The limited-edition bag I had given her—my gift—was shredded and tossed into the trash after Chuck sneered, "Fake," with a single glance.

So this was what love and indifference looked like.

Ridiculous. I had refused to believe it until now.

Just as she had said earlier, in a fit of anger, the first reaction was always the truest thought.

She thought I wasn't good enough for her.

It was true. Back in college, I had met Alicia by chance. Because of her, after graduation, I didn't return to my hometown—I went straight to work at her company.

She was the CEO of Starry Group. To everyone else, I was just a freeloader, living off her connections. I was a source of shame. Chuck, on the other hand, was the perfect boyfriend: well-matched, respectable, and someone who made her shine.

Even after three years of being attentive to her every need, of bending to her every whim, I could never compete with Chuck.

Perhaps it was time to end these absurd three years.

I grabbed a spare blanket from the closet and made do in the study for the night.

Surprisingly, I slept well.

The next morning, I packed up and headed straight to the office. Just as I left the neighborhood, my phone rang.

"Mr. Campbell, your car is ready after maintenance. When would you like to pick it up?"

Last month, without my permission, Alicia had lent my car to Chuck. When he returned it last week, there were a few scratches. I had wanted to confront him, but Alicia intervened, so I let it slide and sent the car for maintenance.

Soon, I arrived at the dealership.

The manager handed me the keys with a knowing smile and pointed to a gift bag stamped with the dealership's logo.

"Hey, man, we packed everything up for you. I get it—young people—but you should be a little more careful. Next time, make sure to remove valuables before bringing your car in; our staff felt a little awkward handling them."

Confused, I opened the bag. Inside was a set of skimpy lingerie along with bell-adorned nipple covers.

Finding these in my car explained itself without a word. I had never done anything like that with Alicia in the car. The only possible conclusion: she had been with Chuck.

No questions. No anger. Not even doubt.

I took the dashcam and asked the manager, "Do you buy used cars?"

"Of course, sir!"

I didn't haggle. After quickly arranging the sale, I grabbed a taxi to the office.

As soon as I sat at my desk, I overheard a few female colleagues at the neighboring table whispering.

"Didn't Ms. Davids hook up with that assistant?"

"You think so too? I heard Chuck was personally recruited by her with a high salary!"

"Of course! I also heard they were college classmates. I saw them at a bar together last night!"

Hearing this, a sharp pain shot through my chest.

So that was the truth…

I numbly opened my laptop to get some work done, but the blank document just stared back at me, not a single word coming out.

"Benjamin!"

Alicia's voice came from behind me.

"Benjamin, you're an hour late! Go ahead and mark this as an unexcused absence for today."

Maybe not wanting to hear any excuses, she added, "I checked your clock-in. Exactly one hour late, so per company policy…"

"Okay."

I nodded, turning my eyes back to the screen, trying to figure out how to start writing this copy.

Seeing that I took it all in stride, Alicia looked a little surprised, lingering by my desk longer than expected. Her shadow fell across my workspace, blocking the light.

I looked up at her, puzzled.

"Is there something else, Ms. Davids?"

She fixed me with a cold, appraising gaze, her eyes scanning me from above.

"Benjamin, don't you have anything to explain?"

I blinked, confused, thinking for a moment.

"I was late. That's a fact. You were following company regulations, which is fair. I don't think I owe any further explanation. I don't have excuses or reasons to give."

Seeing my honesty, Alicia fell silent, scowled, and walked away.

Not long after, I settled into my work. Time flew by unnoticed. When I finally finished, I took off my headphones and looked up—realizing that I was the only one left in the entire office.

Glancing at the clock, it was already 11:30 PM. I cursed under my breath at my coworkers, who didn't even say goodbye before leaving.

Then the sharp click of high heels echoed behind me. Alicia tossed aside her takeout box, came over, and casually sat in the chair next to mine.

"Why didn't you reply to my messages?"

I pulled up my laptop and switched out of my program, realizing she had sent me messages after all.

"Can you help me check which CPU, motherboard, and graphics card are better? I want something that can handle AAA games.

"And how should I set up the case lighting? Is water cooling better, or air cooling?"

She knew I knew this stuff—in a way, it was my area of expertise. After all, it was my livelihood.

