I didn't return home that snowy night. Instead, I dragged my body that had gone numb from the cold and trudged for two hours to the nearest hotel.

Not a single call or text came from Julian again that night.

…

The next day, I arrived early at the company to prepare my resignation letter.

Julian was the founder of the company, while I was just an ordinary employee. I'd been by his side when he had nothing, but even now, my existence still carried no weight.

He wouldn't notice in the slightest if I were gone.

Julian suddenly appeared behind me just as I was about to type the last line in my letter. Unfazed, I met his gaze and casually switched the tabs as though nothing had happened.

He fixed his gaze on me as he spoke with an icy tone. "What are you doing?"

"It's nothing important. I'm just writing up a few contracts for some business deals," I replied nonchalantly.

A frown crossed Julian's face at my words, but it didn't seem like he'd discovered anything unusual. "Come with me, Isabella," he said before striding back to the office.

All the colleagues around me began whispering to one another the moment Julian called me over. "Oh, no! Looks like Isabella's in for another scolding from Mr. Lawson," one of them murmured.

Everyone in the company had assumed that Natalie was Julian's fiancee. Little did they know that I was the one he was actually engaged to.

Julian furrowed his brows as he looked at me in his office. "What's the big deal if I didn't pick you up? Did you really have to throw such a fit that you refuse to go home?" he questioned.

I shook my head before replying, "The snow was too heavy. I couldn't make it back."

There was some truth to it, but it was mostly just an excuse. I had no intentions of going back. After all, I was determined to leave for good.

Julian didn't seem to have noticed my odd behavior. After a brief moment of silence, he spoke up again, "The proposal… I'll accept it."

Then, he handed me an invitation. "Let's go together tonight," he offered. They were front-row tickets to my favorite classical orchestra. That was his way of making amends to me.

I took the invite after a brief moment of hesitation. If nothing else, this was something he owed me.

Realizing that I'd stayed silent, Julian was just about to say something when a shrill ringtone broke his train of thought.

I kept my eyes on him as he hurried away. It was clearly a call from Natalie. After all, she was the only one who could make him drop everything without a second thought.

Before leaving, I printed out my resignation letter and handed it to Phillip Sanders, the vice president of the company.

He was visibly shocked at my request. "Are you resigning because of Mr. Lawson?" he asked.

I pursed my lips. All of a sudden, I found the situation somewhat amusing. Everyone thought I'd resigned because I couldn't stand Julian's reprimands.

They had no idea the reason I wanted to leave was because my heart had been completely shattered.

Phillip let out a sigh when I nodded in response. In the end, he still signed his approval on the letter.

I ran into Julian and Natalie just as I was leaving the company. It wasn't just my colleagues—everyone in the city believed that she was his rightful fiancee.

Julian's gaze darkened when he saw me. "We can talk about work another time, Isabella."

He shot me a warning look before brushing past me with Natalie in tow.

I remained silent throughout the entire exchange.

That evening, I arrived at the concert on time. The entire venue was packed, and the only seat that remained empty was Julian's.

In the past, I would wait for Julian to arrive whenever he took me here before entering together. But now, I wasn't going to wait for him anymore. I'd made up my mind that I would enjoy the music on my own.

Julian never showed up, even as the concert drew to a close.

I wasn't the least bit mad. I'd already wasted five years of my life, so why would I still cling to a faint glimmer of hope?

As for the resignation letter, it didn't matter whether he knew about it or not. Either way, it wouldn't change the outcome—I was leaving.

I didn't return home after the concert ended, choosing to take a stroll down the beach instead. The sky lit up in a display of fireworks, yet I remained completely unmoved.

My phone buzzed nonstop, but not a single one of them was a text message from Julian. All the notifications I received were news of the fireworks he'd set off to celebrate Natalie's birthday.

By the time I reached home, it was already midnight. The living room's light was still on, casting a glow on Julian, who had fallen fast asleep on the couch.

Had he been waiting for me?

In the five years we'd been together, he would always drink until he got wasted outside. Fearing that he might get into trouble while inebriated, I would call him over and over again without end.

Worried that he would drink too much and get an upset stomach, I would even prepare some chamomile tea beforehand. Julian told me countless times that he hated it whenever I did all that for him, claiming that it made him feel old.

Lost in thought, I didn't notice when Julian suddenly jolted awake. Perhaps he'd heard the door open, but he immediately rushed over and pulled me into a tight embrace the moment he saw me.

"Where have you been? Why didn't you answer my calls? I was so worried that I even called the police!" he exclaimed.

Taken aback, I broke free from his embrace and took out my phone. Only then did I realize that my phone had already died.

"My phone runs out of battery quickly ever since it got damaged by the cold. I didn't receive your call," I explained.

The mention of the weather seemed to jog Julian's memories. For once, a faint flicker of guilt crossed his face when he remembered what had happened that day.

Pursing his lips, he pulled out a box and handed it to me awkwardly.

I instinctively opened it, only to freeze on the spot at the sight of the diamond ring inside. I'd lost count of the times I'd looked forward to this.

