He Gave His Assistant My Promotion, So I Left Him Forever Chapter 04

He Gave His Assistant My Promotion, So I Left Him Forever Chapter 04

I didn’t wait up. I didn’t know what time he got back.

By the time I woke up, he was already gone.

Breakfast was on the table. A note tucked underneath.

[Happy tenth anniversary.]

Right. Today marked ten years.

I glanced at the flight confirmation on my phone. Then I set the note down.

Today would also be our last.

I sat down to eat and scrolled through my feed. Camille’s latest post was right at the top.

[My boss brought me breakfast this morning and I am NOT okay best boss ever. time to lock in and make him proud!!]

The sandwich turned to ash in my mouth.

I pushed the plate away.

My phone buzzed. Dana Whitaker, my former supervisor.

[Hey Elena, honestly, you got out at the right time. They’re not even opening up the director position for competition. It’s going straight to Camille.]

That didn’t make sense.

Camille had transferred out to be Adrian’s assistant. How was she suddenly up for director?

Dana filled in the rest.

Adrian had handed Camille every one of his flagship projects. He’d gone to bat for her behind closed doors and locked down her path to promotion before anyone else had a chance.

The position I’d spent years working toward had been gift-wrapped and handed over.

My hands wouldn’t stop shaking.

I’d left that company, but I hadn’t forgotten what I’d put into it. Years of late nights. Years of proving myself.

Every time I’d gotten close to a promotion, Adrian had blocked it. Always the same reason. Can’t show favoritism.

And now he’d cleared the runway for Camille without blinking.

I told myself not to do it. I sent the message anyway.

[You just handed the director spot to Camille?]

[It’s strictly professional. She has her master’s. On paper, she’s more qualified.]

I read it three times. Each time it cut deeper.

I gave up grad school so he could go. And now that missing degree was the reason I wasn’t good enough.

Something in me shut off. Not anger. Not sadness. Just nothing.

I packed my bags and drove to the airport.

…

Adrian kept checking his phone. No reply. Something nagged at him, though he couldn’t name it.

He hadn’t done anything wrong. He was sure of that.

He’d been fair. Objective. That was what mattered.

Better credentials, better results, better candidate. Simple.

But the whole afternoon, he couldn’t focus. His eyes kept drifting to his phone, waiting for a reply that never came.

By the end of the day, the sky had opened up again. Rain hammered the windows.

Camille appeared in his doorway. “Adrian, it’s pouring out there and I can’t get a car. Any chance you could drop me off?”

Adrian glanced past her at the rain.

And for the first time all day, he thought about me.

Rain like this. No umbrella. No ride. How was Elena getting home?

He grabbed his coat and stood.

“You’re a director now, Camille. You don’t report to me anymore. Let’s keep things professional.”

Camille’s smile flickered. She opened her mouth…

But he was already gone, halfway down the hall toward my office.

He pushed the door open. Empty.

He was reaching for his phone when Dana’s voice came from behind him.

She looked at him, then at the empty office, and smiled. “If you’re looking for Elena, you’re a little late. She resigned yesterday. She’s already on a plane.”