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!"

I ignored Alicia and hailed a taxi home.

Once inside, I pulled out my suitcase and began packing.

It didn't take long—everything fit neatly into a single suitcase. The bulkiest items were actually my PC tower and the two monitors, 32 and 24 inches.

After carefully packing everything and shipping it off, I bought a late-night flight to Ricott City. I left the keys on the shoe rack, and the next second, my phone rang.

"My clothes are dirty. Bring me a fresh set," Alicia said before hanging up. Almost immediately, a location pinged my phone.

I grabbed the gift bag from the dealership and, twenty minutes later, arrived at the private room's door.

The door was ajar. Just as I reached to push it open, I heard my name.

"Alicia, weren't you just toying with Benjamin back then? How come you still haven't kicked him to the curb? It's been three years… you're not really starting to like him, are you? Chuck even came back just for you!" someone said.

Alicia's words dripped with mockery and disdain.

"Like I'd ever like some kid like Benjamin! He's annoying enough to drive me crazy, but over the years, he's been obedient, attentive, and mostly well-behaved. Even when he throws a tantrum, I can tolerate it because he's otherwise so good."

Her friends leaned in, curious. Alicia continued with an air of pride.

"Oh, and work-wise? Super diligent. Never shirks responsibility, always grabs extra tasks. One salary, but he works like two or three people. A hardworking mule like that—where else would you find one?"

Laughter rippled through the room.

"Alicia, you praise Benjamin so much, then who are you going to marry?"

"Yeah, we're all shipping you and Chuck! You can't just break the ship!"

Alicia smiled. "Marriage is marriage, love is love. Honestly, if we talk about marriage, Benjamin's actually more suitable—he can manage formal events, cook at home, works hard, and puts his back into it."

At that moment, I pushed the door open. The once lively room froze instantly.

When Alicia saw me, panic flashed across her face before being replaced by annoyance. She waved me off. "See? I told you guys he'd show up fast."

All eyes turned to me, everyone clearly waiting for a scene, waiting to have a laugh at my expense.

I tossed the bag onto the table in front of her. She glanced at it.

"I asked you to bring clothes, and you show up with this little bag? What, did they give you this at the dealership?"

I gave a faint smile. "I sold my car. They gave me the bag."

Right away, someone jumped in to defend her.

"Benjamin, are you out of your mind? You sold your car? Did Alicia even agree to that?"

I let out a small laugh.

"My car got trashed, so I sold it. What does Alicia have to do with it? She didn't buy it for me.

"Inside… are your clothes. And yeah, Chuck helped take them off you, personally.

"You two are something else. Grown adults, and you can't even spring for a hotel room—had to hook up in my car? Want me to pull up the dashcam footage and help refresh your memory?"