Chapter 3

Christina going on a business trip with Adrian was the final straw that broke the camel's back.

Perhaps from the moment she had praised him with a smile on her face, our relationship had already reached its end.

She was not a woman I could bring myself to want anymore. Our seven-year relationship would end here.

I packed my belongings and loaded them into the car. The only thing left to do was to go into the office and submit my resignation.

What I didn't expect, however, was running into Christina and Adrian. They were supposed to be at the airport.

Inside the office, Adrian was holding Christina's hand. He said, pouting slightly, "This is all my fault. I got so excited thinking about going on a trip with you that I couldn't sleep last night, and I forgot to print the contract. I'm sorry for holding you up, Christina."

Christina didn't pull away from his touch at all and laughed off his apology. "It's no big deal. Do I really look like such an unreasonable boss?"

I lowered my gaze, knocked on the door, and pushed it open.

Christina's expression stiffened when she saw me. She glanced at her watch, and her brow furrowed slightly.

"Jeremiah, you're half an hour late today. You're not taking your work seriously enough. No wonder your team has complaints about you."

I felt like icy shards were circulating through my bloodstream, as if someone had shoved a handful of snow into my chest.

Christina had always been strict and ruthless at work, never showing me any favoritism. If anything, she was even harsher toward me than she was with others.

We had never made our relationship public because she said office romances were bad for optics. My coworkers all thought she disliked me and would make things difficult for me depending on her mood.

When I told Christina how unfair it felt, she'd only scoffed. She told me to reflect on why I was so unpopular, and that if I wanted respect, I should earn it with my own ability. If my team were the top-performing team, naturally, no one would dare say a word against me.

But the next day, she sent a company-wide announcement via email, reminding everyone to mind their words and maintain a positive work environment.

Even though the announcement hadn't actually changed my situation, I remember being overjoyed at the time. I believed that she truly cared about me, and I even thought that she was stricter with me because I was special to her.

Looking back at it now, she was just using the old carrot-and-stick approach to keep me firmly under her control.

Snapping out of my thoughts, I took a deep breath and pulled out my resignation letter.

"Ms. Davenport," I said flatly, "I'm here to resign."

Christina froze, her eyes snapping up to meet mine.

Adrian spoke up. "Christina, Jeremiah must not trust you. He was already jealous the last time we went out for dinner together."

He smiled at me, his eyes full of provocation. "Jeremiah," he said slowly, "nothing is going on between Christina and me. It's strictly professional."

Christina's expression darkened instantly. "Jeremiah, you're a grown man. Why are you still acting like a child, getting jealous over nothing? Haven't I already told you? I'll only be gone for a month. When I get back, I'll agree to your marriage proposal."

"It's not because of that," I replied calmly. "I just don't think this job is right for me."

Adrian cut in again. "Jeremiah, stop saying things out of spite. I know your application for promotion was rejected again last month. I'll talk to Christina, and we'll definitely promote you next time, okay?"

Christina's brow relaxed as she brushed off the matter. "So that's what it's about. Fine, when I get back, I'll give you a promotion and a raise. Happy now?"

The two of them carried on between themselves, like a perfectly coordinated routine.

A cold scoff escaped my lips.