The 100th Proposal

I didn't return home that snowy night. Instead, I dragged my body that had gone numb from the cold and trudged for two hours to the nearest hotel.

Not a single call or text came from Julian again that night.

…

The next day, I arrived early at the company to prepare my resignation letter.

Julian was the founder of the company, while I was just an ordinary employee. I'd been by his side when he had nothing, but even now, my existence still carried no weight.

He wouldn't notice in the slightest if I were gone.

Julian suddenly appeared behind me just as I was about to type the last line in my letter. Unfazed, I met his gaze and casually switched the tabs as though nothing had happened.

He fixed his gaze on me as he spoke with an icy tone. "What are you doing?"

"It's nothing important. I'm just writing up a few contracts for some business deals," I replied nonchalantly.

A frown crossed Julian's face at my words, but it didn't seem like he'd discovered anything unusual. "Come with me, Isabella," he said before striding back to the office.

All the colleagues around me began whispering to one another the moment Julian called me over. "Oh, no! Looks like Isabella's in for another scolding from Mr. Lawson," one of them murmured.

Everyone in the company had assumed that Natalie was Julian's fiancee. Little did they know that I was the one he was actually engaged to.

Julian furrowed his brows as he looked at me in his office. "What's the big deal if I didn't pick you up? Did you really have to throw such a fit that you refuse to go home?" he questioned.

I shook my head before replying, "The snow was too heavy. I couldn't make it back."

There was some truth to it, but it was mostly just an excuse. I had no intentions of going back. After all, I was determined to leave for good.

Julian didn't seem to have noticed my odd behavior. After a brief moment of silence, he spoke up again, "The proposal… I'll accept it."

Then, he handed me an invitation. "Let's go together tonight," he offered. They were front-row tickets to my favorite classical orchestra. That was his way of making amends to me.

I took the invite after a brief moment of hesitation. If nothing else, this was something he owed me.

Realizing that I'd stayed silent, Julian was just about to say something when a shrill ringtone broke his train of thought.

I kept my eyes on him as he hurried away. It was clearly a call from Natalie. After all, she was the only one who could make him drop everything without a second thought.

Before leaving, I printed out my resignation letter and handed it to Phillip Sanders, the vice president of the company.

He was visibly shocked at my request. "Are you resigning because of Mr. Lawson?" he asked.

I pursed my lips. All of a sudden, I found the situation somewhat amusing. Everyone thought I'd resigned because I couldn't stand Julian's reprimands.

They had no idea the reason I wanted to leave was because my heart had been completely shattered.

Phillip let out a sigh when I nodded in response. In the end, he still signed his approval on the letter.

I ran into Julian and Natalie just as I was leaving the company. It wasn't just my colleagues—everyone in the city believed that she was his rightful fiancee.

Julian's gaze darkened when he saw me. "We can talk about work another time, Isabella."

He shot me a warning look before brushing past me with Natalie in tow.

I remained silent throughout the entire exchange.

That evening, I arrived at the concert on time. The entire venue was packed, and the only seat that remained empty was Julian's.

In the past, I would wait for Julian to arrive whenever he took me here before entering together. But now, I wasn't going to wait for him anymore. I'd made up my mind that I would enjoy the music on my own.

Julian never showed up, even as the concert drew to a close.

I wasn't the least bit mad. I'd already wasted five years of my life, so why would I still cling to a faint glimmer of hope?

As for the resignation letter, it didn't matter whether he knew about it or not. Either way, it wouldn't change the outcome—I was leaving.