Chapter 4

When I arrived home, I quickly packed my things.

I had lived here for six years, yet the majority of what I owned could be tucked into a single suitcase.

Most of the belongings in the house were Callum's. He often spoke about how all his money went into the company, leaving us struggling. Over the years, I had cut back on my own needs to buy him expensive gifts, while my clothes, worn and faded, remained long past their prime.

Once my things were packed, I couldn't bring myself to leave the wedding photo hanging on the wall. I took it down and discarded it, along with the trash.

After disposing of the trash, I didn't head home immediately. I made a stop at a jewelry store, planning to sell the ring Callum had given me when he proposed. It felt like the right way to close the chapter on everything we had shared.

The saleswoman looked at me with surprise as I handed over the ring.

"Are you sure you want to sell it?"

This was the ring Callum had saved for two years to buy. He had promised me that once he was more stable, he would replace it with a bigger, more beautiful one.

But those promises never materialized. Over the years, I had watched him buy luxury items for others, while I was left with nothing.

With a deep breath, I removed the ring and nodded. "Yes, I'm sure."

Just as the associate took the ring, I heard a familiar voice.

"Callum, you've been so good to me and my mom."

Looking up, I saw Elowen, Callum, and her mother.

Callum was busy picking out jewelry for them, his eyes lighting up every time they expressed interest in something. Without hesitation, he had the store pack it all up.

The sight made something inside me tighten.

I remembered when the company went public, and I had asked Callum for a new ring. He dismissed me, saying I was being materialistic and that we didn't have the money for it.

He promised me he'd buy jewelry for me once the company was stable. But after six years, that promise had never been kept.

He had always been stingy with me, yet here he was, freely spending on Elowen and her mother.

The realization hit me hard. Money followed love. That much was painfully clear now.

And then I watched him allow Elowen's mother, whose hands were covered in sweat, to touch him without a second thought.

My mind drifted to the time my mother came to visit. After spending hours in the kitchen, tired and sweaty, she had asked Callum to pass her a plate. He had looked at her as though she were beneath him, then washed his hands several times as if she had dirtied them.

I was snapped from my thoughts by Elowen's voice, dripping with sarcasm. "Wow, what a coincidence, Sylvie. I didn't think we'd run into you here. If I didn't know better, I'd think you were following us."

Callum, as usual, took the bait. His gaze hardened, and he glared at me. "Sylvie, what's your deal now? Are you really stalking us?"

I kept my tone calm, my words measured. "I'm not stalking anyone. I'm here to sell jewelry."

He shot me a quick, dismissive glance, not even noticing the ring was gone. Clearly, his attention was elsewhere.

"Well, since you're here, you might as well sign this," I said, pulling out my resignation letter and pen.

He barely looked at the document before signing it, then pulled me aside.

"You're not fooling anyone," he muttered. "Let me guess. This is your way of making up for everything, right? A gift to win me back? What is it this time? A house? A car?"

I realized then that every time we had a falling out, I had always given him something, hoping it would fix things.

This time, Callum would be disappointed.

What he had just signed wasn't a gift. It was my resignation letter.