You Missed the Boat

With my capabilities and the years I'd devoted to this company, I should have been promoted a long time ago.

However, Christina had kept passing me over for promotions. She would either give them to the new hires, claiming she wanted to retain talent, or to the senior employees, saying she didn't want them to be disappointed in the company.

That was why, after so many years, I was still nothing more than a lowly team lead.

But I was done buying her empty promises.

I opened my mouth, but before I could speak, Christina shot up to her feet, irritation clear on her face.

"Enough!" she shouted. "Haven't I already given you everything you wanted? What more do you want? I'm very busy."

She glanced disdainfully at the resignation letter in my hand. "Put that away. I'll tell HR not to deduct your attendance bonus. Now, go back to work."

With that, she grabbed the freshly printed contract and walked out, pulling Adrian along with her.

I stood rooted to the spot for a long time.

Finally, I shook my head. That was probably the last conversation Christina and I would ever have. I never imagined it would end on such bitter terms.

After telling myself to let it go, I placed the resignation letter on her desk. Then, I cleared out my desk and boarded a flight back to my hometown.

I found a job there soon after. The pay wasn't great, but the work was easy. I even had time to go fishing on the weekends, just staring at the water all day.

Occasionally, I scrolled through my social media feed.

Adrian would post something nearly every day—photos of him eating, drinking, and having fun with Christina. It didn't look like a business trip at all, but more like a honeymoon.

Christina clearly looked like she was enjoying herself, her eyes brimming with happiness in each picture. She even eagerly went along with Adrian to check out all kinds of trendy, internet-famous spots.

Adrian even complained in the caption.

"There are too many places to see. My legs are about to fall off. Good thing my boss is with me, or I'd be too lazy to go out. Next time, shall we pick a city that's easier to walk around in?"

He tagged Christina at the end, and she quickly replied with an "Okay".

I let out a self-deprecating laugh.

Going on a vacation with Christina—something Adrian achieved so effortlessly—had always been a distant dream for me.

All these years, I'd wanted nothing more than to go out on a trip with her like a normal couple. But she'd always said I lacked perspective, and that all I cared about was having fun. She couldn't stand how unambitious I was.

Yet now, she was happily wasting time with Adrian, grinning from ear to ear.

In the comments, our coworkers teased that there was something clearly going on between them.

One of them even asked, "Where's Jeremiah? Why hasn't he popped up to say something sarcastic?"

No one knew I was Christina's actual boyfriend.

Back then, whenever I heard them gossiping about Christina and Adrian in the break room, I'd raise my voice and tell them to stop spreading rumors. And when I saw Adrian posting stuff about Christina on his social media, I'd leave snarky comments.

Over time, our coworkers just assumed that I was a bitter, single, loser who was cynical and resentful of other people's happiness.

I once told Christina how wronged I felt and asked to make our relationship public. But she only warned me to stop commenting on Adrian's posts and said she'd ask him to block me from seeing his posts.

I laughed bitterly. Looking back now, my past behavior had really been childish.

A sudden spasm of pain pierced my heart.

The truth was, I'd always known that every one of Adrian's posts was directed at me. They were meant to provoke and show off. But without Christina's indulgence, he never would've had the chance.

Adrian was the only person in the company who knew of my relationship with Christina. That was the part that I couldn't accept either.