He Promised Next Life So I Left Today

Chapter 3

The next day, I handed in my resignation at the company.

The job offer from an overseas art institute had actually landed in my inbox a month earlier.

Back then, Julian had just finished the 8th round of pre-selection, and he'd passed me over yet again.

I'd stared at the offer on my screen all night before finally clicking "Decline."

I'd foolishly thought that if I gave him one more chance, he'd eventually remember the vows he'd made to me in our past life.

Now, the institute had reopened the position for me on the condition that I sign the contract within three days and report for duty in a month.

I signed my name on the contract, then headed back to the apartment to pack up my documents and work materials.

I'd lived with Julian for 6 years, but I was surprised by how little of the apartment actually belonged to me.

In the end, I packed only my work files, a few changes of clothes, and the gemstone bracelet my mom had left me.

I hadn't even zipped up my suitcase when I heard the front door unlock.

Sienna sauntered in, her high heels clicking against the floor. Julian was nowhere to be seen.

Her eyes landed on the half-packed suitcase on the floor, and she smiled as if she'd seen this coming all along.

"Oh, so you're actually leaving, Summer? I thought you were just bluffing to scare Julian. Looks like you know him better than I gave you credit for."

She held up her left hand, proudly showing off the blue-and-white diamond ring on her finger, the Aurora Heart.

Three years ago, I'd lingered over its page in an auction catalog for a few extra seconds.

Julian had wrapped his arms around me from behind and promised that he'd put it on my finger himself when he proposed.

When a private collector eventually bought it, he'd sulked about missing out on it for ages.

Now, it was sitting pretty on Sienna's finger.

"Julian had someone buy it last night. He was worried I'd feel insecure, so he also promised to transfer 5% of Grayson Group's shares to me after our wedding."

She deliberately held her hand right in front of my face.

"Summer, where's the ring he promised you?"

I tucked the last of my documents into my suitcase.

"A broken promise doesn't become brand-new just because you put a ring on your finger. You don't have to rub it in my face."

Her smile faded.

"Oh, you're putting on quite the act. He braved that downpour to find you yesterday. You must've been thrilled. But the second I called him, he came straight back to me."

"So you came here just to thank me for giving him back to you?" I finally looked up at her. "I can see why you're so thrilled. Most people get excited when they pick up someone else's trash."

Sienna's face darkened instantly.

She stepped forward and swept her arm across the tabletop.

The velvet box containing the gemstone bracelet toppled over the edge.

I instinctively reached out to catch it, but my fingers only grazed the corner of the box.

The bracelet hit the floor and snapped into three pieces.

A sharp gemstone shard sliced across the back of my hand.

Warm blood immediately welled from the cut.

Sienna stared at the scattered pieces.

For a split second, a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.

Then she clutched her chest and stumbled backward against the wall.

"Summer, I didn't mean to! Don't be mad. I was just trying to help you pack!"

The housekeeper heard the commotion and came running.

The moment she saw the blood on the floor, she fumbled for her phone and called Julian in a panic.

Julian burst through the apartment door not long after.

His eyes went first to my bleeding hand, then to Sienna huddled in the corner.

Without a moment's hesitation, he stepped over the shards of the broken bracelet and pulled Sienna behind him.

"Did any of the shards cut you? Give me your hand. Let me check."

Sienna shook her head, perfectly timed tears rolling down her cheeks.

"I'm fine. Summer is the one who's hurt. She's furious. I'm scared she'll never accept me as her sister."

Julian turned toward me, his brows drawn into a frown.

"Sienna didn't do it on purpose."

I held up my injured hand, blood still dripping from the cut.

"Did you see her touch my wound? Or did you see me do anything to her?"

He fell silent for a moment. "That's not what I meant. Her mental state has been all over the place lately. Stop provoking her."

I pointed at the glittering shards scattered across the floor.

"That bracelet was the only keepsake my mom left me. Tell her to apologize, then get out of here."

Sienna immediately grabbed Julian's sleeve.

"Julian, my head's spinning..."

Julian pulled her closer, his voice turning cold.

"Summer, it's just a bracelet. I'll buy you 10 better ones tomorrow. She's already scared out of her mind. Can't you cut her some slack for once?"

To someone who doesn't care about you, even the most precious thing in the world is nothing more than another trinket with a price tag.

I knelt down and picked up the three broken pieces of the bracelet.

Julian reached out to help me up.

I jerked away.

"You can't replace it. Not the bracelet. And not the 6 years we spent together."

I grabbed a trash bag and dropped the broken pieces inside.

Julian stared at what I was doing.

For the first time, genuine panic flashed across his face.

"Don't throw that away. I'll have someone fix it."

"No need."

I twisted the bag shut, then tossed my apartment key into the trash along with it.

"When something's broken, putting it back together only leaves cracks behind. And those sharp edges would keep cutting."