No More Keys I Locked My Toxic Ex Out of My Life

Austin went on nagging for a long time before he finally noticed I was standing by the door, completely silent. Assuming I had realized my mistake, his tone softened. "Elena, I’m not trying to be hard on you. But you went too far this time. Don't do it again!" "Because of your screaming, the next-door neighbor came over and yelled at Chloe and me. She’s still crying in her room!" "We were just a little late opening the door. Was it really worth making such a scene?" "Chloe and I realize we could have been quicker, too. Just go over and apologize to the neighbor in a bit, and we’ll call it even!" I looked up at him, my voice cracking but firm. "It wasn't a little late, Austin. It was three hours." Austin awkwardly glanced down at his watch. "Oh. Really? I guess Chloe and I got so into the game that I totally lost track of time." "Anyway, Chloe and I left some dinner for you. Eat up, and then go apologize to the neighbor." I looked at the kitchen island. There was a greasy, half-eaten burger box, a chicken wing with congealed grease, and a half-empty cup of soda. It was obvious they had ordered takeout and left me their scraps. They hadn't "saved" me anything. "I’m not going to apologize. I didn't do anything wrong." Austin had looked a bit guilty when my eyes fell on the leftover food. But hearing that I refused to apologize, his tiny shred of guilt vanished instantly. "If you don't apologize, who will? Me? Or Chloe?" "Anyone but me." With that, I turned to walk into my bedroom. Austin wasn't about to let me walk away. He grabbed my arm roughly. "Elena! What is wrong with you lately? You make a mistake, and instead of fixing it, you just run away?" I yanked my arm out of his grip, ignoring the shock on his face. "Austin, let's get one thing straight. You said Chloe was living here alone and felt unsafe, unlike us who have each other. You said she needed a spare key. So I gave her my key." "You promised me you would be home to let me in. Did you?" "Elena, seriously? You’re still bitter about the key thing?" "I told you, Chloe has severe anxiety. She feels uncomfortable knowing someone else has a key that accesses her living space. You’re both women, can’t you show some empathy?" Looking at his self-righteous face, I let out a dry, bitter laugh. "Oh, I see. So she only feels safe when she's alone with *you*?" "Elena, can you stop with the sarcasm and talk like a normal person?" Just as we were about to scream at each other again, Chloe’s door creaked open. She stood there, eyes red and trembling. "Austin, Elena... please don't fight. It's my fault. I was too focused on the game. I’ll go apologize to the neighbor right now." She balled her tiny fists as if trying to brave through it, but her shoulders shook violently. She looked terrified. Austin immediately blocked her path. "Chloe, stop trying to be a hero. With your tiny frame, that lady next door would snap you in half!" "But... what about Elena?" Austin smiled, patting Chloe’s head affectionately. "Oh, don't worry about her. Elena is tough. Honestly, I bet that neighbor couldn't even take her in a fight." "Really? Elena is that strong?" "Of course she is. Right, Elena?" I didn't answer. I had been starving for too long; not only was my stomach cramping, but my heart was also aching with a dull, throbbing pain. My mind drifted back to our high school days. Back then, to pay for my college tuition and ease the burden on my hardworking mother, I had made a reckless choice. When Austin, the wealthy heir of Vance Enterprises, was cornered and beaten by a gang of thugs in a sketchy alley, I didn't hesitate. I charged in with a baseball bat, caught them off guard, knocked a couple of them down, and dragged Austin to safety. After that, Austin looked at me like I was his savior. He called me his "badass hero" and chased after me relentlessly until I agreed to be his girlfriend. But now, the mocking expression on his face as he told Chloe how "tough" I was felt completely disconnected from the boy who used to look at me with adoring eyes. It was like looking at a stranger. I didn't want to look at either of them anymore. But as I took a step forward, Austin blocked me again. "Elena, please. Just go apologize. Have you forgotten? I gave up everything and ended up in this crappy apartment just for you." "Can't you do this one little thing for me?"That single sentence froze me in my tracks. It was true. He was once the golden boy of Vance Enterprises, living a life of absolute luxury. But to be with me, he had a massive fallout with his parents and was cut off. To give us a future, he used his remaining savings to start a small design firm. All to prove to his family that he could make it on his own, with me by his side. For me, he had sacrificed his wealthy life. Because of that guilt, I had spent years giving in to his every demand. Seeing the pleading look in his eyes, my heart softened once again. But I set a condition. "This is the very last time I am cleaning up your mess. There won't be a next time." "And you have to promise me one thing. For the next month, you are driving me to work." When we first started working, Austin hated seeing me squeeze onto the crowded subway, so he bought a car specifically to commute together. But ever since Chloe joined his startup, she kept whispering in his ear. She told him the other employees were gossiping about us, saying I was getting special treatment and that Austin was an unprofessional boss. To "protect the company's reputation," Austin decided we needed to keep