To punish me for my suspicions, she deliberately favored Zack, taking him to various social events, and even feeding him and wiping his mouth in front of everyone at company dinners.When I got angry, she gave me the silent treatment. When I apologized, she would use it as an opportunity to team up with colleagues to lecture and criticize me. Everyone said I wasn’t being a big enough man.I often reflected on this, wondering if I wasn’t open-minded enough, which led to our current situation.But later, when I accidentally discovered that Zack was her first love, I finally understood. She was just using the excuse of desensitizing me to my “pettiness” as a cover to openly maintain her connection with her old flame.
Even without the incident of me seeing their chat history, Fiona would have found other excuses to be with Zack.After they returned from their recent business trip together, although they still frequently met for meals, drinks, and sports like before, I could sense that their relationship had become more subtle.
But fortunately, I no longer cared.Our five-year relationship had come to an end.This farce needed to end too.After finishing the proposal, I was the only one left in the office. I opened my phone to find that Zack had posted several updates on SnapChat.The background was a fancy restaurant, with a romantic candlelit dinner on the table in front of them.Fiona was elegantly cutting Zack’s steak for him.
The caption read: “Steak cut by the lady boss herself must taste extra delicious.”In the comments, several colleagues were praising how sweet they looked together. Zack jokingly boasted further that Fiona, who usually doesn’t drink, had half a bottle of red wine to help him celebrate the project’s success.The comments section became increasingly lively with various speculations. Fiona didn’t explain, only saying “It’s what I should do.
“Some clueless person asked when they could drink to their wedding. Fiona replied with three dots, while Zack sent a “naughty” emoji.I didn’t get angry and call Fiona like I used to, only to be scolded by her for their ambiguous relationship.Instead, I sent her a message saying I had finished the proposal, then left the file in her office before driving home.When I got home, I saw that Fiona had replied to my message.
“Lucas, this is Zack. Thanks for your hard work on the project. I’ll treat you to a meal sometime.”Fiona always kept her phone close and would get angry if I so much as checked the time on it, accusing me of invading her privacy. Now she had handed it to Zack, letting him read our chats and reply to my messages.I let out a scornful laugh.Different status in her heart indeed led to different treatment.However, I felt strangely calm at this moment.Things that used to feel earth-shattering now seemed trivial.
Feelings always change, only hard work never betrays you.I pulled up my calendar and checked the date.Not long ago, when Fiona and Zack went on a “business trip” that was really just a vacation, I took the opportunity to submit my resignation. As expected, when Fiona was with Zack, all her attention was on him. She approved it without even looking.Now, I just had to wait three more days for the handover to be completed, and I could leave for good.
After some thought, I called my former advisor at the research institute abroad.I had joined the institute as an outstanding graduate, enjoying preferential treatment. But when Fiona said she needed people to start her company, I quit without hesitation. Despite my advisor’s repeated attempts to dissuade me, I resolutely returned to China to help her build the company from scratch.Looking back now, I realize how foolish I was.
When the call connected, I explained my intention.I thought I’d be scolded, but to my surprise, my advisor sighed and told me he had known about my situation for a while and had been planning to invite me back.”But this time, have you really thought it through?” he asked.I nodded, “Yes, I’ve thought it through. I’ve already taken care of the resignation process.””Resignation? What resignation?”A startled cry came from behind me.I turned around to see Fiona pushing open the door.
