On the third day of our silent treatment, my fiancé deliberately agreed to his assistant’s suggestion for a road trip. He thought I’d get jealous and make a scene, like always. But when he came back a month later, he found I’d changed. He helped his assistant steal my project, but instead of quitting in a huff, I eagerly helped her write the proposal. He ruined my carefully crafted design so his assistant could win the year-end bonus, but I no longer tried to prove myself. Instead, I took all the blame and accepted his punishment. He even wanted to promote his assistant to company general manager, skipping all the usual steps. I didn’t get angry; I even offered to give up all my shares for him to freely distribute. The assistant was smug. “See? I told you. You can’t be tough with Alice’s personality. You have to give her the cold shoulder. This trip definitely worked. She’s scared of losing you, that’s why she’s being so good.” My fiancé believed her completely, praising his assistant’s intelligence. Later, he found me alone, promising me a promotion, a raise, and an unforgettable wedding, something he’d never offered before. But he seemed to have forgotten that during his trip, he’d already signed my resignation. And I had already broken up with him. From then on, we were completely done, no longer connected.
“Alice, Mr. O’Malley needs this project proposal urgently. I know it’s a lot, but please make sure it’s done before you leave the office today.” Liam’s assistant, Chloe Williams, smiled sweetly as she dumped a thick stack of files onto my desk. I took them, used to it by now. “Okay.” Chloe, seemingly not satisfied, chuckled again. “Liam and I have an engagement later. Just finish it and put it on Liam’s desk, Alice. Oh, and remember to clean Liam’s office before you leave.” With that, she clicked away in her high heels, in a great mood. My colleagues looked at me with pity, not even knowing how to comfort me. Everyone knew that our CEO, Liam O’Malley, was my fiancé, but he was incredibly biased towards his assistant, Chloe Williams. He hadn’t just gone out of his way to poach Chloe from another company and promote her to Project Department Director. He’d even given her a multi-million dollar project that I had spent a month securing and another month staying up late to almost finish. I protested, so Liam decided to settle the project ownership with a public vote. He thought everyone would back him, but the results showed everyone voted for me. Chloe only had his single, pathetic vote. Liam immediately blew up, accusing me of forming cliques in the company. He didn’t give the project back to me. Instead, he publicly announced my dismissal and docked the pay of all my colleagues who supported me. Everyone was furious but dared not speak out. Afterward, Liam apologized, explaining he wanted to avoid suspicion and prevent Chloe from being ostracized. At first, I believed him. Now, I just find it laughable. Chloe’s professional skills are worse than our newest intern. Whether it was avoiding suspicion or pure favoritism was clear to all our colleagues. Only he refused to admit it. Noise came from upstairs. I looked up and saw Liam’s tall figure appear at the stairwell. He merely glanced in our direction, then walked out without looking back. He had changed into a casual suit, and I could faintly smell his cedar cologne from here. Liam didn’t like wearing cologne, but this bottle was a gift from Chloe. I knew he was doing it on purpose. It had been like this for years. It started when I found his SnapChat messages with Chloe, where they were exchanging goodnight texts, and I couldn’t help but question him. Liam thought I was petty. In a fit of anger, he used the excuse, “Since you’re already suspicious, why not just make it official?” and brought Chloe to work directly by his side. The angrier I got, the more he deliberately favored Chloe. He took her to various social events, and even publicly wiped her mouth at company dinners. If I argued with him, he’d give me the silent treatment. If I apologized, he’d use it as an opportunity to team up with friends to lecture and reprimand me. Because of this, I often reflected on whether I was not magnanimous enough, leading us