Chapter 2

2.

I have no memory of how I blacked out or how I got to the hospital. When I woke up, there were three missed calls from Sarah.

There were also several threatening text messages on my screen.

"You've got some nerve! You left without my permission!"

"I'm warning you, be at the office by ten o'clock, or you'll regret it!"

I looked weakly at the IV bag that was still half full. Then I checked the time.

A pale, bitter smile touched my lips. Only two days left. After forty-eight hours, I wouldn't owe her a single thing.

I ripped the needle out of my arm. Ignoring the nurses who tried to stop me, I left the hospital and headed to the office.

As I walked through the halls, my colleagues looked at me with nothing but scorn. I was used to it. This was exactly the environment Sarah wanted for me.

I walked into the CEO's office. Sarah was wrapped in Gary's arms, and they were locked in an intense kiss. They didn't stop when I entered.

I lowered my eyes, pretending I couldn't see a thing. Only when their passion faded did she bother to look at me with cold indifference.

Sarah didn't waste any time. She got straight to the point.

"The project you've been handling for three years? Hand it over to Gary. It's his now."

I froze for a moment. I had built that project from the ground up. It was my life's work.

Three years ago, when Sarah gave it to me, I thought I could win her back if I did a good job. I had pulled all-nighters and used every connection I had for that project.

But there was no point in trying to please her anymore. I simply replied, "Okay."

The next second, Sarah hurled a heavy file at me. The sharp edge of the folder sliced across my forehead. A thin line of blood immediately began to trickle down.

I didn't even wipe it away. I knelt to pick up the papers, but Sarah started screaming in rage.

"Stop acting so obedient! I saw that look on your face! You're angry, aren't you?!"

"Let me tell you something, Liam Vance! You have no right to say no to me! Don't forget what you did to me!"

My fingers trembled as I gathered the documents. My voice was barely a whisper.

"I remember. I'm not angry. I'll go and start the handover process for Gary right now."

Gary followed me out of the office with a smirk. He looked at me as if I were a piece of trash he found on the street.

"Liam, sometimes even I feel bad for you. Look at how pathetic you are," he mocked.

"You did everything for Sarah, and now she hates your guts. Isn't that tragic?"

"But seeing you live like a dog makes me so happy! You always beat me in the past, but in the end, I'm the winner."

His insults didn't hurt me anymore. My mind was filled with the image of the hatred in Sarah's eyes.

I realized that I wasn't as numb as I thought. My heart still ached with every breath.