I should've let go a long time ago.

As soon as I stepped out of the company, it started drizzling. And of course, I'd forgotten my umbrella.

As the rain hit my skin, the cold seeped straight through.

I thought about taking a cab, but when I checked my bank balance and wallet, I found that I only had 50 cents left. I couldn't even afford a ride.

Over the years, I had handed over my entire salary for Sandra to manage because she said we'd have plenty of expenses after we married.

To ensure that I wouldn't spend recklessly, she had me run every small purchase by her.

But when it came to Lester, she was always generous. Just last week, she bought him a three-million-dollar sports car.

The difference between being loved and not being loved couldn't be more obvious.

I smiled bitterly and walked home in the rain.

I finally got to the house Sandra and I shared. I was just about to change out of my shoes when I saw her in the kitchen. She was standing behind Lester, tying his apron, her expression tender.

"Ms. Wendell, just stand there. I promise I'll cook something that's perfectly to your taste," Lester said.

"Really? I'm pretty picky, you know," Sandra replied playfully.

The two of them flirted as if no one else was in the room. Their interactions were warm and harmonious.

Then, Sandra noticed me standing by the door. The smile faded from her face, and she coldly said, "Lester, just make enough for the two of us. After all, someone's got too much pride today. I'm sure he wouldn't want to eat here."

I knew what she was implying, but I didn't respond. I just bent down to change my shoes.

Frowning, Sandra raised her chin and shot me a glance. "Fred, since you're back, I assume that you've realized your mistake. Why are you just standing there? Apologize to Lester and make it right. I'll let this morning's incident slide then. I'll also keep your position in the company."

She was so focused on Lester that she didn't even notice how soaked I was, let alone care if I'd catch a cold.

Seeing her act so high and mighty, I felt nothing but a bitter chill. No matter how good we once were together, it was over between us.

Without uttering a single word, I walked past her and toward the balcony to gather the laundry.

Sandra, stung by my cold shoulder, was about to speak when Lester deliberately bumped into me with a bowl of soup.

He let out a theatrical cry of pain and flung himself to the floor, soaking himself in the spilled soup.

He yelled, "Ah! It's so hot! Fred, even if you're mad at me, you don't need to go this far!"

He lay there, clutching his burned hand.

This was Lester's go-to move for driving a wedge between Sandra and me. At the office, he would pretend to work late just to claim that I was mistreating him, or he would splash water on himself and tell Sandra that I'd lashed out at him.

I used to ignore it, but not this time.

If he wanted to play the victim, I'd give him a taste of his own medicine.

I grabbed a plate from the table. Before Lester could even stand up, I dumped the stir-fried dish right on top of him.

Greasy sauce dripped from his hair. Lester screamed, and his eyes brimmed with tears.

Sandra rushed over and pushed me aside before roaring, "Fred, are you crazy? Why are you always picking on Lester? You've really disappointed me."

I smirked. "Disappointed, huh? Well, that's great. Let's stay out of each other's lives forever."

Sandra's face turned bright red with fury, and she couldn't say anything for a long time. Meanwhile, Lester was still moaning, so she had no choice but to bring him to the hospital.

As the door slammed shut behind them, the house finally grew quiet.

I let out a sigh, and it felt like a weight lifted off my chest.

Sandra and I were really over.

At that thought, I pulled out my phone and dialed the HR department at Skyborne Group, the top company in the field.

"I'm accepting your offer," I said.

Over the years, many top companies had tried to poach me because of my outstanding work.

Skyborne Group was one of them. They had made me offers before, with salaries and benefits three times what I was making.

But I turned them all down, focusing only on Sandra. I gave everything to Wendell Group and worked tirelessly for her.

In the end, I was thrown aside like a tool, left with absolutely nothing.

Now, it was time for me to think about my future.

When I said that, the HR representative on the phone sounded genuinely happy. "Mr. Sloan, I'm so glad that you've made up your mind! Could you come in tomorrow to finalize your employment?"

"No problem," I replied.

After hanging up, I started packing my things, ready to leave and sever ties with Sandra once and for all.

As I gathered my documents, I noticed the figurine I had made for Sandra in a corner.

It was my birthday gift to her. Each careful cut was a reflection of how much I cared for and loved her.

I remembered how happy she'd been when she had first received it. She had smiled and said that it was the most meaningful birthday gift she'd ever gotten.

When she had seen the countless small nicks and cuts on my hands, she had rushed to get the first-aid kit. As she cleaned my wounds, she promised that she would treasure that gift forever.

But now, the figurine was just gathering dust in a corner. The wooden box I'd bought for it was filled with photos of her and Lester.

The stack of photos was thick, spanning spring through winter. The backgrounds shifted with the seasons, but the two people in them never changed.

