Chapter 3

I was stuck, unable to return home and with no need to stay late at work. For a brief moment, I felt lost, unsure where to go. Glancing at my watch, I realized it was already 6 PM.

Figuring Lucas would be done with work by now, I decided to go meet him.

In the past, it was always me working late while he waited for me outside the office. This time, I had some spare time, so I thought I'd give him a pleasant surprise by picking him up.

On my way, I stopped at a familiar florist and purchased a bouquet.

After all, love isn't confined by gender, is it?

While paying, I accessed the hidden messaging app connected to a bank account my family wasn't aware of.

I owe thanks to my closest friend, Sarah, who insisted I open this account five years ago and repeatedly warned me to keep it a secret. She also advised me to set it as the default for my bonuses and some freelance earnings.

Over time, this account had accumulated a substantial amount.

I was thankful I had kept it to myself.

Otherwise, I might have found myself in a truly miserable situation—let down by both family and work, with empty pockets and nowhere to call home.

Though things were still quite rough, at least I had some financial security.

I carefully selected the flowers, then visited a nearby cosmetics store to have my makeup done. Afterwards, I took a cab to Lucas's workplace.

I had intended to surprise him, but little did I know that I would be the one receiving an unexpected shock.

At 6:30, Lucas emerged from his office building.

I smoothed my clothes, holding the bouquet and preparing to surprise him.

But as I took a few steps forward, I saw a well-dressed woman rush towards him, twirl around, and throw herself into his arms.

The next instant, they shared a kiss.

The flowers slipped from my grasp, and I stood there, paralyzed with disbelief.

Two major setbacks in one day were already overwhelming. Who would have thought that while good fortune doesn't come in pairs, misfortune certainly doesn't arrive alone?

With shaking hands, I pulled out my phone and recorded the scene. At least now, I wouldn't need to explain why the house money was gone.

Now, my career had failed me, my family had let me down, and my love life had crumbled too.

I couldn't even say I was heartbroken anymore. At this point, I felt completely numb.

Everything that once gave my life meaning seemed to have vanished all at once.

I used to have a loving family, a stable relationship, and a promising career. But today... today, in less than a day—not even twelve hours—I discovered that my once-happy family was an illusion, my seemingly solid relationship that was heading towards marriage was already broken, and what I thought was a promising job was just someone dangling false hope in front of me.

Once, my days were filled with work, followed by time spent nurturing my relationship, and then enjoying moments with family.

But now, I had nowhere to go, nothing to occupy my time.

I found a McDonald's and ordered a children's meal.

As I ate, I absentmindedly played with the toy that came with it.

After finishing the small burger and snack, I ordered another burger combo.

I had avoided fried chicken for six months to look good for the wedding.

But now?

After eating the fries and licking my fingers, I searched for the next available flight to the city I'd been wanting to visit for the past three years—Asheville.

I didn't need to pack anything. I'd buy whatever I needed when I arrived.

Though my funds were limited, I figured it would be enough to get me through the next few days.

As for what would happen after that, I'd deal with it when the time came.

No point in overthinking things. Once, I had imagined marrying Lucas, picturing the wedding dress I'd wear and the celebration we'd have.

But what was the use of all that planning? Things beyond my control would never be within my grasp.

Just then, Lucas called.

Thinking about how he had just kissed another woman made me feel sick.

I considered ignoring the call, but then thought I should at least hear his side of the story, so I answered: "Hello?"

Lucas's voice was as deep and charming as ever: "Amelia, what are you up to?"

"I'm eating. I'll be working late later. How about you? Have you eaten?"

I'm not sure if it was my imagination, but when I mentioned working late, I felt like Lucas let out a subtle sigh of relief. "I'm also working overtime. You should get some rest tonight and not push yourself too hard."

Hearing him say he was working late made me inwardly scoff. "Overtime, huh? You're too busy kissing your new girlfriend."

After hanging up, I sent him the video I had just recorded and added a simple message: "It's over."

Then, I blocked all his contact information.

I didn't care to go back and figure out when exactly he had strayed. It didn't matter. Just like why I didn't get the year-end evaluation—none of that was important now. All I wanted was to enjoy this rare moment of freedom.

After finishing everything, I let out a contented burp, gave the toy to a child who had been eyeing it, and left to hail a taxi to the airport.

At least I had my ID with me.