Resign with Grace, Return with Fire

Sandra and Lester held hands and stepped onto the stage to sign up.

When the host blew the whistle to start, Sandra reached up and wrapped her arms around Lester's neck while gazing at him tenderly.

The crowd, ever eager for drama, began to chant, "Kiss him! Kiss him!"

Sandra summoned her courage and gave Lester a peck on his lips before quickly pulling away, smiling shyly. Her face turned crimson.

At once, the excitement soared, and everyone started shipping them as a couple.

"Are they just starting to date? The air around them reeks of love! How sweet!"

"They're such a perfect match. Seeing other people so happy really brings tears to my eyes! You two have to stay together forever!"

I curled my lips in a self-deprecating smile.

I suddenly remembered how, not long ago, I'd suggested we take a cute couple's photo. Sandra dismissed the idea as childish, reminding me we weren't young anymore and didn't need such juvenile displays.

But now, she was willing to kiss Lester in front of everyone.

It turned out that she only found me childish because I wasn't worth it.

I was too tired to watch them flirting any longer, so I turned to leave. But just as I was about to walk away, I locked eyes with Sandra.

The moment she met my gaze, her body froze. Instantly, she pulled away from Lester.

Sandra opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, Lester beat her to it. "Fred, what a coincidence! What are you doing here? You didn't follow us, did you?"

At his words, Sandra's eyes flashed with annoyance. "Fred, were you following me?"

I replied casually, "I'm just out for some business and happened to pass by."

Frowning, she said coldly, "You've quit your job. What business could you possibly have? You're a grown man, Fred. Is there any point in lying like this? Besides, who told you to follow me? You're invading my privacy!

"Fred, I never thought you lacked even the most basic trust in me. If you can't trust me, how am I supposed to trust you enough to marry you?"

In Sandra's eyes, my life had always revolved around her and Wendell Group. She'd always thought that she was the one supporting me.

If she had cared, even just a little, she would have realized that I was better than she believed—and that I had sacrificed a promising future for her.

I glanced at Sandra indifferently and said, "Go ahead and marry Lester. You've kissed him already, so it only makes sense, right?"

Sandra's face turned bright red, and she was rendered speechless.

Full of smug satisfaction, Lester chimed in to stir the pot, "Fred, don't get the wrong idea. I just wanted the prize so badly. Ms. Wendell was just being kind to help me. Please don't take it the wrong way."

I knew that Lester was just trying to provoke me. If this had been before, I'd have been furious, demanding an explanation from Sandra.

Now, I merely looked at them coldly and sneered. "I'm done with Sandra. Don't worry. Even if you two were to sleep together right here, I wouldn't care."

Lester seemed surprised that I wasn't reacting.

Sandra's expression darkened even further. "Fred, I've explained myself to you. What's all this sarcasm for?"

I ignored her and walked past, leaving without a second glance.

By the time I got home, my phone was buzzing with messages from Sandra, one after another.

"Fred, why did you move out?

"Throwing a tantrum is one thing, but this is too much!"

She only noticed I had moved out that day, when I'd already left yesterday. That alone proved how little she cared.