Chapter 5

Wednesday afternoon, I was finalizing the transfer handover checklist at work.

Ethan posted an update visible only to me.

In the photo, he was wearing those cufflinks, smiling smugly.

The caption read: "Someone always remembers the little things you say. Thanks for the gift."

I expressionlessly screenshotted it and saved it into an album named "Decluttering."

That album already contained dozens of screenshots.

Late-night takeout orders she'd placed for Ethan.

Jackets she'd lent to Ethan.

Their backs as they secretly held hands, away from the crowd, during a company team-building event.

Ryan said I was torturing myself.

But I wasn't.

It was my reality check. Whenever I thought of the past seven years, and felt even the slightest hesitation, I would flip through that album.

After seeing it, my heart would turn completely cold.

Before leaving work, Chloe sent a text.

"I have a dinner engagement tonight. You don't have to wait up for me."

I replied: "Okay."

Before, if she said she had a dinner engagement, I would always stay up waiting for her, prepare hangover soup, and help her take off her alcohol-soaked jacket.

Now, I just wanted to go to bed early.

At eleven that night, my phone vibrated.

It was a call from Chloe.

"Liam..." Her voice was slurred; she was clearly drunk.

"What is it?"

"I... I'm at The Lure Bar. Can you come pick me up? I'm so dizzy..."

The background was noisy, but I clearly heard a man's voice.

"Chloe, slow down. I'll help you."

It was Ethan.

I said calmly, "Since Ethan's there, let him take you home."

"No! I want you to pick me up! You're my fiancé!" she shouted into the phone like a spoiled child.

"I'm really tired. I'm already asleep."

I hung up the phone directly and turned it off.

When I turned it back on the next morning, over a dozen missed calls popped up on the screen, along with messages from Chloe on SnapChat.

"Liam, you've changed. You never used to ignore me."

"I threw up the whole way home last night, and Ethan took care of me all night."

"What are you even mad about?"

I looked at those messages and found them utterly ridiculous.

I've changed?

Yes, I finally stopped being her on-call, boundary-less nanny.

I didn't reply to her. Instead, I opened the email from HR.

"Appointment Notice Regarding Liam King's Transfer to Director of European Branch."

Effective date: The tenth of next month.

I confirmed receipt.

Less than twenty days until I leave this city, and this person.