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She Let Go of Her Old Love and Found a New Life
Novelix
new
Completed
"In the sixth year of my secret relationship with Kirk, I broke up with him. He leaned against the floor-to-ceiling window in his office as if he'd just heard a joke. ""All because I didn't approve your Thanksgiving leave?"" ""Olive, your annual review is coming up. You're seriously thinking about taking time off now?"" ""First of all, it's not a vacation,"" I said, looking at him. ""I'm going home to take my mom to see a doctor."" ""And I wasn't even scheduled to work over Thanksgiving in the first place."" I'd told him all of this on the way to work, over lunch, and again after work. But he never remembered. When I met his mocking gaze, I suddenly felt too tired to explain anymore. ""Kirk, are you always this harsh with people?"" He frowned. ""What are you getting at now?"" I smiled and answered my own question. ""Actually, no. You're pretty nice to Cathy, the new intern. You're nice to the board. You're nice to the other partners at your level."" Kirk's expression darkened. ""Olive, why are you dragging her into this? I'm harder on you because it's for your own good."" ""No."" The corner of my mouth twitched. ""From now on, you don't need to do anything for my own good."""
Chapters (3)
Chapter 1
In the sixth year of my secret relationship with Kirk, I broke up with him.
He leaned against the floor-to-ceiling window in his office as if he'd just heard a joke.
"All because I didn't approve your Thanksgiving leave?"
"Olive, your annual review is coming up. You're seriously thinking about taking time off now?"
"First of all, it's not a vacation," I said, looking at him. "I'm going home to take my mom to see a doctor."
"And I wasn't even scheduled to work over Thanksgiving in the first place."
I'd told him all of this on the way to work, over lunch, and again after work.
But he never remembered.
When I met his mocking gaze, I suddenly felt too tired to explain anymore.
"Kirk, are you always this harsh with people?"
He frowned. "What are you getting at now?"
I smiled and answered my own question.
"Actually, no. You're pretty nice to Cathy, the new intern. You're nice to the board. You're nice to the other partners at your level."
Kirk's expression darkened.
"Olive, why are you dragging her into this? I'm harder on you because it's for your own good."
"No."
The corner of my mouth twitched.
"From now on, you don't need to do anything for my own good."
...
The office fell deathly silent.
He took a deep breath.
"I said I'd approve your leave and then didn't. That was my fault."
"But you're at a critical point for your promotion. I'm doing this for you."
I looked at him, my voice steady.
"If you're doing it for me, then give me the Thanksgiving leave slot."
He froze for a moment and looked away.
"I already gave it to Cathy."
"She's young and just moved to New York. She said she wanted to get away for the holiday."
I'd already guessed the answer.
But hearing him say it still hurt.
Kirk reached for me.
I stepped back, avoiding his hand.
He sighed softly, speaking as though he were soothing an unreasonable child.
"Olive, your annual review is right after Thanksgiving. Taking time off now won't look good."
"You don't want six years of hard work to go to waste, do you?"
He stepped closer, softening his voice.
"After Christmas, you can take a few days off and have a proper vacation, okay?"
His thumb brushed the back of my hand, half soothing, half flirtatious.
"Haven't you always wanted us to go public? Once you get this promotion, we'll tell everyone."
"Kirk."
"Yeah?"
"Do you know why I need these specific days off?"
The softness disappeared from his eyes, replaced by impatience.
"Olive, I'm doing this for you."
"You're getting older. Your upward mobility is already limited. Instead of competing with Cathy over some vacation, you should focus on your career."
"How does it look, fighting with a young girl over this?"
I stared at him.
Then, suddenly, I felt calm.
"Kirk, my mom is sick. I want to take her to the doctor."
He froze.
In that instant, the anger churning inside me vanished.
It wasn't forgiveness.
It was a coldness that came from no longer caring.
"I told you on the way to work. I told you over lunch. I told you in your car after work."
"You even promised me."
"I told my mom I'd come home for Thanksgiving and take her to the hospital. She was so happy she couldn't sleep for nights. She said she and Dad were going to pick me up at the station."
"I bought the tickets. I made the doctor's appointment. I booked the hotel."
I remembered my mother's disappointed face when I'd called earlier to tell her I couldn't get the time off.
Even then, she'd smiled.
"It's okay. You're so busy in New York. Just remember to eat properly."
Dad had forced a lighthearted tone.
"I washed the pickup especially for you. Guess I'll just take it for a drive myself."
My voice finally trembled.
"Kirk, you made me look like a joke."
Kirk stood there.
After a long silence, he said quietly, "Olive, I didn't think that far."
I cut him off.
"My reason for requesting leave was written clearly on the form."
"It's not that you didn't think about it. You just never cared enough about me to remember."
He was silent for a long time.
"Go home and get some rest. I'll figure something out about your leave."
After saying that, he watched my face.
As if he expected me to do what I always did—turn away with tears in my eyes and wait for him to comfort me.
Instead, I turned around, went into the bedroom, and started packing.
Chapter 2
I came out with my suitcase, and Kirk stared at me.
"Olive, is this really necessary?"