A year ago, I had mentioned to her that I wanted a new CPU. Not because I expected a gift, but because her attention toward me had been so unpredictable. I wanted a subtle way to prove my place in her life.

At the time, she had snapped impatiently, "You've been out of college for two years! Stop thinking about games all day. Focus on working hard!"

I had carefully explained the difference between CPUs and graphics cards—gaming relied more on the GPU, but for my work, CPU priority came first. She hadn't listened.

Now, I made a clear list of the components and sent it to her. She was thrilled. After ordering, she grabbed me to leave the office together.

On the way home, I sat in the back seat, still running programs on my laptop. I scrolled through social media and saw Chuck's latest post: a perfect nine-grid layout, captioned: [Just casually mentioned it, but I feel the happiness of being loved.]

When I opened the photo, it turned out to be Alicia's newly ordered gaming setup—the whole shebang.

I gave it a like and casually commented: [Wishing you happiness.]

Moments later, Alicia received a message from Chuck. The car braked sharply, pulling over to the side. She turned, glaring at me.

"It's just a gaming set! Why are you being passive-aggressive on his social feed? I'll buy you anything you want when we get home. Everything. Happy now?"

I wasn't amused and didn't even lift my head. Her sudden brake had hit my laptop, interrupting a program I was about to finish testing. I'd have to rerun it and wait all over again…

I had no interest in arguing. Sighing, I started the test again, speaking carefully as I worked.

"I'm not being passive-aggressive! I'm telling the truth, really. Can you stop being so sensitive?"

Alicia's face darkened. She slammed my laptop shut and glared at me.

"All because I asked Chuck to act as my boyfriend for a day, you've been sulking at me since yesterday! Do you think this is funny, Benjamin? You didn't even thank Chuck! And you left passive-aggressive comments on his social feed.

"Don't think I'll coddle you just because you're younger. If you want to throw a tantrum like a child, go home and do it with your parents. Don't expect me to indulge you! Know your place!

"Keep this up, and we're done!"

Her words were thick with threat and anger.

In the past, I would have cowered, begging her for forgiveness. But now… I was tired of it.

All I wanted was to finish testing these programs before the code had to be rewritten.

I nodded and muttered, "Okay… got it. You just keep driving."

I had no idea which word had set her off again. She yelled at me once more, "Get out!"

I glanced at her for two seconds, then decisively picked up my laptop and stepped out.

I didn't want an argument. If it escalated into road rage, everything would be ruined.

No sooner had I gotten out than Alicia floored the gas and sped off. Watching her figure disappear, memories from the past flooded back.

Her moods used to terrify me, making me second-guess myself endlessly, wondering if I had done something wrong to upset her. I always wanted her happy, but with me, she was unpredictable—sometimes laughing, sometimes storming. I had always assumed it was my fault and apologized first.

Not this time.

This time, I crouched on the curb with my laptop, racing to get the tests back on track. Then I called a taxi and checked into a nearby five-star hotel, booking a luxurious single room.

Another night of perfect sleep.

The first thing I did in the morning was check the program tests.

Fortune smiled: everything ran flawlessly.

After freshening up and breakfast, I opened my phone to find a message from Alicia: [All the equipment will arrive today. Don't leave after work—go to Chuck's place and set up the computer.]

I studied the chat carefully. Attached was an installation guide from the store, showing a rendered image of the setup and a custom LED panel.

The renders were clearly commissioned by Alicia herself. I couldn't help but smirk. My mother tongue was coding, not hardware setups. I was just a keyboard jockey, not a professional PC builder.

After preparing my resignation letter, I headed to the office and submitted it to HR. A wave of relief swept over me. Even the office air seemed fresher.

At the end of the day, I packed up my laptop, ready to leave.

Then, an uninvited presence appeared. Alicia stood in my path, frowning. I tried to walk around her, but she grabbed my arm.

"Benjamin, where do you think you're going?"

Her voice drew the attention of everyone nearby.

I pointed at the clock on the wall, my tone neutral. "Leaving."

Her reply was icy. "Leaving? The whole project team is still here. Benjamin, what makes you think you can leave?"

"I finished my work. Why should I stay?"

Shocked eyes followed me as I turned and walked away, leaving Alicia behind, yelling, "Benjamin! If you walk out now, don't bother coming in tomorrow!"