Chapter 4 Way to Go
1281 Words
In the past, no matter how badly Brittany and Leo argued, she would always swallow her pride and return to him within 24 hours.
It had been nearly 23 hours since Brittany left the private room last night. Just one more hour, and the clock would hit 24.
This time, he was sure he'd win the bet.
Leo wore a confident smirk that filled the room with admiration and envy.
"Leo always knows what's up! Not like us—we'd never get a loyal lapdog like that. I'll bet with Leo. Give it an hour. What do you guys think? Will she call first or show up in person?"
The chatter among his friends was noisy, but their words triggered a headache for Leo.
It hit him suddenly: every time he went out with these people, Brittany inevitably became the center of their conversations.
And every mention of Brittany came with words like lapdog or pathetic.
Leo sighed in frustration. If not for the fact that they'd been together so long, he wouldn't have tolerated having such a high-profile girlfriend whose name never left anyone's lips.
The minutes slipped by quickly as his friends continued their speculation.
When Leo checked his phone again, there were only ten minutes left before the bet's deadline.
His inbox was cluttered with messages, but none of them were from Brittany.
He frowned, a wave of irritation washing over him.
So, she was really playing hard to get this time? Was she planning to make it 25 hours instead?
As the seconds ticked down, Leo felt an inexplicable sense of unease creeping in.
The black card he had wagered meant nothing compared to his assets. Still, maybe it was his pride—he just didn't want to lose face in front of his friends.
Under the table, Leo secretly drafted a text to Brittany.
Leo: Happy birthday. I forgot today because I was busy. I'll make it up to you next year. I've got some stuff going on right now, but why don't you come over for a bit?
He followed the message with a location pin.
But as soon as he hit send, his screen lit up with two glaring red exclamation marks: [You are no longer friends with this person. Send a friend request to contact them.]''
The unfamiliar words on the screen made Leo's heart drop.
Brittany had unfriended him?
The same woman who had catered to his every whim for seven years—even moderating the volume of her voice to his liking—had deleted him?
Shocked, Leo's composure slipped for a moment, his expression frozen.
Even Nathan, who had just weaved through the crowd to sit beside him, caught a glimpse of the notification on his phone.
Leo quickly locked the screen, but it was too late. Nathan had seen everything.
"Brittany did what?" Nathan started to say, but Leo shot him a sharp glare that silenced him immediately. Still, Nathan was stunned, the gears in his mind turning rapidly.
No wonder Brittany had seemed different lately.
So, the lapdog had finally woken up.
She had even unfriended Leo on f*******:. Clearly, Brittany was done with being a doormat this time.
"Want me to call her on my phone?" Nathan offered, pulling out his device.
Before he could dial, Leo shoved it back down, his tone icy.
"Don't bother."
His jaw tightened, and his usually calm expression turned stormy.
For some reason, panic overshadowed his anger.
The only thing running through his mind was 'Brittany really deleted me?'
Across town, Brittany was lying on her tiny bed in a rented apartment when she suddenly sneezed hard, clutching her head in discomfort.
"Are you catching a cold?" Emily Fisher's voice came through the video call, her tone casual as she noticed Brittany's flushed nose.
"I'm not sure. Maybe someone's cursing me," Brittany replied, her voice heavy with congestion as she rubbed her nose.
Emily had been Brittany's friend since they lived with her grandparents in the county. Even after Brittany moved back to Willow City, their bond never wavered.
Emily had witnessed Brittany's entire journey through life, including her seven-year relationship with Leo.
Noticing the faint redness around Brittany's eyes, Emily chuckled dryly.
"A cold? Please. You probably cried after fighting with Leo, didn't you? You've been like this for years. Just stop crying already. We both know you'll go back to him sooner or later."
Emily had tried to advise her before, but Brittany's hopeless romantic tendencies always got in the way.
Eventually, Emily gave up.
Leo was rich and good-looking. As long as they didn't break up, Brittany wouldn't be losing much by sticking with him.
But this time, Emily guessed wrong.
"I'm not going back. We broke up for real this time," Brittany said calmly, rubbing her nose again.
She looked tired, but it was from lack of sleep, not tears. Since the breakup, she hadn't shed a single tear over Leo.
Emily didn't believe it at first, but as she watched Brittany's determined expression, a grin slowly spread across her face.
This girl had finally wised up!
"But you still have shares in Leo's company, don't you? You'll probably have to deal with him again. Are you sure you won't change your mind?" Emily asked cautiously.
It wasn't that she doubted her friend.
It was just that Brittany had a history of falling back into Leo's arms no matter how badly he treated her.
"I'm planning to sell them. They're useless to me anyway."
Brittany lowered her gaze, a hint of reluctance in her expression.
She wasn't holding onto Leo, but parting with the shares stung.
After all, she and Leo had built that company together from scratch.
Later, when Leo persuaded her to become a housewife, he promised her 30% of the shares.
Selling her stake in a company she helped create wasn't easy, but to truly cut ties with Leo, she had no choice.
Next week, she planned to withdraw her inheritance from her mother and use it to start a new company—one that would be entirely hers.
Emily's eyes lit up with excitement.
"Are you serious? You're really selling them? I know some people in business here. If you're ready, I'll ask around for potential buyers."
After a brief chat, they hung up. By then, it was nearly ten o'clock.
Adrian had promised to call her after his meeting.
Was he still in the meeting, or had he forgotten?
Thinking about her impulsive, whirlwind marriage, Brittany felt a tinge of regret.
Still, the papers were signed. She might as well give it a shot.
After some hesitation, she decided not to call Adrian.
For one, she didn't want to interrupt his meeting.
And second, if he really had forgotten, calling him might make her seem too eager.
As she mulled over it, her phone suddenly rang.
Without checking the caller ID, she instinctively picked up.
"Hello?"
Her soft voice was met with instant silence on the other end.
Nathan, holding the phone on the other side, mouthed to Leo, "She answered."
Leo's face darkened further.
Since discovering that Brittany had unfriended him, he had tried reaching her through i********:, but every attempt was blocked.
She wouldn't answer his calls, but she'd pick up for Nathan?
When the silence stretched on, Brittany glanced at her screen. Her expression soured immediately.
"Nathan?"
Nathan, who had been one of the rare competent people she'd worked with at Leo's company, was mostly in her life because of Leo.
"If you're not saying anything, I'm hanging up," Brittany said flatly.
After a brief shuffle on the other end, Leo's voice finally came through.
"Brittany, stop playing games."
- Writer
