"Anne, you came!" Valentine greeted brightly as I stepped into the VIP room of the restaurant.

Her hand lingered deliberately on Raymond’s chest before she pulled it away in a mock panic, as if she’d been caught in the act.

Raymond, meanwhile, adjusted himself in his chair, silently picking at the last piece of pie he’d been about to feed her.

His eyes narrowed, glaring at me with a silent question: 'Why are you here?'

I shrugged, strolling over and setting a grocery bag with two bottles of cola on the table.

I hadn’t bothered to dress up—just a hoodie, joggers, and my bag slung over one shoulder. Ignoring their stares, I fished a small file folder from my bag, keeping my attention on it instead of them.

Sensing the tension rising, Valentine’s expression shifted nervously. She leaned closer to Raymond, cooing, "It was my idea to invite her, Ray. Don’t be mad at her.” Her voice was sickly sweet. “I just really wanted cola, so I borrowed your phone to ask her to bring us some. I didn’t mention it right away... I guess I felt a little mischievous today.”

Raymond's irritated expression softened almost instantly as Valentine pouted. He tapped her forehead gently, his earlier stiffness melting away.

"What a naughty rascal," he murmured with a fond smile.

Seizing the moment, I pressed an open document into his hands, already flipped to the page where I needed his signature. He pulled back slightly, confused, but I didn’t give him a chance to read on it.

“This needs your signature,” I said flatly.

“You came all the way here just for this?” he asked, trailing off.

“First, it was for the cola,” I replied. “I’ll be on my way once we’re done. Clearly, I’m not exactly welcome here.”

Raymond looked at me, caught off guard by my bluntness, but with a slight shake of his head, he picked up the pen I’d set beside the document and signed the bottom of the page.

Under normal circumstances, he would have read through it first, but my sudden arrival, Valentine’s clinginess, and his clear desire to end this encounter quickly nudged him into signing without much thought.

He hadn’t noticed my resignation letter slipped neatly between the pages. If HR had accepted it yesterday, I wouldn’t have needed to resort to these tactics.

As Raymond flipped to the next page to sign, I noticed Valentine watching me out of the corner of my eye.

"Oh! That black ring you’re wearing looks so familiar," she chirped suddenly.

I glanced at her, waiting for her to continue.

“Raymond, doesn’t that ring look just like the one you tossed in the trash the other day?” she asked, her voice syrupy and sweet.

I saw a flicker of panic in Raymond’s eyes as he hastily signed the last page. I simply smiled at their little charade.

“Rings like these are pretty common, Val,” I replied calmly, tucking the signed document back into my bag.

Before leaving, I glanced down at the ring—a custom piece I’d ordered to symbolize the bond between me and Raymond, once a symbol of hope that he’d replace it with a wedding band.

I slipped it off, a small smile forming as I turned it over in my hand.

Time to part ways with this ring, too.

“Would you like it, Val?” I asked, turning to her, holding the ring out with a casual shrug. “I’m getting a bit bored with the design myself.”

“Oh! Well…” Valentine stammered, clearly taken aback.

I gave her a nod and shrugged. As I made my way to the door, I spotted a trash can nearby. Stepping on the pedal to open the lid, I dropped the ring inside before heading out of the restaurant.

The night breeze greeted me as I stepped outside, crisp and cool—a fresh start.

Buzz! Buzz!

Seeing my mother’s name flash on the screen, I pulled my phone from my hoodie pocket and picked up immediately. "Hey, Ma! Everything okay?"

"Anne! Why didn’t you reply to my messages? Are you really coming home soon? Did you buy tickets already?” My mom bombarded me with questions, her usual way of following up whenever I updated her in chat.

I let out a sigh of relief, glad she was alright. “I haven’t bought a ticket yet, Ma. Probably tomorrow.”

“Ticket? Ma? You’re going home?” My heart skipped a beat as Raymond’s voice sounded behind me.

Forcing myself to stay calm, I replied, “Yes, I mentioned to you that my mom’s been unwell since last month, right?” I fibbed, gripping the strap of my bag just a bit tighter. “I just want to check in on her. I haven’t been home in a while.”

Raymond studied me, his expression unreadable. “I see.”

I hoped he’d leave it at that, but instead, he continued to stare, his gaze almost probing.

What did he want?

Without another word, he commanded, “I’m done eating. Come with me,” his tone firm.

I blinked. “Huh?”

