The night before my promotion, my girlfriend Lana gave the biggest account of the quarter to her pet project, a junior associate named Leo. I saw red. I cornered her in our apartment, my voice shaking with a rage I couldn't control. She just stared back, her eyes like ice, and dropped two words that shattered my world. "We're done." Then she turned and stormed out, slamming the door behind her. My first instinct was to chase after her. But then, a series of pop-up comments, like a live-stream chat feed, materialized in front of my eyes. [Dude, don't be an idiot! She's just pissed! She's right downstairs, practically burning a hole in her screen waiting for you to call. One text and she'll be back up here in a second.] [Seriously, you were so busy with this account you almost forgot her birthday today. She only gave the deal to Leo to get back at you. She's already regretting it, probably pacing and cursing herself out. Call her! That promotion is yours tomorrow, and you'll get your perfect, devoted girlfriend back!] [Look, you can practically see her chewing her lip raw from here. God, I wish I had a girlfriend who cared that much!] [Bro, it’s starting to rain out there. You’re not gonna let her get soaked, are you? This girl is so deep in love, I’m shipping this so hard!] For a second, the comments almost calmed me down. I walked over to the window and pulled back the curtain. The street below was empty. Then I opened Instagram. Lana had just posted a picture of her and Leo, smiling, blowing out the candles on a birthday cake. I let out a bitter laugh. Eight years. All down the drain. I turned, walked to the trash can, and threw away the gift I’d spent a month planning. Then I picked up my phone. And replied to a text I’d received earlier that day. [Seven figures. If the offer still stands, I can start in three days.] The reply was instantaneous. [Deal.] 1 A wave of relief washed over me as I read the confirmation. I immediately started packing. But the pop-ups flared to life again. [No, no, no, my dude, don't say things you can't take back! Lana didn't get your call, and just then, Leo said he had a power outage at his place. That's the only reason she went over! The cake was for you, he just didn't know and ate it himself!] [For real, don't do this. She hasn't seen your text yet. Retract! Retract! Retract! She cleared her entire schedule for her birthday, just for you two. She had no idea you'd be stuck at work until 11 PM. If you break up with her now, she's going to lose it.] [You know the story. Her mom left her on her birthday when she was a kid. It’s a huge trigger for her. She gets terrified that the people she loves will abandon her. You've always been so patient with her about it. Come on, man. Just hang in there. For her.] I looked away from the comments, but my hands were still trembling as I folded a shirt. She knew. She knew how hard I’d worked for this account. How many humiliating meetings I’d endured for this promotion. How many client dinners I’d choked down. To land this deal, I’d spent the last month picking up the client’s kindergartener from school every damn day. The kid was a menace. He told all the neighbors I was their new housekeeper. I felt my face burn with shame, but I swallowed my pride and kept smiling. I was this close. Then I got the text. “Hey Sean, my hands are tied here. Right before signing, your boss, Ms. Lin, insisted the account go to a Mr. Leo Chen. I’m really sorry about this.” The message had turned my blood to ice. I rushed home to confront her, and all she gave me was a cold stare and two words before walking out. If it weren’t for those damn pop-ups, I would still be in the dark about why she did it. She was always like this. The slightest disagreement, and she’d threaten to leave. Tell me to get out. The first time, I believed her. I was heartbroken for weeks. When I finally couldn’t take it anymore and sent her a novel-length apology text, she showed up at my door in minutes. She held me so tight I could barely breathe. “Sean, when I’m angry, nothing I say is real,” she’d whispered. “Promise me you’ll never leave, no matter what I say. Please?” “I just say things I don’t mean. Every time I say we’re done, it’s just because I need you to love me more.” “I can’t live without you, Sean.” That night, we went through a whole box of condoms. Back then, I could excuse her behavior. I told myself she was just insecure. I forgave her again and again, coaxed her back from the edge every time. But why this? Why now? At the most critical moment of my career. When she saw, day in and day out, how much I was sacrificing. How could she just wipe it all away with a single, careless decision? How could she use my future, the one thing she knew I valued most, as a weapon to make me bend? Lana. Did it ever occur to you? That I get hurt, too. That I get tired. That eventually, I wouldn't be able to hang on anymore. 