After I Left, His Empire Collapsed Chapter 07

After I Left, His Empire Collapsed Chapter 07

The safe was stuffed. Vacuum-sealed bags. Packed tight. Movie ticket stubs. Bookmarks. A lollipop.

On the back of each bag, a sticky note. Dates. Explanations.

“May 7, 2016. Sadie slipped me candy in class for the first time. A strawberry lollipop. My heart was racing. Everything tasted like strawberries that day.”

“June 7, 2016. My birthday. Sadie made me a ring from clovers in the grass. She said she’d marry me someday. I’m going to make something of myself. I’ll buy her the biggest diamond.”

“January 1, 2017. New Year’s Eve. Sadie gave me chocolates. I want to eat them so badly. But these are her love. I have to keep them safe.”

I flipped through a few more. My arms went numb.

The note on top. Yellowed.

“January 1, 2017. Sadie said she’d marry me. I have to make something of myself.”

I pulled the note out. Held it between my fingers.

Ten years. I’d been a side character in someone else’s story the whole time.

That explained it. Late nights. Julian locked in the study. That soft laugh through the door. Coming out in the morning bright-eyed. Refreshed. Like he’d been refueled.

He’d been sitting with his memories. His treasures. All of them Sadie.

A laugh clawed its way out of my throat.

I’d thought Sadie was new. A shiny distraction. Julian got bored of me. Found a fresh assistant.

But no. She was the mysterious ex he never spoke of.

He wasn’t drifting. He was returning.

Then what was I? What were these ten years?

It didn’t matter. Not anymore.

Whatever Julian and I had been, it was over.

I dropped the note. Zipped my suitcase. Walked out the door. Didn’t look back.

I checked into a hotel near the airport.

The next morning, I slept in. First time in years.

I sent Julian a resignation email. Short. Professional. Got up to wash my face.

My phone pinged. Auto-reply. Resignation approved.

Normally, Julian took three or four hours to respond to anything I sent. I’d mentally prepared to chase him down for the offboarding.

Approved. In seconds.

I was staring at the screen when Sadie’s message came through. A photo. Her and Julian in a bridal boutique. Trying on a wedding dress.

“Ten years with him and so what? I’m the one standing beside him at the courthouse. I’m the one in the wedding dress.”

No wonder the fast approval. He was too busy playing dress-up with Sadie. Couldn’t spare a second for me.

Every time he went out with her, the rest of the world ceased to exist. I’d been stood up more times than I could count.

It used to gut me. Made me doubt myself. What did I do wrong? Why was he mad?

Now? That neglect was a gift.

If he’d been paying attention, I never would’ve gotten out this clean.

The company existed because of me. The clients came for my original designs. At least seventy percent of the revenue traced back to my work.

On a normal day, Julian would’ve squeezed every last drop out of me before letting go.

I ignored Sadie’s taunt. Finished the paperwork. Walked out of the office.

Voices. My coworkers. Not even trying to whisper.

“Holy shit. The CEO’s girlfriend. Tossed out like trash.”

“She tried to play hard to get. Played herself.”

One of them pretended to stumble. Coffee cup tilted toward me. Waiting for the splash. The humiliation.

I didn’t take it this time.

I sidestepped. Grabbed someone else’s ice water. Dumped it over her head.

“I’m leaving because someone offered me a better job. Better pay. Better everything. You’re staying because no one else would take you.”

I didn’t wait for their faces to change color. I walked.

I texted Mr. DeVries. Texted my friend. Booked a flight for that evening.

My friend wanted to throw me a goodbye party before I left.

On the way to the restaurant, we passed a high-end bridal boutique.

My friend stopped. Pointed at the window.

“Isn’t that Julian? And Sadie?”

I looked.

Vera Wang. The dress I used to dream about. Sadie was wearing it.

She took everything, didn’t she? My projects. My marriage license. My wedding fantasies.

My friend rolled up her sleeves. Ready to storm in and fight.

I held her back.

“Forget it. I just want a good meal before I go. They’re not worth the time.”

“Besides. He’s my ex. Whatever he does now has nothing to do with me.”

I turned to leave. Julian spotted me.

Guilt flickered across his face. He dropped Sadie’s hand. Stepped away from her.

“Vanessa. What are you doing here?”

Sadie shot me a look. Smug. Sharp.

“Julian. She must’ve asked HR about our schedule. Followed us here.”

He took the bait.

“You tracked us down? Ten years together, and you don’t trust me at all?”

A laugh burst out of me.

“And you? When have you ever trusted me? Sadie says three words, and you believe her over me.”

Sadie’s eyes went red.

“Vanessa. You’re misunderstanding everything. The wedding photos are just for the immigration interview. If you’re this upset, we’ll stop. Forget it.”

“I’ll go with Julian to file for divorce right now. I’ll just go back home.”

She made a show of leaving. Julian grabbed her arm. Shot me a glare.

“Enough. Vanessa. This is not the time for jealousy. Are you trying to push Sadie off a cliff?”

“We agreed. Get through the immigration process. Then I marry you. Why can’t you wait a few days?”

“Also. It’s office hours. You’re skipping work. That’s a payroll deduction.”

“Go back now. I’ll let it slide.”

“And if I don’t?”

“Keep this up. I’ll make sure you never work in Austin’s tech scene again.”

He stared me down. A threat. A promise.

He was so sure I’d cave. I’d never leave the company I built. Never leave him. He used resignation and breakup as weapons because they always worked.

I didn’t get angry. I smiled.

“No need. I already quit.”

I pulled out my phone. Showed him the screen. His own approval. Timestamped hours ago.

Julian’s pupils shrank.