Boyfriend Stood Me Up Seventeen Times And Said Next Time—I Quit Chapter 07

Boyfriend Stood Me Up Seventeen Times And Said Next Time—I Quit Chapter 07

I did not wait for him.

I walked inside the hotel, locked the door behind me, showered and changed clothes. I then opened my laptop and got back to work refining my design drafts.

My reflection stared back at me from the dark screen frame. I looked worn out, but my eyes were clear and determined.

I realized in that moment that letting go of someone isn’t about feeling nothing when they apologize.

It’s about hurting, yet still choosing the right path for yourself.

I checked out of the hotel early the next morning. The studio had arranged a permanent studio apartment for me close to work.

I left a short note for the front desk staff to pass along to Julian.

[Go back home.]

[Don’t come looking for me again.]

Rain fell over Paris as I moved into my new place. I stood by the window with my luggage and watched the rain slide down the glass panes.

A new message arrived from Howard.

[A client loved your sketches and wants you to lead her fitting tomorrow.]

I replied simply.

[I’ll be there.]

[You deserve to have your work seen by everyone,] he added.

I stared at that line for a long time.

Once, I would have sent that message straight to Julian, waiting for him to praise me and call me amazing.

Now I just sent a small smile emoji and set my phone aside.

I got to work right away.

Days blended into one another, filled with endless work. I had no spare time to think about Julian.

I arrived at the studio each morning, met with clients through the afternoon, and revised designs late into the evening.

I rediscovered the passionate, creative part of myself I’d buried long ago.

I grew excited over the drape of a new fabric. I felt warm joy when brides teared up trying on gowns I’d designed.

I ate sandwiches along the Seine with my coworkers during lunch breaks. I stopped to buy fresh bouquets of flowers on my way home each night.

I didn’t wait for anyone to gift them to me anymore. If I wanted something, I got it for myself.

One week later, the first wedding gown I co-designed had its final fitting. The bride was a gentle woman named Lucy.

She stood in front of the mirror, running her hands softly over the skirt, her eyes glistening with happy tears.

“I feel completely surrounded by love in this dress.”

I stepped forward to adjust her veil with a smile.

“You deserve every bit of that love.”

She turned to look at me.

“So do you.”

A quiet warmth settled in my chest.

I messaged Sienna about the fitting after work. She sent back dozens of excited emojis.

“I knew this was where you belonged! Julian wasted so many years of your life!”

I smiled to myself.

“Let’s not talk about him anymore.”

Sienna paused for a moment before sending another message.

“Alright, but I’ve got some juicy news for you. Tiffany got exposed online.”

My fingers paused over the screen.

Sienna sent a link right after. The headline was impossible to miss.

Executive Assistant Flaunts Boss Favors, Accused of Ruining Long-Term Relationship

I clicked the link and saw compiled screenshots from all of Tiffany’s social media posts.

Every suggestive update was there.

The heating pads and hot cocoa for her cramps, the fancy restaurant visit, the designer bag from France, the photo in the car labeled “personal chauffeur.”

And her old caption that read [Love you always!]

The comment section exploded with angry replies.

“Total homewrecker.”

“He had a fiancée the whole time. How disgusting.”

“Being the favored one doesn’t make you the real partner, sweetie.”

One top comment came from a current employee at Julian’s company.

“I work with them. His fiancée is his childhood sweetheart, together nine years and engaged. Tiffany acts innocent around the office, but everyone sees through her act.”

Sienna explained everything to me.

“A coworker who’s hated her attitude for ages posted all this online. I also sent in the screenshots you saved anonymously to the blogger.”

I typed back in surprise.

“You sent them?”

“Of course I did,” she replied without hesitation. “I didn’t want you

getting your hands dirty, so I handled it. No one will ever trace it back to you.”

I fell silent for a while.

I felt no rush of satisfaction, only calm acceptance that everything had finally come to light.

“Thank you,” I wrote.

Sienna sent a voice note next.

“Don’t think you were cruel for this. Every screenshot is the truth. She posted all that stuff publicly, so she has to face the consequences. Same goes for Julian.”

She was right. Every detail was factual.

Tiffany reacted quickly to the backlash and posted a new update on her account.

[The one who isn’t loved is the real outsider.]

[Love doesn’t follow a timeline. It only matters who someone chooses in the end.]

That single line ignited even more anger online. Her comment section was flooded within half an hour.

People dug up more details. Everyone knew she’d been at the company for just four months and never stopped boasting about being the boss’s favorite.

Others looked up the price of the designer bag she’d received.

The most revealing slideshow went viral on TikTok.

Title on the first slide: [How one executive assistant destroyed a nine-year relationship in four months.]

Second slide: [March 21st. Fiancée begs for pain relief and is forgotten. Assistant gets heating pads and hot cocoa.]

Third slide: [April 7th. Fiancée suffers low blood sugar waiting for dinner. Assistant is taken to a popular restaurant.]

Fourth slide: [May 20th. Fiancée spends her birthday alone with cake. Assistant celebrates her birthday with the boss.]

Fifth slide: [France business trip. Fiancée’s requested designer bag is forgotten. Assistant receives the exact same bag as a gift.]

Every slide had attached screenshots as proof. Clear, complete and undeniable.

The slideshow spread across social media rapidly. Julian’s company got dragged into the scandal as well. Their PR team released an official statement overnight announcing an internal investigation, but the public refused to let the issue die down.

“Where’s the boss?”

“Where’s his fiancée?”

“Apologize publicly!”

Julian’s name trended on the minor tabs of social media for days running. Multiple business partners put their ongoing projects on hold. Shareholders pressured him relentlessly. Employees whispered about the drama nonstop at work.

Tiffany went straight to Julian’s office in tears. Sienna heard all the details from mutual friends.

She sobbed in front of him.

“Please help me, Julian.”

“I only acted this way because I care about you. What did I do wrong?”

“If she couldn’t hold onto you, why is everyone attacking me?”

Julian sat behind his desk with a dark, grim expression.

“Why did you post all those things online?”

Tiffany looked up at him through tear-blurred eyes.

“I was just sharing my daily life…”

“I have a fiancée,” he said flatly.

Tiffany’s tears fell faster.

“You never turned me away.”

Her words struck him silent.

It was true. He had never set clear boundaries with her.

He’d enjoyed her admiration, her dependence, the way she looked up to him like he was her whole world. He’d also taken comfort in knowing I would always wait patiently for him at home.

He’d foolishly believed he could keep both sides happy and lose nothing at all.

He finally learned that a person cannot have everything they want.

Julian made the decision to fire Tiffany shortly after. The official reason given was that her actions had severely damaged the company’s public image.

Tiffany refused to accept it quietly. She confronted him outside the office building, screaming for everyone nearby to hear.

“Julian!”

“You’re blaming all of this on me now?”

“You bought that bag! You took me to those restaurants! You invited me to the concert!”

“You never said a word about your fiancée when I rode in your passenger seat!”

A passerby recorded the entire argument, and the video went viral once again.

Julian finally released a formal public apology.

He admitted to having blurry professional boundaries with a subordinate while engaged. He acknowledged the deep hurt he had caused me. He also took responsibility for poor management within his company.

His closing lines read:

[I owe Chloe an apology I can never fully make up for.]

[I will spend the rest of my life reflecting on my mistakes.]

The public was still unforgiving.

“Just stay far away from her. That’s all we ask.”

“Too little, too late.”

“Run far, Chloe. Don’t ever go back.”

I saw the apology post while I was finishing final touches on Lucy’s wedding veil. I glanced at it once, then turned my phone off.

Emma glanced over.

“Something important?”

“Just old news,” I replied.