On the day of the company’s annual meeting, Nora brought in a man and announced to everyone that he was the new Vice President. Instantly, all eyes in the company turned towards me. Manager Liam looked at me with a smirk: “Ms. Anderson, Ethan has been with the company for so many years. Why wasn’t he promoted?” Nora casually replied, “Ethan is a cornerstone of the company and performs best at the grassroots level.” I knew Nora was confident that I wouldn’t object or leave her. Seeing the new Vice President, I understood why. He looked just like Nora’s college flame who tragically passed away. Suddenly, I felt drained. I tore off my ID badge and tossed it in front of Nora. “Ms. Anderson, I’m done here.” “Ethan, what do you mean by this?” Nora’s voice carried a hint of displeasure, her brows furrowed. But with many employees present, she had to keep her composure and asked me patiently. I could sense her looming anger. At this moment, everyone in the company looked at me with amusement, some even snickering. They were all waiting for a spectacle. Nora handed my ID badge back, her tone softening slightly. But to me, this was the biggest concession she could give. “Theo is just here in name. Theo and I are old acquaintances. I’m merely having him stay for a while. In time, you can apply for the Vice President position when the opportunity presents itself.” “We’re all adults. There’s no need to throw a tantrum.” However, I was already disillusioned and replied firmly. “No, Ms. Anderson, I’m really done.” Nora’s face turned dark instantly. She seemed unprepared for me to publicly embarrass her. Theo noticed and immediately spoke, his tone carrying a hint of humility and compromise. “Ms. Anderson, Ethan truly is a key figure in the company. With me suddenly being placed here, people might have unspoken reservations. I’m willing to start from the bottom and leave the opportunity to someone more capable.” But hearing Theo’s humble tone irritated Nora even more. She quickly interrupted, “Theo, stop being modest. No one is more suitable for this position than you. My placing you here proves you deserve it. Anyone with objections can come to me.” After Nora’s declaration, my colleagues naturally dared not object, all expressing their support for her decision. Then, Nora impatiently turned to me: “Ethan, I’ve said what I needed to. If you’re willing to work, then work. If not, then leave.” I gave a cold smirk. I always knew she had less patience with me than with others, even less than with a new intern. Before I could respond, Nora continued. “Theo, sit beside me. Let’s officially start the annual meeting and introduce you to the department heads.” Suddenly, I felt like a forgotten fool, standing there, unsure of my place. Yet I could feel the subtle gazes around me, filled with either sympathy or mockery. Without hesitation, I took off my wedding ring and placed it on the conference table, then turned and left. “Ethan! If you walk out of this conference room, don’t bother coming back!” Nora’s voice echoed behind me, laced with anger. I ignored it and walked straight out of the conference room. As soon as I stepped out, a few colleagues came over, pretending to persuade me. They probably already knew everything from some inside source. “Manager Ethan, at our age, isn’t staying employed more important than anything else?” “Middle-aged and unemployed—it’s a tough world out there, especially for someone like you, who’s the technical backbone of the company. With fresh graduates everywhere, who would dare hire you? I’m just being candid, don’t take it personally.” I looked at their insincere faces, their words implying that Nora gave me this job, and without the company or her, I was nothing. I paused briefly, and the meeting was ending behind me. I heard laughter congratulating Nora on getting rid of a “pest,” some even suggesting she kick me out of the marriage too. I looked back at this toxic company and its utterly insincere faces. Feeling only exhaustion, I let out a deep sigh.
