When I was finally discharged from the hospital for my stomach issues, I took a cab home alone. As usual, I pulled out my keys, but for some reason, the door wouldn’t unlock. I heard faint noises coming from inside, so I pressed the doorbell. Once. Twice. Three times… It took forever, but eventually, the door opened. Beverly Wagner poked her head out, sticking her tongue out as she apologized. “Oh, Sarah! I’m so sorry! Last night, after my birthday party, it got really late. Charles insisted I stay over because he didn’t think it was safe for me to go home alone!“You didn’t come home last night. Where were you?”Before I could say anything, Charles Fischer gave Beverly a tender pat on the head. “Bev’s so gorgeous. I couldn’t let her go home alone at night. It’d be too dangerous.” Then he glanced at me. “Don’t mind her, Bev. She’s the one faking a stomachache and running off without a word. It’s a classic attention-seeking move. I’ve seen it all before.”
My heart ached with bitterness, and I couldn’t help but feel that all my years of effort had been in vain. Charles and I had been together for seven years. When he said he wanted to start his own business, I gave him every penny of my savings to help him open a clothing company. I worked tirelessly, brainstorming designs, creating clothing, and networking with models. There were days when I was so busy I didn’t even have time to eat. Skipping meals became a habit. To keep our biggest clients happy, I often had to drink with them. Sometimes, it was to the point of throwing up, only to pick up the glass and keep drinking. Under my efforts, Charles’ clothing factory went from a small, unknown operation to one of the most successful in the industry. However, in the process, my stomach problems worsened, becoming almost unbearable. I never told Charles about any of it because I didn’t want our relationship tainted with pity. Yet, he gave all the credit to his assistant,
It was obvious at a glance that her caption was designed to show off. I quietly liked the post, then clicked on Beverly’s profile picture. It was a cartoon character. Charles’ profile picture, on the other hand, was a matching couple’s avatar of the same cartoon. I had once suggested to Charles that we use matching profile pictures, too. However, he’d laughed at the idea. “Sarah, can you not be so childish? I have zero interest in stuff like that.“And besides, if I did something that dumb, what would my employees think?” Now, for his assistant Beverly, he was doing all the things he once dismissed as “childish.” I was so tired.After thinking it over for a long time, I finally dialed Sullivan Group, which had always wanted to poach me to them.“Mr. Sullivan, I’ve made up my mind. I’m ready to join your company.” Garrett Sullivan, on the other end, was surprised to hear my voice.“Miss Keenan! Are you saying you’re ready to come on board as our Chief Designer?”
By the time I arrived, the showcase was already over. In the private lounge, Charles was patiently peeling shrimp for Beverly. The moment he saw me, he frowned. “Sarah, what on earth happened to you? You look like a mess. How embarrassing.” I glanced at my reflection in the mirror. The wind from the walk had left my hair in complete disarray. Beverly immediately stepped forward, pouting as she complained. “Sarah, can you please talk to Charles for me? He’s so annoying! He’s already peeled me a whole plate of shrimp. If I eat any more, I’ll get too fat for anyone to like me!” Charles’ expression softened instantly. “Bev, you’re not fat at all. And even if no one else wanted you, I would.” Beaming, Beverly darted up to Charles, cupped his face in her hands, and kissed him loudly on the cheek.“Charles, you’re the best!” Charles ruffled her hair affectionately. “I ordered another dessert for you earlier. You girls love your sweets.” Beverly cast a glance at
After signing the papers, Charles scooped Beverly into his arms and comforted her patiently. “Don’t worry, Bev. I’ll take you to the hospital right away.” Yes, please. Go quickly. Any longer, and that little “injury” of hers might actually heal. Once they were gone, I finally revealed my own arm, covered in painful blisters. Sigh… It hurt.However, the pain brought a strange sense of liberation. After seven long years of humiliation, it was finally over. …I went to the hospital alone, only to run into the two of them again. What a cruel twist of fate. Beverly was lounging in a chair, surrounded by snacks that Charles had bought for her. Like a magician, he kept pulling out one treat after another. “Bev, how about some chocolate?” “No!” “Some candy?” “No!”“Chips?”“You feed me!”“Of course.”Just as Charles was about to feed her a chip, he spotted me and instantly replaced his doting smile with a glare of disdain. “Sarah? You again? Are
