When my girlfriend, Maya, received a call mentioning her ex-boyfriend Ethan's grandfather and father had both passed away, she worried about Ethan's mental state and decided to go care for him. As for her own father, Mr. Davis, still recovering in the hospital, she told me it was my chance to impress him, to win his approval as soon as possible. Hearing her devotion to her ex-boyfriend, I found myself envying her deep affection. And so, I began the process of becoming her ex-boyfriend. 01 I was driving Maya to visit her father when her phone rang, and she answered Ethan's call. She wore headphones, so I couldn't make out what Ethan was saying. But the way Maya's hand instinctively reached to soothe an unseen distress, combined with the quick, guilt-edged flick of her eyes my way, spoke volumes. Finally, she took a deep breath, steeling herself, and declared softly, "Don't be sad, I'm on my way to you now." "It's okay, he'll understand." After hanging up, she asked me to pull over. "Ethan's in a bad place emotionally," she explained softly. "I need to go comfort him." My voice was flat. "Think this through." A flicker of impatience crossed her face. "Ethan just lost his grandfather and father. Try to be more understanding." I reminded her again. "Are you sure you want to leave me here, right now?" Her impatience sharpened. "Be sensible, get out." I simply smiled. "Fine." Her brow smoothed, and she adjusted her posture, perhaps intending to offer a reassuring word, but I stepped out of the car without another glance. Her hand, suspended in mid-air, slowly withdrew as she sighed. "It'll be up to you to visit Dad at the hospital. Make a good impression, try to get his approval soon." With that, she drove away. I called a rideshare and went straight back to Maya's apartment, packing all my belongings. I had my own small apartment, only staying at hers occasionally, so my things were few. I finished packing quickly. Mid-move, I received a call from the hospital. They said Mr. Davis's prepaid fees had run out and I needed to settle the bill. Mr. Davis was Maya's father, a regular at the hospital. Since I had once paid a bill for him, it had somehow become my ongoing responsibility. Maya was too proud not to repay me, but she always deducted a small amount and delayed the transfer for an annoyingly long time. I directly gave them Maya's number, stating that I was no longer associated with them and they should call her for payment. After some thought, to be fully responsible, I still tried to call Maya to inform her. But she didn't pick up. After multiple attempts, she blocked my number. To ensure the message got through, I used another number to text her about the hospital bill and then informed her I was breaking up with her. From that point on, whatever happened was no longer my concern. 02 The next morning, I arrived at the company early to resign. Years ago, she had asked me to build this business with her, yet she intended for me to work as her assistant, without a title or proper recognition. She'd told me everything she owned would eventually be mine, and she'd give me a generous allowance each month, so I shouldn't worry about shares or positions. She'd also keep my official salary low to help me with tax avoidance. Back then, I was still deeply in love with her, so I willingly abandoned a promising career path to join her startup. But her proposition still felt instinctively wrong. At the time, I'd firmly told her: "My salary is earned income, and paying taxes is my duty. Besides, I'm young and perfectly capable; what sense does it make for me to live off your allowance?" "Furthermore, without a proper title, my authority would be undermined. No legitimate company has its CEO's personal assistant handling all business negotiations. How would I manage subordinates then? You're building a real company, not some fly-by-night operation." Maya's face darkened, but she eventually relented, giving me an appropriate position and salary. She certainly had talent. Over the years, the company had expanded, from a single office to occupying three floors in the city's most prestigious commercial district. But this would soon no longer concern me. After breaking up, I certainly wouldn't stay with this company. Yet, I didn't expect to see Ethan when I walked into Maya's office. Before I could even register my surprise, she immediately accosted me. "What was that yesterday? I told you to go see my dad first, didn't I? Do you know... Luckily I sent Sam." I hadn't closed the door yet. Sam, who was just passing by, heard her words, looked mortified, and hurried away. Sam was Maya's assistant. She frequently sent him on personal errands without paying him overtime. I'd repeatedly advised her not to be so unreasonable, and she'd only grudgingly given Sam a small raise. I closed the door, a cold smirk on my face. "I called you to explain, but you were with Ethan then, so you blocked me." Ethan's face darkened at my words. "I know I shouldn't have disturbed Maya and Mr. Li yesterday, but Maya and I were simply being friends. Mr. Li, you can't slander me like that." Maya also looked displeased. "Alex, don't just spout nonsense. I told you yesterday I was just going to comfort Ethan. Don't be so crude in your thoughts." "Comfort him so much you brought him to work with you today?" Maya froze. "Ethan said he wanted something to do, so I brought him along. From today, he'll take your position, and you'll be his second-in-command." I was stunned. "What?" She was indignant. "Ethan needs to gain work experience... Don't worry, apart from the position change, all other benefits remain the same." Ethan stubbornly interjected, "I won't be staying at Maya's company long, Mr. Li. You don't need to worry." I laughed. "Then who's going to do the work?" The responsibilities of a director and a deputy director differed significantly. Maya's tone wavered. "Ethan has been abroad; he's not very familiar with the local business environment. Just help him out." "Never