Declan stood there, holding a bouquet of red roses. Yet, his face showed not the faintest trace of guilt.

After a pause, he said, "Scarlett, these are for you. Your favorite red roses."

I took the flowers from him and brought them to my nose. I used to love the scent, but it made my stomach turn instead.

Declan stared at me. After a long silence, he finally spoke.

"Scarlett, Beatrice… has stomach cancer. The doctors say she doesn't have much time left. Her dying wish is to marry me. So…"

He hesitated for a moment. Then, he continued, "I'm getting engaged to her in three days. You've always been so empathetic. I know you'll understand my reasons, right?"

I looked at him. He suddenly felt like a stranger. Was this really the man I had loved for five years?

Still, I nodded slightly. "Okay."

A flicker of surprise crossed Declan's face. Clearly, he hadn't expected me to agree so easily.

Then again, he used to say I was reckless, immature, and too possessive. I'd get upset any time a woman approached him. He claimed that I wasn't like other girlfriends—calm and understanding.

So, of course, he was surprised I didn't even get angry about him getting engaged to someone else.

Maybe he realized he had gone too far, because he kept explaining. "Scarlett, I knew you'd understand. Don't worry. Once this is over, we'll get married. Beatrice only has a month or two left."

I looked down at the roses in my hand, and a dull ache tugged at my chest.

"Okay." I nodded again without the slightest hesitation.

Declan's gaze lingered on me, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes. "Thank you, Scarlett."

Then, he stepped closer and reached for my face.

I pretended to put the flowers in a vase, just to avoid his touch.

Just hours ago, he had been holding Beatrice Porter's hand. I didn't want those same hands touching me.

On top of that, the smell of her perfume still clung to him, and it made me want to pull away.

Declan looked at me, clearly sensing my resistance. His brow furrowed in irritation as he called out, "Scarlett?"

After all, I had never once pushed back against him in all these years.

"I'm tired," I said simply. "I need to rest."

I kept my head down and walked straight to the bedroom without looking at him.

Meanwhile, Declan stood there, staring at my retreating figure. All at once, his temper flared up.

"Why are you giving me an attitude? Didn't I tell you? Beatrice doesn't have much time left. Can't you just try to be a little more understanding?" he snapped.

With that, he turned and stormed out.

As the door closed, I looked around the empty room. To my surprise, all I felt was calm.

I threw the red roses into the trash to accompany the cake Declan bought. Then, I began to pack.

Over the past five years, I had filled the entire house with things I'd bought. However, now that I had gone through it all, I realized I didn't have much worth keeping. I threw all the clothes, shoes, and bags into the trash.

As for the memories we shared, I didn't want them either.

The next day, I walked into Declan's company and handed in my resignation.

My coworker, Ruth Collins, stared at me in disbelief. "Scarlett, are you out of your mind? You're about to be promoted to Chief Technology Officer. If you quit now, all that hard work will go to waste!"

I smiled but didn't say a word.

The title was something I had spent years fighting tooth and nail to earn. But what did it matter now? Declan and I were done, and staying in his company just made me sick.

"I'm getting married soon. I'll probably help out at my husband's firm," I answered.

Ruth froze momentarily. Then, she broke into a smile. "Oh! Well, congratulations! Speaking of weddings, Mr. Gibson is getting married, too. I can't believe he's engaged to Beatrice. But honestly, they do look great together.

"No wonder he always kept his distance from women. Turns out, he's in love with her. And I heard they've known each other since they were kids."

She kept talking, but I turned and walked away. I couldn't bear to hear another word. Knowing that the man I had dated for years was about to marry someone else cut deep.

At that moment, the office door swung open. Declan walked in with Beatrice in tow.

Everyone stood as soon as they entered.

"Good morning!" Beatrice greeted brightly. She looked radiant, nothing like someone who was supposed to be dying of cancer.

Declan wrapped an arm around her waist, smiling warmly. "Let me introduce you all. This is Beatrice Porter. She'll be our new CTO."

"Welcome, Ms. Porter," came a chorus of greetings.

Everyone gave her a warm welcome, except me. I stayed exactly where I was, completely still.

Right then, Declan's gaze landed on me. His expression darkened as he snapped, "Scarlett Fletcher, did you not hear me introduce the new CTO? You can't even say hello?"

I pressed my lips together and remained silent.

Beatrice, on the other hand, smiled and extended a hand toward me.

"You must be Scarlett. Declan has told me about you," she began. "Looks like we'll be working together now. Be kind to me, okay?"

