Chapter 5 of Leaving Was the Best Promotion I Got

Eliza's POV

On the first night, as soon as the clock hit quitting time, I bolted.

The path leading out of the building was a narrow trail with no streetlights. Everyone said it was the most dangerous spot as vagrants and creeps liked to wander there.

Even though I moved fast and stayed alert, I still jumped when a naked man suddenly lunged out of the dark with a twisted grin.

“Hey, sweetheart. You’re pretty cute.”

I fell back onto the ground, scrambling away from him. When he stepped closer, I happened to grab a broken wooden board with nails sticking out and slammed it into him.

He yelped in pain, and I took that chance to roll to my feet and run for my life.

My hand was bleeding from the nail cuts, and for some reason, my phone wouldn’t unlock. Trembling, I pressed the power button five times, triggering the emergency call.

I tried it twice, but the number tied to my emergency contact, which was Sean's, just kept ringing with no answer.

Behind me, footsteps and curses grew closer.

I tried to run faster, but I twisted my ankle in panic. My phone slipped from my hand and clattered onto the ground. Even so, I didn’t dare turn back.

Instead, I sprinted until I burst out of the dark path and into the streetlights. Under the safety of the glow, I flagged a car with my bloodied hands and headed straight to the police station.

When the officers took me back to retrieve my phone, it finally lit up, and Sean was calling back.

Through the noise of a crowded, lively place, his impatient voice came through.

“You called? I didn’t hear it earlier. What’s up?”

Then, I heard Yvette’s voice right beside him. “Sean, stop calling. Come sing with me!”

I bit my lip hard, unable to say a single word.

But then, my thumb slipped, and my screen opened to my social feed—right on the video Yvette had posted just five minutes earlier, where she and Sean were singing a love duet.

In that moment, I realized that, except for life and death, love meant nothing in my world anymore.

After hearing what happened, my landlady stayed with me that night.

By Friday afternoon, HR notified me to come in and sign the termination papers.

But as I arrived, I ran right into Sean and Yvette making weekend plans together.

Yet, I didn’t acknowledge them and walked past.

Third Person's POV

Unbeknownst to Eliza, Sean noticed the bandages on her hand, and he frowned. Something in him sensed something was off. He was just about to ask when Yvette began talking about her father again, so he reluctantly pulled his attention back to her.

Still, he secretly planned to take Eliza to dinner later and ask about her situation. He’d even agree to meet her parents. Knowing her, she always softened eventually and never stayed angry long.

The whole afternoon, he felt strangely excited. He even left work early to buy a bouquet of pretty flowers.

Right before the end of the workday, he parked his car at the construction site gate to wait for Eliza.

Soon, the building lights went out, but for a long time, no one came out.

Finally, a few figures walked through the doors. But when he looked carefully, he realized it wasn’t just her—two men were walking beside her.

He frowned and nearly got out of the car to ask what was going on. But reason held him back. No one could know about their relationship—not yet.

After struggling with himself for a long moment, he finally sent a message.

[I’m in the car across the street. I booked dinner for us. We need to talk.]

[About us.]

Eliza's POV

But the time Sean's message came in, I was already checking into the airport, escorted by the security team I had hired.

When I read the words “about us,” I couldn’t help but laugh.

I was about to respond when the boarding announcement echoed overhead.