On the other end of the call, Charles’ voice was filled with fury. “You can’t leave the company without my permission! Ever!” I sent him a photo of the resignation letter he had signed himself. Charles roared, “I never signed that! I don’t accept this! Get back here immediately!” At that moment, Nathan walked over with a design sketch. “Miss Keenan, I just drafted a suit design. Could you take a look?” Before I could respond, Charles lost it on the phone. “Sarah! Who’s that? You ran off for him, didn’t you?! “I’m warning you, come back to me now. It’s been one day. Don’t tell me you’ve already started throwing yourself at other men?“Do you think anyone but me would ever want you?” Ugh. How had I put up with him all these years? Not only was he unbearable, but he was utterly vile. I rubbed my head irritably, hung up the phone, and blocked his number, making sure to delete every way he could contact me. Even though Nathan witnessed the whole scene, he sa
A month later, fashion week had officially begun. The models stepped onto the runway, dressed in the gowns designed by Nathan and me. As soon as they appeared, the crowd erupted with excitement. Just as I had expected, Charles was there, too. Seeing that his company’s models were wearing last year’s designs, the audience didn’t hold back their comments. “What’s this? Charles’ designs are so outdated. Their standards really dropped this time.” “Word is Charles hired a new designer, and, well, it shows.” “Yeah, no comparison. Sullivan Group’s work is on a whole other level.” Charles’ expression flickered at the comments, but he quickly masked it. When the show ended, our designs were declared the best. Nathan even insisted I accept the award on behalf of our team. Later, Garrett was so overjoyed that he hosted a celebratory dinner in my honor. By the time the night wound down, Nathan walked me to his car and held the door open like a true gentleman. “Miss
Beverly froze, her tears welling up. “I wasn’t wrong! Sarah’s shameless—” “Smack!”Charles’ hand connected with her face, leaving a bright red mark. Beverly stumbled back, collapsing to the floor in shock. Tears streamed down her face as she cried uncontrollably. However, Charles, who used to dote on her and panic over the slightest scratch on her, didn’t even spare her a glance. “Sarah, please.” Instead, he dropped to his knees and crawled toward me, his voice breaking as he begged. His words felt hollow, and I’d already had my fill of his fake sincerity. I turned to leave, only for Charles to grab my arm, trying to pull me into an embrace. Before I could react, Nathan stepped in, landing a solid punch on Charles’ jaw. Nathan seized him by the collar, pinning him against the wall for another punch.“Nathan, wait!” I called out, alarmed. Hearing my voice, Charles’ eyes lit up with hope. “Sarah, I knew it! I knew you still cared about me—” I cut
A month later, fashion week had officially begun. The models stepped onto the runway, dressed in the gowns designed by Nathan and me. As soon as they appeared, the crowd erupted with excitement. Just as I had expected, Charles was there, too. Seeing that his company’s models were wearing last year’s designs, the audience didn’t hold back their comments. “What’s this? Charles’ designs are so outdated. Their standards really dropped this time.” “Word is Charles hired a new designer, and, well, it shows.” “Yeah, no comparison. Sullivan Group’s work is on a whole other level.” Charles’ expression flickered at the comments, but he quickly masked it. When the show ended, our designs were declared the best. Nathan even insisted I accept the award on behalf of our team. Later, Garrett was so overjoyed that he hosted a celebratory dinner in my honor. By the time the night wound down, Nathan walked me to his car and held the door open like a true gentleman. “Miss
On the other end of the call, Charles’ voice was filled with fury. “You can’t leave the company without my permission! Ever!” I sent him a photo of the resignation letter he had signed himself. Charles roared, “I never signed that! I don’t accept this! Get back here immediately!” At that moment, Nathan walked over with a design sketch. “Miss Keenan, I just drafted a suit design. Could you take a look?” Before I could respond, Charles lost it on the phone. “Sarah! Who’s that? You ran off for him, didn’t you?! “I’m warning you, come back to me now. It’s been one day. Don’t tell me you’ve already started throwing yourself at other men?“Do you think anyone but me would ever want you?” Ugh. How had I put up with him all these years? Not only was he unbearable, but he was utterly vile. I rubbed my head irritably, hung up the phone, and blocked his number, making sure to delete every way he could contact me. Even though Nathan witnessed the whole scene, he sa
