The Past Is Only a Prelude

The limited-edition bag I had given her—my gift—was shredded and tossed into the trash after Chuck sneered, "Fake," with a single glance.

So this was what love and indifference looked like.

Ridiculous. I had refused to believe it until now.

Just as she had said earlier, in a fit of anger, the first reaction was always the truest thought.

She thought I wasn't good enough for her.

It was true. Back in college, I had met Alicia by chance. Because of her, after graduation, I didn't return to my hometown—I went straight to work at her company.

She was the CEO of Starry Group. To everyone else, I was just a freeloader, living off her connections. I was a source of shame. Chuck, on the other hand, was the perfect boyfriend: well-matched, respectable, and someone who made her shine.

Even after three years of being attentive to her every need, of bending to her every whim, I could never compete with Chuck.

Perhaps it was time to end these absurd three years.

I grabbed a spare blanket from the closet and made do in the study for the night.

Surprisingly, I slept well.

The next morning, I packed up and headed straight to the office. Just as I left the neighborhood, my phone rang.

"Mr. Campbell, your car is ready after maintenance. When would you like to pick it up?"

Last month, without my permission, Alicia had lent my car to Chuck. When he returned it last week, there were a few scratches. I had wanted to confront him, but Alicia intervened, so I let it slide and sent the car for maintenance.

Soon, I arrived at the dealership.

The manager handed me the keys with a knowing smile and pointed to a gift bag stamped with the dealership's logo.

"Hey, man, we packed everything up for you. I get it—young people—but you should be a little more careful. Next time, make sure to remove valuables before bringing your car in; our staff felt a little awkward handling them."

Confused, I opened the bag. Inside was a set of skimpy lingerie along with bell-adorned nipple covers.

Finding these in my car explained itself without a word. I had never done anything like that with Alicia in the car. The only possible conclusion: she had been with Chuck.

No questions. No anger. Not even doubt.

I took the dashcam and asked the manager, "Do you buy used cars?"

"Of course, sir!"

I didn't haggle. After quickly arranging the sale, I grabbed a taxi to the office.

As soon as I sat at my desk, I overheard a few female colleagues at the neighboring table whispering.

"Didn't Ms. Davids hook up with that assistant?"

"You think so too? I heard Chuck was personally recruited by her with a high salary!"

"Of course! I also heard they were college classmates. I saw them at a bar together last night!"

Hearing this, a sharp pain shot through my chest.

So that was the truth…

I numbly opened my laptop to get some work done, but the blank document just stared back at me, not a single word coming out.

"Benjamin!"

Alicia's voice came from behind me.

"Benjamin, you're an hour late! Go ahead and mark this as an unexcused absence for today."

Maybe not wanting to hear any excuses, she added, "I checked your clock-in. Exactly one hour late, so per company policy…"

"Okay."

I nodded, turning my eyes back to the screen, trying to figure out how to start writing this copy.