: Let's End It

I may be a man, but for one, I was weak from just getting out of the hospital, and for another, I didn't want to lose face in front of an outsider.

A glass of wine went down, and a sharp pain immediately stabbed through my stomach.

"Holden's our Group Leader, you know. Plenty of people would kill for a chance to buy him a drink, and he still turns them down."

Seeing the proud look on Bella Vance's face, I couldn't help but give a bitter smile.

I first met Holden Holt at a cycling group meetup.

He had his arm wrapped around Bella Vance so brazenly, and I was put off by it from the start.

But Bella Vance saw him as frank and magnanimous, someone who didn't sweat the small stuff. She worshiped him like an idol.

Their relationship grew closer and closer, to the point they even slept in the same bed.

I gently tried to tell Bella Vance that she should be more mindful of the boundaries between men and women.

Bella Vance rolled her eyes.

"We're just fellow riders. When you're out in the wilderness on a trip, you can't be so picky about everything."

"If all the women in the group were as narrow-minded as you, we couldn't get any damn riding done."

That was our first real fight. In the end, I was the one who had to apologize just to get Bella Vance to calm down.

After that, we fought many more times over her staying out all night.

And every time, she would burst into tears and throw a fit.

"Do you think that just because you give me some spending money, you get to control my life? That you can lock me in a cage?"

"You're so selfish."

My heart grew a little colder each time.

I wasn't against her going out; I just wished she would show a little discretion.

Their relationship had clearly crossed the line, yet she still put all the blame on me.

'Holden Holt has a fiancée,' I'd thought. 'He should be getting married soon. Maybe things will get better once he's settled down.'

That was the thought that kept me going, that made me fight for this family time and time again.

I don't know when Holden Holt is getting married, but I don't want to hold on anymore.

Seeing that I had downed the drink, Bella Vance finally said with satisfaction:

"You're impossible. I try to be nice, and you throw it back in my face. See? You drank it and you're fine. Did you really have to be so melodramatic?"

Holden Holt scoffed.

"What an act. If you don't want to drink, then just don't."

With that, Holden Holt stood up, looking at me sideways.

"Since I'm clearly not welcome here, I'll be leaving."

He turned as if to walk out.

Bella Vance panicked and grabbed Holden Holt's arm.

"Holden, don't go! Do it for me, just have one more." As she spoke, she pulled Holden Holt back down into his chair.

Holden Holt sat back down, albeit reluctantly.

"I'm only doing this for you, you know. And don't worry, I'll take you on the Cloudcrest trip next month."

Bella Vance was overjoyed. She quickly raised her glass to toast Holden Holt. They went back and forth, drinking and clinking glasses, their gazes practically glued together.

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Bella Vance said:

"Holden has something to discuss with you today. Your company needs to order steel, right? Well, it just so happens Holden sells steel. You should give the contract to him."

I stared at Bella Vance and refused without hesitation. "Absolutely not."

The words were barely out of my mouth before Bella Vance shot to her feet, glaring at me furiously.

"Miles Sterling, what has Holden ever done to you? Why would you give the contract to an outsider instead of him? Holden's a capable man, what's so wrong with giving him a hand?"

As she spoke, Bella Vance gave me a disgusted shove.

"Since you refuse to give me any face, get the hell out of this house right now! And don't ever let me see you again!"

With that, Bella Vance grabbed my arm and started shoving me forcefully toward the door.

I didn't have the strength to fight with her. The churning in my stomach grated on every last nerve.

'It took me years to get the company on the right track. We just launched a new business line this year, and my partners have always been well-established clients with sterling reputations.'

'Leaving aside Holden Holt's competence, I couldn't even trust his company. They were known for passing off shoddy goods as premium ones.'

'He spent all his time partying under the guise of 'doing sales.' What kind of results could he possibly have?'

'If I worked with someone like that, the company would be one step away from going under.'

Bella Vance continued to shove me, grabbing anything within reach and throwing it. She kicked over the trash can, a stool, and even the hot water dispenser.

Finally, Bella Vance ripped our wedding photo off the wall and hurled it straight at my head. "Miles Sterling, since you have no regard for our marriage and refuse to help the man I consider a brother, then we're through!"