At the company gala, Finn, an intern, tossed a half-eaten scallop from his plate directly into his fiancée’s bowl. She picked it up and ate it without a second thought. That night, I tore our merger agreement into shreds and threw it in the trash. She took off her glasses, her face etched with exhaustion. “Over a single scallop?” “He gave it to you after he’d already taken a bite.” Sophia Walter scoffed. “Ethan Cole, I never realized you were so petty.” “Fine,” she said, her voice dripping with disdain. “Let’s call off the wedding. Just don’t you dare come crawling back to me.” She was convinced I was so deeply in love with her that I could never let go. But I just smiled. “Deal. And whoever comes crawling back is a dog.” 01 The very next day, I asked my parents to find a new family for our corporate alliance. They were surprised but didn't press for details, respecting my decision. As expected, Sophia initiated a cold war. Blocking my number, deleting me from her socials, cutting off all contact—she moved through the steps with the cold precision of a practiced routine. She was certain that, just like every other time, I would be the one to break the silence and come back to her. But this time, as I stared at the familiar friend request notification on my screen, I finally let it fade away without hitting ‘accept.’ A week later, a notification popped up in the company-wide group chat: “Tonight is Ms. Walter’s birthday celebration. Attendance is mandatory for all employees.” I went, if only to avoid making a scene. Pushing open the door to the private dining room, the first thing I saw was Sophia at the head of the table, with Finn leaning in so close his lips were practically brushing her ear. They were murmuring to each other, lost in a world of their own, a bubble no one else could penetrate. As they laughed, they leaned even closer, their faces a breath away from a kiss. I tore my gaze away, found a seat in the corner, and started drinking alone. Colleagues began presenting their gifts one by one, but I remained motionless. Eventually, a shadow fell over me. I looked up into Sophia’s beautiful face, now marred by a flicker of annoyance. “Ethan. Where’s my present?” In the past, I would have spent months preparing for this day. I once spent weeks meticulously building her a scale model of Howl’s Moving Castle, the one that actually walked. When the gears turned and smoke curled from its tiny chimneys, she had squeezed my hand and whispered, “We’ll be just like Sophie and Howl, finding our forever home in each other.” I believed her then. I never imagined her ‘forever’ wouldn’t even last three years. “I forgot,” I said, my voice flat. Sophia’s face darkened. “How long are you going to keep this up? Are you really this upset over such a small thing?” My eyes drifted to her lipstick, smeared slightly where Finn’s face had been. A wave of nausea rolled through me. “I’m not trying to make a scene. I’m serious about calling off the engagement.” Her expression froze for a fraction of a second, but she regained her composure the moment Finn’s hand found hers under the table. “Ethan, don’t misunderstand,” Finn explained softly, the picture of innocence. “I just didn’t want it to go to waste. If it bothers you that much, I can just wait until everyone’s finished eating at the next dinner.” His words instantly ignited Sophia’s protective instincts. “Finn, you deserve the best! The one who should leave is Ethan. Who does he think he is?” Finn walked over and patted my shoulder. “Come on, Ethan. Be the bigger man. Sophia hasn’t been sleeping well these past few days. I know you two have your differences, but you’re still engaged…” I swatted his hand away, a cold laugh escaping my lips. “You know what I admire most about you, Finn?” “You can play the victim and the villain at the same time, all while shamelessly hitting on another man’s fiancée.” The smile froze on Finn’s face. Sophia was instantly furious. “Ethan, how dare you slander him!” “Slander? Then why don’t you explain why every gift you’ve ever given me, he has an identical one? Why is it that every time we fight, he’s the one who makes sure the whole office knows about it? And how the hell does he know about the small scar high on your thigh—” “Enough!” The sharp crack of a slap echoed through the room. My left ear rang, and my vision swam. The only thing in focus was the sea of faces around me, their expressions a mix of pity and scorn, all directed at me. The ringing slowly subsided. It was replaced by Sophia’s voice, loud and clear, ringing with defiance. “From this day forward, I want everyone to like the photos of me and Finn together. Once we hit one thousand likes, I’m calling off this stupid engagement and marrying him instead.” Without another word, she grabbed Finn’s hand and stormed out of the room. As they passed me, Finn shot me a look of pure, undisguised triumph. After they left, the room began to empty. A sneering voice drifted back to me. “Served him right for pretending to be so magnanimous. He played his hand and lost. Too late for regrets now.” A colleague I was closer with leaned in and whispered, “Ethan, your pride isn’t worth it. Just go apologize. You can’t let her do something crazy in the heat of the moment…” I knew exactly what this was. Another test, another power play designed to make me bend. But this time, I wasn’t going to fold. Not even if it killed me. The once-boisterous room fell silent until I was the only one left. I picked up a half-full bottle of whiskey from the table and drained it, the fiery liquid scorching a path down my throat and into my stomach, the burn so intense it brought tears to my eyes. Nearly twenty years of my life had been tied to her. Cutting the cord, it turned