After His Best Lover Returns, I Live My Own Protagonist Life

2

That night, Martin didn't come home. He only sent me a text, telling me to think it over, swearing that he and Emma were innocent.

I opened Emma's social media. There, a familiar figure in an apron stood in a cramped apartment, cooking for her.

"So, you really can meet someone who makes the whole world feel gentle," she captioned, with Martin liking the post.

Clearly, it was hidden from everyone except me.

Pathetic green tea, acting all righteous while doing despicable things.

No way was I letting her get away with it.

I immediately took a screenshot and posted it to my own social media, captioning it, "Trash deserves to be with trash pickers."

There were a lot of onlookers below. My post did not block anyone. All my business partners and customers could see it.

"That broad back and slim waist—couldn't that be your Martin?"

"No way, did the mistress come knocking?"

"Shameless much???"

Minutes later, Martin called.

"Gloria, what the hell are you doing? Delete that post before any clients see it!"

"Oh, so now you're worried about your reputation? Didn't you think about that when you were cheating?"

Martin's tone instantly turned irritable.

"I've told you a thousand times, Emma is just a friend! She can't cook, so I made her dinner. What's wrong with that?"

"Yes, she didn't have a cell phone and couldn't order takeout, so you went to your ex-girlfriend's house to cook in the middle of the night. Listen to it yourself, isn't it ridiculous?"

I completely broke off relations with him, spitting out the words in fury.

There was a pause, then Martin, sounding exhausted, said.

"Gloria, stop being so difficult."

Those words stabbed me right in the heart.

He thought I was just being difficult?

Suddenly, a sweet female voice came from the other end of the phone. The voice was so sweet and seductive that people would go weak in the bones when they heard it.

"Martin, who are you talking to? I've just finished my shower..."

The overwhelming pain consumed me, but I barely felt my nails digging into my palm.

Five years of love, and this was how it ended. How could it not hurt?

"Martin, I never thought you'd turn out like this. Let's break up and leave it at that."

"Fine! Just don't regret it later!" He finally dropped the act, laying it all out.

"I'm telling you, Gloria, your bad temper has always been a problem. No one will want you if you don't change it!"

"Oh, don't worry about me. You're the one still hanging onto someone else's castoffs. Maybe you should look into what your little moonlight did abroad."

With that, I hung up, not bothering to listen to his reply.

Pathetic cucumber! Absolutely disgusting!

3

The next day at the office, everyone crowded around, worried about me. We'd been through so much together that I could still count on my team.

"Manager Smith, thank goodness you're here. You should go check. Mr. Green just said he's firing you. He has already packed up your stuff!"

"Gloria, did you really break up with Martin? That fox must've bewitched him!"

"Yeah! You've been at the company for five years. He can't just fire you like that!"

...

Hearing all the support from my colleagues calmed my stormy mood a little.

Just then, Emma came waltzing over with my things, a smug grin on her face.

Before she even got to me, her gloating voice rang out.

"Manager Smith, sorry, but your office is officially mine now."

Before she could finish, someone stuck out their foot, and she went flying, face-first into the floor.

Laughter erupted around me as Martin rushed over, looking panicked.

"Martin!"

Emma instantly put on her damsel-in-distress act, tears welling up as she cried.

"I was just trying to help Gloria pack her things, but she pushed me... she called me a mistress..."

Her acting was Oscar-worthy. The entertainment industry was really missing out.

"Gloria!"

"What? Do you think you're right just because you're shouting?"

I mocked, nonchalantly picking at my ear.

"You, right now, take your things and get out of my company!" His face twisted with rage. "You're officially fired!"

"Ha, Martin, you must be out of your mind. I still hold 20% of the company's shares. Do you think you can just fire me?"

Martin froze on the spot, speechless.

Nancy, who had been with me for five years, stepped up, backing me up.

"That's right, Mr. Green. Many of us old-timers hold shares in this company too. Are you really going to fire Gloria just because you have a new girlfriend? It's making us all lose faith in you! Gloria has worked tirelessly since the company's inception. She is our biggest contributor. If you're throwing her out for a mistress, what are we supposed to think?"

Her words hit home, and everyone nodded in agreement.

Martin hadn't expected my influence in the company to be so strong. He stood there, caught between a rock and a hard place.

I looked at him, realizing how blind I had been to fall for such a hypocrite.

In the end, Martin backed down, instructing Emma to return my belongings to the office and move out herself.