Joseph's POV

"You know I've always seen marrying you as part of my future. Now just isn't the right time. I still have so much to achieve, and I'm just not ready to start a family," Whitney explained, as if that settled everything.

As she spoke, she reached for my hand the way she always did, meaning to fasten the watch around my wrist.

Ever since we started dating, whenever Whitney did something that hurt me, she would buy me a gift to make up for it.

But in the past, no matter how expensive the gift was, she would always look at me with genuine guilt. She'd offer it carefully, sincerely admitting she was wrong, and would hope to coax a smile back onto my face.

She had never been like this before—so composed and detached, her eyes holding nothing but the cold certainty of someone completely in control, without a trace of real tenderness.

This version of her felt like a complete stranger.

I turned my head away, avoiding her hand and stepping out of her reach before she could pull me into an embrace.

"Whitney, you don't have to do this anymore," I said coldly. "We're done. Let's just end this."

Whitney's expression darkened instantly.

"Joseph Gibson, you've never been this impulsive. Is this all because I refused to get married right now? Did you scheme with your family to corner me like this?"

I looked up and met her furious gaze with absolute calm. "I'm not forcing you into anything. I just don't want to be with you anymore."

Her expression grew even colder. "We've been together for seven years. Nobody knows how you feel about me better than I do. Stop playing hard to get. I'm not falling for this."

She was convinced I was just throwing a tantrum, certain I was using my dad's illness to pressure her into giving in and agreeing to marry me on the spot.

Looking at her, I was suddenly struck by how absurd it all was.

I laughed at myself for holding on for all these years, and for being so blind that I only now saw how cold and selfish she truly was.

"I'm not playing hard to get. Whitney, you're just too wrapped up in yourself. You've only ever cared about yourself, your company, and your pride. You haven't given a single thought to me, or to what my family wants."

It was as though I had hit a nerve. Her face contorted with rage, and her voice rose sharply.

"I work myself to the bone, giving everything I have to take the company public. Isn't that all just to build a better future for us? I only wanted to delay the wedding so we could step into this next chapter of our lives on our own terms."

She pressed on. "Joseph, why can't you show me a little understanding for once, instead of always trying to force me into things I'm not ready for?"

Understanding?

A sharp sting burned behind my nose.

Hadn't I been understanding enough?

Not long after we got together, she told me again and again that I was too abrasive. So I learned to smooth out my rough edges, constantly swallowing my pride and backing down.

All these years, even though I badly wanted to get married, I kept giving in to her endless excuses, convincing both myself and my family to keep waiting.

Even now, because I loved her, I kept swallowing my pain whenever she grew too close to Kaiden, deluding myself into believing she still loved me.

I was so pathetic that even I was disgusted with myself, let alone anyone else.

"Whitney, whether you believe me or not, I'm completely done. I'm done waiting for you. I'm done planning my life around your schedule, and I'm tired of watching you and Kaiden cross the line."

At the mention of Kaiden, a flash of guilt flickered across her eyes before rage instantly swallowed it again.

"I've told you a thousand times that he's just my employee. Stop being so paranoid and making a scene over nothing."

She snapped, "Marriage isn't up for discussion until my company goes public and everything settles down. No amount of throwing fits is going to change that!"

After delivering her ultimatum, she tossed the watch she was holding onto the couch, spun on her heel, and stormed out.

The door slammed shut with a deafening bang. The vibration shook a framed picture of us right off the entryway wall, and it shattered into pieces the instant it hit the floor.

Joseph's POV

We bought this apartment during our third year together. I oversaw the entire renovation myself, pouring my heart and soul into every corner, filling it with the future I had once envisioned for us.

But now, all that warmth was gone, leaving behind nothing but hollow disappointment.

I opened the closet, took out my clothes, folded them one by one, and packed them neatly into the suitcase I had prepared earlier.

Then I moved to the study, gathered only my essential documents, and left everything else untouched.

Once everything was packed, I called a courier to ship the suitcases to the apartment I had already rented.

When it was finally done, I sat on the couch, staring blankly ahead—until my phone suddenly buzzed twice.

A notification popped up.

Kaiden, whom I had once marked as a priority contact, had posted an update.

"Working overtime and starving, but someone cooked me a midnight snack. Pure bliss."

The attached photo showed a kitchen.

A slender woman in a designer suit, but wearing a teddy bear apron over it, stood at the stove with her back to the camera.

Even without seeing her face, her relaxed posture was unmistakable. It was a side of Whitney that stood in stark contrast to the coldness she always showed me.

In the past, whenever Kaiden threw these petty provocations at me, I would lose my composure and demand an explanation from Whitney.

But now, I simply tapped the screen, liked the post, and blocked them both.

…

Not long after, there was a knock at the door. It was a delivery for me.

I opened it to find a pristine white wedding invitation with intricate gold foil detailing.

At the same time, a message from Clara Jensen popped up on my phone.

She was the daughter of an old family friend, introduced to me by our parents. She was grounded and dependable.

Three days ago, when I brought up setting a wedding date, she agreed without hesitation.

"Joseph, did you get the invitation? It's the design you picked out. Take a look at the sample and see if it's what you envisioned."

I was taken aback. I hadn't expected her to be so efficient and thorough. This sense of mutual effort—of tackling things together—was something I had never felt with Whitney.

I snapped out of my thoughts and texted Clara back a quick "yes".

Then I looked down at the date printed on the invitation again.

Three days left. That was more than enough time.

…

Early the next morning, I went to the office, wanting to wrap up my remaining projects.

