My gaze that landed on Ken was filled with disappointment.If this had been back when we first started dating,I might have actually believed his words.However,now,after waiting for him for seven years,all I knew was when Ken said"bear with it".What he meant was that it would probably be many more years.

I was truly exhausted.I could not keep doing this anymore.I had wasted seven years of my youth,I might as well treat it as I fed my love to a black hole.

When he saw that I did not pay him any attention,Ken did not care.He turned around to get a drink,but his foot stepped on something.

Crack!

My head snapped up.I saw the broken string of beads on the floor crushed beneath his foot.

It was the bracelet I had handwoven for him during our first Valentine’s Day together.While packing last night,I couldn’t bear to throw it away,so I left it on the floor to take with me.

He glanced down at it and,with a frown full of disdain,as if he had just seen something filthy.He said,“What’s this?Don’t just toss garbage on the floor.”

My heart hurt so much.It felt as if our seven years together were crushed by his kick.

Without even another glance,he said lazily,“Baby,I know you’re the best.You’ll understand me.I’m going to take a shower and a quick nap.Later this morning,come with me to scout the mall venue.”

Ken was always so sure that I would never leave him.

As the bathroom door shut,I looked at the door for a while and took a deep breath.Then I turned around and,one by one,threw all those once-precious pieces of“trash”into the garbage bin.

That included the matching couple mugs that I had bought but never used,travel photos,a souvenir keychain he had given me and little decor items I had once dreamed of putting on our wedding tables.

Seven years of love were tossed in an instant and strangely,I didn’t feel a thing.

Two hours later,after he took a shower and changed clothes,Ken and I headed to the mall to scout the venue.

As we walked past the entrance,a staff member mentioned,“Hey,there’s a new limited-edition collab milk tea next door.There is already a huge queue over there and they're only selling it today.”

Ken suddenly turned to me and asked,"Do you want it?

I froze and instinctively looked up at him.Was he actually…offering to buy something for me in public?

In seven years,he had never shown me the slightest affection or attention in front of others.

"I…."

Before I could even nod,he turned back with a smile and said to the people behind us,“Thanks for all your hard work,everyone.I’ll treat you to milk tea,one cup for each of you.”

My hand that was just hanging loose at my side clenched quietly,then slowly relaxed.

That man has not changed at all.

Emily,Emily,you’re about to walk away anyway.Why are you still hoping for here?

While waiting for the milk tea,I headed for a less crowded corner.

With a cup of milk tea in his hand,Ken walked through the crowd and went straight towards me.

He handed me the drink.“Here!I ordered this one especially for you.”

I glanced down.It was strawberry milk.

My fingers trembled slightly.I replied in a flat voice,“I don’t drink that.”

His brows furrowed and his tone instantly turned cold."Emily,you’re being difficult again.You just said you wanted to drink milk tea before and now you’re saying you don’t?This is what everyone bought.What am I supposed to do with yours?Waste it?”

I looked up at him gently and suddenly my eyes stung.

Seven years ago,he made a point to remember that I was allergic to strawberries.He said even a sip would make me swell up like crazy.Once,I accidentally drank the wrong milk and ended up in the hospital,He was so panicked,he cried in the hallway.

However,now,the man who once cried because of my allergy…couldn’t even remember the one thing I could not have.

I swallowed hard,but I could not take this anymore.“I think we should break…."

Before I could finish,a familiar voice cut me off.

“Boss!”

Hazel came bouncing over in her sugary-sweet voice and snatched the milk from his hand with a sweet smile.“This is the one I recommended to you yesterday,right?You really bought it today?You’re so good to me.”

As she spoke,she naturally hooked her arm around Ken’s.

Clearly,Ken was stumped for a moment and a flicker of awkwardness flashed across his face,but he did not push her away.

Then,as if something had suddenly entered her mind,Hazel tapped her head and gave me a small smile as she said,"Miss White…the boss treats me so well,so when do you think I should meet his family?By the way,do you have a boyfriend?Maybe you could give me some advice?”

My heart hurt so much that I could not get a single word out.

Ken gave me a frantic look.He silently begged me not to make a scene.

At that moment,I felt very tired.I took a deep breath and replied,“I don’t know.”

Ken quickly backed me up."Yeah,General Assistant only knows how to work and doesn't know about this kind of stuff."

Hazel looked disappointed.“Really?I thought you’d been in a relationship for a long time already,General Assistant.”

I looked down with a numb heart.

