Forever Forgotten: Leaving Yesterday Behind

1

Before the scent of cedarwood in the room could disperse, Caiden Leach had already got up.

He buttoned up his shirt with his back to me, his tone casual, "Evelin Moon is coming back tomorrow.

"This is the end for us."

It sounded like a verdict.

I licked the corner of my lip, which he'd just bitten, and nodded briskly. "Alright."

He added, "I'll give the house to you."

This downtown flat, located at the heart of the city, wasn't cheap.

I sat up in bed, pulling the covers around me, casually tied up my hair, and shrugged indifferently. "Just as you please."

Caiden pushed open the window, and the wind instantly rushed in, blowing away the remnants of the intimate atmosphere that had filled the room.

After a moment of silence, his voice was carried back to me by the wind. "If that's not enough, I can give you more."

I threw off the covers and, draping a robe over myself, walked barefoot over to him. I could hear his breath quicken as I approached.

My nails lightly brushed across his cheek, and I noticed him flinch ever so slightly, though he didn't dodge.

"Caiden."

Standing on tiptoe, I let my lips touch his earlobe, the warm breath I exhaled making him shiver slightly. I chuckled, "Three years for a house. It's fair trade."

That was the end of Caiden and me. Our three-year relationship had finally come to a close.

At the bar, Noelle Juarez was sitting across from me, her face full of gossip as she asked, "Elliana Cortez, did you really quit your job?"

The man on my left speared a piece of cantaloupe for me and fed it to me with impeccable service.

I squinted and gave his hand a playful squeeze. "Why would I quit? I only broke up but didn't get fired."

"Aren't you the secretary? You'll see him every day. Won't that be awkward?"

"Well, if he's not embarrassed, why should I be?"

The man on my right massaged my shoulders gently, asking me with a soft tone, "Is this pressure alright?"

His voice was so deep that it almost made me melt.

Suddenly in a better mood, I casually snapped a selfie and posted it on my social media.

Just let them guess whatever they wanted. I didn't care.

Noelle took a sip of juice, looking puzzled. "Elliana, you don't feel any sadness at all?"

While munching on the grapes the man fed me, I retorted, "He was just a sex partner. What's there to be sad about?"

Noelle laughed and called me heartless.

Well, she wouldn't understand; she's one of those romantics.

Men were all jerks, so why let them trample on your heart?

Toying with their hearts was something really interesting.

While Noelle and some handsome guy were dancing energetically, I scrolled through my social media.

In less than half an hour, I had already received dozens of messages.

One of my friends commented: [Those men are pretty average. I can introduce you to some better-looking ones.]

Me: [Ha, life is dull.]

Friend: [Broke up? Feeling hurt?]

Me: [The world tormented me, and I will die from it.]

After replying to all of them, I noticed an unexpected message, raising an eyebrow.

That was interesting.

Someone had sent: [Free tomorrow? Why not hang out with me?]

It was from one of Caiden's friends, not too close but someone I had met before.

2

Noelle came back dripping with sweat.

When she returned, I was leaning against one of the men, scrolling through my phone with one hand and nibbling on fruit with the other.

The lit-up screen showed my conversation with Logan Carlson.

Noelle peeked at the chat and gasped, "Is he trying to pursue you?"

I adjusted myself into a more comfortable position, smiling softly, "Maybe."

While Noelle was focused on reading the messages, I sipped some wine from the glass the man beside me held and commented, "Interesting."

That night, Caiden had gathered with his friends, and someone had invited Logan along.

I had arrived late after finishing some work for the company. Outside the private room, I overheard a few people badmouthing me behind my back, calling me a shameless slut.

What was it they said?

"Just because she's got a curvy body? Otherwise, how does she compare to Evelin?"

I simply smiled as I slid into Caiden's lap and pressed a light kiss on his cheek.

"Sorry, but he likes me for that, my killer body."

I had deliberately emphasized the last two words, and the room fell silent.

Caiden's face had turned gloomy, and he downed a couple of drinks, saying, "Change the subject."

He hated when people discussed our relationship, and he never wanted Evelin to become gossip fodder.

I was his lover in the shadows, while Evelin was the one he cherished.

But Logan wasn't part of that group; he had quietly sat off to the side the entire time, his gaze composed.

Later, we clinked glasses a few times, and he sent his friend request on WhatsApp. He told me he was a vet and that I could reach out if I ever needed help.

But we hadn't chatted since.

That was why his message today surprised me.

Noelle swayed, tipsy, and asked, "So are you going to accept him or not?"

"Why not?"

Breaking up didn't stop me from greeting tomorrow with a smile.

"Noelle, here's a piece of advice."

I speared a piece of watermelon and popped it into her mouth, grinning, "If you start thinking like a man in relationships, things get a lot easier."

3

Evelin's first move upon her return wasn't to see her beloved.

She came to meet with me.

