Every time I visited my boyfriend Ethan's apartment, I was only allowed to use disposable items. Disposable hotel slippers, paper plates, plastic forks... Even when I stayed the night, he would pull out a set of disposable travel sheets for me. "I'm just not used to other people using my things. I'll buy you your own permanent set next time." For three years, I waited for countless "next times." But every single time, I walked into his place feeling like nothing more than a temporary guest. Until today, when he threw a birthday party at his apartment for his assistant, Amber. The moment the door opened, Amber familiarly took out a pair of expensive, matching couples' slippers from the shoe cabinet and slipped them on. Ethan's friends followed right behind her, grabbing the remaining pairs of disposable slippers until there were none left. I was left standing alone at the entrance, empty-handed. "Just walk in barefoot. It's summer anyway, it's not cold." Ethan didn't even look up. He spoke to me as if he were calling in a stranger. From the hallway, I looked at the dining table. It was set with a beautiful, high-end tableware set featuring Amber's favorite anime character. And in the far corner sat a cheap paper plate and a plastic fork. That was reserved for me. Suddenly, a realization hit me. Since everything here was disposable anyway... This relationship, which had never been allowed to see the light of day, was something I should throw away too.
I didn't step through that door. I turned around and left. It took Ethan twenty minutes after I walked down the building to realize I was gone. "Where did you go? Everyone is already seated." "What's so urgent that you had to leave without saying a word?" "Is this really over a pair of slippers?" I didn't reply. I just sat in the small 24-hour clinic, looking down at my foot. Blood had soaked through the bandage, sending sharp, throbbing pain up my leg. Three days ago, Ethan and I were inspecting a construction site when I tripped and fell into a pile of broken glass. When I fell, he was the closest person to me in the entire group. Yet, he didn't even stretch out a hand to help me up. "If you need time off, you have to submit a formal request through HR." That was the only thing he said to me that day. Just like the past three years, he kept his distance in public, acting like we were nothing but professional colleagues. But when Amber scratched her finger on a tiny wood splinter today... The entire team stood there and watched him spend ten minutes cleaning and carefully bandaging her finger. "Sweetheart, why are you crying?" The doctor bandaging my foot looked at the tears streaming down my face and sighed. "Did you get into a fight with your boyfriend?" She glanced at my phone, which was constantly buzzing with incoming calls. "It's okay. When one relationship ends, the next one is always better." With a flick of her wrist, she tossed the bloody cotton swab into the trash can. I forced back my tremors, wiped the tears from my face, and let out a self-deprecating laugh. She was right. This relationship was trash. It was time to throw it away. I turned off my phone. I didn't turn it back on until I got home. The moment the screen lit up, a dozen missed calls from Ethan popped up. Right under them was Amber's latest Instagram post. "Too drunk tonight, omg. Thanks to the best boss ever for taking care of me~" She attached a dozen photos from the party. And the last photo was of matching couples' toothbrushes in the bathroom. "Oh my, what kind of boss is this attentive? He literally bought everything for our Amber!" "The toothbrushes and the cups in the back are matching couples' sets. If this isn't planned, I don't know what is!" The comment section was filled with coworkers teasing them. Amber only replied to one comment: "Don't talk nonsense, guys! Boss has a girlfriend!" "What girlfriend? I've been at the company for years and I've never seen her!" someone immediately replied. "Yeah, Ethan is the ultimate eligible bachelor. Amber, you have to lock him down!" For all these years, Ethan's persona as a perfect, single eligible bachelor had never shown a single crack. And I was tired of playing along with his act. I double-tapped and liked Amber's post. One minute later, Ethan called. "Amber didn't mean anything by that post. She's young and outspoken. Don't take it to heart." "I just bought those things on a whim to make her happy because she likes that style." He immediately rushed into explanations. Because she liked it, he allowed her to leave her mark all over his personal space. But for me, he only had one excuse: "There were too many people today. I had to avoid any gossip—" "So I left," I interrupted him, my voice completely calm. "My absence is the best way to avoid gossip, isn't it?" There was a sudden silence on the other end. "Chloe, there's no need to be so sarcastic." "I've told you so many times, I'm doing this for both of our sakes—" "Ethan, is the bath towel in the left cabinet?" A sweet, dripping voice echoed in the background. Ethan hung up the phone instantly. And I suddenly remembered the only time I stayed at his place. He had gone down to the convenience store to buy me a cheap, disposable towel. I used it once and broke out in hives all over my body. I laughed at the memory. No more hesitation. I dialed a number. "Mr. Vance, about the job offer you extended to me last time... I've thought it over." "I accept. I can start next week."