The moment I walked into the bullpen, I caught hushed whispers nearby.

"Did you guys see Kaiden's post last night? Ms. Pearson personally made him a midnight snack."

"The whole office is talking about it, and Ms. Pearson didn't even try to deny it. She's basically making it official."

"Honestly, I think Kaiden and Ms. Pearson make a great couple. They look so good together."

I froze for a second. In the past, Whitney had always insisted that office romances were bad for business, which was why we had kept our relationship a secret. So now, she just didn't care anymore?

When a few colleagues spotted me, their conversation ground to a sudden halt, their faces flushing with panic and awkwardness.

Before Kaiden came along, everyone knew that Whitney and I had co-founded the company right after college, and they used to ship us.

Understanding their discomfort, I offered a reassuring smile to ease their concerns. "Don't worry about it. They really do look great together."

No sooner had the words left my mouth than a furious voice boomed from behind me.

"Joseph Gibson!"

Whitney stormed over, radiating a chilling aura, her face grim as her gaze swept across the surrounding coworkers.

Everyone instantly ducked their heads, not daring to make a sound.

"In my office. Now."

She turned and marched into her office, and I followed her in.

Once the door shut, Whitney spun around and stared at me in silence for a long, tense moment.

"What was that 'like' you left on Kaiden's post last night supposed to mean? And why the hell did you block me?"

I leaned against the door, looking completely unbothered. "The 'like' was a sincere blessing. As for blocking you—we broke up, so there's no reason to keep each other's contact info anymore."

Joseph's POV

Whitney's anger flared even hotter. "A blessing? Do you have any idea how guilty Kaiden felt all night after you liked that post? He kept apologizing to me, worried he'd given you the wrong idea."

It struck me as so absurd that I couldn't help laughing.

"Whitney, if Kaiden actually felt guilty, he'd be apologizing to me instead of putting on a show for you. Either way, you and I are already over. Whatever's going on between you two has nothing to do with me anymore. Whether he feels guilty or not is none of my concern," I scoffed.

Whitney glared at me, practically spitting the words through gritted teeth. "Fine, Joseph. You think you're so tough? Let's see how long you can keep this stubborn act up."

With that, she waved her hand and snapped at me to get out.

Yet less than ten minutes after I returned to my desk, a personnel-change announcement popped up in the company's internal group chat.

I was stripped of my position as Director of Project Management, and Kaiden took over the core project right out from under me—the very one I had spent the last six months slaving over, just when it was on the verge of launching.

As for me, I was demoted and reassigned to the back office, left to handle trivial administrative odds and ends.

When I looked at the words on the screen, my heart still gave a painful, involuntary twist.

Even though I had already made up my mind to resign, I still wanted to see my final project through to its launch before leaving. After all, it represented all the blood, sweat, and tears I had poured into my career so far.

I had thought that even if the feelings were gone, the bond we formed while building this company together still counted for something. But looking back, I realized it was just wishful thinking on my part.

Then again, maybe this was for the best. It allowed me to cut ties ahead of schedule.

I opened my laptop, and just as I finished typing my resignation letter, a message came in from Clara's assistant, Elena Parker.

"Mr. Gibson, Ms. Jensen mentioned that your wedding tuxedo has been tailored to your measurements. You can head over to the boutique after work to try it on. Please feel free to reach out if you need anything."

After clocking out, I left the office and headed to the bridal boutique using the address provided.

The store clerk greeted me warmly. "Are you Mr. Gibson? Ms. Jensen already called ahead. Your tuxedo is ready for you in the fitting room."

The tuxedo featured clean, sharp lines that perfectly accentuated my tall, elegant frame.

As I stood before the full-length mirror, looking at my reflection in the tuxedo, a flood of memories washed over me, completely beyond my control.

Whitney had once promised that as soon as the company stabilized, she would come with me to pick out a tuxedo and throw a wedding that would be the envy of everyone.

I had believed her. So I waited, year after year, watching my eager anticipation slowly fade into cold indifference.

A sudden sting hit the back of my nose, and tears slipped down my cheeks despite my best efforts to hold them back.

I wasn't crying for Whitney. I was mourning the man I had been—the fool who had blindly poured out his heart for seven long years.

Just then, the clerk's polite voice carried from the front of the boutique.

"Ms. Pearson, you're here."

My whole body froze, and I slowly turned around.

Whitney was standing at the entrance. When her eyes landed on me, her face filled with shock.

She quickly noticed my bloodshot, tear-rimmed eyes. Her gaze softened with a rare touch of sympathy, and she walked over to me.

"The tuxedo looks great on you. If you like it, I'll buy it for you."

She paused, then went on, "I admit I've been neglecting you lately, but that's only because you've been so stubborn, always trying to force me into things I'm not ready for. Just behave yourself. Once the company goes public and settles down, I promise I'll marry you."

She seemed to assume I was so desperate to marry her that I had come to try on a wedding tuxedo all by myself.

I was just about to explain when Kaiden's voice cut in from behind.

"Whitney, I've picked out my tuxedo. Have you chosen your wedding dress yet?"

Kaiden, wearing a white tuxedo, walked over and naturally slid his arm around Whitney's slender waist.

The gesture was intimate enough that they looked like a real couple.

Whitney's body instantly went rigid. She scrambled to push him away, but fearing it would draw suspicion, she stopped and offered a rushed, defensive explanation instead.

"Joseph, don't get the wrong idea. Kaiden just wanted to see what it feels like to wear a tuxedo, and he didn't have any other female friends to come with him."