Once upon a time, I'd dreamed that Julian would appear in front of the city hall and slip a ring onto my finger.

But that was all in the past.

Now, I didn't even feel a thing.

I closed the box calmly before tossing it on the table. "Thanks."

Julian stared at me as he furrowed his brows. He couldn't understand why I was acting all courteous suddenly.

"What's with you…" He faltered.

I shot him an odd look before it dawned on me. He must've expected me to gasp aloud and burst into tears of joy the moment I saw the ring. Perhaps he'd even imagined that I would cast aside all the grievances and frustrations I'd endured at the sight of it.

At the thought of that, I forced out a smile. "Oh, I'm so happy!" I exclaimed fakely. My voice turned flat the very next instant. "Are you satisfied now?"

I thought that would be enough for him to drop it. But it seemed my reaction had angered him instead. "I've just brought Natalie for a visit to the company. What's the big deal? I already agreed to your proposal. How long are you planning to keep this up?" he snapped.

I wasn't the least bit intimidated by the stormy look on his face. Instead, I just went about my way as I charged my phone.

"You've misunderstood. I'm just a little tired," I responded.

Julian's face creased into a frown. For the first time, he could sense an obvious indifference in my attitude. Biting his lower lip, he tried to grab my hand when a shrill ringtone cut him short.

As usual, it was a call from Natalie.

Julian met my gaze as he parted his lips to explain.

"There's no need to explain. I know you're busy with work," I cut him off before he could speak.

However, my thoughtfulness seemed to have unsettled him even more. Desperate to figure out what came over me, his grip on my hand tightened.

His ringtone grew even more insistent.

Julian finally loosened his hold on me under my steady gaze. "I'll show up on our 100th proposal," he promised before hurrying away.

I went back to my room as though nothing had happened. That night, I got the best sleep I had had in the past five years.

By the time I handed all my work over, Julian would never see me again.

Upon arriving at the office, I was just about to head to my desk as usual when my colleague, Trisha Ballard, stopped me.

"You're in for trouble today, Isabella," she warned.

I shot her a confused look. After all, I'd already handed in my resignation. What kind of trouble could I possibly still face?

It wasn't until Trisha pointed ahead that I realized Natalie had taken over my desk.

I finally grasped the situation after Trisha's explanation. It turned out that it'd been Natalie's first day at work. When asked to pick a spot, she'd immediately set her eyes on my seat.

I made my way over to her wordlessly. Natalie raised a brow when I approached her before curling her lips into a disdainful sneer. "I've got my eyes on this seat. Why don't you find another desk to use?"

I fixed my gaze on her before nodding calmly. "Alright. I'll clear my things up."

I barely spoke throughout the entire exchange. But my quiet compliance had everyone thinking that I'd been forced to comply with Natalie's orders.

Still, none of them dared to say anything given her relationship with Julian.

All they could do was whisper and gesture among themselves as they sneaked pitiful glances at me.

I'd just finished packing and was about to leave when Julian suddenly showed up. Natalie immediately pounced over and latched onto his arm. He drew Natalie closer to him in response before introducing her to our colleagues.

"This is Natalie. She'll be working with everyone from today onward. Please take care of her."

Julian raised an eyebrow when scattered applause filled the lobby, but he paid it no mind.

"Have you chosen your seat?" he asked.

Natalie immediately pointed at my desk the moment his words fell. "I want to sit here!" she declared.

It was only then that Julian noticed me standing there with a box in my arms. An awkward look crossed his face ever so slightly before he replied, "That seat's already taken. Why don't you pick another one?"

To my surprise, he'd rejected her request.

However, Natalie was determined to take my seat. Clinging to Julian's arm, she began to act spoiled. "But Jules, I really want to sit here. It's nearer to your seat, and I can see your silhouette from here," she whined.

I couldn't be bothered to watch them flirt any longer. "Just give the seat to her," I cut in.

After all, I'd already resigned. I couldn't care less about a mere seat.

Natalie shot Julian a triumphant look when I agreed to her request. "See? She's already given the spot up to me."

For some reason, there was a dark look on Julian's face when he glanced at me. Then, he fixed his gaze on Natalie. "Someone's already sitting here. Just choose another seat," he said coldly.

For the first time, the man who'd always doted on Natalie with the utmost care had lost his temper. His reaction had completely caught her off guard as the atmosphere immediately grew tense.

Julian shot me a fleeting gaze after calling the shots before leaving without another word. Natalie didn't forget to cast me one final glare my way before hurrying after him.

I found the situation utterly amusing. Once upon a time, I'd chased behind Julian just as Natalie did. The only difference that set us apart was the fact that I pursued him for five long years.

I was just about to leave when I received a text message from Julian. "I'll be waiting for your 100th proposal tomorrow."

I smiled faintly before blocking his number and deleting every last trace of him from my contacts. After bidding all my colleagues goodbye, I left the company with my suitcase in hand and headed straight for the airport.

...

The next day, Julian kept his word and appeared at city hall in a sleek suit.