I Chose to Leave

After saving money with Justin Pierre for five years, we finally went to view a house. My best friend, Maria Houston, came along too. "The master bedroom needs a walk-in closet. Can we knock down this wall?" she asked Justin while pointing at the floor plan I had been looking at for the past six months. "I'll get a designer to take a look tomorrow. You can change it however you want." The two of them discussed everything, from the direction the apartment faced to the tiles, from the floor-to-ceiling windows to the bathtub. Meanwhile, I stood in the corner, unable to get a word in. When it was time to sign the papers, he seemed to suddenly remember I was here and said, "We'll put this place under Maria's name for now. She's here all by herself, so consider it a company benefit. The company is a little tight on cash lately. You can keep renting for another two years." However, I had also left my hometown behind to build a life with him from nothing five years ago. Back then, we had squeezed into a tiny apartment without even air-conditioning, and he had made me a promise with absolute certainty. "Once the company takes off, the first thing I'll do is give you a home." Now that the company had finally succeeded, the first home he bought was for someone else. I stared at the two signatures side by side on the contract and realized there was no place for my name. Since he had already planned a future that did not include me, I was not going to wait for him anymore. Thinking about it, I opened the page to terminate my lease and confirmed it. Chapter 1 The Home That Was Never Mine When we came out, there were only two seats left on the shuttle. Justin naturally took Maria by the hand and led her onto it. "Jessica, you can walk over. We'll go ahead and take possession of the apartment. Since Maria is wearing heels, it would be hard for her to walk." He remembered Maria's heels, which were not even three centimetres high. Yet somehow, he forgot that I had injured my back while rushing to finish one of his projects. The injury had flared up again, and even standing for too long made it ache. I no longer expected him to remember as I turned toward the exit. "I'm not going," I replied. Justin did not think much of it as he simply called after me, "You can stop by the rental agency and renew the lease. Today's the deadline." There would be no renewal. The lease termination agreement had already been sent to me, and I signed it without hesitation. … When I got home, I happened to see Maria's latest post on social media. She was standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, making a heart sign with her hands. "I finally have a home of my own in this city," she wrote. I had spent more than six months studying that apartment and had stayed up countless nights drawing the entire interior design plan. Just last week, I had excitedly called my mom and said, "Mom, I'll finally be able to show you our new home next month." At that time, my mother choked on her sobs as she replied, "Okay. Your dad and I will be waiting. Justin had finally done something right by you." However, someone else's name had been added to the deed now. I liked Maria's post and left a comment. "I'm so jealous of you. Your company's benefits are amazing." Then, I started packing. The rental apartment was barely thirty square meters, and I owned so little that I could not even fill a single suitcase. My clothes were bought on sale. My makeup was all drugstore brands. Every cent I managed to save had gone into that bank account. Five years of saving was enough to buy that huge river-view apartment. Yet, Justin had handed it over to Maria. … When Justin came home, his expression was grim. "What was that comment supposed to mean? Our coworkers and your parents can see it. What are they going to think about it?" Hearing his words, I almost laughed. "When you used the money we spent five years saving for our home to buy her an apartment in the name of company benefits, why weren't you worried about what people would think then?" Justin frowned and retorted, "Maria is your best friend. She came to work at my company, so shouldn't I be responsible for taking care of her? Why can't you learn to be a little more understanding like Maria?" In that split second, the resentment I had endured for five years suddenly fell apart. … Five years ago, my mother had cried as she tried to talk me out of leaving. "He doesn't even have a proper place to stay. What kind of future can he give you?" My father had locked my citizen identification papers away in a cabinet and said, "No house, no marriage!" However, I did not listen to them. Instead, I gave up on the stable job I had worked so hard to earn. Then, with one train ticket and one suitcase, I traveled thousands of miles to be with Justin. Back then, Justin worked himself half to death chasing projects. He would drink so much to