to this point. But it wasn’t until the third day of our silent treatment, when I was too sick to get out of bed, and he ignored me, deliberately packing his bags to go on a trip with his assistant, that I completely gave up. I finally understood. He was just using my “jealousy” as an excuse for “desensitization therapy” to shamelessly justify his immoral behavior. Even if I hadn’t seen his messages, Liam would have found another excuse to be with Chloe. After they returned from a business trip together a while ago, even though they still went out for dinner, drinks, and played sports frequently, I could sense their relationship had become subtly different. But thankfully, I didn’t care anymore. Five years of dating were ending. This farce had to stop. After I finished the proposal, I was the only one left in the office. I checked my phone and saw Chloe had posted several updates on Ins. The background was a fancy restaurant, with a romantic candlelit dinner on the table in front of them. Liam was elegantly cutting Chloe’s steak with a knife and fork. The caption read: “Steak cut by the CEO himself, it must taste extra delicious.” Many partners commented, praising how sweet they were. Those who didn’t know our relationship asked when they could attend their wedding. Liam replied with three dots, while Chloe sent a “playful” emoji. As usual, no clarification. But this time, I wasn’t angry about their ambiguous relationship like before, nor did I call Liam only to be scolded by him for “losing it over someone else’s comment.” I sent him a message telling him the proposal was done. Then I placed the file in his office, refilled the water cooler as requested, and drove home. Just as I arrived, Liam’s call came in. “Alice, it’s Chloe. Thanks so much for the project. I’ll treat you to dinner sometime.” As soon as I picked up, Chloe’s gentle voice came through. Before I could react, Liam’s voice chimed in from the background, “What’s there to thank her for? It’s her job.” “Liam, Alice is your fiancée, you should be nicer when you talk to her,” Chloe chided playfully. Their familiar interaction made it seem like they were the couple. I scoffed. Liam, who always had his phone glued to his hand and would get angry if I even checked the time on it, accusing me of invading his privacy, was now handing his phone to Chloe without a second thought. The closeness between them was obvious. But at that moment, my heart was unusually calm. What once felt like the end of the world now seemed trivial. After a few more playful exchanges with Chloe, Liam must have realized I was still listening. He said dismissively, “I’ll be home soon. Don’t wait up, get some rest.” Then he hung up. His “soon” meant at least four or five hours. In the past, I would get agitated and anxiously wait for him. But this time, I ignored him and calmly went to my study. I looked at the calendar on my desk. Not long ago, Liam and Chloe went on a trip under the guise of a business trip. I used that opportunity to submit my resignation. As expected, with Chloe around, Liam’s attention was entirely on her. He approved it without even looking. Now, there were three days left. Just three more days until my work handover was complete, and I could leave for good. Thinking about it, I made a FaceTime call to my former mentor at the research institute abroad. After graduation, I joined the institute as an outstanding student, enjoying a top-tier position. But when Liam said he needed help starting his company, I didn’t hesitate to quit. My mentor tried to dissuade me repeatedly, but I still resolutely returned to the country to help him build his business from the ground up. Looking back now, I was truly foolish. Emotions are always fleeting. Only hard work never betrays you. When the call connected, I explained my intentions. I expected a scolding, but instead, my mentor sighed, telling me he had actually known about my situation for a while and had already considered having me return. “But, have you truly thought it through this time?” I nodded. “I have. All my resignation matters are sorted.” “Resignation? What resignation?” A startled voice came from behind. I turned around to see Liam pushing the door open and walking in.
