I Dumped My Poor Boyfriend, Became Rich—He Said Regrets Chapter 03

I Dumped My Poor Boyfriend, Became Rich—He Said Regrets Chapter 03

And just like that, we parted ways.

I assumed he was relieved at the time, finally tasting freedom again.

The day we broke up, I snapped my SIM card, deleted my WhatsApp and Facebook, and boarded a train out of Lexington City, moving from one state to another to work and pay off our debts. It wasn’t until three months ago that I finally crawled back to this city.

Ethan was doing incredible.

He had always been a certified genius, the kind of anomaly who completely broke the grading curve in the computer science department. Just four years after graduation, he was already on the cover of major business magazines—the golden boy of tech.

Chloe Sterling, our college prom queen, had broken into Hollywood by junior year. I didn’t know they’d ended up together.

Good for them. Truly.

I pressed a hand against my chest, forcing down the bitter ache.

At 4:00 AM, my shift ended.

I was the last one out. The night crew assumed everyone had left, so they cut the lights and shut down the main elevators early. I tapped the elevator buttons in frustration, hoping a backup generator would kick in.

“You should probably call someone.” Ethan’s voice cut through the dark behind me.

I was startled and didn’t dare to look back.

My hands shook as I dialed a coworker. The elevator hummed back to life, and the doors opened. Ethan and I stepped into the cramped, suffocating metal box.

“You always clock out this late?” he asked, his voice entirely neutral.

“We can’t leave until the last guests do.”

“Does it pay well?”

“It’s alright.”

I kept my head down, my cap hiding my face.

Ethan didn’t seem to recognize me. He made idle small talk, then glanced at his watch.

“This elevator is ancient. My girlfriend is probably losing her mind waiting for me. She gets clingy, loves to complain when I’m late.”

My chest tightened. He was talking about Chloe.

“What about you? Working this late, doesn’t your boyfriend come pick you up?”

“I live nearby.”

The elevator dinged, and the doors slid open. I practically bolted into the lobby.

The composure Ethan had maintained for the last few minutes instantly shattered into pure rage.

“Why the hell are you running?”

“Where the hell do you think you can run, Veronica?”

“Disappearing into thin air, erasing your entire life…did you really think this was some game?”