The next day, I brought my resignation letter to the office. The moment I walked in, I heard the gossip. "Did you hear? Amber is being promoted to Department Manager. Ethan approved it himself!" "An assistant jumping straight to manager? What's her background?" "What else could it be? She's obviously the boss's secret girlfriend!" An employee lowered her voice, her tone suggestive. "You know, last time I went to Ethan's office, I saw her drinking from his mug!" "Seriously? Doesn't Ethan have severe germophobia?" They giggled and whispered. I swallowed the coffee in my cup. It tasted incredibly bitter. Once, I had accidentally used his mug by mistake. He reacted like a startled bird, scolding me for making such a basic mistake. Right after that, he bought a giant box of disposable paper cups and placed them in his office just to stop me from "crossing the line." "Chloe, we have to keep things strictly professional so it doesn't affect our careers." His "professionalism" was only ever directed at me. And the career he talked about... "Chloe, are you sure you want to resign now?" The HR manager looked at me with regret. "I heard there's a promotion opportunity coming up from headquarters this year. Why don't you wait a bit longer..." "No need." I looked at her and shook my head. "It's been four years." She paused, then sighed. "True. Everyone sees how hard you work. But for some reason..." There was no "some reason." Over the past four years, even when I worked myself to the point of hospitalization, I remained a "Team Lead" without any real power. Because Ethan told me that if he promoted me, people would gossip. "Let's wait for a better opportunity next time." But Ethan, I wasn't going to wait anymore. If I wanted an opportunity, I would go get it myself. Shortly after I handed in my resignation, Ethan called me into his office to demand answers. It was a rare occasion for him to call me in alone, and he started interrogating me immediately. "Why are you resigning?" "Just because Amber got promoted and you didn't, you're going to throw a tantrum and quit?" "Chloe, acting out like this only makes things harder for me—" "That's why I'm leaving," I looked up, cutting him off. "Just like last night." "Once I'm gone, you won't have to worry about me anymore, will you?" Ethan froze, avoiding my eyes. "So you really are doing this because of yesterday." He frowned, looking annoyed. "Are you trying to force me to go public with our relationship?" A wave of exhaustion washed over me. I looked at him in disbelief. Just as I was about to speak, a sweet voice interrupted us. "Ethan, it's raining so hard outside, and I don't have an umbrella..." Amber walked straight in without knocking. "I'll drive you," Ethan said, standing up instantly without a second thought. He grabbed his car keys. Behind Amber, a burst of laughter erupted from the open door. "Pay up! Who said Ethan would only lend Amber an umbrella? Go order the Starbucks!" "Right? An umbrella is nothing. Ethan is driving her home himself. He can't bear to let her walk!" As the coworkers teased, Ethan didn't show the slightest intention to correct them. But I remembered a massive storm we had a year ago. Forget driving me home; Ethan wouldn't even lend me an umbrella. "We are just boss and subordinate. Lending you an umbrella looks too intimate." He had thrown a bunch of cheap, paper-thin plastic ponchos at me. He let me walk home in a torrential downpour, shivering and suffering from severe cramps on the first day of my period. "Chloe, why don't you join us?" Amber suddenly whispered in my ear. "You couldn't make it to my birthday party, so let me buy you dinner tonight!" As soon as she finished speaking, whispers about how I was stubborn and unsocial started spreading through the crowd. I looked at Ethan. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but ultimately kept silent. I smiled faintly. "No, thanks." "I have a date tonight."
Ethan sent me messages off and on for the next three hours. First, he asked who my date was. Then, he told me to stop lying to myself. He claimed that no matter what excuses I made, he wouldn't change his decision. "Where can you even go if you leave me?" "Stop targeting Amber over and over. I'll give you a chance for the next promotion." While his messages were coming in, I was having dinner with the head of the international corporation who had flown in to meet me. And after dinner, I booked my flight for next week. The company Snapchat group chat was buzzing all night. It was filled with photos of Ethan and Amber on their "date." The man who, when watching movies with me, would only buy tickets for the very front or very back row to "be careful." Right now, he was sitting openly with Amber in a couples' booth, cuddling close. "She's easily scared, so she needs someone with her." Ethan probably saw the shipping comments in the group chat, because he sent me a brief, casual explanation. I still didn't reply. The next day, I knocked on his apartment door. "Why are you here at this hour?" The moment Ethan opened the door, a flash of panic crossed his face. I looked past him. The first thing I saw was a pair of women's high heels by the door. "Ethan! The lipstick color you picked for me is so pretty! It matches me perfectly!" A voice drifted from the bedroom. Amber had stayed over again last night. On the dining table sat fresh coffee in matching couples' mugs, steam rising gently. The disposable tissue boxes on the walls had been replaced with delicate linen hand towels, folded into flower shapes—Amber's favorite. And in the bedroom, Amber was putting on the lipstick he chose for her, spraying the custom perfume he bought. Everything looked like a beautiful morning for a happy couple. Except for me. I was just an intruder breaking the peace. "She had a fever last night, and the rain was too heavy, so I let her crash here," Ethan explained quickly, his eyes shifting as he reached for my hand. "She's leaving in a bit. It's the weekend, let's go—" "No need." I walked past him and picked up a package sitting in the hallway. It was a birthday gift I had bought for him a while ago. "We're over, Ethan." "So I'm taking my stuff back." Ethan's hand froze. He snapped his head up to look at me. "What nonsense are you talking about?" "Chloe?" Amber suddenly appeared behind Ethan, holding a coffee mug. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know you guys were in that kind of relationship." She looked at Ethan with a hurt expression, then took a step toward me. "No wonder you didn't come to my party. You must hate me." She pouted. "But I really just see Ethan as an older brother. Let me explain—" Before her hand even touched me, she suddenly let go, spilling the entire cup of hot coffee all over my shirt. "Amber!" The next second, Ethan shoved me aside and grabbed Amber's hand. "Don't move! I'll get the burn ointment!" In our three years of dating, I never knew Ethan kept burn ointment at home. After all, when I was badly burned by his hot kettle, he only handed me a pair of thin plastic disposable gloves. "I'm a guy living alone. How would I have that kind of stuff at home?" "Just run it under cold water." He had never kept anything in his house that could be linked to having a "girlfriend." But when it came to Amber, all his rules vanished instantly. I looked at the stain on my shirt, let out a self-deprecating laugh, and turned to leave. "Chloe!" This time, Ethan actually chased me out. "Can you stop throwing tantrums over every little thing?" "I only see Amber as a sister. You're my actual girlfriend, so I had to—" The elevator doors slid shut, cutting him off. I didn't give him a single glance. My flight was next week. I had hoped we could have a decent, quiet ending. But in the end, Ethan, you ruined even that.
I didn't resign immediately because I still had one last project to hand over. The project was tied to the entire team's bonuses. I didn't want to walk away and drag my team down. But the day before the contract signing. The moment I walked into the office, I found a crowd gathered around my desk. "Chloe is here!" Someone yelled. The crowd turned around, glaring at me in unison. Their eyes were filled with disgust. "Chloe, why did you steal Amber's proposal?" The person standing up from my computer desk was Ethan. "This is her hard work. You stole it just to boost your own project?" He looked at me with deep disappointment. "Do you have any professional ethics left?" Like a bolt from the blue, I pushed through the crowd in disbelief and stared at the screen. One file was Amber's proposal, and the other was opened from my folder. The creation times of the two files were only one day apart. And mine was logged one day later than Amber's! "That's impossible." I looked up, speaking clearly. "I wrote this proposal entirely by myself. Every single line is my own work." "If anyone stole anything, she stole it from me." "Chloe, I know you don't like me, but the proof is right there. My file was created before yours," Amber stood there, her eyes red. "I've already told you, I only see Ethan as a brother." "Even if you like him and are jealous of my promotion, you shouldn't try to ruin my career like this." The office erupted. "What? She likes the boss? How does Amber know?" "Chloe must have been throwing herself at him privately." "They're such a cute couple, how can Chloe be so shameless?" "Did she fail to seduce the boss, so she stole Amber's work to force him to promote her?" The accusations turned from workplace gossip to disgusting slut-shaming, each comment viler than the last. Surrounded by the crowd like a criminal being pelted with stones, I clenched my fists and stared straight at Ethan. "Ethan," I said, my nails digging into my palms. "Tell them. What is our relationship?" Ethan met my gaze, a flicker of hesitation crossing his eyes. But in the end, he turned away. "We are strictly boss and subordinate." "And you are an employee who stole her colleague's work and refuses to admit it." My hands went limp. My heart completely died. "Fine." "Whoever wants the proposal can have it." "It's just a piece of useless garbage anyway." I looked up, smiled at everyone, and walked out. "Chloe!" Behind me, Ethan watched me leave, a sudden, inexplicable sense of dread washing over him. He remembered her saying "we're over" and the resignation letter. But the next second, he shook his head. No way. Chloe was only doing this to force him to pay attention to her, both professionally and romantically. She would never actually walk away. Ethan was completely confident. But three days later, when he realized Chloe hadn't sent him a single message and hadn't shown up to work— He finally started to panic. "Help me set things up. I'm taking someone important out to dinner tonight." He rarely asked his friends for help, but he invited them over to help set up a candlelight dinner. He had bought a expensive gift, planning to swallow his pride and apologize to her. But the moment he opened his apartment door. All the color drained from Ethan's face. Every single gift he had given Chloe over the past three years— Was packed neatly inside black disposable trash bags, piled right in the middle of the living room! "What the hell is this?" "Ethan, are you sure this is the right address for the flower delivery?" Amid the confusion, Ethan's phone rang. "Sir, no one is answering the door. The neighbor said the resident of this unit quit her job and moved abroad..." "What did you say?!"
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