I stared at her outstretched hand and felt nothing but provocation in the gesture. I had worked for years to earn that CTO role, but the moment she joined the company, it was handed to her on a silver platter.

It felt like a slap in the face. In Declan's eyes, I had never been the one he truly favored.

Then, Beatrice leaned in close and whispered, "Oh, Scarlett. You dated Declan for years, and he never once introduced you to anyone. He never loved you. If you know what's good for you, get out of here."

Having said her piece, she pulled back. The sweet smile was still plastered on her face. It was as if we were close friends.

"Scarlett, your earrings are gorgeous," she commented, as though she had just leaned in to admire my jewelry and not to deliver a warning.

Declan tugged her back to his side, saying, "No need to be that polite to a regular employee. Those earrings are just cheap knock-offs. They're nothing worth complimenting."

With that, he wrapped an arm around Beatrice's waist again and walked off.

…

Meanwhile, I stood there with my hand suspended. I felt like a fool.

Ruth couldn't help but mutter, "Seriously? That was a bit much, even for Mr. Gibson. Even if he's trying to impress his fiancee, did he really have to say that? Doesn't he care how that makes us feel?"

I lowered my head, pulled my hand back, and tightened my grip on the resignation letter.

I knocked on Declan's office door, with the resignation letter in hand.

When he saw me, his brow furrowed. "What are you doing here?"

"Mr. Gibson, this is my resignation," I explained as I handed him the envelope.

Declan froze for a moment, then his expression darkened. "Are you seriously quitting?"

"Yes."

"So, yesterday was all just an act, huh? You pretended not to care, but here you are, trying to make a scene?" he shot back with a sneer. "Scarlett, do you think you can survive without me?"

Back then, I had cut off ties with my family to be with Declan. They never thought he was anything special. And at the time, he hadn't become the mafia don.

He had always been the last one anyone expected to rise to power.

But I loved him for who he was, not for his status. That was why I moved to this city, and the very reason he believed I'd never leave him.

I had no intention of letting him know that I was leaving. With someone as controlling as him, he'd never let me go if he found out.

"I'm just tired. I need a break from work, that's all. I'm not picking a fight with you."

Declan's expression turned grim. He studied me, trying to figure out if I was telling the truth.

Moments later, he slipped the letter into a drawer and said, "Then, take a leave of absence. There's no need to resign."

I pressed my lips together and turned to leave. Since I had already made up my mind, his approval didn't matter anymore.

I had just reached the door when I heard a panicked voice behind me.

"Declan, what do I do? My necklace is missing!"

It was Beatrice. She looked frantic, clutching a fancy gift box. "I swear I left it right here! How could it just disappear?"

Declan's face tightened, but his tone stayed soft as he reassured her, "Don't worry. I'll help you find it."

Then, he looked up and barked at the security, "Run a full check! Find out who took Beatrice's necklace."

…

In an instant, the office erupted in chaos, with people whispering and speculating all around.

"Seriously? Someone dared to steal from Beatrice?" Someone gasped.

Another voice rang out. "That's a diamond necklace! It's worth a fortune!"

"If I find out who did it, I swear I'll make them pay!"

I stood at the door, hesitating. It didn't feel right to leave now.

It was then that Declan spotted me. "Scarlett, wait. You're getting searched, too."

With that, he ordered security to block the exit and sent everyone back to their desks.

One by one, people lined up to have their workstations searched. And soon, it was my turn.

Declan looked at me. Suddenly, his eyes caught the small teddy bear figurine in my drawer. For a split second, guilt flashed across his face.

He had given it to me when we first started dating. It was a token of love. Still, he waved it off and ordered, "Empty the drawer!"

The security guards tore through my belongings.

In the next second, the teddy bear hit the floor and shattered into pieces. Just like the five years we had spent together, it was now broken and beyond repair.

They rummaged through everything I had but found nothing.

All of a sudden, Beatrice exclaimed, "I found it!"

She dug through the pile of clutter and pulled the necklace from a narrow gap. "How did it end up here?"

Declan glanced at me, his face unreadable. Without warning, he slapped me hard. "Scarlett Fletcher, what do you have to say for yourself? Apologize to Beatrice now!"

I pressed a hand to my burning cheek, and something inside me broke. My eyes stung with unshed tears, but I stood tall. "I didn't take it, and I'm not apologizing. If you don't believe me, check the surveillance footage. And for the record, I don't give a damn about her necklace."