“She usually comes across as rather stuck-up, acting all high and mighty just because she's been with Mr. Hudson for seven years, but she's more obsequious when demanding money than my dog is when begging for food. Serves her right!”
I ignored the mockery and walked into the HR office, my expression the same.
The HR manager smirked and said, “Your application has been submitted. Once Mr. Hudson approves it, you can pack up and leave. In your situation, the company won’t be giving you any compensation.”
I nodded, said nothing, and turned to leave the company.
The sun was setting, and the streets were full of couples or families of three. I, on the other hand, was alone. Loneliness weighed on my chest. The only family I had left, the career I had fought for all these years, and the man I loved… all of them were gone.
As I walked along the road I had taken for seven years, the road between my home and the company, memories began to flood my mind. My parents died in a car accident when I was seven years old. The compensation money was divided up by cruel relatives, leaving only my grandma and me to rely on each other.
Later, by sheer coincidence, my grandma saved Hudson, who had fallen off a cliff while traveling in a mountain village, and cared for him as if he were her own grandson. That was how I first crossed paths with him.
At the time, I was just a university student, working several part-time jobs every day just to survive. As such, Hudson volunteered to visit my grandma for me and would often send me updates about her. Whenever I felt like I couldn’t go on anymore, he would hold me while I broke down and softly comfort me, promising that he would always stay by my side and never abandon me.
Back then, he really loved me, so much so that he wanted to be with me every day. Even though I dressed simply, he would lace his fingers through mine and proudly introduce me to everyone.
“This is my girlfriend. Isn’t she beautiful? She’s the best girlfriend in the world!”
Gradually, however, he started looking at me with suspicion, afraid I was after his family’s wealth. That was when he demanded that I hand over all of my salary so he could manage it. After that, his need for control only grew stronger. Even when I asked for five dollars to buy a cup of coffee, he would become suspicious and question me endlessly.
Then, three months ago, on the very day Lara returned to the country, he happily bought her a priceless gemstone ring. He even spent a fortune to display a message on giant screens across the city. It read, “Welcome home, Lara!”
That night was the first time he didn’t come home.
When I brought the police to look for him, he was drunk, his eyes red as he grabbed Lara’s arm and demanded hoarsely, “When we were five years old, you said you were the princess and I was the prince. You said you would marry me. So why did you leave without a word?”
A chill ran down my spine.
After he sobered up, we had a huge fight. I asked him who exactly had his heart, but he said I was overthinking things. He told me I knew the answer, that if Lara had never left back then, I would never have had the chance to cross paths with him at all.
It wasn’t until the day Lara posted on social media saying she wanted to get married that Hudson finally ended our fight by going down on one knee and asking if I would marry him. Ridiculously, I was overjoyed. I thought that in the end, he had chosen me. So, with tears in my eyes, I said yes, and now, this absurd relationship was finally coming to an end.
When I came back to my senses, I realized I had walked much farther than I intended. Suddenly, loud voices reached my ears.
“Hudson! You can’t back out of Truth or Dare! Lara is getting impatient!”
At the entrance of a nearby karaoke bar, Hudson was surrounded by a group of people. He was gripping Lara’s hand tightly as he shouted at the top of his lungs, “Lara is the only person I love!”
He shouted it three times, each time louder than the last and more certain than before. Soon, passersby all along the street had stopped to watch.
