Parting Ways From Here

twisted my ankle. I called

e was busy wi

ice building where the p

lying so much, I'll hel

y, I was met with a ra

n unstoppable tide, swallowin

t stuck in a st

, "Can you pick me up?

h emotion. "I'm kind of bu

and never did anything else when it ca

he was cool and irr

en. I'll figure som

e added, "You can book a hotel room

bered the weather forecast had

rived at Jade Hollow aft

ride-hailing apps showed nothi

axi finally arrived, but my

the shoe

fit, so I just

as he drove. He planned to find s

g lost power over there. You guys were

t felt like he had given up e

ompletely gridlocked," the

to keep up, and rainwater stream

soaked into my heart and

n years, and now our relat

Jade Hollow together. We submitted re

ainst office romances, we accep

der-to-shoulder anymore

brutal than any

n, no matter what I have to do. There's no l

otel room, I scrolled through Cl

curated, I still noticed Felix'

adow, and I could re

ring war on m

orning, the storm

wide a

re when I thought over

to the restroom and accidentally caught Felix friending Clari

e, he quickly

, "Salena, we need to avoid suspicion. So I

n, I was casual and di

suspicion whe

atment in front of Clarissa? She wo

igner handbag worth tens of thousands of dollars? Or did it happen when she casual

ridic

at the office, I happened to glance at the last four dig

have seen

was unmistakably

picy, extra vineg

tless times. I always ordered wide noodles,

a sparrow. "Salena, aren't yo

m waiting to have lun

ontract and couldn't make it back. Yet I clearly saw hi

x had run into Clarissa by ch

well that I was

nded me a c

I said, forc

n had s

ained so heavily w

and was oblivious to the rising floodwaters th

ernoon and saw Felix

but he draped a r

and let me clim

was short, but it became the

erent love and i

d myself to le

me to say

when I was at college, so

e weather in Jade H

't seen each oth

e were working on proposals, we often kept our distance. One

for a week, and both were

would return home. Both of us were ex

t, and love would

ced each other

fought bac

t this time. Neithe

ed that Clarissa had posted a video where sh

to the time, Felix wouldn't

y belongings and was pl

He looked surprised when h

ally necessary? I just didn't pick you up. Do yo

intended to hug me,

d to get upset over such trivial things..

lways li

ong. But if I insisted on thinking th

inner?" I asked

grinning again. "I've had dinner. What do yo

elf outside, and now you're offeri

meaning behi

r for his discomfort. "Salena, can

en if he had just straightforwardly told me to bre

d been gripping the

us actions revealed his inner thoughts

let's break up. I'm sorry. You're too strong-willed

deep breaths

, I juggled several p

, I always cleaned up the venue and put a

estaurant, I always arrived ha

attack, I called for an ambulance, sent her to the hospital, an

ay in four-inch heels, even tho

re than twenty apartments a day, racking up

ear the bus station. Even though I was not r

e to do all these jobs so perfectly. I worry that your kindness will make people

isappear, but the one

hearted. When he didn't love

ame, but he didn'

u afraid of losing

ition. As a strong contender, our comp

just too confident," he sa

issa?" I had to say it outright because I di

own in this city for the rest of our lives with you and me. Cl

he dim light in the room cast

nt an easier life. No on

bered the phone number

number when he

it, and I hadn't thought much of it. But

get everything you want,

I faintly thought he might

have forgiven him if Felix had jus

d." That was the last

ack into

ch luggage, just

ht about asking Clari

ought it was

volved in so many a

intern, and asked her to h

al in my hands, my emotional

ucceeded in this bid, it was okay. But if one

tend not to know eac

a raise. I'd use the money to bu

. I even had planned that we could get a license pla

ld go on road tr

ave up and maybe ope

uture well with Fel

thing yet. If I won th

ell, and she could easil

x's career, offering up all m

x and Clarissa not to

helping you reach the st

just my o

her perfect life, complete

her in a fi

wasn't lik