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As dawn broke, I was jolted awake by the sound of the door opening. Landon stood in the doorway, his eyes dark and unreadable.
“Why didn’t you go back to your room last night?” he asked, a hint of concern in his voice.
I chuckled lightly, raising my arms to shield my eyes from the bright morning light. “Before I left my job, my manager asked me to finish the final plan, but I ended up working too late, so I just crashed here.”
In reality, I had spent the night sifting through companies and sending out resumes. A few days earlier, Landon had resigned on the grounds of our impending marriage, encouraging me to join the Wright Family. Now that I was planning to leave, I knew I had to find a new starting point.
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Landon didn’t press further. He stepped inside, casually leaned against my desk, and began flipping through the files. scattered across it.
Panic set in as I worried he might spot the ticket tucked inside the folder. “Landon, you‘ re aware that this information is confidential. If you share it, you could face serious consequences!”
He fixed his gaze on me, his expression suddenly intense. “What did you just call me?”
After six years together, I had always affectionately referred to him as “Lance.” Even in moments of fluster or frustration, I’d never used his full name. I hesitated, then softened my tone. “Lance.”
Finally, he released the document and regarded me with a teasing smirk. “Still don’t like your company’s projects, huh? I was just trying to help you review the plan. But if you’re not interested, fine.”
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He stood up, his posture shifted to one of playful authority. “Get ready. I’m taking you out for a walk!”
As he headed for the door, he paused and turned back, his brow furrowing slightly. “Have your parents set a time to come over yet?”
Landon and I had planned to get married, and he was supposed to visit my parents soon. However, he had declined multiple times due to his hectic schedule at the company. To avoid making me feel embarrassed, my parents had taken the initiative to visit him instead. Despite this, Landon had never set a date for our parents to meet, leaving the whole arrangement hanging in limbo.
When he asked about it now, I stifled a sarcastic smile. “It’s a busy farming season at home, so they can’t come for the time being.”
Landon frowned, clearly dissatisfied, but he didn’t push the matter further and left
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the study.
I
Later, while shopping at the mall, unexpectedly ran into Brittany in front of a dessert shop. Her face lit up with surprise.
when she saw us. “Landon! What a coincidence to see you guys here!”
Landon casually rubbed her head, as if we were all close friends. “It really is quite a coincidence.”
I remained silent.
Ever since Brittany was introduced to the company through Landon’s relatives, these “coincidences” had become a common occurrence. I was no longer
surprised by how often I found myself in their orbit.
As my gaze drifted to the lounge chairs in the mall, I spotted an empty seat and considered suggesting that Landon and Brittany take a break. But just as I was about to say something, I watched Brittany cling to Landon’s arm, her voice sweet and
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playful.
“Landon, the baby wants to eat that cone, but the line is so long.”
Landon pinched the tip of her nose affectionately, his eyes filled with a fondness that made my heart sink. “Okay, okay, little greedy cat, just wait.”
“Yeah.” She chimed, bouncing on her feet. The moment her miniskirt lifted, Landon instinctively pulled her into his arms. He quickly took off his coat, wrapping it around her waist to cover her up, and I couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy.
“Next time, don‘ t dress like this, and definitely don‘ t jump around,” he chided, his tone light but with a hint of
seriousness.
Brittany stuck her tongue out at him playfully, “I know.”
Then, he turned his attention to me. “Do you have any cash on you?”
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I was taken aback and shook my head. “No,
I don‘ t.”
“Then go and get 20,000 cash now,” he instructed.
Feeling a wave of frustration washed over me, I decided not to linger and quickly walked away.
As I returned with the cash, I watched Landon slip bills into the hands of those in front of him, sheepishly muttering,
“Sorry, cutting in line.” The once-
arrogant man I knew was now practically groveling for a cone of ice cream for
Brittany, apologizing profusely to everyone around him.
I couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight, and Brittany’s eyes darted toward me.
“Olive, why are you laughing? Has Landon done something like this for you?”
I shook my head, dismissing her question as I turned away, feeling an overwhelming urge to escape the scene. I made my way to
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a nearby bench, where I sank down,
hoping to catch my breath. But as I shifted my weight, a sharp pain shot through my back heel.
Glancing down, I was dismayed to see blood seeping through the fabric of my shoe. Just my luck.
Landon, buoyed by his ability to splurge, quickly bought three cones of ice cream. He handed one to me, but I politely declined. “Thank you, but I don’t need it.”
His expression darkened at my refusal.
“Can you be a little nicer? I bought them for you!”
Brittany, ever the opportunist, grabbed the cones, one in each hand. “Landon, you‘ re such an idiot! Olive just got out of the hospital–of course she can’t eat cold. food! How could you forget that? But I guess you remember my menstrual cycle just fine.”
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With that, she skipped ahead, taking playful bites from both cones like a carefree child, her innocence shining through. Landon‘ s embarrassment was palpable as he hurried after her. “Brit, you
can’t eat so much cold food! You’ll end
up with diarrhea!”
Just as he finished his warning, a sudden scream echoed nearby, slicing through the air.
The crowd surged in a chaotic frenzy, people running and shouting in panic.
“Run! There’s a murderer up ahead!”
Without hesitation, Landon shielded. Brittany, pulling her close as they both hurried back, quickly disappearing into the throng. I felt a surge of urgency, following the current of terrified shoppers as they fled the mall.
From a distance, I spotted Landon and Brittany. She flung herself into his arms, sobbing for a moment before wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him. In
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that instant, it felt like I had become. invisible; I was no longer a part of their world.
My phone vibrated in my pocket, jolting me from my thoughts. I pulled it out to hear my mother’s warm voice. “Oli, happy birthday!”
A smile crept onto my face despite the chaos around me. “Thanks, Mom! I‘ m really happy. I’ll see you tonight!”
After the call, I took a taxi home alone, the weight of the day’s events pressing down
on me.
I hurriedly packed my belongings, dragging my suitcase toward the entrance. The keys, adorned with couple–themed trinkets, hung on the wall like a bittersweet. reminder of what once was. I plucked them. off, extracted the trinket, and tossed them into the trash can before hanging the keys
back up.
“Goodbye, Landon.”
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“Goodbye to the boy you once were!”
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