3: 3

Early the next morning, I went to the office.

Paul and I worked at the same internet company. He was technical director; I was a product manager.

The plan had always been that once we married, I'd quit and be the woman standing behind him.

Now, clearly, there was no need.

I dropped my resignation letter straight onto the HR manager's desk.

She looked up at me, startled.

"Nadia, you're leaving? Aren't you about to get married?"

"Not anymore."

My voice was flat, without the slightest wobble.

"Please process my handover as quickly as possible."

I had barely stepped out of HR when I ran into Paul in the hallway.

His eyes were bloodshot, and he was still in yesterday's clothes.

He'd obviously spent the whole night at the hospital with Diana Pruitt and hadn't even gone home.

The moment he saw me, he strode over and grabbed my wrist.

"Nadia, where the hell were you last night?"

"I called you all night and you didn't pick up once. Getting bold now, are you?"

"Do you have any idea how worried I was?"

I wrenched my hand free.

"Mr. Matthews, we're at work. Have some dignity."

Paul froze for a second, and his face darkened.

"How long are you going to keep this up?"

"I got home last night and found the place cleared out. You didn't even take your ring!"

"Is this the way you're going to force me to back down?"

Coworkers passed by in the hallway, throwing us curious looks.

I stepped back, putting distance between us.

"I'm not making a scene, and I'm not forcing you into anything."

"I'm just informing you. We're over."

"I've turned in my resignation. I'll finish the handover over the next two weeks."

"Beyond work, there's nothing between us."

Paul let out a furious laugh, as if he'd heard the biggest joke in the world.

"Nadia, you're serious?"

"All because I went to see Diana yesterday? You'd throw a fit over that?"

"Do you have any idea how much danger she was in?"

"The doctor said another half hour and she'd have died!"

"You're getting jealous over a woman who nearly died. Do you have any compassion at all?"

He grew more worked up with every word, his voice ringing down the hallway.

I looked at this man I had once loved so deeply.

And felt only that he was a stranger.

"She nearly died. What does that have to do with me?"

I held his gaze.

"Am I her attending physician?"

"Am I the one who gave her gastritis?"

"Paul, if you feel for her, then go be with her. Go take care of her."

"I give you my blessing."

"You're free now. Go be her savior."

I turned to leave.

Paul blocked me again.

"Say what you mean!"

"What do you mean, give us your blessing? Diana and I are completely innocent!"

"Just because your own mind is filthy, don't drag everyone else down into the gutter with you!"

At that moment, a frail voice drifted over.

"Paul, please, stop fighting."

Diana stood a little way off in an oversized white shirt, her face pale.

She was still carrying a thermos.

"Nadia, don't blame Paul."

"It's all my fault. I shouldn't have called him when I was sick."

"If you have to blame someone, blame me. Don't let me come between the two of you."

As she spoke, her eyes reddened.

She looked on the verge of collapse, fragile enough to break your heart.

Paul dropped me at once and hurried to her side to steady her.

"Why are you out of the hospital? Didn't the doctor tell you to rest?"

Diana gave a weak little smile.

"I was afraid Nadia would misunderstand, so I made some porridge and brought it over."

"Paul, hurry and explain things to Nadia for me."

She turned to look at me, but there was a flicker of provocation hidden in her eyes.

I watched the two of them, the perfect devoted couple.

And my stomach turned over.

4: 4

"Explain what?"

I looked at Diana coldly.

"Explain why you always have some crisis exactly when Paul and I have something important planned?"

"Explain why you spiked a fever in the middle of the night and just had to have Paul come cool you down?"

"Or maybe explain why you're wearing Paul's shirt to bring porridge to the office?"

Diana's expression shifted, and she tugged at the loose collar without thinking.

I knew that shirt.

It was the limited edition Paul bought just last month.

Paul's face changed too. He looked rattled.

"Nadia, that's enough!"

"Diana's clothes got dirty at the hospital. I lent her something to wear. What's the problem?"

"Do you really have to make it sound so ugly?"

I laughed.

"Ugly? There's something uglier. Want to hear it?"

I took out my phone and pulled up a recording.

It was the call Diana made to me yesterday at the bridal shop, right after Paul left.

In the recording, Diana's voice had none of the frailty from a moment ago. It was full of triumph.

"See that, Nadia? Even with the two of you about to get married, one call from me and he'll drop you and come running."

"In Paul's heart, you'll always come after me."

"Be smart and get lost on your own, before I have you thrown out."

The recording ended.

The hallway went dead silent.

A few coworkers who'd been straining to eavesdrop sucked in a sharp breath.

Diana's face went white in an instant. She stared at me like she'd seen a ghost.

"No… that's not true, Paul, it's spliced together!"

"I never said anything like that! How could I ever say something like that!"

She clung to Paul's arm, tears rolling down in fat drops.

Paul stood frozen, staring at Diana in disbelief.

"Diana, did you really say that?"

"No! Paul, believe me!"

Diana wept like a rain-drenched blossom and jabbed a finger at me, shouting.

"Nadia's never liked me. She's framing me on purpose!"

I put my phone away.

"Whether it's spliced or not, get a tech expert to verify it and you'll know."

"Mr. Matthews, you're a technical whiz yourself. This shouldn't be hard to sort out, right?"

I had no interest in watching them tear into each other.

"Diana, you wanted this man. He's yours now."

"Treasure him like a prize. I wish you a long and happy life together."

I turned on my heels and walked back to my office without looking back.

The moment I shut the door, I heard Paul's muffled roar.

"Diana, get in my office!"

Over the next few days, I focused on the handover.

Paul didn't come to find me again.

Word was he and Diana had a huge fight.

Diana cried until she fainted in the office and got carted off to the hospital again.

Tristan and that crowd of buddies were in their little group chat calling me vicious, saying I'd driven Diana to the edge.

I knew all this because gossip was the one thing the company never ran short of.

But I didn't care anymore.

Friday afternoon, I packed up the last box.

HR handed me my resignation letter.

"Nadia, wishing you a bright future."

I took the letter and thanked her with a smile.

Box in my arms, I walked down to the lobby.

Paul blocked my way.

He looked more haggard than he had a few days ago.

His jaw was covered in blue-gray stubble, his eyes bloodshot, like some drifter off the street.

"Nadia."

His voice was hoarse, with a trace of pleading.

"Can we talk?"

I stopped and looked at him coldly.

"Mr. Matthews, we don't work together anymore."

"If this is personal, there's nothing to talk about between us."

Paul stared hard at the box in my hands.

"You're really leaving? Even quitting the company?"

"You're this desperate to be rid of me?"

I nodded.

"Yes."

Paul's body swayed.