After signing the papers, Charles scooped Beverly into his arms and comforted her patiently. “Don’t worry, Bev. I’ll take you to the hospital right away.” Yes, please. Go quickly. Any longer, and that little “injury” of hers might actually heal. Once they were gone, I finally revealed my own arm, covered in painful blisters. Sigh… It hurt.However, the pain brought a strange sense of liberation. After seven long years of humiliation, it was finally over. …I went to the hospital alone, only to run into the two of them again. What a cruel twist of fate. Beverly was lounging in a chair, surrounded by snacks that Charles had bought for her. Like a magician, he kept pulling out one treat after another. “Bev, how about some chocolate?” “No!” “Some candy?” “No!”“Chips?”“You feed me!”“Of course.”Just as Charles was about to feed her a chip, he spotted me and instantly replaced his doting smile with a glare of disdain. “Sarah? You again? Are
By the time I arrived, the showcase was already over. In the private lounge, Charles was patiently peeling shrimp for Beverly. The moment he saw me, he frowned. “Sarah, what on earth happened to you? You look like a mess. How embarrassing.” I glanced at my reflection in the mirror. The wind from the walk had left my hair in complete disarray. Beverly immediately stepped forward, pouting as she complained. “Sarah, can you please talk to Charles for me? He’s so annoying! He’s already peeled me a whole plate of shrimp. If I eat any more, I’ll get too fat for anyone to like me!” Charles’ expression softened instantly. “Bev, you’re not fat at all. And even if no one else wanted you, I would.” Beaming, Beverly darted up to Charles, cupped his face in her hands, and kissed him loudly on the cheek.“Charles, you’re the best!” Charles ruffled her hair affectionately. “I ordered another dessert for you earlier. You girls love your sweets.” Beverly cast a glance at
It was obvious at a glance that her caption was designed to show off. I quietly liked the post, then clicked on Beverly’s profile picture. It was a cartoon character. Charles’ profile picture, on the other hand, was a matching couple’s avatar of the same cartoon. I had once suggested to Charles that we use matching profile pictures, too. However, he’d laughed at the idea. “Sarah, can you not be so childish? I have zero interest in stuff like that.“And besides, if I did something that dumb, what would my employees think?” Now, for his assistant Beverly, he was doing all the things he once dismissed as “childish.” I was so tired.After thinking it over for a long time, I finally dialed Sullivan Group, which had always wanted to poach me to them.“Mr. Sullivan, I’ve made up my mind. I’m ready to join your company.” Garrett Sullivan, on the other end, was surprised to hear my voice.“Miss Keenan! Are you saying you’re ready to come on board as our Chief Designer?”
My heart ached with bitterness, and I couldn’t help but feel that all my years of effort had been in vain. Charles and I had been together for seven years. When he said he wanted to start his own business, I gave him every penny of my savings to help him open a clothing company. I worked tirelessly, brainstorming designs, creating clothing, and networking with models. There were days when I was so busy I didn’t even have time to eat. Skipping meals became a habit. To keep our biggest clients happy, I often had to drink with them. Sometimes, it was to the point of throwing up, only to pick up the glass and keep drinking. Under my efforts, Charles’ clothing factory went from a small, unknown operation to one of the most successful in the industry. However, in the process, my stomach problems worsened, becoming almost unbearable. I never told Charles about any of it because I didn’t want our relationship tainted with pity. Yet, he gave all the credit to his assistant,
When I was finally discharged from the hospital for my stomach issues, I took a cab home alone. As usual, I pulled out my keys, but for some reason, the door wouldn’t unlock. I heard faint noises coming from inside, so I pressed the doorbell. Once. Twice. Three times… It took forever, but eventually, the door opened. Beverly Wagner poked her head out, sticking her tongue out as she apologized. “Oh, Sarah! I’m so sorry! Last night, after my birthday party, it got really late. Charles insisted I stay over because he didn’t think it was safe for me to go home alone!“You didn’t come home last night. Where were you?”Before I could say anything, Charles Fischer gave Beverly a tender pat on the head. “Bev’s so gorgeous. I couldn’t let her go home alone at night. It’d be too dangerous.” Then he glanced at me. “Don’t mind her, Bev. She’s the one faking a stomachache and running off without a word. It’s a classic attention-seeking move. I’ve seen it all before.”