I Quit My Job Twenty-One Times And He Packed Her Shirt Chapter 02

I Quit My Job Twenty-One Times And He Packed Her Shirt Chapter 02

My manager’s text popped up again.

[Rachel, the company really values you. Even though you’ve only been here for four months, we’ve all seen what you’re capable of.]

[Don’t throw away your bright future over petty personal matters.]

I chewed on the words “petty personal matters” and nodded to myself. I texted back a firm confirmation.

[I’ll be there next Monday.]

Julian texted me the moment his plane touched down. I glanced at the notification and ignored it.

As soon as I walked into the office, my manager handed over a thick project file. She was always sharp and efficient, so I dove straight into the workload without a second thought.

I just didn’t expect Julian to spam me with so many calls.

By the time I finally cleared my desk, three hours had passed. I didn’t get around to answering him until after my afternoon break.

[What’s up?] I texted.

My phone rang instantly. I walked out onto the balcony and picked up, remaining silent as I waited for him to speak.

“Are you still throwing a tantrum?” he demanded. “You’re the one who refused to come. It’s not like I banned you from joining.”

“Besides, I already checked in. Stop being so paranoid.”

I nodded to myself. Pulling a slim cigarette from my purse, I lit it and took a slow drag. Smoke drifted around me.

I couldn’t see his face through the phone, but I could practically feel his disgust across the line. Not that I cared anymore.

“I’m not mad.”

“Really? Then why are you smoking? You know I hate the smell, and didn’t you quit?”

“Just felt like it.”

“Right.”

After a heavy silence, I spoke up. But it wasn’t to clear the air.

“Let’s break up.”

“Where is this coming from?” his voice shot up. “We were doing perfectly fine.”

Perfectly fine. Except for the constant presence of him and Chloe, my life had been an anxious, unstable mess.

I had tried not to assume the worst about them.

But every time I saw the beautifully staged solo photos he took of Chloe, or the heating pads and custom herbal tea he prepared for her during her period, or the affectionate nickname he used for her contact info, I knew it. We were over.

This latest relocation was simply the breaking point.

“Julian, do you honestly think we’re still the same couple we used to be?”

“What’s different?” he asked, genuinely clueless.

Right. To him, nothing had changed. I was still the dutiful girlfriend trailing after him, Chloe was still his innocent little junior, and his career was steadily climbing. What could possibly be different?

“I’m exhausted. I’ve spent four years running after you. I’m twenty-seven now, Julian. I can’t keep running.”

The line went quiet for a long moment. He was dodging the issue again.

The exhaustion pressed down on my chest like a weight I couldn’t shift. I took another long drag of my cigarette. Finally, his voice came through.

“Then just take a break,” he sighed. “I get that moving around with me has been tiring. I understand.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose. Right then, Chloe’s whiny voice echoed from his end of the line.

“Julian! I forgot to grab a towel. Can you get it for me? It’s right inside the pouch with my underwear!”

Julian called back an answer. He walked over to the suitcase, smoothly unzipping the right pocket to find the exact pouch she mentioned, moving aside her undergarments to fetch the towel.

I waited patiently until he finished delivering it before I spoke up again, my voice deadpan.

“Julian, do you actually know when my birthday is?”

“It’s… sometime around now, right?”

“Which exact day?”

“Tomorrow?”

He knew every microscopic detail of Chloe’s life. Yet, in four whole years, he couldn’t remember the one day that belonged to me.

“I have to get back to work. Bye.”