our distance at work. He pushed my starting hours back by thirty minutes. Since then, we never rode together. Instead, Chloe and Austin left at the exact same time every day, and he naturally became her personal chauffeur. Austin eagerly agreed to my condition, pulling me in for a sloppy kiss on the cheek. "Elena, I knew you were the best." Watching us, the fake sweetness in Chloe's eyes vanished. She quickly opened the fridge and grabbed a bag of fresh peaches. "Elena, doesn't the lady next door love organic peaches? Why don't you take these to apologize?" Hearing this, Austin immediately let go of me and grabbed the bag from Chloe's hands. "What are you doing? You’re highly allergic to peaches! Let me handle it." Chloe was allergic to peaches? No wonder Austin had thrown a tantrum a few days ago when he saw me buy some, demanding I throw them out immediately. It was only when I told him they were for our neighbor, Brenda, that he reluctantly let me keep them in the corner of the fridge. But what shocked me more than Chloe’s allergy was that Austin actually remembered it. In our ten years of dating, Austin had always kept his spoiled-rich-boy attitude. I was always the one catering to his needs, remembering his likes and dislikes, and taking care of him. As the cold bag of peaches was shoved into my hands, the chill from the fridge seemed to seep straight into my bones. When Brenda opened her door and saw me, she didn't look surprised at all. "Are you here apologizing for those two clowns again?" I didn't say anything. I just handed her the peaches with a polite smile. "I’m so sorry we disturbed you again, Brenda. These peaches are for you. I hope you can forgive us." Brenda sighed, took the peaches, and immediately disappeared into her kitchen. A moment later, she returned and shoved a warm container of homemade mac and cheese into my hands. "It's late. I bet you haven't eaten. I made too much anyway." My stomach growled right on cue. My cheeks burned with embarrassment, and my eyes welled with tears. As I ate, Brenda stood by the door, lecturing me. "Elena, I’m not trying to be a nosy neighbor, but that new girl in your apartment is bad news. And your boyfriend is completely blind. You need to watch your back." "Think about it. Since she moved in, how many times have you been locked out? There's always an excuse, always a 'misunderstanding.' If you ask me, that girl is deliberately marking her territory." "You’re too soft-hearted, honey. Start looking out for yourself. If I didn't know any better, I’d think those two were the actual couple." I took Brenda's advice to heart. Lately, I had been so buried in project deadlines that I barely had time to talk to Austin. When I walked back inside, the two of them were already yelling at the TV, playing video games again. I told Austin to come to the bedroom early because we needed to talk. He just gave me a distracted murmur, probably not even processing my words. I stood there for five minutes. During that entire time, he and Chloe laughed and bantered, never once looking up at me. Suddenly, the desire to talk to him evaporated. I had been busy with work, while he had been busy playing games with Chloe, driving her around, and mentoring her. I opened my phone, logged into my email, and replied to an offer from a rival design agency. They had been trying to recruit me since I graduated, offering a great salary, but I had always turned them down to help Austin build his startup. Their office was on the other side of town—far enough to give me some space to think about whether this relationship was worth saving.The next morning, I woke up early, planning to tell Austin about my decision to leave his company. But Austin was already up, busily working in the kitchen. On the dining table sat a beautifully plated breakfast with a heart-shaped pancake. I hadn't seen him make anything like this in years. He had learned to cook breakfast back in college when he was pursuing me, transitioning from burnt, messy plates to delicious meals. As I walked over to take a seat, Austin quickly snatched the plate away. "Elena, what are you doing? Yours is over there." He pointed to a plain bowl of oatmeal. I stared at the heart-shaped pancake. "Then who is that for?" "Who else? Chloe. She lost a big match last night and was super bummed out. I wanted to make her something nice to cheer her up." "Why the heart shape?" "Oh, come on, girls love that aesthetic stuff. Are you seriously jealous of a pancake?" I nodded slowly, wanting to see how he would react. Austin clearly didn't expect me to admit it. He paused, then laughed it off. "Elena, stop playing. You’re way too old to be getting jealous over stuff like this." "If Chloe hears you, she’s going to laugh her head off." I thought he would reassure me, but instead, he practically called me old. We had been together for ten years. Compared to Chloe, who was fresh out of college, I was older—but I was hardly "old." At that moment, I looked at him and wondered if he was just joking or if he genuinely meant it. He kept grinning, completely oblivious to how insulting his words were. My mother's warning echoed in my mind: *“Elena, listen to me. Austin isn't the one. He’s too immature. A boy who has never had to struggle will never know how to cherish you.”