Chapter 1 After saving up for five years with Declan, we finally went to look at condos. My best friend, Sloane, tagged along. “This master bedroom needs a walk-in closet. Can we tear down this wall?” She pointed at the floor plan I had spent six months researching, asking Declan. “I’ll have a contractor come look at it tomorrow. You can remodel it however you want,” he replied. The two of them chatted about everything from the sun exposure to the floor tiles, from the floor-to-ceiling windows to the bathtub. Meanwhile, I stood in the corner, unable to get a single word in. When it came time to sign the paperwork, he seemed to suddenly remember I was there. “Let’s put this deed in Sloane’s name for now. She’s out here all alone, we can write it off as a company housing perk.” “The company’s cash flow is a little tight right now, so you’ll just have to rent for another two years, Quinn.” But five years ago, I also moved far away from my hometown to help him build his startup from scratch. Squeezed into a cramped studio apartment with no AC, he had sworn to me: “When the company takes off, the very first thing I’ll do is buy you a home.” Now the company had taken off, and the first thing he did was buy a home for someone else. I stared at the two signatures side-by-side on the contract. There was no place for me. Since he had already mapped out a future that didn’t include me, I decided I wouldn’t wait around anymore. I opened my apartment portal app and clicked “Confirm” on my lease termination. …… When we walked outside, there were only two seats left on the golf cart taking us back to the sales center. Declan naturally grabbed Sloane’s hand and helped her onto the cart. “Quinn, you can just walk over. We need to go finalize the keys. Sloane’s wearing heels, it’s hard for her to walk.” He remembered that Sloane was wearing two-inch heels. But he forgot that I had pulled all-nighters for his project, triggering my old back injury. Standing for too long sent shooting pain down my spine. I stopped expecting him to remember. I turned around and walked toward the exit. “I’m not going.” He didn’t care. He yelled at my back, “Good, then go to the leasing office and renew your apartment. Today is the last day.” There would be no renewal. The termination confirmation had already hit my inbox, and I had signed it without hesitation. When I got home, the first thing I saw on Instagram was Sloane’s new post. She was standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, making a heart shape with her hands: “Finally have a home in this city.” I had studied that exact condo for over half a year. I had pulled countless all-nighters drafting the interior design blueprints. Just last week, I had called my mom, practically vibrating with excitement. “Mom, next month I’ll finally be able to show you our new home.” Her voice had choked up. “Okay, your dad and I can’t wait. That Declan kid finally grew a conscience.” But now, the name on the dotted line belonged to someone else. I liked Sloane’s post and left a comment: “So jealous. The company perks are amazing.” Then I started packing my things. In my tiny three-hundred-square-foot apartment, I had pitifully few belongings. It couldn’t even fill a single suitcase. My clothes were all clearance rack finds. My makeup was drugstore brand. Every penny I saved went straight into our joint savings account. I saved for five years. I saved enough for a luxury waterfront condo, only for him to hand it over to Sloane. When Declan came home, his face was dark with fury. “What the hell did you mean by that comment? Our colleagues, your parents—everyone can see it. What are they supposed to think?” I couldn’t help but laugh. “When you took our five years of house savings to buy her a condo under the guise of a ‘company perk,’ did you care what anyone thought?” His brows knitted together in annoyance. “Sloane is your best friend. She came to the company to help me out, shouldn’t I take care of her? Could you try being a little more understanding, like she is?” The resentment that had been blocking my chest for five years suddenly surged up. Five years ago, my mom had cried, begging me. “He doesn’t even have a place to live! What kind of future can he give you?” My dad had locked away my birth certificate. “If he doesn’t have a house, don’t even think about a wedding!” I didn’t listen. I quit the stable city planning job I had worked so hard to get. With a one-way ticket and a single suitcase, I traveled a thousand miles to be with him. Back then, he was hustling so hard for projects he literally drank himself into stomach ulcers. His favorite line was: “When the company takes off, the very first thing I’ll do is buy you a home. When we take that deed back to your parents, they’ll have to accept me.” But