He Rejected My Future, Gave It To Her Chapter 07

He Rejected My Future, Gave It To Her Chapter 07

The day Chloe was suspended, she sent me a wall of text.

She said she was terrified of being dropped from the program.

She said Julian was the one who gave her the materials, that she’d only used them as a reference.

She said she never meant to take what was mine.

## The last line:

[Eleanor, if you put in a good word for me, Julian would listen. I know he would.]

I read the whole thing. Then I deleted it.

The hardest thing to learn as an adult is that you have to pay for your own mistakes.

That afternoon, Julian showed up at the project office.

A full suit, statement in hand.

Arthur brought him into the conference room.

When I walked in, he looked up. His expression was unreadable.

“I’ve signed the statement. I’m acknowledging that the process had been mishandled.”

I opened the document.

Every sentence was carefully hedged. The larger admissions were sidestepped, smaller ones offered up like concessions.

It admitted to interfering with the process but didn’t mention confiscating my documents.

It admitted to communication errors but said nothing about Chloe’s application mirroring mine.

I closed the document.

“This isn’t enough.”

Julian’s expression shifted.

“Eleanor, the company has its reputation to protect too.”

“And what about mine?”

He had no answer for that.

Arthur sat off to the side. He didn’t interrupt.

Julian’s eyes flicked to Arthur, his mask finally slipping.

“Mr. Callahan, you’ve been very involved in all this. Is that about the project, or about her?”

Arthur’s face remained impassive.

“Mr. Sterling, we’re here to discuss the investigation.”

“That’s not what I’m asking. I’m asking what’s going on with you and Eleanor.”

I frowned.

“Julian.”

He looked at me, his voice going raw.

“You never used to let another man fight your battles for you.”

My voice was steady.

“I used to think you would.”

That silenced him.

The conference room went still.

Finally, he bent over the statement and started rewriting.

Each word came slowly and deliberately.

Like every admission cost him something he couldn’t get back.

He signed his name and set the pen down.

“Is this enough?”

Arthur looked at me.

I nodded.

As Julian stood to leave, he pulled something from his pocket. The dark blue passport cover.

“I brought this back.”

I didn’t take it.

His voice dropped.

“Chloe never used it. I had it cleaned.”

I looked at the passport cover.

I used to love that thing.

The night before my flight, I’d set it on my pillow, picturing myself walking through the airport with it.

Now I looked at it and felt nothing.

“Throw it away.”

Julian’s hand froze in midair.

“This was your favorite.”

“It was.”

He swallowed hard, unable to speak.

I turned and walked out.

Behind me, a chair scraped against the floor.

Arthur caught up, sliding the signed statement into a folder.

“Are you okay?”

I nodded.

“I’m okay.”

He paused.

“A few of us from the team are getting dinner tonight. Do you want to come? Just burgers.”

I opened my mouth to say no, but my stomach growled, answering for me.

Arthur smiled.

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

Dinner was nothing fancy.

A little place on the corner, vinyl booths and paper menus.

When it was time to order, he didn’t choose for me. He just slid the menu across the table.

“What do you want?”

I stared at the menu longer than I should have.

It had been so long since someone had let me choose.