Even though she showed up to the site visit during working hours,which was totally against company policy,not only did Ken not rebuke her at all,he also let her tag along as they started the inspection process together.

When we passed one of the company’s catering brand stores,Hazel suddenly came up beside me and whispered sweetly,"Miss White,I’m a little nervous.Can we walk together?”

She smiled at me and then,without saying anything,she grabbed my wrist.

Annoyed,I tried to shake her off,but even though I did not use much force,she stumbled backward dramatically and his back slammed into an older man who was drinking soup with his head down.

Splash!

A whole bowl of hot soup spilled all over his pant leg.

The man’s face darkened,he shot to his feet and roared,“What the hell is wrong with you?Why did you push people?My pants are soaked!You better pay for this!”

I was petrified.

Before I could even react,Hazel lowered her head and started apologizing for her fault,"Sorry,I'm so sorry.I did not know why the general assistant suddenly pushed me.I really didn’t mean to disturb your lunch...”

She sounded so weak and pittiful,while I was like shrew that bullied her in public.

Suddenly,Ken yanked my wrist,his face twisted with anger as he snapped,"Emily,what the hell are you doing?Apologize.Now!”

I looked up at him in disappointment and refuted him,“I didn’t push her!”

He disregarded my words and wrinkled his forehead.“Everyone’s watching,don’t ruin the company’s image.”

The older man squinted at us,his gaze shifting back and forth between me and Hazel.In an instant,he figured out who the easier target was.

He suddenly grabbed my arm,his fingers dug painfully into my skin like he was afraid I would flee.He leaned extremely close toward me.His eyes were leering shamelessly at my chest.

“Come on,sweetheart,apologize.You spilled soup all over me and now you wanna act all high and mighty?”

Ken,who was standing on the side,was oblivious to the man's harassment of me because his attention was locked solely on Hazel.

Hazel lowered her head and bit her lips with a sad look on her face."Boss,it was my fault.Please don’t blame Miss White."

Ken immediately felt heartbroken.He patted her shoulder.It's not your fault.This is because the general assistant is so clumsy."

My throat tightened.Just as I opened my mouth to say something,I heard Hazel softly say to the man,“I’m really sorry.I’ll pay for your pants,okay?I should’ve been steadier,so you failed to eat."

Ken’s expression darkened as he turned to me.“See?Look how responsible Hazel is,but you?You don't even have a shred of decency.”

The next second,he picked up the leftover bowl of soup from the table and coldly dumped it right over my head.

The scalding soup with its oily smell immediately drenched me from the top of my head,stuck to my hair,soaked through my collar and trickled down slowly at the back of my neck.

At that moment,I felt completely numb.

Ken slammed the bowl back on the table and coldly said,“Emily,you’re heartless and selfish.You won’t even say sorry.”

The uncle smiled.His face was full of wrinkles.

“No wonder you’re the boss and she’s the boss lady,you two have good manners.You're not like these stubborn workers with no manners!”After he said that,he spat at me.

Ken didn’t even look back.He grabbed Hazel’s hand and walked away.

I was left there,standing alone,as the soup slowly dripped from my forehead,then it hit the floor with a tiny ticking sound.

I went home,changed my clothes and washed myself for three hours,but I still couldn’t wash off that disgusting stench.

I wrote my resignation letter word for word and took it with me to the office the next day.

As the elevator doors opened,the receptionist glanced up at me,her face was full of gossip.

"General Assistant,do you know what?The boss is so handsome while holding the boss lady's hand."

I looked up.She grinned and handed me her phone,showing a photo of Ken and Hazel walking side by side.

In the dim light,he was holding her while my dejected back followed not far behind,covered in soup like an outsider.

“We didn’t even know you were behind them,General Assistant."

She stiffened,suddenly realizing what she had said and quickly tucked her phone away.

“I'm sorry!We just thought they looked like the main couple in a novel or something.We got a little carried away…”

I didn’t say a word.I walked straight to the HR department and handed in my resignation letter.

The HR lady took a look at it and with a little surprise on her face,"Are you resigning?"

I nodded.“Yes.”

She hesitated,then said,“Yesterday,the boss proposed to Hazel and he even announced that the company’s no-dating policy is officially canceled.General Assistant…are you upset?"

My hand trembled and I almost dropped the resignation letter to the floor.

So,the rule that I had been waiting for seven years for,which was"the time isn't right yet",that I had heard over and over again,could be cancelled with just a few words for Hazel.