He Called Me Difficult, I Left Him

Chapter 4

Something deep in my heart died, completely and for good.

I smiled with relief. "Well, since Miss Bennett loves this wedding dress so much, it's truly my honor," I said.

Vera took the dress and walked out.

I packed up the last of my things at the company.

I had stayed there for so many years and thought there would be a lot, but in the end, everything fit into a single cardboard box.

As I headed for the door, I could feel curious, gossipy eyes boring into my back.

"She's actually leaving for real?" one coworker whispered. "You don't think Mr. Wells's fiancée personally forced her out, do you?"

"Maybe she's just playing hard to get," another murmured.

"She was always glued to Mr. Wells every single day," a third added. "I really thought she'd actually become Mrs. Wells one day."

I had planned to just ignore their snickering, but when I remembered this would be the last time, I could not stop myself.

I spun around and shot back, "I quit of my own free will. After ten years with Ethan, I owe him absolutely nothing."

"My whole life doesn't revolve around Ethan," I continued. "As a designer, I am just as brilliant on my own."

With that, I turned my back on their voices and walked away gracefully.

In the past, because I was Ethan's girlfriend, many people had shown me respect to my face but often spread rumors behind my back that I had only slept my way to the top.

No matter what achievements I made, others would only say it was Ethan's credit—that he had given me the platform and pulled the strings.

Now that I had chosen to leave, I felt a great sense of relief.

I could finally stop living in Ethan's shadow and, as Jasmine, shine in the design world.

I was back at my apartment, packing the last of my luggage.

In three days, I would be flying off to Iveria.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang with a chime. I stood up and opened the door.

I had been expecting the takeout I had just ordered, but standing right in my doorway was Ethan.

He held a crisp white wedding invitation in his hand.

"I... I'm getting married in three days," he said.

Hearing this, I could not help but feel a twinge of heartache. After all, this was the man I had loved for a full ten years of my life.

I held back the sting of tears and nodded. "Got it," I said.

When Ethan saw how little I reacted, he held the invitation out toward me.

I stared down at the white card but never reached for it.

His voice came out rough and gravelly. "You'll come, won't you?" he asked.

I tilted my head up to look at him, holding back tears, and smiled bitterly. "Ethan, I'm not that generous," I said.

I had decided to leave, and I needed to leave decisively.

Ethan set the invitation down on the side table by my front door, his gaze dropping to the floor. "Jasmine, I still can't live without you. I'll wait for you," he said.

With that, he turned on his heel and walked out.

I glanced at the invitation once, then tossed it straight into the trash can. Then I went back to packing my bags.

Departure day arrived quickly.

I took one last lingering look at my little apartment, then headed straight for the airport without a single backward glance.

Right after I checked in my luggage, I ducked into the first nearby fast food joint I saw to grab a quick bite.

The place was packed with hungry travelers, all chattering away, the whole place buzzing with loud, overlapping chatter.

But from the table next to me, I heard a familiar name. "Did you hear?" a stranger said. "Ethan, the heir to the Wells Group. He ran out on his wedding today."