He Spent Three Years Hating the Woman He Loved Chapter 06

He Spent Three Years Hating the Woman He Loved Chapter 06

When I stepped out into the lobby, I took a massive breath of fresh air. Outside, a light misting rain was falling. I didn’t bother opening an umbrella. The cool drops hitting my face felt remarkably liberating.

I hailed a cab and went straight to my mother’s house.

When she opened the door and saw my suitcase, she blinked in surprise. “Elena, what happened?”

“Mom, I broke up with Julian,” I said simply.

My mother didn’t gasp or probe. She simply stepped aside to let me in.

The rich, savory aroma of cooking filled the small apartment. She marched into the kitchen and emerged with a steaming bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup, placing it right before me.

“Eat first,” she said softly. “We can talk about the rest when you’re full.”

Staring at the golden broth, tears finally spilled over my lower lashes.

They weren’t for Julian, nor were they for Chloe. They were for my mother. She had been an elementary school teacher her entire life, dignified and quiet. She never judged my choices or managed my relationships. But every time I stumbled back home, she would always place a warm bowl of soup in front of me.

After I finished the bowl, I laid out the truth of the past three years to

her in plain terms.

My mother listened quietly, offering only one question when I finished, “Elena, have you cried it out yet?”

I nodded. “I’m done crying.”

“Good,” she said, gently patting the back of my hand. “Sleep it off. Tomorrow, the sun will rise, and we start over.”

That night, back in my old childhood bed, I slept heavily for eight continuous hours. It was the deepest, most peaceful sleep I had experienced in three long years.

When I woke up the next morning, my phone was flashing with forty-three unread notifications. Thirty-six missed calls and texts from Julian, seven from Chloe.

I ignored them entirely.

Instead, I opened my laptop and fired off an email to a premium executive corporate headhunter who had tried to recruit me last year: [Hi Beverly, I’m looking to relocate. Are there any senior roles open in New Horizon City?]

Beverly replied within three minutes.

[Elena! I was literally just thinking about you! A top-tier creative agency in New Horizon has an opening for an Associate Creative Director. The salary package is $400,000. And guess who the hiring director is? Your old college internship mentor, Professor Montgomery!]

[She has been asking me if you’d be willing to relocate for months.]

Staring at the screen, a genuine smile spread across my face.
Professor Montgomery was the mentor I respected most during my academic years. She had launched her own boutique agency last year and always told me, “Elena, you have rare, instinctive brilliance. Come build this empire with me.”

Back then, I had repeatedly turned her down because Julian refused to leave our hometown. He claimed his career was stable here, that long-distance relationships never survived, and that he didn’t want to burden me.

I had actually believed his self-serving lies.

I quickly typed back: [Beverly, I’m in. When can we schedule the interview?]

Beverly fired back an enthusiastic thumbs-up: [Three days from now. I’ll book your Intercity Express train tickets immediately.]

I shut my phone. Three days. I had exactly seventy-two hours to clear the toxic ledger of my past life.

That afternoon, I went to the bank.

I methodically unlinked and revoked every single shared account and authorized user card associated with Julian Vance. I disconnected his Venmo from my checking account, cancelled the authorized status on the credit card he used to buy his gaming console, and stopped the automated payments for his limited-edition sneakers.

When the teller handed me the final itemized statements, the accumulated balance of his unauthorized debts came to exactly $28,600. It was the total amount I had quietly covered for his personal credit card statements over the past year.

I slipped the invoice into my bag. I wasn’t going to demand it right away, but it would serve as excellent ammunition when the time was right.

That evening, my mother prepared a massive celebratory spread: pot roast, baked cod, and BBQ ribs—all my absolute favorites.

As she filled my plate, she said softly, “New Horizon City is an incredible place, Elena. I’ve met Professor Montgomery before; she’s an exceptional woman. Go build your life. I’ll take the train out to visit you on weekends.”

I looked at her, chewing slowly. “Mom, aren’t you going to ask me if I regret throwing away a three-year relationship?”

My mother laughed gently. “Sweetheart, you’ve already walked away. Regret is a useless emotion for a dead path. Always look forward.”

I smiled. Yes. Always look forward.