway.

I stopped and turned around. "Maya, why do you care so much whether I go or not?"

Her smile faltered.

"If you were really so confident," I said, "you wouldn't need to come over here and check."

Her face dropped.

In the next second, her eyes welled up with tears.

Danny pushed the door open right then.

Maya bowed her head, her voice trembling.

"Lily, I only asked if you were coming this weekend. Why would you say that to me?"

Danny's gaze turned dark the moment he looked at me. "Are you picking on her again?"

A cold laugh almost escaped my throat. Hearing those words from him felt horribly foreign.

"Did you even hear what I said?" I asked.

He frowned. "I see that she's about to cry."

I looked at him and suddenly realized seven years was a terrifyingly long time.

Long enough to forget that people change.

Maya pulled at his sleeve. "Forget it, Danny. She's probably just in a bad mood."

Danny didn't let it go.

"Lily, if you don't want to come to dinner, don't. There's no reason to take your frustration out on others."

I nodded. "Fine. I won't go."

He blinked, taken aback.

I walked past him toward the door.

As I brushed by, he muttered under his breath, "You're becoming completely impossible."

I didn't slow down.

---

Back at my desk, I packed my things into a cardboard box.

My mug, sticky notes, old ID badge, and the small nightlight Danny gave me.

He bought that light during our freshman year of college. I was afraid of the dark, so he told me to leave it on whenever I couldn't sleep.

I tossed it into the trash bin.

A coworker nearby gasped. "You're throwing that out?"

"It's broken," I replied.

It still worked. But I didn't need it anymore.

---

When I got home that evening, Mom called to ask if I was packed.

"Almost," I said to her.

"Is everything going smoothly with your resignation?"

I looked at the passport on my desk and let out quietly, "Yeah. Everything's fine."

I slept lightly that night. I dreamed of Danny standing in the rain, yelling for me not to leave.

When I woke up, dawn was breaking outside.

There were no messages from him on my phone.

Good. I didn't have to wait anymore.

---

On Saturday afternoon, Danny called.

I was at the HR office signing my final exit paperwork. The phone vibrated continuously on the desk.

I didn't pick up.

The HR rep stamped the document and smiled. "Best of luck with your studies, Lily."

"Thank you," I said, taking the papers.

As I walked out toward the elevators, Danny called again.

I stood by the doors and hit decline.

A second later, his text popped up.

“Are you coming to dinner or not?”

I didn't reply.

Another text followed.

“Everyone is waiting for you. Stop throwing a fit.”

I slipped my phone into my bag and grabbed my final box from the locker.

---

Across town, the restaurant was lively.

Coworkers were posting photos in the group chat.

Maya sat next to Danny, flashing a peace sign at the camera with her glass raised.

Someone texted the chat.

“Where's Lily? Is she really not coming?”

Maya replied, “She's still mad. Danny can't even get her to budge.”

Danny didn't send anything to the group.

A few minutes later, he texted me directly again.

“Lily, that's enough.”

---

I dragged my box out of the office building.

The weather was clear, the bright sunlight almost blinding against the pavement.

I opened our chat thread and hovered my finger over the screen.

Seven years of messages stretched out above me.

He used to ask if I had eaten. He used to tell me not to cry. He used to say I could always count on him.

Later, he told me to grow up. To stop causing trouble. To stop making scenes.

I tapped the settings icon and hit delete contact.

A confirmation window popped up.

I clicked confirm.

Then I blocked his number, too.

Once it was done, I powered off my phone.

Dad was waiting by the curb. He stepped out of the car, took the box from my hands, and noticed my red eyes.

He didn't ask a single question.

"Let's head home," he said softly. "Your mom cooked all your favorites."

I nodded. "Okay."

---

Back at the restaurant, dinner went on until 9:00 PM.

A few coworkers had too much to drink and started egging Danny on to video call me.

"Come on, Danny! Call Lily! It's no fun without her here!"

Maya smiled and handed him his phone. "Go ahead. She'll definitely pick up for you."

Danny frowned, acting annoyed, but took the phone anyway.

He tapped my profile and sent a message.

But it didn't come through.

He froze.

A system prompt popped up below the message.

“Message failed to send. You are no longer connected with this user.”