I looked down and saw that my mentor’s call had already disconnected. I calmly turned off my phone. As I was wondering how to explain, his phone suddenly buzzed. It was a message from Chloe, saying she’d found a stray kitten on her way home and had gone to a store specifically to buy some ham for it. “So cute,” Liam said. Chloe replied instantly: “Is the kitten cute, or am I cute?” A selfie of Chloe holding the kitten and pouting with a peace sign followed. Liam’s lips curved into an involuntary smile. “The kitten is cute, but you’re cuter.” Perhaps sensing I was still there, Liam suppressed his smile, frowned, and looked at me. “Didn’t I tell you to get some rest? Why are you still standing here?” His cold tone was completely different from when he spoke to Chloe, and he had entirely forgotten my mention of resigning. I let out a small laugh, saving myself the explanation. “I still have some things to finish.” “It’s so late, what chores haven’t you finished yet? Why can’t you arrange your time better? Alice, I don’t want to criticize you, but your procrastination is really bad.” Liam frowned deeply, complaining a few times. I didn’t explain that my procrastination was due to his frequent sudden demands, nor did I argue with him until I was red in the face, explaining my helplessness. Seeing my silence, Liam didn’t say much more and walked straight into the bedroom. Soon after, his joyful laughter came from the room. I rarely saw him laugh like that; only when he was with Chloe did he seem so genuinely happy. Ignoring it, I sat at my desk and pulled out the English study materials I hadn’t finished. After five years, the research institute’s focus had changed. To go back, even with my mentor’s help, I needed to be strong. But thankfully, my fundamentals were solid, and picking it back up wouldn’t take too long. “Are you reading an English magazine?” As I was concentrating on my studies, Liam suddenly walked in, I hadn’t even heard him. He reached out, took the magazine, casually flipped through a couple of pages, and then tossed it back. He scoffed lightly, “Why are you reading these? Do you even understand them?” “Just casually looking.” I put away the materials, my tone indifferent. “Did you come for something?” In the past, when Liam actively came to chat, I would be incredibly flattered. Perhaps he didn’t expect me to be so cold, and he paused for a moment. His expression was a bit unnatural. “Yes, there’s something.” “Chloe just completed a big project. I’m planning to promote her, and it’s also a good way to encourage other employees. What do you think?” Liam looked at me. He asked for my opinion, but I knew this was just an announcement, not a genuine request for my input. I still nodded. “I have no objection.” “But there should be punishment alongside rewards; otherwise, it’s hard to manage a team.” “You haven’t completed a project in so long, so I want you to temporarily transfer to a junior position. I’ll transfer you back later.” “Don’t worry, it won’t be for too long. I’m doing this for the overall good. You’re my fiancée, you should support me, right?” I scoffed internally. So, he still didn’t know I had resigned. He could interpret Chloe’s mood from tiny clues and know what she liked from small details. Yet, here I was, his fiancée, and he had personally signed my resignation letter, completely oblivious. Indeed, whether one cares or not can be seen in just a few words. Seeing my silence, Liam assumed I was going to argue with him as before, and his face immediately darkened. “Even if you don’t agree, it’s no use. I’ve already sent out the documents, and your office has already been given to Chloe.” “Either you accept the transfer, or you leave.” He threatened, “But I advise you, the company is preparing to go public. You should think carefully before you leave.” His tone was confident that I wouldn’t leave. This had happened too many times. In just one year, my position in the company had dropped repeatedly because of a few words from Chloe. I had endured it then, and Liam was sure I’d be even more reluctant to leave now. I gave a bitter smile. “I didn’t say I disagree.” “Alright, then it’s settled.” Liam’s mood lightened. I didn’t say no, which meant yes. Just as he was about to leave, he sensed something and walked back. “I remember you used to have our photo on your desk. Why is it gone now?” That’s when I realized. In fact, it wasn’t just on my desk. My phone wallpaper, the wall in my room, my wallet—they all had our photos. Liam used to complain that my head was full of these silly little thoughts, unaware that I was constantly reminding myself that no matter what Liam did to me, he loved me. But later, I realized how ridiculous I was. Each of these photos mocked me, showing what a clown I had been. I didn’t want to explain much, so I said flatly, “The photo frame accidentally broke, so I put it away.” “Why are you so clumsy with everything you do?” Liam frowned in disgust, immediately looking down to check if there were any glass shards under his feet. “Remember to clean up thoroughly sometime so no one gets hurt.” Perhaps seeing that I was no longer tense, his tone softened slightly. He finished speaking and then got up and left the study. Watching his retreating back, I couldn’t help but laugh at myself. He certainly wasn’t concerned about me. His comment was clearly about not hurting Chloe. This was our home, and I managed everything in it. It wasn’t until a few months ago, when I found a small hair tie on the floor of his study and noticed the pillow in the bedroom had been moved, that I realized he had brought Chloe home many times. I couldn’t help but question him. He seemed to guess what I would ask and immediately produced evidence, proving they were only there for work. He then seized the opportunity to accuse me of being jealous and small-minded. To spite me for my suspicions, he defiantly and openly brought Chloe home. I could vaguely sense Chloe’s provocation and hostility towards me. But their interactions seemed normal, with no obvious crossing of lines. Over time, I fell into self-doubt. Every day, I’d reflect on whether I was wrong. Looking back now, with that much time spent dwelling, I could have succeeded at anything. The next morning, Liam announced Chloe’s promotion and my demotion to the lowest level. When he made the announcement, he was a bit wary, but when he saw that I remained unfazed, as if nothing had happened, he finally believed I had truly accepted it. He was in high spirits, and so was I. In the following days, while Liam held a celebration party for Chloe, I was processing my visa. While they went to an amusement park to relax, I was clearing out my belongings. In the end, what I needed to take with me barely filled one suitcase. While they attended a social event at a club, being egged on to drink “cross-armed” (intertwining arms) drinks, I was completing all my work handovers. … Two days later, on my last day at the company, I finished the final procedures with HR. “Go to the CEO’s office before you leave, Mr. O’Malley wants to see you.” HR said without looking up. I was about to refuse, but then I thought, I’m leaving tonight. If Liam goes out with Chloe as usual and doesn’t come home, this will be the last time we see each other. After all, we’d been together for five years; a farewell should have some kind of ceremony, right? Thinking this, I went upstairs to the CEO’s office. Just as I was about to push the door open, I saw Liam leaning back on the sofa through the glass wall. Chloe, wearing a long dress, was lying with her head on his lap, their posture intimate. Liam said something, and Chloe covered her mouth, laughing non-stop.
