I Was His Doormat for Three Years—Then I Walked Away and He Lost It

Chapter 2

I did quite like Ralph's body. When I first pursued him, it was mainly for his good looks. But perhaps it was the long-haul flight I'd just finished, or perhaps it was that cheerleader from earlier. Right now, all I felt was exhaustion. I had no desire whatsoever.

Ralph was rarely turned down by me. He looked startled, and his expression soured. "What is it?"

I looked down and saw a black heap on the carpet. It was a pair of ripped stockings. Ralph had clearly spotted them too. His expression grew even darker.

The living room sank into a tense, anxious silence. He pulled a cigarette from the pack and lit it, crushing the menthol bead between his teeth with a crisp c***k. "Her lease was up, and she had nowhere to stay, so I took her in for one night. I was just playing along."

I looked at Ralph. Our gazes met, separated by the choking white smoke; we couldn't see each other's expressions clearly. But we both knew full well how flimsy this explanation was.

This wasn't Ralph's first time cheating. He was probably a born womanizer; he'd been like this even when I first met him.

Back then, my best friend had wanted to take me to a rather famous race. She said there was an especially popular driver, and tickets were hard to come by. I had no interest in car racing, and watched listlessly as a red-and-black race car broke away from the pack and crossed the finish line amid screams.

Then Ralph took off his helmet. His hair, flattened by the fireproof balaclava, clung to his forehead. His face was slightly flushed with the excitement of winning, his brown eyebrows raised, his lips red and full.

My best friend chattered on about how good his family background was, how wealthy he was; I didn't hear a single word. That face was the most expensive luxury in the world.

He lifted his eyes. The lights of the racetrack reflected in those ocean-deep pupils, a faint, almost imperceptible smile hovering there. That was my first time at a race. My best friend and the girls in the stands were screaming like crazy, almost loud enough to bring the roof down.

His gaze swept across the noisy crowd. Our eyes met for an instant before he quickly looked away. The roar of the race cars surrounded me, but I didn't care at all. Because in that moment, everything fell silent, and all I heard was my own heartbeat.

When the race ended, swarms of girls flocked backstage to get his contact info, and I was among them. Never having dated in all my 23 years, that was probably the craziest thing I'd ever done in my straight-laced existence.

Ralph accepted every girl who came his way. That day, every single one of them added him on Snapchat, including me.

He soon asked me to sleep with him, and then I never heard from him again.

Our relationship should have ended right there, until one night when I was walking, and someone pressed a gun to my head. Just when I thought I was going to die in that dark alley, Ralph showed up like a guardian angel and saved me.

From that moment on, I stayed devotedly by his side, like a shadow. Whether out of sympathy or habit, Ralph went along with it, and I became his girlfriend up until then.

But I knew that all these years, Ralph had never truly loved me. Or rather, he liked me, liked how understanding, easygoing, and never troublesome I was. He had cheated on me many times, but every time he gave me an excuse that wasn't too flimsy, I forgave him.

He had said many times that I wasn't his ideal type, and that he was only with me because I was good to him. He had also half-jokingly said that once he found his true love, he would dump me.

The only reason our relationship had lasted these years was that I was the only one doing all the compromising and swallowing my pride.

"You promised me you wouldn't see other women anymore." My voice betrayed no emotion as I looked indifferently at the torn Balenciaga logo stockings on the floor.

A flash of mockery crossed Ralph's eyes. He didn't even try to comfort me. "You actually believed I was serious?"

He smirked and leaned in close, treating me just like that cheerleader from before, blowing mint-scented smoke into my face, his eyes gleaming with open malice. "Can't take it? If you can't take it, you can break up with me."

He had said this to me countless times before. Every time, it ended the same way, with me swallowing my pride, hugging him, and begging him not to leave. Over time, he had learned how to play me. He knew that once he said those words, I would back down.

I looked away. "I'm tired. I'm going to rest."

Ralph grabbed my wrist. His prominent brow ridge gave even his blank expression an intimidating edge. "Charlotte, that's enough."

I shook off his hand and went into the room. Before long, the door slammed with a thunderous crash. Ralph was gone. He was angry. I knew it. After all, I was always the one coaxing him and pleading with him. I had never brushed him off like this before.

I rolled over and checked my phone, finding a message from my mom.

Mom: Charlotte, I have never pressured you before, but you're already 27. It's about time you started thinking about marriage. My colleague's son has a lot going for him, and from what I've seen, he's quite good-looking too. Why don't you come back and meet him during the holiday?

Then I opened my boss's message.

Boss: Ms. Charlotte Howard, the branch office is currently short-staffed. With your capabilities, staying on as a deputy department manager is truly a waste of your talent. Are you interested in becoming a manager at the branch office? Getting operations off the ground will certainly be difficult at first, but the company respects your choice.

My mom wanted me to come home for a blind date. The company had just opened a new branch in my hometown. The stars had aligned. It seemed I truly had no reason to stay here any longer.