CHAPTER 4: No Alternative

　　Hannah's POV

　　I quickly packed my belongings and moved into my new home. The fresh start felt liberating, but there were still loose ends to tie up. One of those was my job handover. I called my boss.

　　"Sir, I will be leaving today, I wanted to just inform you,"

　　He was silent for a moment. "Hannah, you've been an exceptional asset to our firm. Are you sure you want to do this?"

　　"Yes, I'm sure," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

　　"I understand you want to get ahead in your career, but we value your work. What if I offered you a raise? A share of the firm's profits?" he asked, clearly trying to persuade me to stay.

　　I feel so good to know that Mr. Lawson appreciate my work and he wants me to stay and reward me. I appreciate it so much, but I don't feel like working in the office anymore, It make me feel sick.

　　There was a sigh on the other end of the line. "I wish you the best, Hannah. If you ever change your mind, our door is always open for you, I wish you more success and happiness in your life. I am emailing you the signed documents,"

　　"Thank you, Mr. Lawson," I replied with my genuine heart before hanging up. Now my resignation was finalized, I felt a sense of relief wash over me. I could finally move on.

　　I saw the box of my packed desk on the table, I remembered the memories of the time I'd spent at the firm flooded back. The late nights working on cases, the camaraderie with my colleagues, the victories, and even the losses. It was bittersweet, but I knew I couldn't stay in a place tainted by betrayal. I don't regret on any of my decisions, I will be a strong and independent woman and I will handle myself and my work.

　　I decided it was time to inform my family about the changes in my life. I locked my house. I still have to set my house and that I will do after sometime as I have called an interior designer to furnish my new house. As soon as he will be in town, I will set my new house.

　　But right now I need to go see my parents. I drove to my parents' house, hoping they would understand and support my decisions. My hands tightened on the steering wheel as I navigated through familiar streets, my mind racing with thoughts of how to break the news.

　　When I arrived, my mom greeted me with a warm hug. "Hannah, it's so good to see you! What's going on? When did you come back from your trip?"

　　"Mom, I am not fine, I came last night, can we please go and sit, I need to talk to you both," I said, I saw the worried expression on my mom's face.

　　We sat down in the living room, and I took a deep breath. "Mom, Dad, I have something to tell you." I said and then stopped. I was feeling so nervous. But I have to do it.

　　"I've divorced Michael and moved to a new place."

　　My mom looked shocked, but before she could say anything, my dad spoke up.

　　"Hannah, are you out of your mind?" My dad said, I can see the anger in his eyes.

　　"Dad, he was having an affair with my secatery, I saw them with my eyes," I explained.

　　"Hannah, I hope you understand that you're partly to blame for this. Your focus on your career rather than on Michael and your family led to the divorce. " My father was always like this, he never accepted or felt proud that he has a daughter who is successful and happy in her life.

　　"Darling, what are you saying, don't you know our daughter? She loved Michael so much! Why is she to blame for anything," My mother defeated me.

　　His words stung, and I felt a wave of frustration. "Dad, that's not fair. Michael had an affair. It wasn't about my career."

　　He shook his head. "Maybe if you had spent more time with him, things would have been different."

　　I clenched my fists, trying to keep my composure. "I don't want to argue, Dad. I just wanted you to know what's been happening. But I think I have done a very big mistake coming here." My dad's words have broken my heart once again, how can I trust any man, when my own father has created an image like this, my eyes welled up with tears.

　　My mom reached out and squeezed my hand. "We love you, Hannah. We just want you to be happy." I know she loves me so much, but I can not stay here and take the blame for the things that I have not done wrong.

　　"I know, Mom. I love you too," I said, giving her a small smile. "I need to go. There's a lot I need to take care of."

　　I left my parents' house, feeling a mix of sadness and determination. My father's words had hurt, but I knew I had made the right decision for myself. As I drove back to my new home, I couldn't help but think about the future and the new opportunities waiting for me.

　　Back at my new place, I took a moment to look around and take it all in. The house was quiet, the kind of quiet that felt both lonely and peaceful. I started unpacking my things, trying to make this space feel like home. As I arranged my books on the shelves and set up my kitchen, I thought about the kind of life I wanted to build here.