out, just felt like this. Fine. I would accept the family’s new arrangement, move thousands of miles away to Bayside City for a new alliance, a new partnership. Far enough away that she could never bother me again. I didn’t know why, but my face was wet and cold again. Back at my apartment, I started to pack. Sophia and I were childhood sweethearts; most of my life was interwoven with hers. The place was filled with too many things, each one a hook pulling at a memory. This faded red paper flower. Her first prize in kindergarten. She had toddled over to me, her little legs churning, and placed it reverently in my palm. “Ethan, you get the best things!” This yellowed photograph. Her face flushed beet-red the day she got her first period. Having skipped health class, she thought she was dying and ran to me to deliver her last will and testament, telling me to find a girlfriend who wasn't as pretty as her. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Once I figured out what was happening, I sprinted to the corner drugstore to buy pads. We sat together, puzzling over the instruction manual. I teased her for not paying attention in class, and she bit my arm in frustration. Strangely, it didn't hurt. Instead, a secret, sweet warmth spread through my chest. After that, getting together was the most natural thing in the world. Different colleges meant four long years of long-distance. The thick stack of train tickets I’d saved was a testament to the hundred and twenty thousand miles I’d traveled for her. Back then, her world revolved around me. She would have crossed oceans for me without a single complaint. My fingers brushed against a small, hard box. Inside, a pair of simple, matching rings we had made together lay nestled in velvet. For her, I had moved back to this city without a moment’s hesitation after graduation. The day I returned, she dragged me to a jewelry workshop to forge these rings. She slid one onto my finger, her eyes sparkling. “Ethan Cole, you’re mine now. Trapped for life. Don’t even think about running away.” We both believed it then. That the sincerity of a vow spoken in a moment of pure love was enough to make it eternal. We never imagined she would be the first one to let go. The day Finn interviewed at the company, he was terrible. Sophia made no secret of her disdain. I, too, dismissed the applicant who lacked both the qualifications and the skills. But somehow, against all odds, he was hired as an intern. My real alarm bells started ringing when I saw the ring—our ring, the one that was supposed to be uniquely ours—on Finn’s finger. At first, when I confronted her, Sophia was patient, coaxing me with soft words and explanations. But soon, her patience wore thin, replaced by irritation. My constant willingness to forgive, to endure, to please her, only emboldened her favoritism toward Finn. The menu for company dinners was tailored exclusively to his tastes. He only had to show up to the office for half a day each week, spending the rest of his time with Sophia. Meanwhile, all his menial intern duties were unceremoniously dumped on me. She started bringing him up more and more often. It began as unconscious admiration, but soon she was openly comparing me to him, complaining that I wasn't romantic enough, that my words weren't sweet enough. Then came the day at a company coffee break. Sophia was raving about the milk tea she’d ordered. Finn leaned in and said he wanted a taste. Without a second thought, she offered him her cup, straw and all. He took a long drink, his lips touching the faint trace of her lipstick on the straw. What made my chest tighten was how she took it back and, completely unfazed, continued drinking from the very same straw. In that instant, it felt like an invisible hand was squeezing my heart, a sour, suffocating pressure that made it hard to breathe. From then on, Finn’s transgressions as an "intern" became unstoppable. He’d help with her skincare routine, personally applying lotion to her hands. When she sprained her ankle, he ignored me standing right beside her, hoisting her onto his back and rushing her to the infirmary. She even cancelled my birthday celebration, a dinner I had been planning for weeks, because Finn had a minor cold. Every time I expressed my displeasure, Sophia would lash out impatiently. “Ethan, you see the worst in everything! He’s just an intern, what could possibly happen between us? Stop projecting your own dirty thoughts onto everyone else!” But as time went on, the conviction in her voice began to waver. The final blow came during a major industry gala. The invitation explicitly stated to bring a partner. She went with Finn, without even telling me. I only found out after several people asked if we had broken up. When I confronted her, she was angrier than I was. “I took him so he could network and learn! Don’t interns need to learn? You’re a grown man, Ethan. Can you stop being so insecure?” We didn’t speak for a long time after that, so long that I thought it was truly the end. Then, late one night, a message from her popped up: “Honey, my stomach hurts so much…” And just like that, the wall of cold indifference I had tried so hard to build crumbled into dust. The terrible cycle began anew: I would confront her, she would get angry, I would back down and appease her, and she would forgive me. I snapped the ring box shut and threw it into the trash. In the deepest corner of a drawer, I found an apology note she had written me when she was eighteen, all because she had missed one of my texts. Back then, she truly cared. Now, the only person she had eyes for was the intern. I took out the yellowed letter, tore it into tiny pieces, and let them flutter into the garbage can. With decades of our shared