entertain the clients that he once ended up with a bleeding stomach. The thing he said most often was, "Once the company succeeds, the first thing I'll do is give you a home. When I go back with the property deed in my hands, your parents will finally have to accept me." Now, five years had passed. The company had succeeded, and we had the money to buy the apartment. However, I was not the one moving into it. "Learn from Maria?" My voice was strangely calm as I spoke. "Shouldn't you?" His voice rose. "It's just an apartment. Besides, doing it this way makes the company accounts easier." Realizing that Justin thought it was a natural thing for him to compare Maria and me together, I suddenly felt that this whole thing was pointless. "The company's financing is at a critical stage right now. I can't believe I still have to listen to you complain about this after dealing with all that—" "Then, don't." Justin was startled momentarily before he took his car keys. "I can't be bothered arguing with you. You should calm yourself down." Then, he slammed the door shut. It was always like this. Ever since Maria came into our lives, he stopped seeing how much I was hurting. He always thought I was making a fuss and creating problems out of nothing. After that, he would leave, leaving me alone to swallow my own feelings. But this time, I did not want to convince myself anymore. I opened the ticket-booking app. Five years ago, I bought a one-way ticket to come here. Now, I bought another one-way ticket to go home. Chapter 2 Everything Changed Since She Came The next day, I went to the office. There was one final project I needed to finish. I had worked on it for more than six months and produced hundreds of drawings, so I was not going to leave it unfinished. In the conference room, Justin pushed Maria to the front and said, "The last project was completed ahead of schedule because Maria pulled several all-nighters. She deserves most of the credit." Then, his gaze shifted to me as he said in a cold voice, "As the lead designer, one should work more efficiently instead of leaving a newcomer to clean up their mess." Just last night, I had stayed up organizing every single detail of my drawings and proposals before sending everything to the project group. I was the one who had gone three nights without sleep, yet somehow, I was also the one being criticized in front of everyone. … After the meeting, Justin invited the entire team out for dinner at an expensive restaurant. "Maria loves sashimi, so don't forget the shrimps and sea urchin." After giving the order, Justin casually pushed the cheapest set meal toward me. "Jessica, you can have this. We're saving for a house, remember? We should save wherever we can." He remembered exactly what Maria liked to eat, but he had forgotten that I was allergic to seafood and couldn't touch a single plate of the food on that table. Yet somehow, he still remembered that I was supposed to save money for our house. What made it almost laughable was that six months ago, Maria had been unemployed and desperate. I was the one who brought her to Justin. "Her degree is a perfect fit, and she's hardworking. Please help her out." After she joined the company, I slowly became the unreasonable one. When we both worked until midnight, Justin would tell Maria to take a taxi home and expense the fare. But when he saw me still sitting at my desk, he would frown and scold me. "Why are you still here? Do you think the company doesn't have to pay for electricity?" Maria would casually mention craving strawberry cake, and he would drive five kilometers out of his way to buy one for her. When I had a fever and asked him to bring home some medicine, he told me there were flu tablets in the cabinet and that they worked just as well. He was always saying how considerate Maria was, but Maria's consideration had been built on my sleepless nights, my drawings, my savings, and every compromise I had made. … After dinner, Justin tried to take me to the new apartment. "Come on. Let's go have a look. We can talk about how to renovate it while we're there." I pulled my arm away while replying, "I'm not going." Maria smiled and reached for my arm. "Jessica, come with us. You can help me figure out what would look good." He sighed. "Are you still mad? It's just an apartment. Stop being so petty." As he spoke, he opened the front passenger door and naturally waited for Maria to get in. It was not until I climbed into the back seat that I realized something. I did not know when it had happened, but at some point, the passenger seat had become hers. She had been here for six months. And in those six months, I had not ridden in Justin's car once. Justin would go out of his way to pick her up on a daily basis. Her commute by bus was only twenty minutes, but he always said she lived too far away. On the other hand, I lived on the south side of the city. Getting to