I kept my expression cold, trying to shove the phone away. But his hand slipped, the screen flipped briefly, and in that flash, I saw it—an intimate selfie of him and Claire cheek to cheek.
I grabbed his wrist. He panicked, let go, and the phone crashed to the floor, shattering into pieces.
Everyone in the office looked over, but no one dared to speak.
Ethan froze, his lips trembling.
“Ms. Bennett, that phone… it had my mom’s last voice messages to me. She’s gone… that was all I had left of her…”
“What do I do? What do I do now?”
Claire’s heart ached; she pulled him into her arms, whispering comfort.
My fists tightened as that image of their smiling faces seared into my mind.
Claire had a phobia of cameras. She never took photos with me—not even wedding pictures. Yet with another man, she had dozens of intimate selfies.
I swallowed the rage threatening to explode. I turned to leave.
But Claire blocked me.
“You break his phone and think you can just walk away?”
“Didn’t you hear? Those were his mother’s last words to him!”
“Adrian, at least say you’re sorry, even if you don’t mean it.”
The softness in Claire’s eyes vanished, replaced only with disdain.
“Apologize? To him?”
“Do you really think he deserves it?”
I kept my face stern, but inside, my heart shattered.
Her voice turned colder, cutting like ice.
“If you don’t apologize today, then we’re not getting married!”
Gasps echoed across the office. Heads peeked out from behind cubicles, watching the chaos unfold.
It wasn’t the first time Claire had said something like this.
And every time, it was because of Ethan.
And every time, I gave in.
I had been with Claire for ten years. She was the one I’d chosen since childhood.
I had even dreamed of marrying her.
But dreams break. And now it was time for me to wake up.
“Fine,” I said.
“Then forget it.”
Her hand dropped, shock flashing briefly across her dark eyes.
Before she could say more, I turned and walked away.
“Ms. Bennett, maybe you should go after him, calm him down. I’ll be fine…”
“There’s nothing to worry about. He’ll regret it within three days,” Claire replied with indifference.
Her voice faded behind me, but I clenched my fists tighter.
This time, I wouldn’t regret it.
This time, I was already preparing to replace her.
Marriage? With her or without her—it didn’t matter.
That night, Ethan’s social feed blew up.
[ Who else lands such an amazing boss right after grad school? ]