
Vows Lost in the Wind
Chapter 4
The team-building activity was hiking.
Archie stuck to Sienna the whole way, handing her water and wiping the sweat from her forehead.
Their colleagues teased, "Ms. Fletcher, this intern's more considerate than your assistant!"
Sienna laughed and waved them off. "The poor guy's shy. Don't tease him. And my boyfriend's here."
She turned to look at me with a hint of warning in her gaze, signaling me to be the bigger person.
I walked behind, watching coldly.
Halfway up the mountain, Archie suddenly slipped and fell to the ground.
"Ouch…" He clutched his ankle in pain.
Sienna rushed to him almost instinctively and crouched to check. "What happened? Did you sprain it?"
Her voice was full of concern that was impossible to hide.
"It's swollen. I can't walk." Archie looked up at her with pitiful eyes.
Without saying a single word, Sienna immediately looped his arm around her shoulder. "Come on. I'll help you."
The colleagues exchanged uncomfortable glances, and the situation grew awkward.
After all, her boyfriend was standing right there.
Sienna seemed to realize this as she turned to me. "Shawn, he's hurt. We can't leave him here. You're strong. Could you carry our bags?"
With that, she tossed both her and Archie's bags to me.
The two bags felt heavy in my hands.
I watched her supporting Archie. His arm was hooked around her waist, and half of his body was leaning into hers.
As they passed by, Archie shot me a look. His gaze was full of smugness.
I stood there, staring at their retreating figures. Suddenly, I felt an overwhelming sense of irony.
Three months ago, I had an acute appendicitis attack.
I called Sienna, but she said she was in a meeting and told me to go to the hospital on my own.
I had surgery and spent three days in the hospital. She came to visit once, stayed for ten minutes, and left.
"Work's busy. You're an adult. You can take care of yourself," she had said.
It wasn't that she didn't know how to care. It was just that I wasn't the one she cared about.
I threw the two bags into the bushes by the side of the trail.
I dusted my hands off and turned to head back down the mountain.
Sienna sent me a message. "Why didn't you catch up? Where are the bags?"
"They were too heavy. I tossed them aside," I replied.
Back home, I started packing.
This apartment was one that Sienna and I rented together, but I paid most of the rent and living expenses.
I folded my clothes neatly and packed them into my suitcase.
As for the gifts I had given her—jewelry, designer handbags, and luxurious scarves—I found a large box and stuffed them all inside.
Then, I called a local courier service and had everything sent to a secondhand store.
Once I finished that, I made a phone call. "Help me investigate all of Sienna's expenses for the last six months."
The emotional debt was a lost cause, but I would settle the financial one with absolute precision.
Half an hour later, a detailed bank statement arrived on my phone.
I opened it and slid my finger across the screen. My expression grew colder with each swipe.
The long list of transactions was all money transferred to Archie.
On November 11th, Sienna transferred 5,200 dollars into his account. On December 1st, she spent 12,800 dollars at a luxury men's clothing store. Then, on December 24th, her card was charged 3,888 dollars for a hot-spring hotel suite.
Even Archie's daily cab fares and food delivery were paid with her bank card.
I laughed bitterly. The last bit of warmth in my eyes completely vanished.
When Sienna came home that evening, she noticed something was off. The once cozy apartment now felt cold, and all my things were gone.
She panicked. "Shawn, what's going on? Are you going on a business trip?"
Sitting on the couch, I looked up at her. "Sienna, we're done."