Resign with Grace, Return with Fire

"I'm accepting your offer," I said.

Over the years, many top companies had tried to poach me because of my outstanding work.

Skyborne Group was one of them. They had made me offers before, with salaries and benefits three times what I was making.

But I turned them all down, focusing only on Sandra. I gave everything to Wendell Group and worked tirelessly for her.

In the end, I was thrown aside like a tool, left with absolutely nothing.

Now, it was time for me to think about my future.

When I said that, the HR representative on the phone sounded genuinely happy. "Mr. Sloan, I'm so glad that you've made up your mind! Could you come in tomorrow to finalize your employment?"

"No problem," I replied.

After hanging up, I started packing my things, ready to leave and sever ties with Sandra once and for all.

As I gathered my documents, I noticed the figurine I had made for Sandra in a corner.

It was my birthday gift to her. Each careful cut was a reflection of how much I cared for and loved her.

I remembered how happy she'd been when she had first received it. She had smiled and said that it was the most meaningful birthday gift she'd ever gotten.

When she had seen the countless small nicks and cuts on my hands, she had rushed to get the first-aid kit. As she cleaned my wounds, she promised that she would treasure that gift forever.

But now, the figurine was just gathering dust in a corner. The wooden box I'd bought for it was filled with photos of her and Lester.

The stack of photos was thick, spanning spring through winter. The backgrounds shifted with the seasons, but the two people in them never changed.

Just like our relationship, once Lester came into the picture, there was no room left for me in Sandra's heart.

I should've known better. Trying to salvage a relationship with someone who had already moved on was a losing battle.

At that thought, I threw the dusty figurine into the trash. The gift was just like me—discarded.

After that, I went back to packing my things. There wasn't much to pack, so it didn't take me long.

It was almost laughable. I had lived in this house for six years, yet my belongings couldn't even fill a small suitcase.

Still, once everything was packed, the house felt emptier.

I grabbed the suitcase and took a cab back to my old apartment. This was the place I'd bought before living with Sandra.

But later, to make it easier to look after Sandra, I moved in with her. This apartment had been sitting vacant ever since. I hardly spent any time living here after the renovations.

When I opened the door, I was greeted by the minimalist decor I'd always loved.

Before, I'd had to adjust to Sandra's preferences, so our shared home was decorated according to her tastes, and the furniture was arranged as she liked.

Now, I didn't have to compromise anymore. I could live however I wanted. I could put up whatever wallpaper I wanted and decorate however I pleased.

After settling in, I was about to call a cleaning service when Sandra's name popped up on my phone.

I expected her to be angry, but to my surprise, her tone was unusually soft. "Give it a rest, Fred. Lester is being generous by forgiving you after what you did to him.

"Stay home and rest this afternoon. Tomorrow, you'll be Lester's assistant and help him with the projects. In three days, we'll register our marriage and have the wedding. That should finally be enough to make you happy, right?"

Listening to the conditions for her to marry me, all I could feel was a sharp, bitter sense of irony.