five years passed. The company was successful, the money was there, the house was bought… but the person living in it wasn’t me. “I should learn from her?” My voice was entirely devoid of emotion. “Isn’t it obvious?” he raised his voice. “It’s just a condo. Besides, it’s an easy tax write-off…” Watching him so casually compare me to her, I suddenly felt incredibly exhausted. “The company is at a critical stage for funding right now, and I come home just to listen to your nonsense…” “Then don’t listen.” He froze for a second, then grabbed his car keys. “I don’t have the energy to fight with you. Calm down and think about how you’re acting!” The door slammed shut. It was always like this. Ever since Sloane arrived, he became blind to my grievances. He always thought I was throwing a tantrum, picking fights out of nowhere. Then he would just walk away, leaving me alone to swallow the pain. But this time, I wasn’t going to comfort myself. I opened my airline app. Five years ago, I bought a one-way ticket to get here. Now, I was buying a one-way ticket back. Chapter 2 The next day, I went to the office. It was my last project. I had been leading it for half a year, drawing hundreds of blueprints. I wasn’t going to leave it unfinished. In the boardroom, Declan pushed Sloane to the front of the room. “The fact that the last project launched ahead of schedule is all thanks to Sloane pulling several all-nighters. She deserves the most credit.” Then his gaze swept over to me, his tone turning cold. “Certain people need to step up their efficiency as the Chief Architect. Don’t make the rookies clean up your messes.” My blueprints. My proposals. I was the one who sorted through every single detail last night and sent it to the project team. I was the one who pulled three all-nighters in a row. Yet I was the one being publicly humiliated. After the meeting, he treated the entire team to lunch at a high-end sushi restaurant. “Sloane loves sashimi. Make sure we get the scampi and sea urchin,” he instructed the waiter. Then, he casually pushed a menu toward me, pointing at the cheapest bento box. “Quinn, you get this. We’re saving up for a house, we need to be frugal wherever we can.” He remembered exactly what Sloane loved to eat. But he forgot that I was deadly allergic to shellfish. I couldn’t touch a single thing on that table full of sashimi. And yet, he still had the nerve to tell me to save money for a house. I never could have imagined it would turn out this way. Half a year ago, when Sloane was unemployed and desperate, I was the one who brought her to Declan. “Her degree fits the role, and she’s a hard worker. Let’s help her out.” But ever since she arrived, I became the ‘unreasonable’ one. When we both worked overtime until dawn, he would tell Sloane to expense an Uber home. Then he would look at me still at my desk and frown. “Why are you still here? Do you think the company’s electricity is free?” If Sloane casually mentioned she wanted strawberry cake, he would drive five miles out of his way to buy it. When I had a fever and asked him to bring home some Tylenol, he said we had generic cold medicine at home and it worked the same. He always said Sloane was so understanding. But her “understanding” was built on the foundation of my all-nighters, my blueprints, and the money I saved—stepping over my constant compromises. After lunch, he tried to pull me toward the new condo. “Come on, let’s go check it out. We need to discuss how to decorate it.” I pulled my arm free. “I’m not going.” Sloane smiled and hooked her arm through mine. “Quinn, come with us! I need your expert advice.” Declan sounded exasperated. “Are you seriously still mad? It’s just a condo. Don’t be so petty.” As he spoke, he opened the passenger door, naturally waiting for Sloane to slide in. It wasn’t until I got into the backseat that I realized. I didn’t even know when it happened, but the passenger seat had become Sloane’s. Since she arrived six months ago, I had never sat in the front of Declan’s car again. He drove out of his way to pick her up every single day. He claimed she lived too far, even though it was only a twenty-minute bus ride. Meanwhile, I lived on the south side. Taking the bus and transferring to the subway took me two hours. He never offered to pick me up once. Sloane said she wanted to tear down the entire layout of the master bedroom, living room, and study. Declan agreed without blinking an eye. He probably forgot that I had drafted a thick stack of blueprints for this exact condo. Every single page calculated the structural integrity, the flow of the space, and the natural lighting. Now, with a wave of his hand, he was scrapping it all. But then again, this condo had nothing to do with me anymore. Sloane was flipping through my blueprints. “Quinn’s