When he saw my reddened eyes, he sighed helplessly.
"It's late. It's not safe. I'll leave."
I moved my suitcase aside before he could touch it.
"No. This is your place."
His hand stopped in midair.
He yanked his tie loose in irritation.
"Olive, where are you going to go?"
"Back to that run-down shared apartment? Or some cheap hotel near the airport?"
He frowned.
"Stop making a scene."
I knew that tone too well.
Dismissive. Certain.
As though my entire world would collapse without him.
When we'd first gotten together, I'd asked him, "Why do you always talk to me like that?"
He'd smiled carelessly.
"Olive, you want me to treat you with respect? Earn it."
For six years, I'd thrown myself into projects, revised proposals endlessly, and routinely stayed up until dawn preparing presentations in hotel lobbies.
All because I wanted to prove to Kirk that I deserved to be treated well.
But Cathy only had to exist, and she got his patience.
If she stammered through a presentation because she was nervous, Kirk patiently let her finish.
If she messed up the numbers, Kirk stepped in and fixed them for her.
Even when she was actually scheduled to work, he'd bend the rules and approve her leave.
Sometimes I wondered whether Cathy had been Kirk's secret girlfriend for six years instead of me.
When I didn't move, Kirk repeated through clenched teeth, "I said you stay. I'll go."
I looked at him calmly.
"And I said we're breaking up."
The guilt vanished from his face, replaced by open disgust.
"Olive, you're being completely unreasonable."
"You're throwing a tantrum because you think I didn't give you special treatment."
"Our relationship is different."
"But let me tell you something. You're capable, sure. But do you really think you'd be where you are now without me looking out for you?"
I repeated softly, "Looking out for me?"
Looking out for me by giving Cathy the vacation days that should've been mine.
Looking out for me by keeping me under him for three years without a promotion.
Looking out for me so well that even my competitors pitied me.
I lifted my head.
"Kirk, I can't afford your kind of special treatment."
"Save it for someone else."
His face darkened.
"Olive."
I tightened my grip on the suitcase handle.
"Don't call me that."
He sneered.
"If you walk out that door tonight, don't regret it."
I looked at him and suddenly found the whole thing ridiculous.
"Kirk, what I regret isn't leaving tonight."
"It's going home with you six years ago."
Chapter 3
People who pissed Kirk off usually didn't end well.
Over Thanksgiving, my workload tripled.
On top of the projects I was already handling, I got dumped with endless busywork.
Revising proposals for new hires. Buying coffee. Ordering afternoon snacks. Even changing the printer ink.
My coworkers privately tried to talk sense into me.
"Olive, you're this close to a promotion. Don't go head-to-head with Kirk."
"Yeah. He can be brutal, but he's usually fair about work. This is intern stuff. Just swallow your pride and it'll blow over."
Someone muttered quietly, "Cathy's so lucky. She gets to go on vacation, while Olive couldn't even get time off to take her mom to the doctor..."
She immediately stopped and looked at me nervously.
"Sorry. I didn't mean anything by it."
I patted her shoulder.
"It's fine."
But inside, I felt even more ridiculous.
Even my coworkers knew I'd requested leave because my mom needed a doctor.
Yet the man I'd spent six years with thought I wanted to go on vacation.
"Olive, Kirk wants you in his office."
Everyone looked at me, their expressions saying the same thing.
This was my chance.
I smiled, picked up the project summary, and walked in.
"Here's the latest update on Team A's M&A deal."
"I highlighted the risk areas in red. The revised plan is on page three."
Kirk didn't say whether it was good or bad.
He simply made me stand there.
People came and went through the office.
Everyone could see me being kept waiting.
I knew what this was.
Kirk was punishing me.
When I continued standing there without saying anything, he finally lost his temper and threw the folder at me.
"Have the proposal on my desk before work tomorrow."
I bent down and picked it up.
"Kirk, I still have other active projects. How do you want me to prioritize them?"
He stared at me coldly.
"You're so capable. I'm sure you can handle all of them."
"Do a good job. It'll be another point in your favor for the promotion."
My coworkers clocked out and passed my desk, pity in their eyes.
Around midnight, a thick binder was placed in front of me.
Every page was packed with handwritten notes.
Anyone in the industry would know how valuable they were.
I had several notebooks just like it.
They were part of what had taken me from a clueless rookie to where I was now.
Looking at the familiar handwriting made my heart ache.
Kirk stood beside me.
"Why are you so impatient?"
"I told you. Once you get promoted, I'll figure something out about your leave."
I looked up at him.
"Kirk, who exactly is Cathy? Why are you so good to her?"
He frowned impatiently.
"This is between you and me. Why do you keep dragging her into it?"
The corner of my mouth lifted.
"Then I want us to go public."
The air turned cold instantly.
He looked at me with a complicated expression.
I stared at the notes and continued.
"The company doesn't prohibit workplace relationships. You always said we couldn't go public because it would hurt my career."
"But what if I don't care what people say anymore? What if I just want everyone to know?"
I lifted my head, watching every flicker of emotion cross his face.
Kirk finally spoke.
"Olive, there's a limit to how crazy you can act."