I paused. Just as I was wondering if I should step away, Chloe saw me first, letting out a surprised gasp, and quickly sat up. “Alice, what are you doing here?” A trace of nervousness flashed across Liam’s face. He hastily tugged at his slightly disheveled suit, then snapped at me, “Alice, who allowed you to come in?!” “Didn’t I say not to disturb me upstairs without my permission?” Liam had made that rule before. But the original rule was that *everyone except Alice* was forbidden from going upstairs to disturb him without permission. Before, I just thought Liam treated Alice specially. Now I understood what he really meant. But anyway, since I was leaving, I wasn’t surprised. I said calmly, “HR said you needed me.” Liam scoffed, strode to his desk, and angrily pressed the intercom. Less than two minutes later, HR came upstairs. “Did you tell Alice I needed her?” Liam asked coldly. HR sensed the tense atmosphere. Looking at Liam’s icy face, and then at a seemingly wronged Chloe, they were so nervous they couldn’t speak for a moment. After a pause, they finally said, “I don’t remember.” “Ha.” Hearing this, Liam, like a general who’d won a battle, cast a cold glance at me, speaking sarcastically. “Is this fun, Alice?” “I thought you’d finally matured, but I guess you’re still playing games. If you’re so worried about me, why don’t you move upstairs and watch me all the time?” “Or put a camera on me, to satisfy your curiosity.” I was speechless. “Liam, don’t be angry. I believe Alice is just worried because she cares, not doing it on purpose.” Chloe gently patted Liam’s back, then looked at me and said, “Alice, don’t misunderstand. I was just tired earlier and had a headache. Liam was just trying to help me relax so I could keep working.” “We’re doing everything for the company. Don’t overthink it.” I looked at her triumphant eyes, which seemed to wish I would overthink it. Although I didn’t know the full story, I was sure Chloe was behind this. HR was savvy and knew Chloe was Liam’s favorite. So, sensing the awkward atmosphere, they didn’t dare tell the truth. However, even if they had, Liam probably wouldn’t have believed it. I remained silent, but Liam’s anger hadn’t subsided. He fumed. “No need to explain to her.” “Personal matters are personal, company matters are company matters. Since we’re at the company, we follow company rules!” “Alice didn’t follow company regulations. Her bonus for this month is completely docked, and half her salary is also docked.” HR hastily said, “Liam, Alice, she already…” They probably wanted to say I had resigned, but before they could finish, Liam glared coldly. “I don’t want to hear any of her excuses! Do as I say!” HR didn’t dare say another word and turned to go downstairs. I thought for a moment, then also prepared to leave. But just then, Liam suddenly called out to me. Perhaps having vented his anger, he seemed much calmer now. He said earnestly, “Alice, I’m not deliberately targeting you, but these are the rules I set. If I don’t punish you, it’ll be hard to command respect in the future.” Chloe, standing nearby, nodded in agreement. “That’s right, Alice. Next time, if you’re unsure about something, you should ask Liam. If not, you can ask me, too!” Liam nodded approvingly. “Chloe is entirely dedicated to the company. She knows company matters better than anyone.” Then he glared at me again. “Unlike you, what do you do all day besides getting jealous? Can’t you learn from Chloe?” Learn what? Learn how she deliberately interfered in someone else’s relationship, how she provoked me subtly and overtly? Or how she intentionally stole others’ credit and tripped them up? I scoffed, but was too lazy to call him out. Seeing my silence, Liam thought I realized my mistake. He took two steps towards me, adjusted my collar which wasn’t even messy, and said earnestly. “I know why you’re causing all this trouble, and I am indeed very disappointed in you.” “But I have to say, since you came back this time, you’ve certainly matured a lot. To commend you, we’ll go take wedding photos tomorrow and get the wedding plans underway. But don’t get too carried away, marriage is just…” “Marriage?” Before he could finish, I let out a light laugh. I brushed his hand away. And handed him the prepared resignation letter. “Liam, we’re over.” “Also, I’ve resigned. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other.”
