On day three of my cold war with Fiona Parker, she made a big fuss on Instagram, looking for male models.
Everyone thought I would be as submissive as before to coax her.
But I just showed respect generously and recommended a few clubs to her.
On the day I resigned, she stopped me. "Why didn't you come to coax me this time?"
I looked at her calmly. "I'm tired. I don't want to do it anymore."
Late one night, Fiona, who lost her memories in a car accident, called me, sobbing.
"Miles, where have you been? They all say you don't want me anymore."
But Fiona heard coquettish laughter on the phone.
"Fiona, thank you for still caring about me and leaving me such an amazing man."
Fiona raised her voice and shouted in a cracking voice, "Where is Miles Morgan?!"
Elise Diaz snuggled into my arms.
The blush on her face had not faded yet, and there were a few red marks on her fair skin.
I looked at the woman under me with embarrassment.
"Sorry, I didn't have time to inform you that I'm already married. I have to be responsible for my wife."
-
I had been with Fiona for ten years, from university to graduation, and then to her successful career, becoming a famous female CEO in Alabama.
When we first got together, she said that we would get married after she graduated.
But on the day I was ready to propose, I saw her kissing another man in the alley behind the bar.
I rushed up and punched the man, pressing him to the ground and beating him until passersby called the police before I stopped.
After going home, we had a big fight, which was also the first time I got angry with her.
Fiona apologized quickly.
She explained that she was so happy to graduate and got a little drunk, mistaking a junior for me.
I listened to her sincere words and couldn't let go of the many years we had been together, so I chose to forgive her.
However, I never mentioned the proposal again.
She did the same.
Once you cheat, you cheat a million times.
All of that was just the beginning.
Every time Fiona and I fought, I knew she had a new man again.
However, she didn't even bother to act this time.
Today was the third day of our cold war.
Fiona posted on Instagram: [I want to date a male model. Any recommendations?]
Soon, there were comments from our mutual friends below the post.
[You two broke up again?]
[How long do you plan to make up this time?]
[Why? Isn't Miles good? He's obedient to you and capable. I heard he has brought a lot of revenue to your company.]
Fiona replied to the last comment.
[It's all because of me introducing him to my connections. Without me, he is nothing.]
[You can't say that. After all, you've been together for ten years. You're not young anymore. It's time to settle down.]
Fiona's reply was full of disdain: [It's because we're not young anymore that I realized he's not good in any aspect.]
I suddenly felt sarcastic.
Fiona was the one who said she liked a mature and steady man, but now she thought being young was better.
In fact, I heard a long time ago that she had been having a passionate affair with an intern who got into the company through the back door.
She took him on a business trip, deliberately separated themselves from others, and took a detour to Colorado for half a month before coming back.
When I saw their group photo on the intern's Instagram, my heart skipped a beat, but I quickly let it go.
Fiona had been using altitude sickness as an excuse to avoid the graduation trip we had planned for six years.
But she went to Breckenridge with someone else.
There were no new replies in Fiona's comments section anymore.
I thought about it and typed a few words.
[I understand. I heard that Pleasure Point and Crazy Nights have several guys with good figures and physical strength. You can choose one from them.]
After sending the comment, I opened Google Workspace and submitted my resignation application.
Fiona came in when I was handing over with my colleague in the meeting room.
She asked the colleague to leave and then closed the door.
"Why didn't you come to coax me this time?"
I was organizing the documents on my laptop, so I answered indifferently, "I'm tired. I don't want to do it anymore. I've had enough of quarreling every couple of days."
Fiona crossed her arms and looked at me with a disdainful look. "So what? Are you going to leave me? Miles, don't forget, you don't have anyone but me by your side."
I closed my laptop and looked at Fiona calmly. "It's been ten years. Have you ever thought about marrying me?"
Fiona's eyes dodged in a panic.
At that moment, I instantly understood that I was never part of her plans.
After a while, she came to her senses and spoke with a hint of pride, "What do you want? A house? A car? Money? Or a promotion opportunity? I can give you all of them."
I felt relieved and said, "No need. I just want you to approve my resignation."
Fiona seemed surprised that I would go this far.
She took out her phone and saw the resignation application.
