I Quit My Job Twenty-One Times And He Packed Her Shirt Chapter 09

I Quit My Job Twenty-One Times And He Packed Her Shirt Chapter 09

I pinched the bridge of my nose, a dry, ironic laugh bubbling up in my throat. I never imagined a day would

come where Julian and I would completely swap scripts.

That’s enough, Julian”

“He’s a corporate client for our new account, and it was a pure coincidence.”

“A coincidence?” He knit his brows tightly, his mouth opening to launch into another interrogation, but I cut

him off instantly

“Julian, look at yourself. You’re acting exactly the way I used to act.”

“Back then, your behavior was a thousand times worse than anything you’re accusing me of. But whenever I

brought it up, you called me crazy and dramatic.”

“So why are you the one losing your mind right now?” I asked, my voice dropping to a whisper.

“For twenty–one corporate transfers, your shadow was always Chloe.”

“You took her to every major tourist spot on your bucket list. You bought her expensive pastries just to cheer

her up when she was stressed.”

“You knew her packing habits better than your own, and you swallowed your pride to beg me for favors on

her behalf.”

I looked directly into his bloodshot eyes, a profound sense of emptiness washing over me. “Why was that okay for you, Julian?”

He didn’t offer an explanation. Instead, he reached into his heavy coat and pulled out a knit scarf.

It was a deer–brown patterned scarf–the exact one I had begged him to buy me during his fourth relocation

assignment. Three long years later, he had finally bought it. But looking at it now, I felt absolutely nothing.

Everything in this world comes with an expiration date. I gently pushed his hand away, refusing the gift.

“Julian, that was three years ago. I stopped liking that style ages ago,” I said softly. “It’s expired.”

Julian shook his head violently, refusing to accept it. I didn’t bother arguing. I pulled a cigarette from my purse, lit it, and took a slow drag. Through the swirling gray smoke, a faint, mocking smile touched my lips.

The sharp scent made him cough violently, but he stood his ground, refusing to budge. I decided to end the performance.

“Julian,” I said calmly. “I’ve already cleared out most of my things from the apartment.”

“Whatever is left behind, just throw it away. When my assignment here wraps up and I go back to New York,

I’ll be finding my own place.”

His fingers clamped down hard on my wrist again. He stared at me with a desperate, stubborn intensity, his eyes swimming with terror and grief.

“And what about me, Rachel? Are you really throwing me away too?”

“I don’t care if you smoke anymore. You can take whatever relocation assignment you want.”

“I’ll follow you anywhere in the world, Rachel. Please… just don’t leave me.”

The tip of the cigarette burned down rapidly. I tapped the ash onto the concrete floor, my mind calculating. I wasn’t debating whether to take him back–I was simply trying to figure out the fastest way to get him out of

my sight.

Right on cue, my thoughts drifted back to Chloe. Without hesitation, I dialed her number and hit

speakerphone.

The call connected instantly, and a muffled, shaky sob immediately echoed through the stairwell.

“What kind of garbage proposal is this, Chloe?” a manager’s voice boomed furiously in the background. “Do you think I’m paying you six figures to ride on Julian’s coattails?”

“If you can fix this disaster, have it on my desk by tonight. If you can’t, pack your things and get out!”

A door slammed, and Chloe’s frantic sniffling filled the line as she choked out a desperate plea for help.

“Julian… please, you have to help me one last time. I can’t fix this marketing proposal on my own, I really

can’t.”

“You always used to handle these things for me… why are you doing this now?”

Julian cut her off mid–sentence, his voice dropping to a freezing, brutal register.

“Chloe, the only reason you’re in this mess is because I failed to set professional boundaries in the past, leading to these ridiculous delusions.”

“Let me make this crystal clear right now: I have absolutely no personal interest in you whatsoever.”

“Stop dumping your basic job descriptions onto my plate. Deal with your own career.”

I let out a soft, defeated sigh. This wasn’t the outcome I had intended at all. I had put her on the line hoping

she would pull him back to New York, but instead, he had completely crushed her.

I shook my head and clicked the call ended button. It was almost sad how little Chloe had actually learned

over the past four years, remaining entirely dependent on Julian to save her from her own incompetence.

Turning back to the matter at hand, I looked Julian dead in the eye.

“Take that scarf back with you,” I said evenly. “And get any idea of us getting back together completely out of

your head.”

“If you want to spend your life clinging to a ghost, be my guest.”

“You can wait ten years, or twenty. But my answer will remain exactly the same: we are never getting back

together.”

The absolute finality in my tone shattered the last remnants of his delusion.

His fingers clenched the brown scarf until his knuckles turned white. His mouth twitched, but no words came

out.

He stuck around Chicago for a few more days, trying to stage accidental run–ins around my hotel and office, but my demeanor never thawed. I looked right through him without speaking a single word. Eventually, he

finally stopped showing up.

Three months later, I officially wrapped up the project and returned to New York. Having successfully resolved the accounts in Chicago, leadership wasted no time granting me a massive promotion and a

significant raise.

My team threw a celebration in the office lounge. Watching everyone cheer for my success, a sudden wave of emotion hit me, and I had to bite my lip hard to keep the hot tears from spilling over.

During our celebratory dinner at a trendy restaurant downtown, I caught sight of Julian sitting alone at a corner table. He didn’t stay long–the sound of our laughter and clinking glasses seemed to slice right through him, and he quietly slipped out into the rainy night.

I pulled my gaze away, completely unaffected, and turned back to my friends, laughing louder than I had in a very long time.