I am Nora’s so-called husband. Over the years, this identity has felt like an invisible net, binding me tightly in this relationship, leaving me breathless. Our story began in college, where I was her junior, studying finance alongside her. My father was once a driver for Nora’s family, practically family after years of service. A few years ago, he saved her father in an accident. This act of gratitude led Nora’s father to bind us together before he passed, hoping we would marry. At that time, Nora was still grieving the loss of her long-cherished college love, who also passed in an accident. In those difficult days, I was by her side, helping her out of her darkness bit by bit. Perhaps out of gratitude, or perhaps out of uncertainty about the future, she muddled through and agreed to the marriage. However, we never registered the marriage, nor did we consummate it. Whenever I tried to bring it up, Nora would use the excuse of the company being in a growth phase and outright reject me. I once thought that her agreeing to the marriage meant she had some feelings for me, that my companionship and efforts during those days might have quietly moved her heart. Later, I compromised, turning down many offers from big companies, and joined Nora’s company as a technical manager right after college, initially to help stabilize her company and because I feared chaos after her father’s death, wanting to support her. Revealing our relationship wasn’t my intention, but it turned me into a thorn in my colleagues’ eyes. I worked diligently at the company, attentive at home, hoping my actions would eventually win her over enough to look at me. However, it wasn’t until Theo appeared that I finally understood some hearts are like cold stones, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t warm them. I packed up my things and left the company. As soon as I stepped out of the office building, I pulled out my phone and submitted a resignation application, which the HR manager promptly approved. I could almost envision Nora’s cold smile upon learning about my resignation. But now, none of it mattered. I returned to the house that colleagues gossiped about as a “cohabitation” place. In reality, it was just a rental arrangement. After a final glance at the familiar decorations, I quietly packed my few belongings, ready to leave. On the way to my new place, I suddenly craved a drink and bought a few bottles. I ended up drinking myself into a stupor, lamenting the years I wasted, but also toasting to my newfound freedom. In my haze, I suddenly heard a voice. “Hey, what’s going on? Why are you lying on the floor?” “Are you feeling unwell anywhere?” I rubbed my aching temples, sobered up a bit, and saw a young girl handing me a glass of water. I hesitated, confused. “Who are you?” She seemed surprised by my question, tucked her hair behind her ear, and smiled. “Didn’t the landlord tell you? I’m the previous tenant of this place, just coming to pick up some things I left behind. Hi, I’m Daphne.”
I frowned in response, opened my phone, and sure enough, saw messages and several voice calls from the landlord. I must have been too drunk to notice them. Through our conversation, I learned Daphne had just quit her job too. Watching her youthful, spirited pursuit of freedom, I felt genuine envy. When she learned I had just lost my job and ended a relationship, seeing the mess of empty bottles, she immediately spoke up. “Ethan, how about we go see the ocean together! We hit it off so well, and we’re both newly unemployed, let’s celebrate our freedom!” “I’ve been wanting to go to the beach! My friends don’t want to go with me, so you should come!” I looked at her face, unable to remember the last time I wanted to see the sea. But isn’t life about living for those fleeting moments? Now that I’m unemployed, what’s there to fear? At least I won’t starve. So, we went to the neighboring city to see the ocean. Watching the waves wash over the sand and recede, I felt a rare sense of calm and began talking with her. Daphne was naturally friendly, probably because she was recently a graduate, still lively and unburdened by years of workplace scheming and fatigue. We talked from dawn till dusk, watched the sunset over the sea together, and her youthful dreams amazed me. We decided to visit the neighboring city to see the ocean together. As I watched the waves ebb and flow on the beach, I felt a rare sense of calmness wash over me, prompting me to start a conversation with her. Daphne was naturally sociable and full of life, possibly because she was a recent graduate and hadn’t yet been jaded by the workplace’s stress and competition. We talked from dawn till dusk, watching the sunset over the sea together. Her youthful dreams were truly remarkable and inspiring. “Ethan, I believe people shouldn’t be stuck in the past. When I first saw you, you were sprawled on the couch in the living room, reeking of alcohol. I thought you were trouble, and it scared me.” She fondly recounted the humorous incident of finding me that day, and I laughed along. It suddenly dawned on me that my entire marriage felt like a burden. Since graduation, my life had been monotonous, revolving mostly around work and Nora. During the day, I worked at the company, and at night, I took care of Nora. She never appreciated it, and her unpredictable moods often left me anxious. Nora regretted marrying me soon after our wedding. When I eagerly asked about getting our marriage certificate, she doused my enthusiasm with cold indifference. She maintained our relationship only out of obligation to her father’s last wishes. The house was a shrine to him, cluttered with photo frames that were glaringly intrusive. Whenever I moved anything, even while cleaning, she would explode in anger. The ongoing tension took a mental toll on me. Looking at Daphne’s youthful face, I let out a bitter laugh and started sharing my life story. I’m not someone who easily opens up about my pain. Partly because I’m a grown man and partly because the relationship was so complex, I didn’t know where to begin. I couldn’t even recall my feelings for Nora anymore. But Daphne was patient. She listened to my hesitant story from start to finish. After speaking with her, I suddenly felt a sense of relief. After returning home from our trip, we prepared to part ways. We returned to the apartment, and Daphne began packing her belongings. There was a small appliance that took some time to disassemble. Watching her busy figure, I felt grateful for the conversation we had. Daphne still had her dreams and freedom to pursue. I was just a passerby and friend in her life. But I was thankful she listened and offered advice. Who would have thought that upon entering the apartment, we would find a group of unexpected guests? Leading them was Nora’s bodyguard. He nodded politely at me and spoke. “Mr. Ethan, Miss Nora requests your return.”
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