All Chapters of When Nine Years End: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

Perhaps because I'd been silent the whole ride, Anne glanced at the rearview mirror and unusually offered an explanation.“Shawny's been fighting a cold these past few days. He couldn't get caught in the rain. Don't get the wrong idea."What a considerate superior. She could remember her assistant's minor cold, yet forget that her boyfriend's injured shoulder wasn't supposed to get wet.I pressed a hand against the shoulder that had begun to ache, instinctively wanting to argue.But when the words reached my lips, all that came out was, "It's okay."What else could I say?‘He's just your assistant. Why do you care whether he's sick?‘Why did you give me the shrimps he left behind? Why were you so afraid he'd get wet?’I'd asked those questions so many times that even I was tired of hearing them.Ever since Shawn joined the company, things like this had happened every day.I still remember the first time he mixed up our names. It was during a project with a major client.Sinc

Anne straightened up, with a faint, knowing smile on her face.“Stop making a scene, Sean.“We've been together for nine years. Everyone in our circle knows that.“Besides, who would want a man in his thirties?“You know it as well as I do, without the company—and without me—you're nothing."So these were her true thoughts. Even though I'd already given up, my heart still ached as if pierced.I forced down the lump rising in my throat."I'm not messing around. I’ve already canceled the appointment. It was supposed to be that day…"Before I could finish, Anne's phone rang.Her voice immediately softened when she answered it."What is it, Shawny? What did Cloudview say?"The panic in the voice on the other end made her expression change instantly.As soon as she hung up, she strode toward the door."We'll postpone getting the marriage license. Something's happened with Shawn."Before I could say a word, she hurried out the door.I laughed at myself. Whenever something happ

Anne stopped in her tracks.She pulled out her phone and opened her conversation with Sean.“Let’s go get our marriage license tomorrow afternoon.”She thought he should have cooled down by now. After all, she had already chosen to let the matter go.But the chat remained completely silent.She placed her phone face down on the table, as if doing so could help her avoid facing something. Then, she turned her attention to helping Shawn organize the project data.It was already late by the time they finished. She ended up staying overnight at the office.The next morning, in a clubhouse top-floor private room, Anne arrived early with Shawn. He seemed nervous as he said, “I wonder what the new manager at Cloudview is like. What if he’s even harder to deal with than the last one?”Anne patted the back of his hand reassuringly.“Don’t worry. I looked into him. The new guy is a young man, and it seems he graduated from the same university as us.“It should be fine.”The moment s

I found a new apartment to rent, not far from my new company.I only brought a few basic clothes with me. Almost everything Anne had given me over the years was left behind.My new colleagues were all kind, and I settled in quickly.A few days later, while I was working overtime, carefully checking through some data, my phone rang. It was a call from an old colleague.“Sean, you really joined Cloudview?”“Yeah.”“Have you heard? Anne sued Shawn.”My hand froze on the mouse.“He took money from a rival company and deliberately sabotaged the partnership.“I heard he was sentenced to two years and had to pay a hefty fine too!”“Sean, Ms. Nash also corrected all the performance records that were previously wrongly credited to him.“Aren’t you really going to consider coming back?”My voice was calm and steady as I said, “No, I’m not”After hanging up, I was unfazed and simply continued working.A cup of coffee appeared on my desk.It was Hayden.“Everyone’s already off wo