mind," Ethan said, feigning magnanimity, "My request was a bit much. I'll find another way." "Wait!" Maya grabbed Ethan's arm, then turned to me. "Alex, be sensible. I haven't even blamed you for yesterday's incident yet." "Enough. Don't play this game." I smiled faintly. "I quit." 03 News of my resignation quickly spread through the company. My team members messaged me in our group chat, expressing their concern and asking if I intended to take them with me. I was surprised. Was Maya really that unpopular? But then again, it made perfect sense. In the early days of the startup, things were fine. But as the company grew, Maya became less respectful of her employees, often cutting benefits. Her employees mostly received empty promises. The more I tried to advise her, the more displeased she became, starting to lecture me with her "upper-echelon mindset." I didn't want to burn all bridges, and I also wanted to take some time off before finding a new job, so I politely declined their offer. These subordinates were all highly capable, and I knew they could easily find better jobs elsewhere if they left. A few days later, I unexpectedly received a call from a headhunter. They said Horizon Corp. was offering me twice my current salary and other generous terms to join their company. They even mentioned that if I could bring my team, the salary could be negotiated further. After hanging up, I was perplexed. Horizon Corp. was a national business giant. While Maya's company had grown, it was incomparable to Horizon. Why would they use a headhunter to poach me and my team? I initially thought it was a scam, but the documents the headhunter sent confirmed it was indeed Horizon Corp. I couldn't for the life of me recall any connection I had with Horizon, but it was a rare opportunity, so I replied that I was willing to meet. Just then, Maya asked me to come to her office. I entered to find her with a dark expression. "What do you want?" "Why aren't you cooperating with Ethan?" "Cooperating with what? Fetching coffee, making copies, delivering files? Is that my job?" "...He's new, but you don't have to be so rude. You could teach him." "I'm already organizing the handover documents. I'll get them to him as soon as possible. Until then, tell him not to bother me." "Handover for what? You'll still be the director once he leaves." "We've broken up. It's not appropriate for me to stay at the company." "Break up? I didn't agree!" Maya abruptly stood up, her face livid. "Are you serious, Alex? You're condemning me for just one mistake?" "It's not just one. Have you forgotten two years ago?" Two years ago, on the day Maya and I planned to celebrate our anniversary, Ethan suddenly called, saying he had a fever and felt terrible. Maya, despite my protests, insisted on leaving to take Ethan to the hospital. She returned two days later, then profusely apologized, claiming she couldn't bear the thought of Ethan being alone and uncared for in the city, with his family far away. She promised me it would never happen again. My feelings for her were still deep then, so I forgave her, but I also told her there would be no second chance. Now, hearing me say this, Maya suddenly laughed. "Are you jealous? You remember something from so long ago. Alright, I promise you, after I help him this time, I won't contact him again. And please, give me another chance. Don't they say 'third time's the charm'?" I shook my head. "You should focus on getting him up to speed with the work." Her face changed. "Are you serious?" "What do you think?" I turned and left the office, hearing the sound of something shattering as I closed the door. For me, there was no 'third time's the charm.' Forgiving her once was already a lapse in judgment brought on by love. 04 I returned to my office and saw Ethan directing someone to move a cardboard box. The person dragged their feet, clearly reluctant, and visibly relaxed when they saw me. A cold knot formed in my stomach, and I frowned. "Such a rush?" Ethan stood with his arms crossed. "Maya said this office is mine now, so I asked someone to pack your things." I shot him a look. "You could have waited for me. Is it your upbringing to mess with other people's belongings when they're not around?" I took the cardboard box from the person's hands. "You can go now." The person eagerly agreed and left. Stepping into the office, I quickly searched through the box. Ethan quickly followed. "What are you doing?" "Checking for anything missing or damaged." He scoffed. "Do you think I'd take your stuff?" Just then, at the bottom of the box, I found the pen I had been worried about. The moment I saw it, blood rushed to my head. That treasured fountain pen, a gift from my grandfather after he graduated high school, which I had used ever since his passing, was now carelessly tossed in the box with its cap, the nib splayed and ruined—clearly from being dropped. It took every ounce of my self-control, deep, shaky breaths, to rein in my fury. I held up the ruined pen, its splayed nib glinting accusingly, towards Ethan. "How do you explain this?" Ethan shrugged, utterly nonchalant. "It just slipped and fell when I was packing. You can always get a new one, can't you?" Hearing his dismissive tone, my patience snapped. My right hand immediately lashed out, landing a heavy punch on his face. He was stunned, reeling. Coming to his senses, he clutched his face, his expression livid. "You hit me!" I sneered. "And I'll do it again!" Just as I was about to land another blow, someone shoved me. I collided with the corner of my office desk, a sharp pain shooting through my left hand. Maya's face was chalk-white with fury. "It's just a pen, is it worth hitting someone over?" I stared intently at her. "You know what this pen means to me." "So what? A pen is just an object. I'll buy you a new one. Now apologize to Ethan." My last shred of hope withered. "You've crossed a line, Maya. Don't expect me to hold back anymore."
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