Chapter 3

3

When I got to the office, I went straight to my boss and asked for a transfer to our new branch in Kenya. My boss looked at me in shock.

"Are you sure, Jude? You're really leaving your precious rose behind?" he asked.

"Life in Kenya won't be easy, and you probably won't be back for three to five years."

I had been at this company for ten years. When they opened their first international branch, my boss wanted me to lead it.

I turned him down because back then, Rhea was so dependent on me. When I mentioned the possibility of traveling for work, she had cried.

She had asked me if I really had to leave her. I had held her close and promised I never would.

Since then, the company opened five more branches. I turned down the promotion five more times.

Just two days ago, my boss had asked me again, mostly as a joke. I had said no then, too.

He had asked if a woman was really worth sacrificing my entire career for. I had puffed out my chest and told him that she was my happiness.

I didn't expect the slap in the face to come so soon. "There's nothing left to hold onto here," I said with a bitter laugh. "Money is more reliable than people."

My boss sensed something was wrong. He patted my shoulder. "Sometimes you have to leave the wrong person to find the right one."

I rubbed my face hard. He told me to start handing over my projects and wait for the official notice.

For the rest of the day, I didn't text Rhea. Usually, I'd send her a dozen messages a day, even if she barely replied.

Without the distraction of waiting for her texts, my productivity was through the roof. I finished half my transition paperwork by five.

While waiting to clock out, I got a text from Rhea: "Come home early today."

It was the first time she had initiated a text in over a month. Lately, she was always working late.

She'd claim she was staying overnight at the office to finish proposals. But when she came home the next morning, she smelled like hotel soap.

When I asked her about the smell, she would explode. "What are you trying to say? Are you accusing me of something? I'm working my ass off for our future and you're acting like a detective!"

I used to think I was the one at fault for hurting her feelings. Now I realized she was just loud because she was guilty.

After work, I didn't go straight home. I went out for a nice dinner with some coworkers and took my time.

Rhea called me a dozen times. I didn't answer a single one.

My coworkers joked that I was finally growing a spine. I just smiled and stayed silent.