Loving You For Eight Years

When I finished packing and came downstairs, Ryan was already gone. I didn’t bother going back to the Hayes group. Instead, I had my trusted assistant, Zach, send my personal belongings over.

The Hayes Group has always been by the book when it comes to personnel matters, so on payday, I received my twenty months’ severance without a hitch.

The day before I returned the black card to Ryan, I maxed it out and sold the luxury bags and haute couture he’d given me. I moved into the house he bought for me.

Suddenly, it all felt deserved. If he thought I was after money, then why not go after it?

With the house valued at thirty million dollars and my savings from over the years, I had more than 5,000,000 dollars. That’s enough to live comfortably for the rest of my life.

So, I took my savings and traveled abroad, soaking up the sun, lounging on beaches, indulging in delicious food, and even enjoying some romantic flings.

The world is truly beautiful, but love? It’s overrated. My only regret is that it took me so long to wake up.

After posting my adventures on social media, I was lounging in the arms of a handsome young guy I’d met a few days earlier, kissing and laughing. He was sweet and carefree, always hugging me and calling me “Emma.” Who wouldn’t love this kind of attention?

But then, my phone wouldn’t stop ringing. It was Zach, practically in tears.

“Emma, please come back! We can’t handle Mr. Hayes anymore.”

He went on about the chaos at the company after I left, complaining about Ryan’s harshness, cruelty, and inhumanity. Zach cried for a whole hour.

“Emma, can you please stop posting on social media while you’re on vacation? I’m starting to think Mr. Hayes’s temper is somehow connected to your posts.”

I tried to comfort Zach. “He’s always had a bad temper. It has nothing to do with me, right?”

“On your first day away, you posted about your trip, and he made us work all night. Then, when you posted that sexy bikini shot on the beach, he sent the entire secretary department out for promotions in the scorching sun. Things were manageable when he didn’t hear from you, but today, you posted about handsome guys and fine wine. Not only did he overturn all our plans, but we also got chewed out and had half our bonuses deducted… Emma, please, think about coming back! And if you won’t come back, at least stop posting your happy moments. Can you block Mr. Hayes from seeing them?”

Me: …

Is this really about me?

As far as I knew, Ryan always had a bad temper, and his actions aligned with his character. Besides, he never paid attention to social media. Why would he care about my whereabouts?

It’s not like he has feelings for me. He’s cold-hearted, ruthless, and petty. He probably just can’t stand seeing me happy, right?

Well, too bad—I’m going to be happy anyway!

Sorry, Zach, I’m not coming back, but I promise to block him when I post on social media.

I hung up the phone and went back to cuddling and kissing the handsome guy next to me. Being a lightweight, I got drunk pretty quickly. The guy was sweet and took care of me, even carrying me back to the hotel. He was so gentle and thoughtful, taking off all my clothes—how could I reEmmat?

I’m no saint; I have needs too. So, why not enjoy the moment?

Just as things were heating up, my phone started ringing. We tried to ignore it, but it kept going off, killing the mood. After the third ring, I was half-sober and pretty annoyed. I grabbed the phone without checking who it was and snapped, “Who the hell is calling at this hour? Can’t you let people sleep?”

The handsome guy, already half-undressed, sighed and asked, “Emma, can I use your bathroom?”