Resign with Grace, Return with Fire

I didn't reply. A moment later, my phone buzzed with a string of notifications that I'd been removed from the family plan across several platforms.

Sandra and I used to be so close that everything we had was linked under a family plan.

Even after our fights, Sandra would never remove me from the plans.

But now, she had unilaterally removed me. I didn't need to guess how angry she was.

Honestly, it no longer mattered to me.

For the next two days, I immersed myself in my new job, and Sandra didn't reach out to me.

Instead, she posted updates about spending time with Lester. She also changed her profile picture from our matching one to black and altered our matching username. She even removed our photo from her social media header.

I knew that she was waiting for me to make the first move and apologize, but I didn't care anymore.

It wasn't until the evening of the third day that I came home to find a cardboard box at my door. On top of it was written "To Fred".

I took it inside and opened it, only to find a collection of mementos from my time with Sandra.

There were letters from when she first confessed her feelings, the couple's headbands she had bought for us, photos from our trips together, and even the lipstick-stained page commemorating our first kiss.

As I looked at these things, memories from the past slowly returned to me.

Nevertheless, it didn't matter. Sandra and I were over.

I tossed everything into the fire pit and set it ablaze, turning the physical remnants of our memories into ash.

As I watched the flames flicker, I felt a strange calm wash over me.

Suddenly, the door burst open, and Sandra rushed in, wide-eyed with shock.

Ignoring the searing heat, she lunged forward and snatched the burning photos with her bare hands. She beat at them frantically to smother the flames.

Anxious, she demanded, "Why are you burning these things?"

Sandra finally managed to put out the flames, but her hands were blistered from the heat.

Her eyes filled with tears as she glared at me. "Fred, do you remember what these things meant to us? How could you burn them? I sent them to you because I thought…"

Sandra knew I was sentimental. She had sent me these mementos to make me remember the good times, hoping that I would forgive her for the past.

It was her way of giving me an out—proud, yet subtle.

If this had been before, I would have taken the easy way out, compromised, and chosen to forgive her.

But I was tired of chasing after her forgiveness.

This time, I didn't want to make things right. I wasn't going to play her game anymore.

Without looking at her, I calmly responded, "Didn't you send these to me to get rid of? They're useless now anyway. I might as well burn them."

Sandra stared at me in disbelief, clearly taken aback by my calm response.

After a long pause, she sighed in resignation and said, "Fred, okay, fine. I admit that when you pointed out Lester's issues at the company, you were doing it for the greater good. I made you apologize because Lester is Mr. Hale's son.

"I know I hurt you, and I'm sorry, okay? Look, you can come back and be deputy CEO again. You'll be on the same level as Lester. Just try to stay out of his way from now on. Will that fix this?"

I looked at Sandra without saying a word, but inside, I couldn't help but find this situation hilarious.

It wasn't just about work. Even outside the office, she was always taking Lester's side.

I remembered the time I'd been bedridden with a terrible flu and needed her care. Instead of helping me, she abandoned me to care for Lester.

And on our anniversary, she bought all the fireworks in the city just to fulfill Lester's request to see them. Meanwhile, I sat alone at home, staring at cold plates of food until morning came.