The next evening, I put on a red dress and headed out for our appointment.

Three years had passed since our last encounter, but time hadn't seemed to leave its mark on her. I recognized Evelin at a glance.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, she pulled an envelope from her bag, her lips curling into a faint smile. "Elliana, consider this a small gift for all the years you spent by his side on my behalf."

I glanced at the yellow envelope and raised an eyebrow. "How much is there?"

"300 thousand dollars. 100 thousand dollars a year should be enough for your efforts."

I leaned back against the sofa and raised my gaze to her, mocking, "Evelin, you do have a knack for picking up trash. How come I never noticed before?"

As her eyes flashed with a hint of anger, I pressed on, "You're not like me. I only like the virgin.

"It's been three years. To be honest, I got bored of him too. He's all yours."

Back then, Evelin had left the country to pursue her career.

While Caiden was forced to stay behind to inherit the family business.

Caiden and I had both gotten drunk at a class reunion and what followed happened naturally.

Now Evelin was back.

Perfect timing. I was tired of him anyway.

Ignoring the way Evelin's face twisted in fury, I finished the last sip of my coffee. As I stood and grabbed my purse, she ground out through clenched teeth. "Elliana, you're just being bitter because you can't have what you want. You're jealous."

Amid the soft strains of classical music, I let out a low laugh. "Shouldn't you be the jealous one?

"I slept with him for three years. That's enough for me. I'm done."

As I placed the coffee cup down on the table with a solid thud, Evelin's face turned pale with rage. I smiled smugly and turned to leave.

I'd never seen myself as her competitor. Competing with other women was the lowest form of behavior.

But if someone offended me, I wouldn't let them off.

Dinner that night was at one of Logan's friend's restaurants. Logan sat across from me, his gold-rimmed glasses adding a touch of scholarly grace to his appearance.

"Elliana, honestly, I'm a bit surprised," he said.

Unbothered, I glanced at the succulent shrimp in front of me and picked up a small piece of rib.

"Surprised by what?"

He began slipping on gloves and said softly, "I thought you'd turn me down."

The rib was juicy, but before I could react, he handed me some tissues and then placed a peeled shrimp onto my plate.

I set down the tissues and chuckled, "I think it's good to have a vet as a friend."

He was different from Caiden's closest circle of friends. There was a certain calm about him, a quietness that made him naturally approachable.

4

On Monday at work, Caiden called me into his office.

He sat at his desk while Evelin stood beside him.

I faced them, feeling as though a great divide lay between us.

Caiden clasped his hands under his chin and spoke in a deep voice, "Elliana, you'll be handing over your duties to Evelin. You'll move to the operations department."

Evelin's eyes gleamed with triumph as if she had won some kind of victory.

This struggle was, frankly, boring.

I met Caiden's gaze and asked bluntly, "Mr. Leach, why should I be the one to go to the operations department?"

He furrowed his brows, displeasure evident on his face, though he remained silent, seemingly weighing his options.

For the past three years, I had been working as Caiden's secretary, handling matters with meticulous precision, and becoming his most trusted and capable assistant.

In theory, male bosses and female secretaries often invited gossip, but no one ever speculated about our relationship.

My competence had earned their respect.

Evelin spoke up at just the right moment, her voice soft and delicate like a flower after the rain, "Caiden, if Elliana doesn't want to, then forget it. I just wanted to spend more time by your side."

That was enough to make Caiden reach his decision. After staring at my face for a few seconds, he said with a firm attitude, "There's no reason. You just need to follow the arrangement."

I removed my work badge from around my neck and slapped it onto the solid wood desk in front of him, sneering, "I quit."

Caiden's expression instantly turned icy.

Evelin, on the other hand, panicked, her voice tinged with tears, "Elliana, if you don't want to, then we won't switch! There's no need to quit."

Just moments ago, she'd been pushing me out the door, and now she wanted to play the innocent victim.

There was no way I would swallow my anger today.

Taking a deep breath to steady myself, I smiled sweetly and said in a soft tone, "Evelin, do you know why I took this job?"

"Why?"

I pointed to a wooden door on the right side of the office, my smile brimming with implication. "There's a double bed in that room. Mr. Leach wanted me to join him on it every day for a lunch break."

No need to explain what a "lunch break" meant. She could figure it out on her own.

Evelin's face turned pale as she stared at Caiden in disbelief. Her frail body began trembling uncontrollably.

Caiden responded to her suspicious and distrustful gaze by gripping her shoulders, his voice filled with restrained pain and barely concealed anger. "Evelin, don't listen to her nonsense."

It was what they called shooting yourself in the foot.

I never intended to interfere in their affairs, but Evelin had dragged me into this, forcing my hand. How could I just sit back and take it?

"If you don't believe me, you can check for yourself."

"Elliana! Shut up!"

Caiden finally snapped, scolding me in a low and furious voice.