I Cleaned His Fridge For Three Years For Nothing Chapter 04

I Cleaned His Fridge For Three Years For Nothing Chapter 04

Clara Voss had always treated me wonderfully.

This gala marked her sixtieth birthday, and I knew I needed to attend once to fully sever every last lingering thread between us.

I stepped through the front door of Kai’s family home, and Clara immediately pulled me into a seat beside her.

“You look so thin, honey. Has Kai been swamped with work and neglecting you?”

I forced a weak smile, my lips barely moving.

“I’m doing fine, Mrs. Voss.”

Clara opened a wooden jewelry box from the cabinet behind her, revealing a vintage silver engraved bracelet inside.

“I’ve held onto this for you for years. I was saving it for a big milestone between you two, but I couldn’t wait any longer to pass it along.”

I stared at the bracelet, my blank reflection staring back up at me from the polished metal, before I forced my gaze away.

The front door creaked open, and Elara’s voice echoed through the entryway.

“Happy Retirement Gala, Mrs. Voss.”

Clara’s smile faded slightly, though she still gestured for Elara to come inside.

Elara set down her gift bag and walked straight to the kitchen to help prepare the dinner courses, completely at ease.

All three of us had attended university together, so Clara had known Elara for years.

She’d always said, “Elara’s like a niece to me, but Sage’s the one who grounds Kai and pulls him back down to earth.”

Midway through the multi-course dinner feast, Clara brought up the engagement again. Kai glanced at me, his tone flat and dismissive.

“Mom, it’s far too early to talk about that.”

“On top of that, Sage’s been under a ton of stress with work lately, and we’ve both been pretty short-tempered with each other.”

Silence crashed over the entire dining table.

Clara caught the tension instantly, her voice turning sharp with concern.

“Have the two of you been fighting?”

Kai’s patience frayed at the edges, though he kept his outward demeanor calm.

“It’s nothing, Mom. Sage’s just upset over that client project blowup.”

Surrounded by all the elaborate food laid out before me, tears spilled down my cheeks without warning. I couldn’t hold back a quiet sob.

“There’s nothing left to talk about. Happy retirement gala, Mrs. Voss. I’m heading home.”

Kai chased me out into the stairwell, the hallway empty save for the two of us.

“You shouldn’t take the bracelet right now, Sage.”

I stared down at my bare wrists.

“Am I the wrong fit for it, or do you just not want to give it to me?”

He froze for a split second, then irritation flooded his expression.

“We’ve been together three years. Why ask such childish questions?”

“Why do you always pick her over me?”

“Elara built her career from scratch alone—she doesn’t have a safety net like you do, a family to fall back on, or me to rely on.”

His tone was as flat and detached as speaking to a stranger.

“I know you’re hurt, but stop comparing yourself to her. You two aren’t the same.”

We weren’t, that much was certain.

Elara was his respected peer, a fragile friend he felt obligated to protect.

I was the girlfriend who was a little slower, a little clumsier, who’d always swallow her pride and come crawling back after every fight.

My phone pinged with an official work email mid-conversation.

[Ms. Wynn: Per formal client grievance and HR cross-department review, your employment with the firm will be terminated effective immediately.]

My heart plummeted into a frozen void.

Kai caught sight of the email preview on my screen, a flicker of guilt crossing his face for a split second.

“I’ll set up a formal meeting with HR and the project lead tomorrow to appeal this ruling for you.”

“Don’t bother.”

I closed my eyes briefly, lifting my head to look at him numbly.

“Kai, I don’t have a job anymore. I don’t have a place to live either.”

“Are you satisfied now?”

I grabbed the moving suitcase I’d pre-packed and stepped out into the pouring rain.

Clara called my name from the doorway behind me, but I didn’t turn back.

Before rain blurred my screen, another email lit up my phone—from Marnie’s Rest Retreat in Willowspire.

[Ms. Wynn: Your application for the vintage styling resident position has been accepted. Please arrange an in-person interview within three business days if you remain interested.]

I sat on an airport bench through the entire night.

Kai’s calls poured in nonstop, ringing over and over.

My parents panicked, phoning to check in.

“Your dad dreamed you were crying last night, he insisted I reach out and make sure you’re alright.”

I pressed the phone tight against my ear, muffling my voice.

“Mom, I’m moving to Willowspire.”

“Did you and Kai have a huge fight?” My mom’s tone was full of worry.

“We didn’t fight.”

“I just don’t ever need to see him again.”

I glanced back at the retreat acceptance email glowing on my screen, then smiled as I hugged my parents goodbye.

I was leaving.

From now on, I’d build a life in Willowspire, and he’d stay in Havenbrook.

We’d go our separate ways, each to our own peace.