history now cleared out, the apartment felt vast and empty. It felt like my heart had been hollowed out along with it. In the company group chat, photos of Finn celebrating Sophia’s birthday were flooding the feed. Colleagues, all too aware of Sophia’s preferences, were tripping over themselves to shower them with praise. “Ms. Walter and Finn are so cute together!” “Every girl needs a boyfriend like Finn. He’s so warm and attentive, not like Mr. Cole who always has a sour face on.” “Finn’s just an intern and he takes such good care of Ms. Walter. Now that’s what you call effort…” I couldn’t bear to look anymore. I picked up my phone and called my lawyer. “I want to pull all of my investments from the Walter Corporation.” The next day, I returned to the office to collect my personal belongings. I pushed open the door to my private lounge. And there was Finn, feet kicked up on my desk, wearing a pair of baggy shorts. His personal effects were strewn across the entire room. My things were piled in a heap in the hallway outside the door. Sophia had designed this lounge specifically for me. Everyone in the company knew it was my sanctuary, a place no one dared to enter without permission. What Finn was doing now was no different from dancing on my grave. I didn’t waste my breath arguing with him. I just took out my phone and called the police. In the mediation room at the station, Finn looked flustered. “I was just getting a file for Sophia. Did you really have to call the cops?” “That is my private space. Did I give you permission to enter?” “Entering without asking is called theft.” Finn didn’t argue, but his eyes suddenly welled with tears. I immediately sensed something was wrong. I turned, and sure enough, Sophia was standing behind me, her face a mask of cold fury. “Sophia!” Finn cried, practically throwing himself into her arms. “I was really just trying to get that file for you… I think Ethan really hates me. He’s insisting I’m a thief… My apartment is already overflowing with the gifts you’ve given me, why would I ever want any of his things?” This small room had once been my refuge. It was a gift from her after I built her the castle model. We had made so many memories here. I thought, at the very least, this place would be the last shred of dignity our relationship had left, a sanctuary that would remain untainted. But Sophia, with her own hands, had just shattered that final illusion. She stroked Finn’s back comfortingly, then turned to the officer. “It’s a misunderstanding. We’re all friends here. Sorry to have troubled you.” Then, her gaze fell on me, her voice dripping with ice and disgust. “Ethan, what has gotten into you? Acting like a bitter, jealous spouse, using your position to bully an intern. Does that make you feel powerful? You are a profound disappointment.” The accusations rained down on me. Before I could even speak, Finn chimed in again, his voice thick with a sob. “Sophia, don’t blame Ethan. It was my fault… It’s okay, I can go to jail for a few days. I don’t mind people laughing at me, as long as you two don’t fight because of me…” Sophia squeezed his hand, her eyes filled with pity. “Finn, you’re just too kind. That’s why people always take advantage of you.” She turned back to me, her tone hardening. “Ethan. Apologize to Finn. Now.” “He’s the one who trespassed in my private space. You want me to apologize to him, and you think he’s the one who’s been wronged?” The moment the words left my mouth, Finn’s quiet sobs started up again on cue. Sophia let out a cold laugh. “Your private space? Don’t forget, that lounge is property of the Walter Corporation. This entire building is mine. You only have permission to use it. And if you continue with this attitude, I have no problem pressing charges against you for filing a false report.” With that, she led Finn away to finalize the paperwork. Her words were like an icy drill, boring straight into my heart. A sharp pain, one I thought I was already numb to, flared up again. All these years, I had poured everything I had into supporting her company, thinking I was building our future together. And in the end, all I got was—You only have permission to use it. Before leaving, Sophia delivered her final warning. “By the way, the like count is at 990. If you don’t change your attitude, I will actually go and marry Finn.” I looked at Finn, who was hiding behind her, his eyes glinting with contempt. In that moment, the full, pathetic scope of my situation became clear. His tactics had always been clumsy. A woman as smart as Sophia couldn’t possibly have missed them. She had simply chosen to allow it. The scales in her heart had tipped long ago. This whole charade was nothing more than a play she and Finn had orchestrated to get rid of me, the inconvenient obstacle. And I was the fool who had kept begging for scraps. With that realization, the last embers of affection I held for Sophia were finally extinguished. In the days leading up to my move to Bayside City, a few gleeful colleagues kept messaging me. “994 likes! Your fiancée is about to be gone for good if you don’t wise up!” “Tsk tsk, 997! Looks like you’re destined to be alone, buddy.” “Wow, you’re really holding out this time, huh? Or are you just scared you can’t compete with Finn, so you’re running away with your tail between your legs? Haha!” I blocked and deleted them one by one, ignoring the taunts. When the like count stalled at 999 and I still hadn’t made a move, the atmosphere around Sophia grew dangerously cold. No one in the office dared to cast that final vote. Just as she was plotting her next move to force my hand, someone burst into her office. “Ms. Walter! The 1000th like… it’s done!”
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