Chapter 3

The next afternoon, I went to Julian's apartment to get my things.

In our seven years of dating, I had always kept my own rented apartment.

It wasn't that I didn't want to move in.

Julian wouldn't let me.

He said colleagues occasionally stopped by his place, and the permanent presence of a woman would be too obvious.

So my pajamas could only be stuffed into the deepest corner of the closet.

My toothbrush had to be sealed in a plastic bag after every use.

My skincare products couldn't be left on the bathroom counter.

I was allowed to keep a maximum of three outfits there.

Even my slippers were the same gray, men's-style as his.

I lived like a temporary guest for seven years.

But now that I was leaving, it made packing incredibly easy.

A twenty-inch suitcase was still half empty.

As soon as I zipped it shut, the front door opened.

Chloe walked in, dragging two large suitcases.

Julian followed behind her, carrying her handbag and holding a framed photo in his arms.

Seeing my suitcase, he actually chuckled.

"Wow, look at you being so proactive."

Chloe quickly explained, "Harper, Julian's mom and relatives are coming over next week. My room has no signs of life, so it would be easy to blow my cover. I need to stay here for a few days."

She took the framed photo from Julian.

It was a photo of them skiing seven years ago.

I was actually there that day.

But when it was posted on social media, I had been cropped out.

Chloe smiled sheepishly.

"Julian's mom said a couple's apartment should at least have a photo of them together."

With that, she placed the frame on the master bedroom nightstand.

She didn't ask for my permission.

And Julian didn't see anything wrong with it.

I stared at the photo.

Seven years ago, I was cropped out of the frame.

Today, she had placed herself right inside his master bedroom.

"She's sleeping in the master bedroom?"

"Yeah."

Julian wheeled Chloe's suitcases inside.

"I'll sleep in the study."

Chloe quickly said, "How about I sleep on the couch? Really, I'll be fine."

Julian immediately frowned.

"You have a bad back. Why would you sleep on the couch?"

The words came out so fast.

He didn't even realize it himself.

But I suddenly remembered three years ago.

During a major project launch, I had worked overtime until two in the morning, and my back hurt so badly I couldn't even stand straight.

That night, I wanted to sleep in the master bed.

Julian refused.

He said the cleaner was coming the next day, and leaving my hair on the bed would be hard to explain.

In the end, I curled up on the couch, crying in pain all night.

The next day, he bought me the most expensive pain-relief patches and held me in his arms.

"Be good, just bear with it for now."

"You know you're the one I care about the most, right?"

It turned out his "care" was always so cheap.

A single pack of patches was enough to make up for my night of agony.

I pulled out my keys and placed them on the table.

"Perfect."

Julian looked up.

"What's perfect?"

"Now you don't have to worry about me coming back unexpectedly and ruining your little show."

I laid my access card down too.

"Let's break up."

Chloe's face went pale instantly.

But Julian only stayed quiet for two seconds.

Then, he actually laughed.

"Just because of this?"

"No."

"Then why?"

"Because I don't want to be with you anymore."

The smile on his face finally died.

I looked at him.

"Julian, I don't want you anymore."

He stared at me for a long time.

Suddenly, he reached out and pinched my chin.

His grip wasn't tight, and there was even a hint of playfulness in it.

"You were jealous of Chloe yesterday, and today you're breaking up with me?"

"Who are you trying to fool?"

I slapped his hand away.

"I'm not fooling anyone this time."

"Fine."

He didn't argue.

Instead, he opened the front door for me.

"I'll let you cool off."

"Don't come back during the family dinner next week. I don't want you to feel hurt seeing it."

I dragged my suitcase out.

As the elevator doors were closing, he called out, "I'll pick you up when it's over."

I didn't reply.

That night, about two hours after I returned to my rented apartment, the doorbell rang.

A courier was standing outside.

The sender—Julian Vance.

Inside the box were my pajamas, my toothbrush, my two bottles of skincare, and those gray slippers.

Everything was packed incredibly neatly.

On top of everything sat a sticky note.

"In case my family sees them, I packed them for you."

"Be good for the next few days. I'll pick you up after the dinner."

I sat on the floor, staring at it for a long time.

It turned out the "home" he spoke of was never mine.

Whenever Chloe needed to move in, any trace of my existence could be boxed up and shipped out by him.

Two months ago, a partner company in Boston had offered me a position.

I had turned it down.

I couldn't bear to leave him.

But now, I dialed the recruiter's number. The call was picked up almost instantly.

"Ms. Ward?"

"Is that position from last time still open?"

The hiring manager laughed.

"It's always open for you. Have you made up your mind?"

I looked down at the box of my belongings, hand-packed and thrown out by Julian.

"Yes, I have."

"I'm coming to Boston."

Over the next week, I finalized my resignation.

The new company wanted me urgently, and my current employer agreed to let me wrap up early.

I canceled my lease and shipped my luggage.

Julian didn't reach out once.

He probably genuinely believed I was just waiting for him to give me an excuse to come back.

And for the first time, I realized.

Once you stop waiting for someone, things move incredibly fast.