After six years in the shadows, my CEO girlfriend, Veronica, finally agreed to let me meet her parents. But then she stayed out all night. The next morning, she strolled into the office, bold as brass, with a love bite on her neck and her first love, Spencer, at her side. They chatted as if no one else existed, completely ignoring me, her actual boyfriend. A colleague whispered, “Isn’t that the new guy? Started a few days ago, right? Wow, he moves fast. Already latched onto the boss. Just another pretty boy looking for a sugar mama.” Before I could say a word, Veronica’s voice cut through the office. “Spencer is a top graduate I hired myself. If you lack his talent, don’t resort to petty jealousy. I won’t have anyone speaking ill of him!” The vice president, one of the few who knew about us, sidled up to me. “Who’s this guy? I thought you were the boss’s boyfriend.” A bitter smirk touched my lips. “Not for much longer.” The VP stared, confused, but Veronica was already marching toward me. “Your performance has been slipping lately,” she announced, her voice cold. “I’m putting you on the back burner for now. Spencer will take over your projects. You will assist him.” The office went silent. I had been by Veronica’s side since the company was just a dream. I was, without a doubt, the driving force behind our success. My performance had never been anything but stellar. Yet here she was, demoting me for no reason. And for what? To play second fiddle to a rookie who’d been here less than a week. I stared back at her, my face a mask of ice. My silence seemed to irritate her. Her brow furrowed. “Did you not hear me?” A smug look flickered in Spencer’s eyes. He smiled, a saccharine, condescending expression. “Finn has been with you since the beginning, Veronica. He probably has a bit of an ego. I doubt he’s willing to be my assistant.” His passive-aggressive tone dripped with poison. Veronica scoffed. “An ego? What right does he have to an ego? If it weren’t for me, his community college degree wouldn’t have even gotten him through the door. All I’m doing is revoking the special privileges I gave him, and he can’t handle it?” “Does he really think he can throw his seniority in my face?” Her words painted me as a useless leech, coasting on tenure. But my contributions to this company were greater than hers, and she knew it. That community college degree? That was because of her too. Veronica and I both came from nothing. We bonded over a shared dream: to make it big in this city, no matter what. But her family couldn’t afford the steep tuition and living costs. They were going to force her into an arranged marriage for the dowry. She had cried in my arms, begging me to help her, telling me she didn't want to drop out. Because I loved her, I gave her every penny I had saved for my own tuition. I dropped out of university myself. I took grueling jobs in filthy restaurant kitchens, working my fingers to the bone just so she could have a better life. It wasn't until two years ago, after our company finally took off, that I had a moment to breathe. I enrolled in a community college, planning to finish my bachelor’s degree. But she told me the company needed me. She asked me to put my education on hold again. So yes, my highest level of education is an associate’s degree. She knew exactly why. And now, she was using it as a weapon to humiliate me. I felt the weight of every stare in the room—disdain, pity, judgment. I clenched my fists. But when my eyes met her cold, unforgiving gaze, the fight drained out of me. The woman who had once looked at me with so much love was gone. A bitter laugh escaped my lips. I turned, walked to the printer, and printed a single sheet of paper. My resignation. “If I’m just a community college grad,” I said, my voice flat, “then I guess I don’t belong here. After all, the minimum requirement for this company is a bachelor’s degree.” Veronica was stunned. She clearly hadn’t expected this. But she recovered quickly, her expression hardening. “I don’t care if this is some power play or a pathetic attempt to make me feel guilty. Once you walk out that door, you’re not coming back. This isn’t a revolving door, Finn.” I gave her a single, emotionless glance. “I know.” As I turned to leave, Spencer leaned in and whispered something in her ear. Her face contorted with disgust. “So that’s your game,” she spat, her voice dripping with venom. I had no idea what she was talking about. Then she threw a file onto my desk. It was a contract I had just secured a few days ago. Spencer made a show of clicking his tongue. “Finn, everyone knows you’re tight with Mr. Peterson from this client. The deal isn’t even finalized yet. You quitting now… it’s pretty obvious you’re trying to use this to blackmail the company, aren’t you?” “I get that you’re upset about being my assistant, but this is what the CEO wants. You can’t just defy her, can you?” The look of betrayal on Veronica’s face told me she believed him completely. The old me would have frantically tried to explain, to plead my case, to assure her I would never do such a thing. But now? All I wanted to do was laugh. She knew. Deep down, she knew I was the one holding this company together, but her pride would never let her admit it. So she crushed me with one hand while using me with the other. Before, I had tolerated it because I loved her. Now, I just felt like a fool. I had sacrificed my future for a woman who wouldn't even give me the title of "boyfriend" in public. I had lost my pride, my dignity, everything. The rage that should have been boiling inside me was gone, replaced by a calm, chilling emptiness. I copied all the relevant files from my computer onto a drive and placed it on the desk. “Here are all the project details, including the final quotes. You can use this to move forward. I won't say a word to the client.” I turned and walked away without another word. I could feel a burning gaze on my back, but I didn’t look back. The moment I stepped out of the building, the air felt cleaner, fresher. I hadn’t even had a chance to enjoy it when Veronica came running after me. She grabbed my arm, her brow furrowed with accusation. “I say a few words and you just walk out? What is that supposed to mean? You were the one who said you wanted to step back and let me run the company!” A cold laugh echoed in my chest. “I agreed to step back, Veronica. I never agreed to let you cheat on me!” She had been out all night, then shown up with a love bite and Spencer on her arm. And