Chapter 4
Liam and I were officially in a cold war.
The last texts he sent before I blocked him were:
[Have you canceled the transfer request yet?]
[Not your concern.]
[You will. We’ve been together five years. You can’t live without me.]
[Ava, you have to apologize to Chloe. Until you do, I won’t speak to you again.]
I blocked him immediately.
Three days before I was due in London, his assistant came to find me- with an invitation.
“Ms. Cooper, Mr. Carter is hosting a celebration tonight. He sincerely hopes you’ll attend.”
I couldn’t find a way to refuse, so I went, though I was confused.
Why throw a party now?
The moment I stepped into the venue, I understood.
It was a double celebration.
Chloe stood at the entrance, beaming.
When she saw me, her voice turned sweet.
“Ava, you made it! Come on in! Tonight’s party is for both Mr. Carter and me.”
“I officially passed my probation today. I begged Mr. Carter to merge his celebration with mine for some extra luck.”
I had no words.
There was nothing to say.
The breakup was already unspoken between us.
And her showing off meant nothing to me anymore.
I found a quiet seat in the corner, just waiting for a chance to leave.
But Liam came looking for me.
He paced in front of me, irritated.
“Ava, what are you doing hiding here? Come sit at the main table.”
I refused.
He took a deep breath, trying to keep calm.
“You’ve had me blocked for ten days. Are you still angry? You really want to make a scene at an event like this?”
I said nothing.
He leaned in, voice tight with frustration.
“You’ve always sat beside me at these things. You’re going to throw that away over something so small?”
The commotion drew the attention of others.
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A few colleagues rushed over to smooth things out, half–pulling, half–persuading me to sit at the main table.
Liam’s face finally relaxed a little.
A seat next to him had been left open.
Soon, Chloe appeared, radiant as ever.
“Ava, you’re here!” she chirped.
“Perfect timing. Mr. Carter and I were just planning the team–building trip. He said he’d take me hiking. Want to join?”
My fingers stilled.
I remembered Liam’s promise not long ago.
After the project wrapped, he said he’d take me to the mountaintop at sunrise–for a special proposal.
He had blushed then, his voice unusually nervous and sincere.
Now, my heart still skipped a beat, but it was from a wave of nausea.
That video of them kissing in the bar flashed through my mind.
“You two go. I’m busy finishing up the transition work.”
I raised my glass and smiled politely.
Chloe lit up, eyes practically glowing.
She could hardly contain her glee.
Liam, however, looked furious.
Under the table, he suddenly grabbed my wrist.
After the banquet, he cornered me outside the restroom.
“Ava, what the hell are you trying to do tonight?”
“Nothing,” I replied flatly.
“Are you still doing this? You canceled the transfer anyway!”
“Chloe said she was going to tell you that day. You just found out before she could. Even if you hadn’t, she would’ve reminded you!”
Really?
I didn’t believe that for a second.
Chloe was cunning
There was no way she would’ve said anything.
But I didn’t bother arguing with Liam anymore.
I replied quietly, “Then I guess I owe her thanks.”
“Don’t give me that sarcastic crap!” he growled.
“Tomorrow morning, eight o’clock, I’m picking you up for that hike. I made that promise, and I’m keeping it!”
With that, he stormed off.
At eight the next morning, I stood by the window, watching the two of them downstairs, ready to go. Chapter 4
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酒
Liam called me.
I rejected the call.
“Ava, keep this up!”
he shouted toward my building.
“If you really want to act like this, don’t expect me to take you anywhere ever again!”
Then he turned, Chloe in tow, and walked away.
My social feed lit up all weekend, filled with their hiking photos.
[Outdoor training with the new team, resilience is the first lesson of the workplace.]
リ
[When the path gets tough, sometimes you need to reach out and pull someone up.]
[The mountain view is nice, but nothing beats the smile beside you. Youth is unbeatable.]
Each post was flooded with likes and subtle comments from coworkers.
Huh? Why Chloe this time? Where’s Ms. Cooper?]
[Looks like the queen’s lost her throne~]
[Young energy is the best. Mr. Carter’s a lucky guy!]
[Mr. Carter, don’t push the kid too hard, okay? (wink)]
Maya nearly exploded, shoving her phone at me.
“That jerk is doing this on purpose! He’s trying to get under your skin!”
Under my skin?
I felt nothing.
It was almost laughable.
The reporting day arrived as scheduled.
As the plane landed, a wave of humid air greeted me, thick with the scent of the South–so different from the North.
Early in the morning, just as I was adjusting to the blinding southern sunlight, my mom called.
“Ava, Liam showed up at the house first thing this morning. He kept saying you were hiding from him. What’s going on with
My heart sank
Damn.
I had planned to tell her about the breakup gradually.
Now Liam had blown it.
Mom sounded confused.
“I told him you left yesterday, but he wouldn’t believe me. He insisted on coming upstairs to find you.”
you two?”
In the background, I could hear Liam’s irritated voice, “Mrs. Cooper, please stop covering for her. She knows what today is. She can’t just ignore something this important!”
“She really left,” my mom replied.
“I took her to the airport myself yesterday.”
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“Yesterday? Airport?”
Liam’s voice halted in shock, clearly caught off guard.
“What did she go to the airport for?!”
“She’s starting at the London office. Didn’t she tell you?”
The line went silent.
All I could hear was his breathing, now heavy and erratic–like he had just been punched in the gut.
I didn’t wait for more.
I hung up, calmly.
Chapter 4
