“Break up? You want to break up over something this small?”
His eyes were bloodshot as he looked at me, the disgust and impatience nearly spilling over.
And yet, back when we first got together, I had been his whole world. His eyes had been full of love every time they found me.
“Amelia,” Zachary said flatly, “you really are getting more boring by the day.”
My gaze drifted past him to the floor-to-ceiling glass behind him.
Today I wore the same plain work suit as always. I'd left in such a rush I hadn't even put on makeup, and faint shadows sat under my eyes.
I did look boring, it was true.
I asked him, “Then who counts as interesting in your eyes?”
Zachary froze for a beat and said nothing.
His phone was still open to his chat with Susan, the wallpaper a photo of the two of them at Disney.
In the sunlight, dressed in matching outfits, they laughed cheek to cheek, bright and radiant.
Zachary had probably forgotten that we used to be just as sweet, just as passionate.
So this was what people called the thrill of something new?
“Zachary, do you have any idea? While you and Susan were off at Disney, I was wining and dining a client. I drank until my stomach was bleeding just to close that deal.”
“While the two of you were having candlelit dinners at fancy restaurants, I was alone at the office working past midnight, no time to eat, gnawing on cold bread.”
“So I'm the boring one because all I think about is the company, and Susan is the interesting one because she eats and drinks and plays her way around the world with you. Is that it?”
Zachary softened his voice. “Amelia…… it's not like that……”
“Let's both just calm down, okay? I won't agree to a breakup.”
He came to my side and reached out to pull me into his arms.
But all I felt for him now was disgust.
I shoved him away hard, repulsed, and turned to find the office door had opened at some point.
Susan stood there, already crying her heart out.
“I heard everything. You're breaking up because of me? Amelia, if you have to blame someone, blame me. It's all my fault. Don't be angry at Zachary.”
Zachary looked at her tears, and something tender and aching flickered in his eyes.
“Susan, this has nothing to do with you.”
I just found it absurd.
Susan walked over and grabbed my hand. “Amelia, it's all my fault. Will you forgive me? Please don't fight because of me, okay?”
Zachary chimed in. “Enough, Amelia. Susan's apologized to you. It's all a misunderstanding. There's no need to be so harsh with her. Isn't she your best friend?”
I watched the whole scene and let out a cold laugh. “Zachary, same as before. Break up. I'll let the two of you have each other.”
Zachary's brow knit, but before he could speak, Susan ran out in tears.
His eyes chased after her wounded, retreating figure, and he snapped, furious. “Amelia, is this what you wanted? Are you happy now that it's a mess like this? You've gone too far!”
The moment the words left his mouth, he spun around in a panic and went after Susan.
The door slammed shut.
The huge, empty office held only me again.
I smiled bitterly. It was fine. I was used to it.
Between Susan and me, he always put her first.
I went back to my desk. The coworkers who'd been watching the show all dropped their heads.
“What's going on? Isn't Mr. Stephens's girlfriend Susan? How'd Secretary Henson get tangled up in this?”
“No idea. What a mess that crowd is. But Susan and Mr. Stephens really are an adorable couple, so easy to root for.”
“Right? Don't tell me Secretary Henson's the other woman?”
“Hmph, who knows?”
I gave myself three days to erase every trace of myself from the company and from home, and then to leave this city for good.
