"Clary, thanks for helping smooth things over with the whole marriage situation. You know I've always planned to marry you. The timing just isn't right yet. I want to give you the best wedding you deserve…"

As he spoke, Robert reached out, trying to pull me into his arms and fasten the necklace around my neck, just as he always did.

Since the beginning of our relationship, whenever he did something that hurt me, he would try to make it up with gifts.

Back then, no matter how expensive the gift was, he would always be genuinely remorseful. He would apologize with utmost sincerity and try to make me smile again.

Now, there was none of that.

His expression was calm, his eyes steady, like everything was already under his control. There wasn't a hint of tenderness in his demeanor.

This version of him felt like a stranger to me.

I turned my head away and stepped back, avoiding his hand and his embrace at the same time.

"Robert, you don't have to do this. It's over between us."

Robert's expression instantly darkened.

"Clarissa, you've never been the type to let your emotions get the better of you. Is this because I didn't want to marry you right now? Did you and your parents cook this up together to back me into a corner?"

I looked at him, meeting the fire in his eyes with nothing but calm.

"I'm not forcing you to do anything. I just don't want to be with you anymore."

His expression contorted with fury. "We've been together for seven years. No one knows better than I do how you feel about me. Don't try to play games with me. I'm not falling for that."

He was convinced that I was just throwing a tantrum, using Grandma's health to manipulate him and squeeze a proposal out of him.

Looking at him, I suddenly found it ridiculous that I had held on for so long, and that it took me this long to see him for the cold and selfish man he truly was.

"I'm not playing games, Robert. You're just too self-centered. You only think about yourself, your company, and your reputation. You've never thought about me or what my family wants."

That struck a nerve.

Robert's expression darkened, his voice rising.

"I've been working nonstop to take the company public. Don't you think I'm doing that to give you a better life? I'm postponing the wedding because I want it to be perfect for you! Clarissa, why can't you just be reasonable? Stop trying to force me into doing things I'm not ready for!"

Reasonable?

My nose stung.

Hadn't I been reasonable enough?

Not long after we got together, he said I was too sharp, so I learned to dull my edges and withdrew into myself.

For years, despite how much I wanted to get married, I allowed his endless excuses to convince my family and me to wait a little longer.

Even now, because of my love for him, I had turned a blind eye to his intimacy with Mikayla, convincing myself that he still loved me.

This version of myself was someone even I despised.

"Robert, whether you believe me or not, I'm done. I don't want to keep waiting for you. I don't want to keep revolving around you, and I'm definitely done watching you and Mikayla constantly push the boundaries."

At the mention of Mikayla, Robert's eyes flickered before settling back into anger.

"I've told you before. She's just my subordinate. Stop making a scene over nothing. As for the wedding, there's nothing to discuss. We wait until the company goes public and is stable. You can throw all the tantrums you want, but it's not going to change a single thing!"

With that, he tossed the necklace onto the couch and stormed off.

The door slammed shut behind Robert, and the framed photo by the entryway fell and shattered on the floor.

We had bought this place in our third year together. I had handled every detail of the renovation myself, tucking my hopes and dreams for the future into every corner of the house.

Now, the warmth was gone, and all that remained was disappointment.

I opened the closet and took out my clothes, folding them piece by piece before placing them into the suitcase I had prepared earlier.

In the study, I only took the documents I needed and left everything else untouched.

After packing, I arranged for a courier company to send the suitcase to the apartment I had rented.

Once everything was done, I sat on the couch, staring blankly ahead.

Just then, my phone buzzed with a notification.

Mikayla had just posted on her social media.

The caption read, "My cramps are killing me, but someone made me chamomile tea. I'm so lucky."

The post featured a photo of a kitchen.

A man with broad shoulders and a narrow waist stood at the stove, his back to the camera. From the angle of the picture, I could see that he was dressed in a fitted suit with a teddy bear apron tied around his waist.

Even without seeing his face, I could tell from his posture how relaxed he was. This version of Robert was the complete opposite of the cold, distant man he was with me.

In the past, Mikayla's subtle provocations would've sent me into a spiral as I furiously demanded an explanation from Robert.

Now, I simply double-tapped the screen to like the post before blocking both of them.

Not long after, there was a knock at the door, and I received a letter.

I opened it, only to find a wedding invitation printed on a deep crimson card accented with gold leaf.

At the same time, a message from Nathan Crosby popped up on my phone.

Nathan was a steady and reliable man. He was also a venture capitalist I'd been introduced to through a family connection.

When I had finalized my wedding date three days ago, we had agreed to marry that very night.

"Clary, did you get the invitation? This is the design you picked. Let me know if it matches what you had in mind."

I paused for a moment, not expecting him to be this efficient and meticulous. This sense of security was something I had never once received from Robert.

