The One He Let Go Chapter 05

The One He Let Go Chapter 05

In the year-plus we’d been married, I’d seen this song and dance countless times.

Every time, Caspian could barely be bothered to explain.

He’d just give a perfunctory brush-off.

This time was no different.

He just laughed casually and changed the subject:

“Got time to worry about others?”

“You’re not married yet, are you? I hear every rich bachelor in New York is vying for your hand.”

Watching Caspian completely blow her off like that,

I didn’t do what I used to do.

I didn’t seize the chance to stake my claim.

Instead, I quietly slipped out.

Because just then,

I’d thought of a good way to get Caspian to sign.

When I met with the HR manager,

Isabella happened to be going to see Caspian.

Soon enough,

News of Isabella and Caspian’s cousin embracing and catching up spread through the office like wildfire.

The HR manager breathed a sigh of relief and handed me the documents.

“Good thing I made the right call.”

“If I’d transferred Isabella out instead… sheesh, the fallout would’ve been a nightmare.”

I took them with both hands.

And nodded along, saying, “Yeah.”

The whole office was buzzing about how Caspian and Isabella were about to tie the knot.

I didn’t care anymore.

I just did what I did last year—took the contracts that needed to be renewed with the housekeeper and the butler.

And waited for the right moment to slip the transfer papers in with them for Caspian to sign.

I didn’t expect the opportunity to come so soon—

Someone, somehow, leaked the fact that Caspian was married.

And had been for some time.

And the date they got their marriage certificate? Isabella just happened to be on vacation abroad.

The company’s gossip mill spun on a dime.

Envy over their long campus romance that led to him founding a company turned into accusations of Isabella being a homewrecker.

I took advantage of the chaos and went up to see Caspian.

Isabella was in there crying:

“It’s all their assumptions. From start to finish, I never said I was his wife.”

“Now I’ve done nothing wrong, but I’m getting all the flak.”

“Do you know how nasty they’re being? Calling me a homewrecker, saying I slept my way to that project I just got.”

She sobbed, looking up at Caspian with a tear-streaked face, biting her lip in humiliation:

“Did Amelia spread this on purpose?”

“She’s never liked me since I got here, and she’s doing this to get rid of me, isn’t she?”

“Fine, Caspian. I’ll take it. We were together for eight years, and this is how it ends. My own fault. I’m leaving—”

“Isabella.” Caspian’s expression was calm, and he took her wrist.

He said softly, “We’ll find a solution. Don’t do anything rash.”

“You don’t have any work experience, and you’re restless. Where else would you go?”

“But I’m being talked about and cursed at every day—”

Caspian stood by the window, his posture straight.

Looking at Isabella, who was on the verge of a breakdown,
He gave a helpless smile.

He turned her shoulders towards him and said, as if coaxing a child,
“Once we prove I’m single, those rumors will fall apart on their own.
We just need to pretend to get a divorce.”

“After a while, when everyone’s forgotten about this, I’ll transfer you to a branch office and find a way to announce my relationship with Mia later—”

“She’s always wanted me to go public. If I use that as leverage to get her to agree to a fake divorce, Mia will definitely say yes.”

In that moment,
It felt like my heart skipped a beat.
Even though I’d already prepared myself to leave,
Hearing Caspian willing to go that far for Isabella
Still made my throat sting with bitterness.
But the sadness was fleeting.
I took a deep breath.
Clutching the stack of papers.
I pushed open the door.