All Chapters of Labeled a Bad Boyfriend, so I Walked: Chapter 1 - Chapter 7

Paul's POVDante Randall looked up from his scorecard, waiting for me to make an excuse or perhaps snap.Seeing me tense up, my girlfriend, Emily Spencer, jumped in to explain, "I just wanted to see if you'd blow your top over nothing."Her voice was soft, almost sounding hurt.I stared at her, lost for words. She hated being controlled more than anyone. Yet here she was, putting our six-year relationship in Dante's hands, letting a scorecard decide our future instead of making up her mind.The music finally stopped, but the booze kept flowing. Someone laughed, asking Dante where the afterparty was.Then the doorbell rang again.It was the property manager, looking even more annoyed than before. "Mr. Paul Bender, if you don't quiet down right now, we're calling the cops.""I'm handling it," I said with a nod.I turned around and pulled my phone out of my pocket. "Drop your address if you've been drinking. I'm calling designated drivers."The room went dead silent until someon

Paul's POVEmily's steps faltered. "I didn't mean to. I was just—"She instinctively recoiled half a step behind me."Just what?" Alisha snapped, cutting her off."You've got a boyfriend now, so you think you're all grown up? You won't even listen to me anymore?"Alisha finally turned her gaze toward me. Catching the whiff of alcohol and detergent clinging to my clothes, she pinched her nose in disgust. "Paul, what happened to you? You look so unkempt and filthy."Emily tugged on the hem of my shirt, keeping her voice low. "Mom, he worked all night. It's not what you think.""Oh, listen to you rushing to his defense before I even say anything!"Alisha let out a cold sneer. "Emily, you never learn. You haven't remembered a single lesson from the misery I went through."Stepping inside, Alisha scanned the place, then frowned. "Isn't your new place fully renovated? Why are you two still staying here? You already have a house, so it's high time you get married. Six years without a

Third-Person POVPaul's office wasn't far away.In the past, whenever Emily happened to be nearby, she would text him that she was downstairs and ask if he wanted to grab a bite.No matter how busy Paul was, he always carved out time to come down and see her.This time, however, she waited in the lobby for a long time.It was pitch-black outside by the time Paul finally stepped out of the elevator.He was flanked by two coworkers, with documents in hand, looking like he had just wrapped up a meeting.Emily hurried over. "Paul."He looked up, his footsteps faltering briefly.Noticing the tension, his colleagues excused themselves and walked ahead.Emily gripped her phone, the words she had prepared jamming in her throat.When she finally spoke, what came out first was, "Uncle Leonel ran into some trouble. Can you—"Paul looked at her, cutting her off mid-sentence. "Emily, I'm not going."Her face went pale. "I didn't come here just for that."Paul went silent for a beat. "

Third-Person POVWeston hesitated for a second but ultimately dialed Paul's number.The call went through almost instantly. "Hello, Mr. Bender. There's a Ms. Spencer here on site—"Emily snatched the phone away. "Paul!"The line went quiet for a beat.Emily gripped the phone tight. "I was wrong about the new house. I'll fix everything, and I'll pay for all the costs. Please, don't be mad… okay?"Paul's voice came through the receiver, cool and steady. "The sale goes through as planned. I'm at the office. If you have something to say, come say it to my face."The call disconnected.Emily stood dazed for half a second before shoving the phone back into Weston's hands and bolting out the door.…Paul's POVAfter hanging up, I laid my phone face down on the desk.My manager walked in holding a document and placed it in front of me. "The transfer order for the Haverick branch lead position is officially signed. You'll report next week. Are you sure about this?"Three years ago,