Letitia clutched her cheek, first staring at me in disbelief, then throwing herself into Sebastian's arms with her eyes red.
"Sebastian, she hit me. She actually dared to hit me!"
Sebastian patted her back gently to soothe her.
"I'll make her apologize to you right now."
One hand pressed against the door handle, he snapped at me, his face cold.
"Maud Henson, how did I never notice this? When did you turn so crude and vicious?"
"Letitia is the company's new vice president. Apologize to her this instant—"
"And if I don't?"
I cut him off and threw it right back at him.
"Want to bet I go to the press? That you drove out one of your company's founding veterans for the sake of your precious first love?"
"Sebastian, let me tell you something. This company didn't get where it is because of you alone."
I didn't spell it out too plainly.
The company had always resold bank products, and its core competitive edge was the sales team.
Put simply, this company could survive without a boss, but it could never survive without sales.
"That's really funny. Don't tell me you think you're the core of this company?"
Letitia was still there fanning the flames, though Sebastian wasn't entirely without a brain.
"I know you've contributed a great deal to the company, but Letitia is an industry professional I hired at a high salary too."
"And rules matter most in a company. If you don't apologize to her today, I promise you won't see a single cent of your pay."
That was the brainless thing he actually said.
I took a step forward and lifted his hand off the handle.
"Sebastian, when you handed that apartment to Letitia as a reward, did you spare a thought for the rules?"
I pushed the door open slowly, not a shred of expectation for him left in my heart.
"On the business side, you're the one who broke the contract first!"
"And on the personal side, what that apartment means to me… you know perfectly well."
"As for that meager salary of mine, you don't have to pay it. Just be ready to face the consequences."
My sophomore year, a fire tore through my family's old apartment complex. My parents died in it, and I was left an orphan.
Back then I drifted through the days in a daze, with no will left to keep living.
Then Sebastian, all sunshine and warmth, burst into my life.
He pulled me out of the darkness and let me see light again.
At the time, I believed he would be the faith and the anchor of my whole life.
"Maud Henson, if you leave, don't ever think about coming back!"
Humiliated into a rage, Sebastian shouted at me from behind.
I didn't turn my head. I just waved a hand.
Under everyone's stunned stares, I walked out of the company alone.
For four straight years before this one, I'd been the top sales champion, and by then I'd wanted to take a break.
But right after the New Year, Sebastian had come to find me.
"I bought an apartment at Haven Residences as this year's reward for the sales champion. What do you think?"
I'd looked at him, suddenly overjoyed.
"Then this year's champion is definitely going to be me."
The fire had paid out compensation back then, and the old complex, riddled with too many problems, was torn down and rebuilt.
It became what was now Haven Residences.
I'd thought this was a surprise Sebastian was giving me, because the title was mine and no one else's.
But that one scene at the company party finally drove the two of us onto separate roads.
Facing the cold wind, I wiped away tears I hadn't noticed falling.
Goodbye, Sebastian.
I took a cab back to my rented place, packed my things simply, and checked out.
The landlord smiled and asked me where I was off to make my fortune.
I thought about it, then told him.
"I'm going home. Back to my own home."
