3#03

3

My curt reply silenced Lucas' inquisitive tone, seemingly catching him off guard. I terminated the call just as my vehicle pulled up to my residence.

Upon exiting, I noticed my phone was inundated with notifications from Lucas' work chat. Opening it revealed an overwhelming number of unread messages. The most recent post was a picture Celine had shared of Lucas repairing her electrical and plumbing issues.

"Is there a more thoughtful boss than this?" She captioned. "I'd happily commit my entire career to this company! Where do I sign a lifelong contract?"

The comments section beneath her post was filled with colleagues expressing both jealousy and praise.

"I've never witnessed the boss behave like this. Didn't the janitor mention he's obsessed with cleanliness? He doesn't appear so here!"

"Wow, he looks incredibly attractive without his formal attire! From now on, I'll be fantasizing about becoming Mrs. Haskins! Everyone else, back off!"

"This image was uploaded by the future Mrs. Haskins herself. Wake up; your destiny is solely work-related."

Previously, I had assisted Lucas with these tasks without expecting anything in return. But after Celine's arrival and takeover of my role, I inadvertently remained in the group chat. After perusing all the responses, I erased the conversation history and left the application. Having made my decision to move forward, seeing this glimpse into their future together wasn't as painful as I had anticipated.

I reminisced about my early days at the company post-graduation. Lucas frequently shared snippets of my work in the group chat, surreptitiously capturing photos of me brewing coffee or updating the agenda. It was evident to everyone that he had feelings for me. His affection made even mundane tasks more enjoyable, and his attention brought life to the otherwise dull work chat. However, everything shifted when Celine entered the scene. She assumed all my duties, and Lucas prohibited any mention of me in the group. He seemed drawn to her, both openly and subtly.

A former coworker who had been close to me once innocently remarked that Celine wasn't as competent as I had been. Lucas immediately revoked her entire annual bonus. Later, I discreetly transferred her ten thousand dollars, hoping to prevent her from impulsively resigning.

Upon returning to the place I had called home for eight years but never truly felt I belonged, I began packing my belongings. My eyes fell upon a substantial photo album filled with memories from the past decade. Perched on the edge of my bed, I opened it and leafed through each page.

Every photograph represented a gift from Lucas. Eight years prior, he had promised to give me 9,999 surprises before we would walk down the aisle together. He wanted to win my heart through genuine effort, so I would willingly become his wife. The album, specially designed to hold exactly 9,999 photos, now had just one empty page remaining. But ultimately, it had all been in vain.

Carrying the album downstairs to a secluded, open area, I ignited a match and set it ablaze. I observed as each photo burned, slowly turning to ash, burying the last eight years of my life along with it.

Lucas arrived to find me standing over the flames, his face ashen. He rushed over, shoving me aside to attempt to salvage what he could. But the heat was too intense for him to reach in. Within moments, his hands reddened from the heat. Enraged, he stomped on the burning album, trying to extinguish the flames as they consumed each photograph.

"What on earth are you doing? Have you lost your mind? All these memories—destroyed because of you!" he yelled.