Liam’s body stiffened slightly. Chloe’s eyes, however, lit up. A triumphant smile immediately curved her lips. Although she quickly regained her composure, I saw it clearly. “Alice, those words are a bit much. You two are, after all…” “Alright, Chloe, you can go out now.” Before Chloe could finish, Liam calmly interrupted her. Chloe’s remaining words caught in her throat. She then feigned concern, advising Liam not to be angry and to talk things through, before leaving downstairs, satisfied. After she left, Liam glared coldly at me. “Alice, are you pushing your luck? I’ve already agreed to marry you, what else are you stirring up?” “Take back what you said about breaking up. And I won’t sign your resignation letter. Tear it up now, and I’ll pretend I didn’t see anything.” Seeing Liam’s confident expression, I just found it amusing. But also pathetic. I knew he had become this way largely due to my past indulgence. This kind of thing had happened many times before. But each time, Liam would offer an olive branch, and I would obediently take it, continuing our pretense of an affectionate relationship. I wanted to maintain our relationship peacefully, but I forgot that constantly backing down would only make him push his boundaries further. He cared about Chloe’s every move, but ignored everything about me. To this day, he didn’t know he had already signed my resignation letter. I let out a soft laugh and handed the resignation letter to him. “But you already signed it.” “All the procedures and handovers are done. I can leave today.” Liam was initially dismissive, but when he saw his signature on the resignation letter, his face changed. “Alice, did you forge my signature?” His words made me laugh. “You signed it yourself.” “Impossible! I don’t remember signing this!” “Alice, do you know that forging a signature is against the law? If I wanted to pursue it, I could call the police.” He took out his phone, pretending to dial the police. This was his trump card. In the past, whether it was because of Chloe or other reasons, whenever things got out of hand at the company, he would threaten me with calling the police. He thought I was afraid of the police. But he didn’t know that when the company was small and morale was low, I was afraid that calling the police would make everyone overthink and lose faith in the company. And at that time, I loved him, and didn’t want to get into a big fight with him over it, so I always thought it was better to compromise. But now, I was leaving soon. And we had already broken up. What did I have to be afraid of? “Fine, then call the police.” Seeing that my expression was calm, and I wasn’t pleading with him as he expected, Liam’s hand, poised to dial, paused. “You’re really not afraid?” “What’s there to be afraid of?” Hearing me say that, Liam moved his lips, and couldn’t help but examine his name on the resignation letter again. I kindly reminded him. “This resignation was approved while you were on a business trip.” Liam’s shoulders stiffened, as if he finally remembered, his face instantly turning pale. His thin lips trembled, and it took him a long time to squeeze out a sentence: “Is this why you’re making a fuss and threatening to resign?” “Well, I’m telling you, I was busy then, and I didn’t pay attention when I signed this. It doesn’t count.” I was amused. “Why not? I followed all the proper procedures, every step was fine. Why shouldn’t it count?” “Because I said so.” He tried to smooth things over, just like before. This time, I wasn’t speechless with anger. Instead, I took out my phone. “Then you can tell that to the police.”
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