Chapter 3

Lucas‘ questioning tone was silenced by my cool, indifferent response, which seemed to catch in his throat. I ended the call just as the car arrived at my apartment complex.

After getting out, I noticed a flood of notifications from Lucas‘ work group chat. When I opened it, the unread message count was already showing 99+. At the top was a photo that Celine had posted of Lucas fixing her electrical wiring and plumbing.

[Who else has a boss this considerate?] She wrote. [I’d gladly devote my life to this company! Can I sign a lifetime contract?]

Below her post were comments from other employees, filled with envy and admiration.

[I’ve never seen the boss act like this. Didn’t the cleaning lady say he’s a neat freak? Doesn’t look like it here!]

[Oh my god, he looks so handsome without his suit! From now on, I’m dreaming about being Mrs. Haskins! Hands off, everyone!]

[This photo was posted by the future Mrs. Haskins. Snap out of it; working is your only destiny.]

Before he hired Celine, I used to help Lucas out with all these tasks without expecting anything in return. But after she joined and took over my role, I forgot to leave the group chat. After reading all the replies in the group, I deleted the record and exited the app. Now that I had made my decision to move on, seeing this preview of their life together didn’t hurt as much as I thought it might.

I recalled the early days when I’d just started at the company after graduation. Lucas used to share snippets of my work in the group chat all the time, sneaking photos of me making coffee or updating the schedule. It was obvious to everyone in the office that he liked me. With his love, even the daily grind felt a little sweeter, and his affection brought a spark to the dull work chat. But everything changed once Celine entered the picture. She took over all my responsibilities, and Lucas banned any mention of me in the group. He seemed drawn to her, openly and subtly.

One of my former colleagues, who had been close to me, once made a harmless comment that Celine wasn’t as capable as I’d been. Lucas immediately docked her an entire year’s bonus. Later, I secretly transferred her ten thousand dollars, hoping to prevent her from impulsively quitting.

When I returned to the place I’d called home for eight years but never truly belonged to, I started packing up my things. My gaze fell on a thick photo album filled with memories from the past decade. Sitting on the edge of my bed, I opened it and flipped through each page.

Each photo represented a gift Lucas had given me. Eight years ago, he told me he’d give me 9,999 surprises before we’d walk down the aisle together. He wanted to win my heart with sincerity, so I’d willingly become his wife. The album, custom–made to hold exactly 9,999 photos, now had just one blank page left. But in the end, it was all for nothing.

Taking the album downstairs to a quiet, open area, I lit a match and set it ablaze. I watched as each photo burned, turning slowly to ash, burying the last eight years of my life with it.

Lucas arrived to see me standing over the flames, his face drained of color. He rushed over, pushing me aside to try and salvage what he could. But the heat was too intense for him to reach in. Within seconds, his hands turned red from the heat. Furious, he stomped on the burning album, trying to snuff out the flames as they devoured each photo.

“What the hell are you doing? Are you crazy? All these memories–gone because of you!” he shouted

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