"Miles, you brought this upon yourself. Don't think about coming back and begging me to reconcile with you. That would be so embarrassing."
I smiled and said nothing.
Fiona didn't try to stop me anymore.
As I walked out of the company's gate, I received the message that my resignation had been approved.
I knew Fiona was certain that I wouldn't leave.
Ten years ago, my mom got seriously ill and needed a large sum of money for treatment.
I tried various part-time jobs and even participated in underground fighting, just to raise money for my mom's medical expenses.
But all the jobs ended up in vain, and the meager amount of money I earned was not even enough to cover one-tenth of the medical expenses.
Helpless, I had to drop out of school and search for jobs from morning till night.
That was when Fiona appeared.
She said her dad's company needed an assistant and she could introduce me to him.
I didn't dare to imagine that someone like me, who didn't even have a college degree, could actually get into a listed company and receive a decent salary.
After hearing about my mom's situation, Fiona even took out her savings to subsidize me.
I didn't know how to repay her kindness, but she said it would be enough as long as I became her boyfriend.
Unluckily, my mom didn't survive in the end. However, I had managed to repay the 500,000 dollars Fiona gave me over the years.
But I knew that what I owed her was not just 500,000 dollars.
So, no matter what outrageous things she did later, I would always forgive her.
That was what I owed her.
I knew it when I accepted that job.
In this lifetime, I would always be inferior to her.
And she didn't want to marry me, probably because she looked down on me from the bottom of her heart.
I went home alone to pack my things.
I didn't have many things to bring with me. I didn't plan to take anything else, except for some personal items.
Before leaving, I put the diamond ring I bought for Fiona on the coffee table, and left her a note.
It said she could dispose of the ring and my other things as she pleased, without asking me.
I booked a ticket to Los Angeles.
A startup company there gave me an offer, trying to recruit me.
Although the salary was not as high as what Fiona gave me, it was an emerging industry I was interested in, with great development potential.
I refused the offer before because I didn't want to be separated from Fiona.
But now I seemed to be the only one who didn't want to be apart.
The next day, I went to that startup company to report for duty.
While I was waiting for the boss in the reception room, someone called my name.
"Is it really you, Miles? We haven't seen each other for a long time!"
I looked at the somewhat familiar face in front of me but couldn't remember him for a moment.
"You forgot me? We were roommates in college. Although I couldn't see you often, I had helped many girls give you love letters."
That was when I remembered something.
My roommate Wyatt Watson talked to me about recent developments and invited me to tonight's gathering, in which there were alumni from our school who came to Los Angeles.
I wanted to decline, but Wyatt spoke before me.
"Although you have only stayed in college for one semester, you are well-known among freshmen of that year. If they know that you are also going, they will be happy."
I couldn't decline anymore, so I agreed.
There were many people at the dinner, but I didn't know anyone.
When I was halfway through the meal, someone pushed the door open.
"Elise? What brings you here?"
"You're a rare guest, campus belle. It's been a long time since we last saw you, and you look even better."
Elise looked around and fixed her gaze on a certain place for a moment before slowly moving away. She said with a smile, "I just happened to be discussing a project next door. When it was over, I thought of coming here to join you."
I looked at the woman standing at the door.
She was wearing a plain long dress, pure and aloof. Although she was smiling, there was no warmth in her eyes.
Wyatt pointed to the empty seat next to me and pulled Elise over, saying, "Why stand when there's an empty seat? Since you're here, let's catch up."
Elise's gaze fell on me, as gentle as when we first met.
I slowly lowered my gaze and looked at the drink in my cup, feeling a bit absent-minded.
She then sat down next to me.
"Long time no see, Miles." Elise's voice was clear and pleasant to hear.
I suddenly glanced sideways and saw a gentle smile in her eyes.
When the gathering was about to end, Wyatt suddenly called out to Elise. "Elise, today is Miles's first day in Los Angeles. He's not very familiar with this place yet.
"Can you please show him around since you grew up here?"
I looked at Elise in a daze and met her gaze.
"Okay."
"Then I'll trouble you."
Wyatt whispered in my ear, "The best way to forget a relationship is to start a new one.
"I can only help you this much. The rest is up to you."
"Don't talk nonsense."
"I'm not. The whole school probably knows about Elise's feelings for you except for you."