John looked at me and suddenly laughed: "Anna, you better stay this tough. I'm going out for dinner with her tonight. Satisfied?"
“Good, come back early.” I was too tired to argue further.
John stared at me, then stormed out, slamming the door.
That night, while preparing documents for my client, I saw another update from Emily on Instagram.
“I am always there for you when you need me.”
I was so angry I couldn't focus on the proposal.
But I still finished the client’s documents promptly.
I remembered the old me, whose heart was full of John, worried about him not eating well, preparing his lunch in advance, thinking about what delicious food to make for dinner the next day.
He had a sensitive stomach, so I had to keep his medicine ready, and also prepare hangover soup.
He loved drinking and socializing, enjoying everything I had prepared for him in his life, but there was always another presence in his life—Emily.
There was an empty position in his group.
At that time, my company was in a slump, and I told him I wanted to try for it. He outright rejected me, saying the position wasn’t suitable for me because of my low qualifications and that I wouldn’t get through the interview. But soon, he gave that position to Emily.
I had a big fight with him then. He said, "Isn't my support enough for you? Emily is an independent woman; she needs this job more."
See, that’s the charm of Emily.
I could never compete with her in anything.
Afterward, she came to me and said, “John told me your skills aren’t suitable for this job. This job was always meant for me. You’re so lucky. I really envy you. You can spend John’s money. I’m different. I have to earn everything by myself. It’s exhausting.”
I remember John looking at her with admiration that day and saying, "I want to take care of you too, but you're too independent."
Thinking of this, I deleted Emily from my contacts.
Before, I was afraid John would cheat, so I added Emily on social media. But the days of obsessing over their photos, wondering if they were sleeping together or hanging out together again—it was exhausting.
Sure enough, after deleting her, the world felt much calmer.
That night, John didn't come back. I turned off my phone and stopped paying attention.
The next day, I took a last-minute project and went on a business trip to Riverton. That night, John called me, “Anna, where did you go? Why aren’t you back yet?”