Chapter 2

Ethan had been Seraphina' s right hand since AuraCorp was a fledgling startup, a tiny office with big dreams.

His contributions were immense, foundational even, but largely uncredited, lost in the glare of Seraphina' s charisma.

He was good at his job, exceptionally so, anticipating her needs, solving problems before she even knew they existed.

He was working on his laptop in his small cubicle, the resignation letter almost complete, when Seraphina' s imperious voice cut through the office hum.

"Ethan! My office, now!"

He quickly switched screens.

Colleagues exchanged knowing glances, whispering.

Most assumed he was in trouble, especially since Chase Dubois was so publicly Seraphina's partner.

In her opulent office, Seraphina didn' t offer him a seat.

She paced, berating him for not being at her beck and call the previous night, for the "embarrassment" at the library.

He listened, saying nothing.

Then, as if an afterthought, she said casually, "About this whole proposal thing, I' ve thought about it. I' ve decided I' ll accept."

She smiled, a dazzling, practiced smile that used to make his heart skip a beat.

As a supposed make-good for her no-show, she handed him a small, glossy envelope.

"VIP passes. That musician you like. Sold out, but I pulled some strings."

He took the passes, she owed him that much, and a hell of a lot more.

Just then, her personal phone buzzed on her desk, Chase' s name lighting up the screen.

Her expression softened instantly.

"You can go, Ethan," she said, already reaching for the phone, dismissing him with a wave of her hand as she eagerly answered.

"Hey baby," she cooed into the receiver.

Ethan returned to his cubicle, his face unreadable.

He finalized his resignation letter, printed it, and walked to Marcus Thorne' s office.

Marcus, AuraCorp' s COO, was a quiet, observant man who had witnessed Ethan' s unwavering dedication and Seraphina' s dismissive behavior for years.

He read the letter, his eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Ethan? Are you sure about this?"

"Yes, Marcus. I am."

Marcus looked at him, a flicker of understanding in his eyes. He suspected Seraphina' s treatment was the cause, though he didn't pry.

He signed the approval. "I' m sorry to see you go, Ethan. You' ve been invaluable."

"Thank you, Marcus."

As Ethan left the building later that day, carrying a small box with his few personal items, he encountered Seraphina and Chase arriving, laughing together.

Seraphina barely glanced at him. "Oh, Ethan. Email me any updates you have. I' m swamped."

Chase shot him a smug, triumphant smirk.

Ethan just nodded and kept walking.

That evening, Ethan attended the concert alone.

The music, by his favorite artist, was incredible, but he felt a strange detachment.

Seraphina, predictably, didn' t show up, didn't even text.

He wasn' t angry anymore, not even disappointed.

There was just a quiet resolve, a sense of an ending.

After the concert, he walked along the Brooklyn Bridge promenade, the city lights glittering across the water.

His phone, recharged, started buzzing with news alerts.