work meant a two-hour commute involving both the bus and subway, but he had never once asked about it. At the apartment, Maria said she wanted to tear out the entire layout and redesign everything from scratch. Justin agreed without even blinking. He had probably forgotten that I had once created an entire stack of design plans for this apartment. Every page accounted for the structural layout, traffic flow, and natural lighting. Now, he was throwing all of it away with a single wave. But then again, the apartment had nothing to do with me anymore. Maria was still flipping through my drawings. "Jessica's design is really good, but the overall style feels a little cold. I'd like something warmer." "Make another version based on what Maria likes," Justin said, as if it were obvious. "You're the professional, so it shouldn't take you long. Three days should be enough, right?" I pulled the drawings out of Maria's hands and said, "I designed these for my own home. When did I ever say you two could use them?" When Justin heard my words, disapproval immediately filled his face. "You're not going to use them anyway. What are you keeping them for? It's not like they're going to produce money." I said nothing. I simply looked out the window. The sunlight was so painfully bright that it hurt my eyes. Chapter 3 You Are Not Irreplaceable Maria said softly, "Forget it, Jessica. I'll look at some other designs. If I really can't find anything, I can design it myself. You're already so busy—" "You haven't been in this industry for very long," Justin cut her off immediately. "You're already busy enough with work. Designing the whole place yourself would be exhausting." The concern in his voice came so naturally. So naturally that he seemed to have completely forgotten that I was still overseeing the project I had spent more than half a year working on. I was just as busy and exhausted, yet I was expected to make time to redesign someone else's home that was supposed to be mine. "Put your current project on hold," Justin said as he turned to me. "You should focus on finishing Maria's place first." "Our interim deliverables are due next week." "You work fast. You can use three days for the drawings and spend the rest of the time overseeing the renovation. You'll make the deadline." He made it sound as though my time were an endless resource. "I can't put it on hold." My voice turned cold. "That project is mine." Hearing my words, Justin let out a laugh and said, "Yours? That project has only gotten this far because of the resources the company has built up. Did you think a few drawings of yours are enough to keep the whole thing going?" At that moment, Maria tugged at his sleeve and chimed in, "Don't fight with Jessica because of me. Maybe I should—" "Stay out of this." He placed a hand over hers. "Jessica, if the pressure is too much, just say so. I can have someone else take over the project. You don't have to force yourself to carry everything." He said it so easily. It was as if the project I had poured everything into was nothing more than some insignificant assignment to me. Anyone could replace me. "Justin, there's something I need to make clear." I looked straight at him. "First, I'm the company's chief designer. I've been the lead designer on this project from beginning to end. You don't have the right to simply hand it over to someone else. Secondly…" I paused for a moment before continuing, "I've decided to break up with you. Thus, you have no right to demand that I hand over my personal designs so someone else can use them to decorate their house." Justin was bewildered for a moment before he laughed out loud and said in a mocking tone, "Break up? Is this a joke, Jessica? Just because of an apartment?" Then, he took a step closer. "You just renewed your lease and paid six months' deposit. How much money do you even have left? With whatever's sitting in your bank account, how many days do you think you can last?" "I didn't renew the lease." He didn't believe me. "I'm telling you, stop making a scene. If we really break up, you won't even be able to afford the place you're living in now. Apologize now, and I'll pretend I never heard any of this." Maria stood to the side without saying a word. Just as I turned to leave, my phone suddenly rang. It was an unfamiliar number. "Ms. Wilton, we've received a report alleging that fraudulent materials may have been submitted in connection with your first-class constructor qualification. You are required to stop working immediately while we investigate the matter." I snapped my head toward Justin, who was looking at me calmly. It was almost as though he had been waiting for me to turn back. "Did you do this?" I asked in a trembling voice. Justin did not deny it. His tone was almost soothing as he said, "This is just a small lesson to help you calm down. If you mention breaking up again, it won't be this simple next