then she had the audacity to demand I work as an assistant for that clueless pretty boy. I may be loyal, but I’m not an idiot. “Cheat on you?” she stomped her foot, her voice rising. “What are you talking about? Spencer and I are just friends! Stop being so jealous!” Before I could retort, Spencer appeared, an apologetic look plastered on his face. “I’m so sorry, Finn. I had no idea you were resigning because you were jealous.” “But I was out with clients last night for the company. I had too much to drink, and Veronica was just looking out for me. Nothing happened between us, I swear. Please don’t misunderstand.” As he spoke, he deliberately angled his head, revealing a series of fresh scratch marks on his neck. The little bastard was provoking me. The old Finn would have exploded, demanding Veronica swear she would never see Spencer again. But after years of fighting the same battles, I was done. She would never change. And I had no desire to continue this pathetic dance. I said nothing, my face a cold mask. Veronica took the initiative, her hand finding mine. “I know you’re just acting out because you’re jealous. I’ll let it slide this time.” “We have a very important dinner meeting tonight. It can’t happen without you. Please, just pull yourself together and come with me.” Her voice was soft, a clear attempt at reconciliation. But it just sounded like a cruel joke. If it weren’t for this dinner, she wouldn’t have even bothered chasing after me. My eyes drifted to Spencer, and my blood ran cold. He was wearing my shirt. It was the shirt Veronica had bought me for our third anniversary. I cherished it. I barely ever wore it, saving it for special occasions. Now, it was wrinkled and reeked of stale smoke and cheap liquor. I’d been wondering where it went after I’d left it out to dry a few days ago. Veronica must have given it to him. I noticed several small, yellowed cigarette burns on the sleeve. Something I had treasured, treated with such disrespect. Pathetic. And hilarious. My expression didn’t change. Veronica sighed. “Fine. If you come to the dinner tonight, I won’t change your position. Happy now?” I remained silent. “You’re just afraid of Spencer being promoted above you, aren’t you?” she continued, as if talking to herself. “So I’ll make you both equals. There. Are you satisfied? If I wasn't worried about upsetting you, Spencer would have been in management from day one.” I finally looked her in the eye. “Promote him if you want. It has nothing to do with me.” Her face darkened. “What is that supposed to mean?” I laughed, a dry, humorless sound. “I already gave you my resignation. I have nothing to do with this company, and you have no reason to tell me any of this.” “Also, we’re breaking up.” Veronica’s eyes widened in disbelief. “What did you say?” I pulled out my phone and blocked her number right in front of her. “Do I really need to explain what ‘breaking up’ means?” “You dare break up with me?” Veronica hissed, her teeth clenched. “You were just telling me you wanted to meet my parents! What is this, some kind of game?” I pointed at Spencer with my chin. “Oh, so you do remember that? For a minute there, I thought you’d forgotten.” “How was the bar last night?” Yesterday was the day. The day we had planned for over six months. The day I was finally supposed to meet her parents. I had spent a fortune on gifts, wanting to make the best possible impression. I waited on the couch all day. From morning until night. Veronica never came. Instead, I saw Spencer’s smug post on social media. A picture from a loud, crowded bar. Veronica was curled up in his lap, their bodies pressed together intimately for all the world to see. I waited for an explanation. An apology. I got nothing. In fact, she had clearly forgotten all about it, demanding I become Spencer’s assistant without a shred of guilt. She was heartless. “I already told you,” she snapped, her defensiveness flaring into anger, “the company isn’t public yet! It’s still small! You know my parents favor my brother over me. We have nothing to show for ourselves, so how can we get married? You never try to understand my pressure, you just keep pushing me to meet them!” “So what if I went out for a drink to blow off some steam?” I laughed until I couldn't breathe. "Nothing's wrong with it. Do whatever you want. It has nothing to do with me." Spencer, dropping his apologetic act, stepped in front of Veronica. "You're the one making wild accusations. The CEO and I have a clear conscience. We have nothing to hide!" Veronica looked at Spencer with gratitude, then turned to me, her eyes filled with resentment. "If you want to throw a tantrum, fine. I've said all I'm going to say." Tears of frustration welled in her eyes. Watching the scene unfold, I felt nothing. It was almost funny. Whenever we had a problem, Veronica never tried to solve it. She would just throw a fit. And if that didn't work, she would cry until I gave in. She was using the same old trick. But this time, I didn't react. I just turned and walked away. She screamed my name, absolutely furious. But I only ever caved because I loved her. Without love, she was just a stranger. I deleted everything that reminded me of her. Then I sent a message to my best friend, who was living abroad. “I’m in. Let’s start that import-export business.” I was about to call him to catch up when my phone rang. An unknown number. “Hello, is this Mr. Finnian Reed? Your father's medical bills are two weeks overdue. We’ve been trying to call you, but we couldn’t get through. We had to stop his treatment a few days ago. He passed away that same day. We were calling to ask when you would be available to… collect the body.” The world tilted. I couldn’t breathe. “What did you say?” I asked, my voice a strangled whisper. My father was the only family I had left. A car accident years ago had left him in a coma, a vegetable. He was kept alive by machines and IV drips in the ICU. To keep him alive, I had arranged for my entire salary to be deposited into a dedicated account that the hospital could draw from directly. How could the bills be overdue? The person on the other end repeated, “The card you provided for the hospital was frozen two weeks ago. We’ve been trying to contact you, but the number we have on file is no longer in service…” I was the second-in-command at the company. There was no reason for accounting to freeze my account. There was only one person who could have done this…
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