2 For eight years, Lana was my entire world. Ever since that night in high school. Her mother had walked out on her right after her eighteenth birthday party, and Lana fell apart. With graduation right around the corner, she started skipping school, spending all her time at internet cafes. I tried everything to pull her back. I lectured her, I pleaded with her, but nothing worked. Then one night, I was following her home when a homeless man grabbed her, trying to drag her into the bushes. I nearly beat him to death. That was the night she clung to me and sobbed, “Sean, don’t you ever leave me.” With her tears hot on my neck, I made a promise. A promise I kept for eight years. I gave up my first-choice college and followed her to a city I hated. She took over her family’s business, and I started at the bottom, working my way up, determined to become her equal. And now, it was all just a bad dream. 3 After I finished packing, I left and went to the apartment I’d been renting on the side. I got it after the last time Lana kicked me out. My crime? I’d cooked some fish in the microwave. She hated the smell. I thought she was out of town, but she came home early and flew into a rage, screaming that I was inconsiderate, that I didn’t love her. She threw my suitcase into the hallway. I ended up getting a hotel, then renting a cheap studio nearby. It took three days of non-stop, groveling apology texts before she finally let me come back. It wasn't the first time I'd been kicked out. Subconsciously, I think I knew I needed a backup plan. I never terminated the lease. Tonight, it came in handy. No need to even look for a place. 4 The next morning, I walked into the office with my resignation letter in hand. The elevator doors opened to a POP! Confetti rained down on me. My colleagues crowded around, cheering. “Alright, Mr. Director, where are you taking us for lunch? I’ve been eyeing that new sushi place. You’re paying!” “Yeah, Sean! You owe us!” I opened my mouth to tell them it wasn't a sure thing, but the elevator dinged again. Lana and Leo stepped out. “Well, well. Looks like someone’s celebrating a little early,” Leo said with a smirk, his eyes locking on me. “See, Lana? Told you he’d do anything to get ahead. What do you think?” That last part was directed at Lana, who stared straight ahead, refusing to even look at me. “Everyone, gather around. I have an announcement,” she said, her voice cutting through the chatter. My stomach sank. I took a step back. Once everyone was quiet, she continued. “I’m not sure where certain people got their information, but there seems to have been a misunderstanding.” Her eyes finally flickered to me, a cruel glint in them. “The new Director of Sales… is Leo Chen.” Her words hung in the air, nailing me to a cross of public humiliation. My colleagues awkwardly tried to hide the confetti cannons behind their backs. “Hey, Sean,” Leo chimed in, “you might be older, but promotions aren’t based on seniority. Otherwise, we’d have to make old Jerry from security the new director, right?” A few people snickered. I bit down on my lip, hard. The damn pop-ups were going crazy. [Dude, just apologize. Say you were wrong. Lana will demote Leo on the spot. She knows how hard you’ve worked. She can’t stand to see you hurting like this. Look, her eyes are all red. She was up all night waiting for your call.] [You know how she is! She's just being difficult! Just play along, and I guarantee she'll be on her knees tonight begging for your forgiveness. She's probably already bought more condoms. A night of amazing make-up sex is just one apology away!] I ignored them. If seeing me publicly shamed was her idea of "caring," then I had nothing to say. I had just gotten back to my desk when another colleague approached, holding a folder. When I saw what it was, I shot to my feet. “What? You want me to compile all of my client files and hand them over to Leo?” I asked, my voice dangerously low. The colleague avoided my gaze. “Look, Sean, it’s a direct order from Lana. Don’t make this hard for me.” The same guy who was just congratulating me was now looking at me with a mix of pity and morbid curiosity. 5 I took a deep breath. “Fine. I get it.” But he didn't leave. “Uh, one more thing, Sean. Lana said… well, your office has the best view, and she wants you to clear it out for Director Chen.” I actually laughed. A hollow, empty sound. So this is what it felt like to be completely broken. Lana was showing me exactly what the last eight years of my life had been for. I took off my employee ID badge and walked toward her office, resignation letter in hand. As I reached the door, I heard Leo’s voice inside. “So, Lana, does he really send you a whole essay every time you break up? Hahaha, that’s pathetic. What does he say? ‘It’s all my fault, my sweet Lana, please forgive me?’ Ugh, I’m getting goosebumps. You poor thing. I feel so bad for you.” My hand, raised to knock, clenched into a fist. Tears pricked my eyes. Unbelievable, Lana. Just… unbelievable. 6 [Oh no, you’re crying! Baby, she didn't mean to show him your texts! Leo was just using her phone to look something up and saw them by accident! Don't overthink it!] [Yeah, and once he asked, she couldn't really say no, right? Besides, her mind is completely on you right now. She wasn't even listening to what Leo was saying. Don't misunderstand!] [She just ordered that ring you wanted online! She knows she messed up big time and she's planning to propose to make it up to you! Dude, don't be mad! Just go in there, say you're sorry, and Leo will be packing his desk by lunch. Trust me!] I didn’t believe a word of it. Lana’s phone was a fortress. No one touched it but me. The fact that Leo had it, and was reading my private messages out loud, meant only one thing. He was special to her now. I closed my eyes, took a breath, and knocked. The voices inside stopped. “Come in.” I opened the door. When she saw it was me, she raised an eyebrow, surprised. She knew I never knocked. “What is it?” she asked coolly. I placed my resignation letter and my ID on her desk. Her brow furrowed. Before she could speak, Leo jumped in. “A resignation letter? Sean, don’t tell me you’re actually upset about the promotion. This is Lana’s company. She can promote whoever she wants. Just because you’re her boyfriend doesn’t mean you can control her decisions. Threatening to quit? That’s low, man.” I scoffed. “Lower than getting a promotion you didn’t earn?” “You—!” he sputtered. “Enough!” Lana snapped. “Sean, stop this. Are you really going to make such a scene just because I promoted Leo? Is it that big of a deal?” I didn’t answer. I just took a step back. “This is my resignation. I won’t be in tomorrow.” Her response was to hurl her coffee mug at the wall next to my head. It shattered, and a shard of ceramic flew past, slicing my cheek just below my eye. I felt a warm trickle and touched my face. My fingers came away bloody. Lana was on her feet, her face contorted with rage. “Sean, do our eight years together mean nothing to you? You can just walk away? You think I can’t live without you? Fine! Get out! Get out right now!” She jabbed the intercom button on her desk phone. “Send security to the sales department. Sean Miller is fired. Escort him out of the building.” When I got back to my desk, my computer was locked. Two security guards were standing there, waiting. “Mr. Miller. You are not permitted to touch the computer. You may only take your personal belongings. Ms. Lin wants you out in ten minutes.” My colleagues were gathered at a safe distance, watching the spectacle. I never imagined Lana would be so eager to humiliate me. I could already hear the whispers, the gossip that would spread through the industry about how I was unceremoniously thrown out of my own company. If I hadn't already lined up another job, this could have ruined my career. After all this time, she still knew exactly where to stick the knife. I had to laugh. Look at her. The woman I loved for eight years. With security guards watching me like a hawk, I started packing my box. 7 The pop-ups were a frantic blur. [Son, she's watching you from around the corner! Go to her! You don't even have to say anything! Just show up and she'll get on her knees and beg for forgiveness!] [She's already got the keyboard ready for you to make her kneel on! Please, just go call her 'baby girl' one time, and she'll give you the directorship, the whole company even!] [The guards are just for show! She saw your tears and her heart is breaking! She's probably slapping herself right now. She even bought a whip on Amazon! Check her phone, I'm not lying!] [Dude. The whip, the hot sauce, the candles. Take your pick. Just go to her and she'll let you do anything you want to her tonight.] I stared at the messages for a long moment. Then I let out another cold, empty laugh. “Mr. Miller. This way, please.” I was, quite literally, thrown out onto the street. The midday sun was blinding, but I felt like I was trapped in a block of ice. The world felt surreal, distant. The heat, or maybe the stress, was making me dizzy. My feet felt like they were made of lead. “Mr. Miller? I hope I’m not too late.” A voice cut through the haze, pulling me back to reality.
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