time." Then, he walked toward me. "Jessica, I hope you understand that this company didn't get where it is today because of you alone. You may think the company can't survive without you, but the company…" He paused deliberately. "It doesn't need you that badly." At that moment, it was as though everything around me was gone. Five years ago, Justin told me that I was the only thing he had left. Back then, I had been recklessly brave. I believed that if we just endured long enough, we would eventually have everything. Now that we had everything, Justin had forgotten exactly how his company had gotten this far. Chapter 4 Backstabbed Justin practically dragged me back into the conference room. In front of everyone, he announced his decision. "Starting today, Maria will take over the project. Jessica, hand over all the materials you have to her." No one said anything. Some lowered their heads and flipped through their notes, while others pretended to be focused on their phones. These were the same people who had pulled all-nighters beside me six months ago. They were the same people who had called me their chief designer with admiration only three months earlier. Now, every one of them was silent. Just then, Maria walked over to me. "Jessica, about the model files…" "I'll send them to you." I stood and walked out of the conference room. Justin followed me while saying, "Get started on the renovation design as soon as you can. Maria can't be expected to rent an apartment forever. Now that you've got some free time—" "Free time?" I turned around and looked at him. "Don't I have all this 'free time' because you reported to me?" Discomfort flickered across his face, but it vanished almost immediately. "And why can't she keep renting?" I asked. "I rented for five years." "That's different." He cut me off so quickly that the words seemed instinctive. Then, perhaps realizing how they sounded, he softened his tone as he put a hand on my shoulder. "You've already rented it for five years. You had already renewed the lease anyway, so what's the matter with staying in it for another two years? When the time comes, I'll buy you an even bigger place. Better than this one. As for your parents—" "Jessica!" Maria came running out after us. "You're my best friend. If you designed my home for me, I'd be so happy." Hearing her words, I looked into her eyes. She looked so sincere that I almost forgot that six months ago, when she had nowhere else to turn, I was the one who brought her into this company. I almost forgot that the new apartment she was proudly showing off online had been bought with the money I had spent five years saving. I said nothing as I waved Justin's hand off my shoulder and walked away. "Jessica…" Justin called after me, but I did not turn around. Behind me, I heard Maria ask quietly, "Is Jessica angry?" "It's fine." He sounded as certain as ever. "She just has a temper. Give her a couple of days, and she'll get over it. She already paid the rent, so where could she possibly go?" My steps faltered for half a second before I kept walking. … Soon, a message from Maria appeared on my phone. "Jessica, I'm sorry, but you already have everything. You have talent, a career, and a future. Can't you just give Justin to me? You'll be fine even without him, but I'm different. I have nothing. He's all I have." As I stared at the screen, I suddenly found it ridiculous. She had taken my boyfriend and even moved into an apartment bought with my money. Yet, she was now telling me that I had everything, and I should let her have some. At that moment, I finally understood. The girl who had held my hand in college and promised we would be best friends forever was gone. So was the man who had held me in that cramped room and told me I was the reason he could keep going. Soon, I returned to the rental apartment, picked up the suitcase I had already packed, and sent the rental agent a message. "You can take back the apartment. I'll be moving out tonight." As the plane taxied onto the runway, my phone began vibrating relentlessly. Justin called again and again, but I did not answer. Then, the messages started flooding in. "Where are you?" "The agent says you terminated the lease. Is that true?" "Jessica, what the hell are you doing?" Then, he sent his last message. "Will you stop making a scene? Come back, and we'll talk this through properly." I switched off my phone, and I leaned against the window as I closed my eyes. At the same time, Justin stood outside our rental apartment. The rental agent stepped out from inside and said, "Ms. Wilton submitted her lease termination request three days ago. She moved out today. Please clear out whatever belongings you still have inside." Justin did not answer. Instead, he entered the apartment. For the first time, panic began to set in. Everything was gone. Every trace that Jessica had ever lived there had been erased completely.