All Chapters of After I Quit: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

9 Chapters

Chapter 1

"She really took off her badge just like that?""I thought Vice President Natalie Shaw always fought her corner. Was that whole tough act fake?""What else is she supposed to do? The person firing her is Mr. Hale himself. Nobody's going to challenge the new CEO on his first day."Their whispers drifted through the banquet hall.I glanced at the employee badge lying on the table and said nothing.I had poured everything I had into helping Grant Hale reach the CEO's office. I never imagined that his first act after gaining power would be to fire me so his little assistant could take my place.Across the room, Chloe Vance smiled with naked satisfaction. My fingers curled tightly against my palm.Then several sharper voices cut through the murmuring."Good. Mr. Hale made the right call. Natalie should have been thrown out ages ago.""Why is everyone outraged when Mr. Hale fires her? She was allowed to fire employees whenever she wanted when she was vice president. That's a double

Chapter 2

"Life was hard, and people bullied me all the time. I was hungry most days. But as long as I could stay alive and see you once in a while, that was enough for me."A single tear slid down her cheek at exactly the right moment.Grant looked heartbroken.His gaze hardened, and his voice rang across the hall."Enough! That incident was explained long ago. It was an accident. Chloe admitted her mistake and paid for it. Over the past year, she has changed a lot, and her abilities have improved. I believe she is qualified to serve as vice president."I do not want to hear anyone use that incident to attack her again. If I catch anyone doing it, you will end up the same way as Natalie Shaw."The room fell silent.The people who had still wanted to argue slowly lowered their heads.Grant nodded with satisfaction. Then he turned to Chloe and said softly, "Don't worry. I will never let you go hungry again."Things are different now. I endured hundreds of days of humiliation for this mom

Chapter 3

And what happened in the end?He took everything I had fought so hard to build, accepted it as if it were owed to him, then turned around and kicked me aside so someone else could take my place.Maybe there had been no room for me in his heart for a long time.I was the only fool still believing that if I tried hard enough, he would eventually see me.Thinking about it now, I had been unbelievably stupid.Grant's cold voice pulled me back."Cat got your tongue, Natalie? Apologize to Chloe. Now."If you don't apologize, don't even think about leaving this room today."The moment he finished speaking, the security guards around me closed in, each one holding a baton.So that was how determined he was to force an apology out of me.Chloe watched with expectation written across her face, satisfaction glinting in her eyes.Seeing Grant so determined to defend Chloe, I felt something press down on my chest until even breathing took effort.Once, he had stood in front of everyone

Chapter 4

The words he had prepared died in his throat.He stared at me, thrown. In all the time he had known me, I had never once refused him outright.Chloe, watching from beside him, felt her barely-receding tears surge back. She must have assumed Grant would hesitate now that I had turned his own move against him. Her voice broke on perfect cue."Grant, I'm sorry. If I hadn't pushed so hard for that apology, she never would have said that to you."If I'm the reason you two end up fighting and breaking apart, then forget it. I don't want the apology anymore. I just want you to be okay."Grant heard her words and the image rose in his mind — Chloe alone, collecting trash in the scorching heat. His chest clenched.His expression went flat."Fine. If you want to break up, we break up. Don't regret it."The moment those words landed, every trace of Chloe's distress vanished. Satisfaction swept across her face.She pressed it back down and arranged herself into something careful and conce

Chapter 5

The banquet hall fell deathly silent.Grant stood frozen in place. The smile on his face hardened.Only when Chloe pinched his arm did he snap back to himself.His face turned pale. "Chairman, what does this mean? Why would you remove me for no reason?"He had worked for a year and taken several major projects to win that position.How could he be removed before he had even settled into the seat?He refused to accept it.Just as his questions reached his throat, he suddenly thought of me. He assumed I had complained to the chairman behind his back.That thought seemed to calm him.Afraid of saying the wrong thing, he swallowed his anger and tried to sound careful."Did Natalie say something to you? Please don't listen to her slander. Since joining this company, I have always worked diligently. I have never done anything to harm the company. I even won several major projects and helped move the business forward."I believe I have contributed to this company. There is no reaso

Chapter 6

Chloe wanted to comfort him, but with the chairman still present, she did not dare speak. She hid behind Grant, praying she would not be dragged into the fallout.After a long moment, Grant's fingers tightened around the file until his knuckles turned white."Even if Natalie guaranteed my promotion, why fire me?"The chairman looked at him as if wondering whether Grant was truly that stupid.His eyes moved to Chloe behind him, and his voice turned cold."You brought back someone who once caused enormous damage to the company and gave her a senior role. We do not need that kind of foolishness in leadership."Grant was speechless.He wanted to explain, but no explanation would come.He had only wanted to stand up for Chloe and get her justice.How had things reached this point?At that moment, the chairman took a phone call and left in a hurry.The once lively banquet hall fell into an oppressive quiet.Everyone avoided looking directly at one another.Only Grant remained ro

Chapter 7

"How could a useless woman like Natalie Shaw compare to my value in the chairman's eyes?"Chloe brightened too, believing fate had finally chosen her after all."Other than talking tough, what does she have that's better than you? The chairman must have realized what Natalie really is and cut his losses before he lost a talent like you."But as soon as Grant finished reading the email, the smile vanished from his face.Before Chloe could ask what happened, he turned and slapped her.Then he shoved the phone in front of her and demanded coldly, "Don't you owe me an explanation?"The moment Chloe read the email, she understood why she had been uneasy all day.The email laid out her movements over the past year.After leaving the company, her life had not been nearly as miserable as she claimed. No one had wasted resources blacklisting someone as incompetent as her. She had simply been fired.But she could not swallow the humiliation.She had been looking for a chance to retalia

Chapter 8

"Natalie, why didn't you answer my calls?"And you actually blocked me? Do you have a death wish?"Hearing that familiar tone, I was thrown back to the past.When we first got together, he had been childish in the same way. He needed an explanation for everything, and even when he was wrong, he had to twist it until I was the one apologizing.Back then, I always let him have his way.Over time, he changed. He became cold. His words carried sparks of anger. We could hardly speak three sentences without fighting.At first I thought he was simply under too much pressure at work, so I tried even harder in private to ease his burden.Only when I saw him having dinner with Chloe did I understand.The problem had never been pressure.It was that he no longer loved me.Even then, I had not wanted to give up our six-year relationship. We had not come this far easily.I believed his interest in Chloe was only temporary. I believed that after a few days, he would realize who was worth

Chapter 9

I handed the bouquet back to him."Keep them. I don't need them."And I have always hated white roses."With that, I picked up my suitcase and walked toward the door.When he realized I was truly leaving, he panicked.He grabbed my sleeve, his voice choked."Natalie! I have nothing now. I only have you. Why are you leaving me too?"I know I was wrong. I should not have wronged you because of Chloe. But I've already apologized. Why won't you forgive me?"I looked at him coldly.In the past, I might have agreed.But I was no longer the woman I used to be.Since he was so determined to demand a reason, I gave him one."The moment you threw away that watch without hesitation, our relationship went to zero."The only reason you survived in that company for all these years was because I worked several times harder than you behind your back so you could climb step by step."Those so-called impressive projects of yours. Which one did not involve me? Which one did not pass through

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