Ignoring my confusion, he took hold of my uninjured arm and led me to his car without waiting for permission.

“I’ve booked a hotel nearby. Come,” he said without even looking back at me.

It was pointless to ask Raymond anything when he’d already made up his mind. That’s why I stayed silent during the drive, my mind racing, and remained quiet as he closed the hotel door behind me.

The hotel was luxurious, with stunning views, and a fancy jacuzzi just a few paces from the bed. But I barely registered it. My thoughts were too jumbled, too frantic. What did he really want from me?

Raymond removed his suit jacket and tie, walking past me without a word, heading to a desk nearby where his laptop already sat waiting.

“It’s late. Go to sleep,” he said nonchalantly, settling into the chair and powering up his laptop.

I blinked, still unsure whether to believe what I’d just heard or continue questioning his intentions.

Perhaps sensing my confusion, Raymond glanced up from his screen, his eyes locking with mine. “I need to contact an overseas partner. Go to sleep,” he said, his tone a little more insistent.

“Okay…” I replied, trying to sound calm, but even I could hear the uncertainty in my voice.

I eventually settled onto the bed, forcing myself to stay alert, trying to figure out what Raymond had planned. But exhaustion got the better of me, and I drifted off to sleep.

The next thing I knew, I woke up still in the hotel room, tucked under the blanket.

"You’re finally awake," Raymond’s voice broke the silence. He was sitting at the desk, typing away on his keyboard—deep in work.

"Go shower. Breakfast is on its way," he added, picking up his phone to call room service. "I’m taking you out today."

"Raymond—" I started to protest. His actions were confusing me.

Was he trying to make up for something? Was this part of his game? My mind raced, and doubts began to creep in, until he asked the next question.

"Did you change your phone password?" he asked, his eyes locking onto me, as if I owed him an explanation.

Then it clicked. Last night, he’d been trying to access my phone, no doubt attempting to dig into my life. This was still part of his tactic, his way of trying to win me over with "apology money" after I’d rejected his ten thousand dollars.

"I did," I replied flatly, not bothering to give him more of an answer.

Without waiting for his reaction, I stretched my arms, waking up fully. Then I made my way to the shower.

Once I got through whatever he had planned for today, I’d be done with him for good.

*

"You always told me you wanted to visit Mousey Park with me," Raymond said, a hint of frustration in his voice as he handed me an ice cream he’d just bought from a booth. "I took the day off, took you on various rides, but you seemed bored the entire time."

I accepted the ice cream cup without a second thought, my mind drifting.

As I took a moment to reflect, I realized he was right—I hadn’t felt anything today. The park was filled with visitors, despite it not being a national holiday, their laughter and chatter a stark contrast to our quiet stroll from one ride to the next.

We barely exchanged words, moving mechanically from one attraction to another.

This was supposed to be the most romantic day I’d dreamed of spending with Raymond. Had I always imagined it like this? So… hollow?

A bitter pang settled in my chest. I wished I’d realized it sooner.

I glanced up at the sun, filtering through the shadows of the park’s cafeteria area.

“Well, today’s been hot…” was all I could manage to say before Raymond’s attention shifted.

He pulled out his phone, scrolling through the screen with focused intent.

The softening of his expression was enough of a sign for me to know who had called: Valentine.

“Wait for me here, I’m going to the bathroom for a bit,” Raymond said, already stepping away from me without a second glance.

I shrugged, finishing my ice cream, and settled into a quiet patience, waiting for the next hour to pass. As expected, Raymond didn’t return.

I could only wonder what he was doing with Valentine, and the thought gnawed at me.

Once again, I was reminded that I should have walked away from him long ago.

With a sigh, I grabbed the bag I’d been carrying since yesterday and left the park.

I headed straight for a mailing service, opting for the fastest delivery method to send the signed documents along with my resignation letter to HR.

Once that was done, I went to Raymond’s house, packed up my suitcases, and made my way to the train station.

I waited for about an hour for my train to arrive. By the time it was 7 PM, I turned my phone back on, only to be greeted with a barrage of notifications.

Raymond’s ID appeared first in the flood of notifications—over 200 messages from him alone.

I didn’t bother to open any of them. Instead, I quickly typed my final goodbye.

[We’re breaking up.]

As soon as I hit send, another notification from him chimed in, but it was soon silenced. I removed my SIM card and replaced it with a new one.