* I had refused to listen back then, desperate to prove her wrong. But now, that stubborn determination finally crumbled. Still, I decided to ask him one last question. "Austin, my mom asked when we’re finally getting married. What should I tell her?" Austin’s brows furrowed instantly. He always got annoyed whenever the topic of marriage came up. "Elena, why are you bringing this up now? I told you, the company is in a critical expansion phase. I need to focus on making money so I can give you the dream wedding you deserve." "Besides, I literally don't have the time right now." Chloe walked out of her room right then. She picked up the heart-shaped pancake plate, looking at me with envy. "Wow, Elena, you’re so lucky to have a boyfriend like Austin. You should be more understanding. Marriage is just a piece of paper anyway. As long as you love each other, that's what matters!" Seeing them chime in together like a rehearsed duo, I got my answer. I had told him a thousand times that I didn't need a lavish wedding, just a simple ceremony. But he never listened. He had plenty of time to play video games with Chloe, but he had no time to marry me. He couldn't even give me a straight date. I unlocked my phone, opened my email, and sent a message to the hiring manager at the new firm: *[I’ve changed my mind. I’d like to join your international relocation program. I want to start fresh.]*Before work, Chloe "accidentally" sprained her ankle, and Austin’s promise to drive me to the office instantly went up in smoke. Austin looked at me with a hurried, apologetic expression. "Elena, you’ll have to take the subway or call an Uber. I'll reimburse you later. I need to get Chloe to the ER right now." "Okay." Maybe because I agreed so easily without a fight, Austin froze for a second. He looked like he wanted to say something, but Chloe’s dramatic groan of pain pulled him right back. Once I got to the office, I quietly submitted my resignation letter and began packing my personal belongings. While I was clearing out my cubicle, Chloe came limping over. There was a smug, malicious glint in her eyes. "Elena, I heard you’re resigning. Is it because of me?" I shook my head. While Chloe was indeed a snake, the real issue was Austin. He was too immature, and we were simply incompatible. "Good. Otherwise, I’d feel so guilty." Then, her tone shifted, becoming sharp and demanding. "Since you’re leaving, I assume I’ll be taking over your lead project." My hands paused over a stack of design sketches before I resumed packing. No wonder my project had been stalled for weeks despite being nearly finished. Austin was planning to hand my hard work over to Chloe to boost her career. It hurt, but since I was leaving anyway, I didn't want to cause a scene. I remained silent. Chloe took my silence as weakness. She slammed her hand down on the files I was sorting. "Since you’re resigning, all these documents belong to the company. You aren't planning to steal company property, are you?" I pushed her hand away calmly. "Of course not. I’m only taking my personal belongings." Chloe had stolen my designs before, and Austin had always brushed it off, saying "newbies need a chance to shine" and asking me to back down. So this time, I was prepared. All my core designs were encrypted and saved on my personal drive. However, I missed one thing. As Chloe was rifling through my desk, she knocked over a distinctive red folder. I immediately reached for it, but Chloe, who had been watching me like a hawk, snatched it first. As she began to flip it open, I stood up and blocked her. "Don't touch that. That file doesn't belong to this company. A friend left it with me." Chloe scoffed, flipping through the pages anyway. "Oh, please, Elena. Anything in this office belongs to the company. Stop making up excuses." I tried to grab it back, but during the brief struggle, Chloe tripped over her own feet and fell to the floor, dragging the folder down with her and gripping it tightly. "What is going on here? This is an office, not a playground!" Austin’s voice boomed as he walked in. Chloe’s tears flowed instantly. "Austin! Elena was trying to steal company secrets to sell to our competitors! I was just trying to protect the company... protect you!" Hearing this, Austin pushed me aside and helped Chloe up. He looked at me with deep disappointment. "Just because I wouldn't marry you right away, you’re trying to ruin my company? Is this your revenge, Elena?" I looked down at my scraped wrist, holding back the pain as I stood up straight. "I didn't steal anything. That folder belongs to my friend..." But Austin had already bought Chloe’s lie. He cut me off, refusing to hear another word. "Elena, I am so disappointed in you. We don't keep thieves in this company. You’re fired!" I didn't bother explaining further. I took one last look at the two of them, grabbed my box of personal things, and walked out with my head held high. Behind me, Austin, fueled by anger, loudly announced to the office that my project and all the files in that folder now belonged to Chloe. The moment I stepped out of the building, I called my friend, Harper, warning her about what happened and apologizing for the mess. Harper laughed it off. "Don't worry, babe. I’ve got everything copyrighted. Let them try to use it. It'll be fun to watch." By the time I got back to the apartment, I packed the rest of my things. Austin had been so absorbed in his games that he hadn't even noticed my half-empty closet. I said my goodbyes to Mrs. Gable, our landlord, and Brenda next door. As I closed the door to the apartment I had lived in for four years, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders. A brand-new chapter of my life was waiting for me. Three days later, a formal resignation email and a cease-and-desist letter from a law firm were delivered to Austin’s desk.