After I Quit

The words he had prepared died in his throat.

He stared at me, thrown. In all the time he had known me, I had never once refused him outright.

Chloe, watching from beside him, felt her barely-receding tears surge back. She must have assumed Grant would hesitate now that I had turned his own move against him. Her voice broke on perfect cue.

"Grant, I'm sorry. If I hadn't pushed so hard for that apology, she never would have said that to you.

"If I'm the reason you two end up fighting and breaking apart, then forget it. I don't want the apology anymore. I just want you to be okay."

Grant heard her words and the image rose in his mind — Chloe alone, collecting trash in the scorching heat. His chest clenched.

His expression went flat.

"Fine. If you want to break up, we break up. Don't regret it."

The moment those words landed, every trace of Chloe's distress vanished. Satisfaction swept across her face.

She pressed it back down and arranged herself into something careful and concerned.

"Grant, are you really sure this is okay?

"I don't want to make things harder for you."

Without a second thought, Grant unclasped the watch from his wrist and dropped it on the floor.

His voice was flat.

"There's nothing hard about it. I've wanted this for a long time.

"And you — stop putting me first in everything. Think about yourself for once."

I watched the watch hit the floor like something thrown in the trash.

I said nothing. I bent down, picked it up, and walked toward the exit.

It was the first gift I had ever given him.

When I first joined the company, I had nothing. The watch wasn't expensive, but it had cost me a full month's wages. I had lived on almost nothing for thirty days just to save enough.

When I watched him open it, I thought every hungry day had been worth it.

He slipped it on with a broad smile and made me a promise.

"This is the most precious thing I've ever been given. I'm going to wear it for the rest of my life. I'll die before I take it off."

I had believed him then. I thought we would grow old together.

And yet here we were.

I let out a cold laugh and left the ridiculous celebration without looking back.

The next moment, the chairman walked in, his face dark.

He had heard the news of my departure.

Grant hurried over to greet him, but the chairman spoke first.

"I heard you fired Natalie Shaw."

Grant paused, then nodded.

"Chairman, Natalie was using her position to remove employees at will. I acted in the interest of the company — someone like that has no place here.

"Don't worry. She's already taken her termination agreement, and all other procedures have been handled."

He assumed the chairman had come to congratulate him on his promotion. He thought bringing up the firing might even earn him goodwill.

Instead, the chairman's expression darkened further.

Grant felt something shift but couldn't place what.

The chairman said nothing. He scanned the room, found no sign of me, confirmed I was already gone, and his brow knitted tight.

Whispers rippled through the crowd.

"The chairman doesn't look pleased with Mr. Hale's decision."

"You're reading too much into it. If the chairman had any doubts about Mr. Hale, he never would have approved the appointment."

"He came in person for the celebration — that's a sign of real backing. He probably came to hand over the transfer papers."

Grant heard those voices and the tension in his chest eased. He was about to say a few gracious words to smooth over the faint awkwardness.

Then the chairman glanced at him.

His gaze settled on Grant slowly, for several long seconds. The deep crease between his brows shifted — and then released.

He let out a tired sigh.

And then, with the air of someone who had made up his mind, he made his announcement.

"Effective immediately, Grant Hale's position as executive CEO of the division is hereby revoked. He is to be dismissed from the company."