Snapping back to myself, I sent Nathan a confirmation.

Lowering my gaze, I looked at the date printed on the invitation.

It was only three days away, but that was more than enough time.

…

The next morning, I went to the office to tie up any loose ends on my current project.

As soon as I stepped into the workspace, I heard whispers around me.

"Did you see Ms. Glenn's Instagram post? Mr. Fuller made chamomile tea for her himself."

"The whole company's talking about it, and he hasn't denied anything. That's basically a tacit admission."

"I think they actually look good together."

I paused for a moment.

In the past, Robert insisted that office romances were a liability, forcing us to keep our relationship a secret. Now, apparently, he couldn't care less.

The murmurs died instantly the moment my colleagues spotted me, panic and awkwardness flickering across their faces.

Before Mikayla's appearance, they had rooted for Robert and me, knowing that we had built this place from the ground up after we graduated.

I could tell what they were thinking and reassured them, "You don't have to be nervous. They do look good together."

The words had barely left my mouth when an angry voice came from behind me.

"Clarissa!"

Robert emitted a chilling aura as he walked over, his expression dark as his gaze swept across the room.

Everyone lowered their heads at once, not daring to make a sound.

"Come to my office."

He turned and marched inside.

I followed.

The second the door shut, he turned and stared at me in silence.

"What was that about yesterday? Liking Mikayla's post, then blocking me?"

I leaned against the door, keeping my expression neutral.

I said, "The like was a blessing. As for why I blocked you, it's because we've already broken up. There's no reason for me to hold onto your contact information."

Robert's fury only intensified.

"A blessing? Do you have any idea how much your actions messed with Maya? She was racked with guilt all night, apologizing to me over and over, worried that she'd caused a misunderstanding."

I couldn't help laughing at the sheer absurdity of it.

"If she really felt guilty, she should've apologized to me. But we're over. Whatever happens between you and Mikayla has nothing to do with me. Whether she feels guilty or not is none of my concern.

Robert stared at me, his jaw tight as he practically hissed, "Fine, Clarissa. You've got guts, but let's see how long you can keep this up."

He dismissed me with a flick of his hand.

Less than ten minutes after I got back to my desk, a new announcement popped up in the company group chat.

I had been stripped of my position as director of the project department. Mikayla was taking over the core project I had spent six months preparing, one that was days away from completion.

As for me, I was reassigned to the logistics department to handle trivial administrative work.

I stared at the message, and my chest tightened despite myself.

I had already planned to resign. I just wanted to finish the project before leaving. After all, it represented the pinnacle of my career up to this point.

I thought that even if the relationship was over, what we had built together still meant something. But now, I realized that it had only ever meant something to me.

Still, it was for the best. At least it put a clean break to things.

I went on my computer and had just finished drafting my formal resignation when a message came in from Nathan's assistant.

"Ms. Skriver, Mr. Crosby wanted to let you know that your wedding dress is ready. You can head to the boutique after work for a fitting. Please let me know if any issues arise."

After work, I went to the bridal boutique.

The staff smiled and greeted me. "Ms. Skriver? Mr. Crosby mentioned that you'd be coming. Your dress is in the fitting room."

The satin gown was simple and structured, with clean lines that made my figure look tall and elegant.

I stood in front of the mirror, looking at myself as a flood of memories came rushing back.

Robert once said that when the company stabilized, he would get me the best wedding dress in the city and throw me a wedding that would be the envy of everyone we knew.

I had believed him.

I waited, year after year, until the anticipation wore itself down to utter disappointment.

My nose stung, and my tears fell before I could stop them.

I wasn't crying because of Robert. I was crying for the version of myself who had foolishly wasted seven years loving him.

Just then, a chorus of respectful greetings came from the front of the shop.

"Welcome, Mr. Fuller."

My body stiffened as I slowly turned around.

Robert stood at the entrance, staring at me with surprise written all over his face.

He quickly noticed the redness around my eyes, and for a fleeting second, his gaze softened with a trace of pity as he walked over to me.

"The dress looks good on you. If you like it, I'll get it for you."

He paused before adding, "I know I've neglected you lately, but that's because you haven't been listening. You keep pushing me into things I'm not ready for. If you can just be patient and listen to me, I promise I'll marry you once the company stabilizes."

He thought I had come here alone to try on a wedding dress because I desperately wanted to marry him.

I was about to explain when Mikayla's soft and gentle voice came from behind him. "Rob, I picked my dress. Have you chosen your suit yet?"

She walked over in a white wedding dress and affectionately slipped her arm through his.

Robert's body stiffened. He instinctively tried to push her away, but was afraid of making it too obvious, so he settled for a sloppy excuse.