Just like our relationship, once Lester came into the picture, there was no room left for me in Sandra's heart.

I should've known better. Trying to salvage a relationship with someone who had already moved on was a losing battle.

At that thought, I threw the dusty figurine into the trash. The gift was just like me—discarded.

After that, I went back to packing my things. There wasn't much to pack, so it didn't take me long.

It was almost laughable. I had lived in this house for six years, yet my belongings couldn't even fill a small suitcase.

Still, once everything was packed, the house felt emptier.

I grabbed the suitcase and took a cab back to my old apartment. This was the place I'd bought before living with Sandra.

But later, to make it easier to look after Sandra, I moved in with her. This apartment had been sitting vacant ever since. I hardly spent any time living here after the renovations.

When I opened the door, I was greeted by the minimalist decor I'd always loved.

Before, I'd had to adjust to Sandra's preferences, so our shared home was decorated according to her tastes, and the furniture was arranged as she liked.

Now, I didn't have to compromise anymore. I could live however I wanted. I could put up whatever wallpaper I wanted and decorate however I pleased.

After settling in, I was about to call a cleaning service when Sandra's name popped up on my phone.

I expected her to be angry, but to my surprise, her tone was unusually soft. "Give it a rest, Fred. Lester is being generous by forgiving you after what you did to him.

"Stay home and rest this afternoon. Tomorrow, you'll be Lester's assistant and help him with the projects. In three days, we'll register our marriage and have the wedding. That should finally be enough to make you happy, right?"

Listening to the conditions for her to marry me, all I could feel was a sharp, bitter sense of irony.

Over the years, I'd wished more than once that Sandra and I could move forward with the wedding, but she would always find an excuse to delay it.

At Wendell Group, she kept her distance from me to avoid gossip. She wouldn't even let me call her "Sandy" in public or ride with her to and from work.

I didn't want to put her in a difficult position, so I kept our relationship a secret for six long years.

Every day, without fail, I woke up early and rushed to catch the subway to work.

I thought that if I kept at it, Sandra would one day come around and agree to marry me.

Now, she had finally agreed, but it was for another man.

I let out a bitter smile. Just as I was about to speak, Lester's voice came through the phone, dripping with feigned victimhood.

"Forget it, Ms. Wendell. If Fred becomes my assistant, he'll just make things harder for me. I… I'm scared. I'm no match for him. I'm just too stupid…"

"Lester, don't worry. With me there, Fred won't bully you anymore." Sandra immediately reassured him in a tone so gentle that it felt like he was her boyfriend.

I felt disgust twist in my stomach and interrupted her, "You want me to be his assistant? Is he even qualified? If you think Lester is so great, why even bother with an assistant? He can handle the project on his own, right?"

Sandra paused for a moment, then raised her voice in fury, "Fred, are you serious? I've agreed to marry you. What more do you want? You had your chance. Don't regret it!"

She hung up after saying that.

I shrugged off her little tantrum and continued looking for a cleaning service for my apartment.

Once my place was tidied up, I lay on the couch scrolling through my news feed when Lester's video call suddenly popped up.

I answered it, and there he was, lounging in Sandra's office chair with his legs crossed in a smug pose, taking in the surroundings.

"Fred, Ms. Wendell had me come to her office to work overtime. She even went to get me water herself. Did you ever receive this kind of treatment?"

Sandra was a germaphobe, especially when it came to her office. She had once fired an employee on the spot for entering her office to deliver a document.

Not even I was allowed to go in without permission.

Apparently, Lester was the exception.

When I didn't respond, Lester gloated, "Ms. Wendell has handed over all your projects to me. She's made me deputy CEO, taking your place. It looks like you're really abandoned."

I scoffed. "Is that so? Well, you'd better do a good job. Try to bankrupt Wendell Group as soon as possible."

"Fred, you son of a—"

Lester was just about to lash out when I suddenly heard a door open in the background.

The video call was immediately cut off.

I simply shook my head at the irony of it all. If Sandra really trusted Lester to handle all the projects, it was truly over.

The next morning, I went to Skyborne Group to finalize the employment details and agreed to join as soon as possible.

On my way back, I heard a familiar voice.

"Ms. Wendell, it looks like they're holding some kind of event over there. It seems fun. Should we go check it out?"

I turned to see Sandra and Lester standing there.

A couple's kissing contest was being held on the street, with a microwave as the prize for the winners.

Lester was clearly excited. He grabbed Sandra's arm, swaying her back and forth. "Ms. Wendell, let's enter."

I instinctively thought that Sandra would refuse. After all, she hated these kinds of events.

But to my surprise, she smiled indulgently at Lester and said, "Alright, if you say so."