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."

"Do you still think you're the victim?" Declan spat.

He let out a cold laugh before clamping a hand over my mouth. Without another word, he dragged me out of the office like I was nothing but roadkill.

His grip was iron-tight, and his palm was pressed so hard against my mouth that it felt like he was trying to smother me.

Even as I was dragged out, I heard Beatrice's voice coming from the office. "Let it go. Maybe Scarlett didn't mean it."

Then, she chirped, "I've got the afternoon free. How about I treat everyone to coffee?"

Declan's face clouded over as he dragged me into the pantry.

"Scarlett, if you didn't want me to get engaged with Beatrice, you could've just said so," he said, resignation in his voice.

"You agreed to it. Then, you threw a fit, quit your job, and stole her necklace. What are you trying to pull? My parents love Beatrice. They agreed to let us marry, but only after I married her.

"She only has a couple of months left to live. Once she's gone, they'll give us their blessing. I didn't tell you because I didn't want to burden you.

"All these years, I never made our relationship public because my parents said if I stayed with you, I'd lose my chance to become the next head of the mafia.

"Our relationship has been under wraps for so long, and now, we're finally this close to going public. Yet, here you are, acting out again!"

Declan stared at me, furious. He made it sound like I was the one backing out and didn't want to marry him.

"Apologize to Beatrice, and we'll call it even," he added.

I kept my hand over my mouth and stared at him coldly. "I'm not confessing to something I didn't do."

We had been together for years, and every time I brought up going public, he'd give me the same excuse.

We had to wait until he became the mafia don, but after all this time, I was tired.

At that moment, Beatrice walked in with a cup of water. Stopping in front of me, she said, "Scarlett, don't blame Declan. He's just worried about me and got a little flustered. I don't blame you, so don't take it to heart.

"Here, have some water. It might help you calm down."

As she held it out, she pretended to lose her grip. The water spilled directly onto my arm, causing me to cry out in pain.

Beatrice, however, suddenly grabbed her hand and screamed, "My hand's been scalded!"

Declan's focus was on me. However, the moment he heard her cries, he rushed over and dragged her aside to rinse her hand, completely ignoring the red blisters on my arm.

I watched them walk away, and all I felt was a hollow ache in my chest.

…

Declan didn't come looking for me until later that afternoon. He glanced at my arm, his guilt written all over his face.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

I nodded and didn't answer.

He let out a sigh, then continued, "You overreacted today. Beatrice must not know we're together. She doesn't want to be seen as the other woman, so I have to keep my distance from you whenever she's around.

"She already mentioned that she'll let today's matter slide. Can't you do the same? Why did you have to blow it out of proportion?"

He held out an ice pack, ready to place it on my arm. Yet, when I looked at him, all I felt was disappointment.

I swatted his hand away and swept everything from my desk into the trash.

Then, I headed straight for the security room. If I could get the surveillance footage, I could prove I hadn't done anything.

However, just as I reached the door, a security guard stepped in front of me, saying, "Ms. Fletcher, Mr. Gibson gave orders. You're not allowed inside."

I froze, a wave of numbness washing over me.

…

Back at the residence, I continued packing. Since everything reminded me of Declan, I wanted none of it.

Someone dropped off a burn ointment that night itself. I knew immediately that it was from Declan. Yet, without giving it another look, I tossed it aside and went back to packing.

…

On the way to the airport, I sent a message to Declan's work number. It read, "Declan Gibson, we're done."

Right after hitting send, I blocked him on all methods of communication.