Chapter 4

Before work, Chloe "accidentally" sprained her ankle, and Austin’s promise to drive me to the office instantly went up in smoke.

Austin looked at me with a hurried, apologetic expression. "Elena, you’ll have to take the subway or call an Uber. I'll reimburse you later. I need to get Chloe to the ER right now."

"Okay."

Maybe because I agreed so easily without a fight, Austin froze for a second. He looked like he wanted to say something, but Chloe’s dramatic groan of pain pulled him right back.

Once I got to the office, I quietly submitted my resignation letter and began packing my personal belongings.

While I was clearing out my cubicle, Chloe came limping over. There was a smug, malicious glint in her eyes. "Elena, I heard you’re resigning. Is it because of me?"

I shook my head. While Chloe was indeed a snake, the real issue was Austin. He was too immature, and we were simply incompatible.

"Good. Otherwise, I’d feel so guilty."

Then, her tone shifted, becoming sharp and demanding. "Since you’re leaving, I assume I’ll be taking over your lead project."

My hands paused over a stack of design sketches before I resumed packing.

No wonder my project had been stalled for weeks despite being nearly finished. Austin was planning to hand my hard work over to Chloe to boost her career.

It hurt, but since I was leaving anyway, I didn't want to cause a scene. I remained silent.

Chloe took my silence as weakness. She slammed her hand down on the files I was sorting. "Since you’re resigning, all these documents belong to the company. You aren't planning to steal company property, are you?"

I pushed her hand away calmly. "Of course not. I’m only taking my personal belongings."

Chloe had stolen my designs before, and Austin had always brushed it off, saying "newbies need a chance to shine" and asking me to back down.

So this time, I was prepared. All my core designs were encrypted and saved on my personal drive.

However, I missed one thing. As Chloe was rifling through my desk, she knocked over a distinctive red folder.

I immediately reached for it, but Chloe, who had been watching me like a hawk, snatched it first.

As she began to flip it open, I stood up and blocked her. "Don't touch that. That file doesn't belong to this company. A friend left it with me."

Chloe scoffed, flipping through the pages anyway. "Oh, please, Elena. Anything in this office belongs to the company. Stop making up excuses."

I tried to grab it back, but during the brief struggle, Chloe tripped over her own feet and fell to the floor, dragging the folder down with her and gripping it tightly.

"What is going on here? This is an office, not a playground!" Austin’s voice boomed as he walked in.

Chloe’s tears flowed instantly. "Austin! Elena was trying to steal company secrets to sell to our competitors! I was just trying to protect the company... protect you!"

Hearing this, Austin pushed me aside and helped Chloe up. He looked at me with deep disappointment. "Just because I wouldn't marry you right away, you’re trying to ruin my company? Is this your revenge, Elena?"

I looked down at my scraped wrist, holding back the pain as I stood up straight. "I didn't steal anything. That folder belongs to my friend..."

But Austin had already bought Chloe’s lie. He cut me off, refusing to hear another word. "Elena, I am so disappointed in you. We don't keep thieves in this company. You’re fired!"

I didn't bother explaining further. I took one last look at the two of them, grabbed my box of personal things, and walked out with my head held high.

Behind me, Austin, fueled by anger, loudly announced to the office that my project and all the files in that folder now belonged to Chloe.

The moment I stepped out of the building, I called my friend, Harper, warning her about what happened and apologizing for the mess.

Harper laughed it off. "Don't worry, babe. I’ve got everything copyrighted. Let them try to use it. It'll be fun to watch."

By the time I got back to the apartment, I packed the rest of my things. Austin had been so absorbed in his games that he hadn't even noticed my half-empty closet.

I said my goodbyes to Mrs. Gable, our landlord, and Brenda next door.

As I closed the door to the apartment I had lived in for four years, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders. A brand-new chapter of my life was waiting for me.

Three days later, a formal resignation email and a cease-and-desist letter from a law firm were delivered to Austin’s desk.