design is really nice, but the style is a bit too cold. I want something warmer.” “Then just draw up a new version, tailor it to Sloane’s preferences,” Declan said to me, acting as if it was my unquestionable duty. “You’re the professional, you can alter it quickly. Three days should be enough, right?” I snatched my blueprints out of her hands. “I designed these for my own home. When did I ever say you could use them?” His face filled with disapproval. “You’re not going to use them anyway. What, are you hoping the blueprints will magically hatch into a house?” I didn’t answer. I just stared out the window. The sunlight was blindingly white, hurting my eyes. Chapter 3 Sloane spoke up softly, “It’s fine, Quinn. I’ll just look at other designs online. If worse comes to worst, I’ll just design it myself. I know you’re super busy…” “You just started in this industry, how could you?” Declan cut her off immediately. “Work is exhausting enough. Designing your own place is too much stress.” The heartache in his voice was so natural. So natural that he completely forgot I was leading a massive project I had been grinding on for six months. I was just as busy. I was just as exhausted. But I was expected to carve out time to redesign a home that was supposed to be mine, for someone else. “Put your current project on hold,” Declan looked at me. “Focus on finishing Sloane’s design first.” “The Phase 1 deliverables are due next week.” “You’re efficient. Three days to draft the new prints, and you can spend the rest of the time overseeing her renovations. You’ll have plenty of time.” He said it so casually, as if my time was a bottomless pit. “I can’t put it on hold,” my voice went cold. “That project is mine.” Declan let out a laugh. “Yours? The only reason this project got this far is because of the resources the company provided. You really think drawing a few lines on a screen is what holds a project together?” Sloane tugged at his sleeve. “Please don’t fight with Quinn because of me. Why don’t I just…” “Stay out of this,” he covered her hand with his. “Quinn, if you feel like the pressure is too much, just say so. I can easily swap someone else in to take over the project. You don’t have to force yourself to carry it.” He said it with such ease. The project I had poured my literal blood, sweat, and tears into. To him, it was a trivial matter. Anyone could do it. “Declan, there’s something I need to make perfectly clear to you.” I stared right at him. “First, I am the Chief Architect of this company. I have been the lead on this project from day one. You do not have the right to unilaterally replace me.” “Second,” I paused. “I’ve decided to break up with you. So, you have absolutely no right to demand I hand over my blueprints for someone else’s condo.” He froze for a second, then burst out laughing. A laugh laced with blatant mockery. “Break up? Quinn, are you joking? Over a condo?” He leaned forward. “You just renewed your lease and paid six months’ rent upfront. How much money do you even have left in your pocket? With the balance in your bank account, how many days can you survive out there?” “I didn’t renew my lease.” He clearly didn’t believe me. “I’m warning you, stop throwing this tantrum. If we actually break up, you won’t even be able to afford the dump you’re living in now. Apologize to me when we get home, and I’ll pretend I never heard you say that.” Sloane stood to the side, completely silent. I turned and started walking away. My phone suddenly rang. It was an unknown number. “Ms. Quinn, we received an anonymous tip that your Certified Principal Architect licensing materials were falsified. Effective immediately, your license is suspended pending a full investigation. You are barred from all architectural work.” I snapped my head back. Declan was looking at me calmly, as if he had been waiting for me to turn around. “You did this?” my voice trembled slightly. He didn’t deny it. His tone even carried a hint of patronizing comfort. “Just a little lesson to help you cool off. If you ever mention breaking up again, the consequences won’t be this simple.” He walked up to me and stopped. “Quinn, I want you to understand something. The company got to where it is today because of team effort, not just you. You might think highly of yourself, but the company… doesn’t strictly need you.” In that moment, it felt like all the background noise faded into absolute silence. Five years ago, when he said, “I have nothing but you,” his eyes were shining. Back then, I was full of reckless courage, genuinely believing that if we just pushed through the hard times, we would have everything. Now, we did have everything. But he had forgotten exactly how this company survived to see today.
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