After I Met Him

Chapter 5-you're so cheap.

Harmony’s POV.

The cool morning breeze brushed against my skin as I stepped outside to check my car.

I woke up early that morning because I still needed to settle into my new apartment before resuming work on Monday.

I opened the trunk carefully, making sure all my things were still intact.

After confirming everything was there, I moved toward the front of the car to check if it had actually been fixed.

And it was.

A small smile spread across my lips almost immediately.

He really fixed it.

I came downstairs immediately when I saw Ryan and his girlfriend coming out of the house.

I wanted to let him know I was leaving, but I didn’t want to disturb him because I assumed they would still be sleeping.

“Good morning, Harmony,” he greeted with a smile.

“Good morning,” I replied with a small smile of my own.

I turned toward his girlfriend,but the expression on her face wasn’t friendly at all.

“So, are you going to leave without saying thank you?” she asked firmly.

“No, I wasn’t leaving,” I responded calmly. “I was just checking the car.”

She scoffed loudly.

“Did you think Ryan was lying when he said he fixed your cheap car?” she asked mockingly.

I immediately felt irritation rising inside me.

I wanted to respond so badly, but I didn’t want to sound rude—especially after everything Ryan had done for me.

“You’re so cheap… just like your car,” she muttered before walking back into the house.

I blinked in disbelief.

Since when was a Lexus considered cheap?

At this point, I was beginning to think she wasn’t on her period.

She was just naturally rude and mean.

“I’m really sorry about her,” Ryan said genuinely.

“It’s okay,” I replied quietly. “And I wasn’t going to leave without saying thank you. I really just wanted to check the car,” I added quickly.

“Harmony, it’s okay. Really,” he assured me softly. “I understand you.”

I smiled slightly.

At least he understood.

Still… I wondered how he managed to put up with his girlfriend’s attitude every day.

“But I have to go now,” I explained. “I’m resuming work tomorrow, and I still need to settle into my apartment.”

“And thank you so much for everything. I’m really grateful,” I added sincerely.

“Ah… it’s nothing,” he replied casually.

For a moment, we simply stood there smiling at each other.

And somehow…

It felt nice.

“Ryan! Get in here!” Vanessa suddenly shouted from inside the house.

Ryan looked visibly embarrassed, and I couldn’t help giggling at his reaction.

“Bye, Ryan,” I said softly.

He waved back at me, and a few seconds later, I got into my car and drove off.

**********

Ryan's POV.

After seeing Harmony off, I went back into the house.

The moment I turned around, I saw Vanessa standing there with one hand resting on her waist and her eyes narrowed at me suspiciously.

I rolled my eyes and walked past her.

“Are you going to pretend like you didn’t see me?” she asked with annoyance.

I ignored her and continued walking.

Honestly, I wasn’t in the mood to explain myself to her this early in the morning.

“Ryan. Ryan. Ryan,” she called angrily as she followed behind me.

The moment we got to the bedroom, I finally turned to face her.

“Vanessa, what is it?” I asked tiredly.

“It’s too early for this drama this morning.”

“Excuse you?” she snapped.

“You’re excused, my love,” I replied casually as I walked toward the bed.

She glared at me without saying a word.

“Look, Nessa,” I said with a sigh, “it’s too early for this, and I’m tired. We’ll talk later.”

I let out a yawn, tucked myself into bed, and closed my eyes.

“You’ll regret this later,” she muttered before storming out of the room.

“Love you too, baby,” I called out lazily.

The loud slam of the door was the only response I got.

Chapter 6-Will I ever find somebody?

Harmony’s POV.

Finally, I moved all the boxes from my trunk into the apartment.

Now, all I had left to do was unpack them.

I stared at the pile of boxes in front of me before palming my face tiredly.

The apartment was simple—just a small living room, a kitchen, and a narrow passage leading to the bedroom and bathroom.

And honestly…

I liked it.

It wasn’t luxurious or fancy, but it felt peaceful.

I spent the next few hours unpacking everything, leaving nothing inside the boxes. It was exhausting work, but I had to finish because tomorrow would be my first day at work.

Eventually, I collapsed onto the couch and leaned back against it tiredly.

I picked up my phone to check the time.

10:00 PM.

Remembering my promise, I unlocked my phone and called my mother.

The moment she answered, I explained everything to her—how I got a job at Mercer Global Logistics Company as the new secretary because I needed a fresh start… and because I wanted to get away from everything that had happened to me.

To my surprise, she understood.

And she supported my decision.

After the call, I took a warm shower and finally drifted off to sleep, preparing myself for the next day.

Ryan's POV.

I was going through some files on my laptop in the study room when my mother walked in.

“Good morning,” I said casually, my attention still fixed on the screen.

“Yes, my dear,” she replied warmly.

“How was your vacation?”

“It was okay.”

“Are you sure?” she asked carefully.

I already knew what she meant.

Vanessa had obviously told her about Harmony.

Sometimes, I honestly felt like my relationship with Vanessa was by force.

The only reason my mother liked her so much was because her father’s company was one of our business partners.

“Mom, what are you talking about?” I asked firmly, finally looking up from my laptop.

“You know exactly what I’m talking about,” she responded sternly.

“If you came here to upset me this morning, then please leave,” I said flatly.

Her expression softened immediately.

“I’m sorry,” she sighed. “I know Vanessa can be a handful sometimes, but you need to endure.”

I frowned deeply.

“If you know she’s a handful, then why are you still forcing me to date her?” I asked.

“I just want the business to succeed. Your father worked hard for all of this.”

I immediately stood up and slammed my hand against the table.

“Oh, just stop it, Mom! Stop!” I snapped. “The difference between you and Dad is that he actually cared about my happiness, but you’re only concerned about a business you know nothing about!”

Without waiting for a response, I shut my laptop and stormed out of the study room.

I headed straight to my bedroom to prepare for work.

The moment I entered, I sat down heavily on the edge of the bed and let out a deep sigh.

If not for the love and respect I had for my mother, I honestly wouldn’t still be with Vanessa.

I didn’t even need her father’s company for my business to succeed.

Vanessa was rude, arrogant, and proud simply because she was one of the elites in this city.

Slowly, my eyes drifted toward my father’s picture hanging quietly on the wall.

He passed away when I was nineteen.

And honestly…

He was the only one who truly cared about me.

While my mother focused on the family business, my father focused on me.

I just wanted somebody who would love and care for me the way my father once did.

And that person wasn’t Vanessa.

We had been dating for two years, yet the relationship felt exhausting.

It was always the same cycle—

Break up.

Make up.

Argue.

Apologize.

Repeat.

At some point, I honestly wanted to give up on us completely, but my mother always found a new way to push us back together.

Business dinners.

Family meetings.

Forced vacations.

It never ended.

Sometimes, it felt less like a relationship and more like an arrangement.

I leaned back against the bed and rubbed my face tiredly.

Sometimes I wonder…

Will I ever find somebody who truly loves me genuinely?