《When Love No Longer Exists, Hatred Last Forever》

On the evening of our dinner date with my parents, we waited at the restaurant from day until night, but Everett Turner never showed up.

I tried calling him, but couldn't reach him at all.

Instead, I saw his childhood sweetheart, Sydney Elliott, posted an update on the social platform.

In the photo, she sat in the car with a smile, wearing a familiar ring.

Her caption read, "Thanks for Mr. Turner's birthday gift. I love it."

I scrolled through her update and quietly liked the post.

Later, I told him, "Since you like her, just marry her."

His eyes welled up, voice trembling, "But you are my girlfriend."

Not anymore, not since the day you gave her that ring.

——

Before I saw Sydney posted on her Instagram, I was still making excuses for Everett's absence.

Now, the truth is before me.

I felt like I was almost suffocating and dying.

I had seen the ring on her hand at home.

He treasured the ring in a corner of his closet.

I had thought he was preparing to propose and look forward to it.

I also thought he invited my parents to dinner to discuss marriage.

But in the end, he stood me up.

As I gazed at the photos she shared, I felt sadness.

It felt like something inside me was crumbling.

My mother, Zoey, noticed my change in demeanor and asked, "Is everything alright?"

I mustered a strained smile, "Let's not wait for him. Let's eat."

Zoey said, "Do we not need to wait?"

"No, there's no need for further waiting," I replied calmly, and took the lead in eating.

The dishes had long been served and reheated multiple times due to waiting for him.

The flavors now lacked their initial appeal.

Zoey noticed something was wrong but didn't ask any more questions.

My father, Nolan, had long been impatient and took her away after eating a few bites.

I also left with my bag and walked aimlessly on the street.

It was late, nearing ten o'clock, with few people around and even fewer vehicles passing by.

At this time, Everett called.

I ignored his call and took a taxi to go home.

As soon as I entered the door, I heard his furious voice.

"Where on earth did you go? Why are you back so late?"

I was slightly startled, clutched my bag tightly, and asked expressionlessly, "Everett, do you remember what you promised me this morning?"

Before he left for work, I was afraid that he would forget the appointment in the evening, so I reminded him, hoping he would come earlier to impress my parents.

He smiled and responded, "How could I forget such an important meeting with your parents today?"

Everett was stunned, and a hint of guilt flickered in his eyes.

It seemed that he remembered what he said in the morning.

He said guiltily, "I'm sorry. Work overwhelmed me today. I forgot it."

With that, he walked towards me and stretched out his hands to hug me.

But I avoided him calmly.

But I could smell a faint scent of jasmine on him.

It was the scent of the perfume that Sydney often used.

Everett was surprised, as if he didn't expect I would avoid him.

He asked, "Winona, are you angry?"

I stared at him coldly and asked calmly, "Did you really forget the appointment today because of work?"

"Are you doubting me?" His voice tinged with irritation.

Looking at his furious expression, I suddenly felt that he was so unfamiliar.

Or maybe, he had never revealed his true self in front of me.

I took a deep breath and said, "Everett, let's break up."

Chapter 2

I had called his name countless times, but never as calmly as I did now.

Everett's movements stiffened, saying in a low voice, "What did you say?"

We had always been very tactful with each other. Whenever we sensed we were about to have a fight, we would find another way to change the subject.

Because arguing broke relationships.

I didn't want to argue with him, but that didn't mean this tactic would suffice for a lifetime.

"Let's break up and I'll give you freedom."

I thought this was a decent way to break up.

There would be no entanglement or resentment towards each other after breaking up.

Everett remained silent, and his gaze fixed on my face.

He said, "Are you going to pick a fight with me just because of this minor issue?"

I met his gaze and walked silently into the room.

He continued, "Winona, explain what you are making a fuss about clearly."

I opened the closet and took out all the clothes in the corner.

The ring box he had hidden there before was indeed missing.

I pointed to the vacant spot, saying, "Today you invited my parents to dinner, but you were celebrating another woman's birthday, presenting her with a significant ring. Everett, what do you want me to think?"

I hadn't intended to be so forthright with him.

But I also didn't want to be labeled as unreasonable.

So, I made it clear.

Everett disagreed, frowned and said coldly, "Since we couldn't dine together today, I'll make it up tomorrow. As for the ring, it's just an ordinary piece of jewelry. Why do you care so much about it?"

"If you want, I'll buy you a few more tomorrow."

He always simplified all my concerns.

To him, anything resolvable with money was insignificant.

I sneered, "That won't be necessary. Buy them for whoever you fancy."

I had already thought about breaking up when I came back.

It would be meaningless to continue like this.

Everett couldn't understand my thoughts.

He said coldly, "You're not very composed today. Let's talk again when you've calmed down."

Without waiting for my response, he turned and left the house.

I stood there in silence. The surroundings were so quiet that it made me feel uneasy.

I had expected him to agree swiftly.

But he chose to avoid the breakup in this way.

I suddenly felt a little sick.

He had someone he couldn't let go of, so why did he cling to me and make everyone unhappy?

I took a moment to calm myself down.

Breaking up wasn't a unilateral decision. It required mutual agreement.

After that, I had no reason to linger.

My parents were both high school teachers. They were here for an academic conference and would leave in five days.

With nowhere to go, I packed my bags and relocated to a hotel.

When breaking up, it should be a clean break.

After finishing these things, I deleted all the contact information related to Everett.

When I calmed down, I gazed at the unfamiliar environment and recalled the past.

I harbored a crush on Everett for many years, but he didn't know.

He only knew that we were from the same university and I was his classmate.

And I was just one of his many classmates.

He was the college's student union president, outstanding and aloof, the unattainable pinnacle in everyone's eyes.

To stand by his side, I altered my study habits, and worked hard, rushing from the bottom of the class to the top three in the department.

I even took time out to join the student union to be closer to him.

After graduation, he took over his family's business, and I became a low-profile employee in his company.

Perhaps he took care of me because I was his classmate.

I fell into the so-called favoritism and couldn't extricate myself.

Chapter 3

I smiled inwardly at these thoughts.

I hadn't realized one thing until now that excessive dreaming could blur the lines between fantasy and reality.

I moved into the hotel while looking for a suitable house.

Meanwhile, I continued my routine work.

I was just a mere employee in the company.

Everett, as the president, would not notice my existence at all.

But I didn't expect that the manager would bring explosive news in the afternoon.

The deputy manager position that I was sure to get was snatched away.

"This is our new deputy manager, Sydney Elliott. Let's work well together."

The manager's announcement caused a tense silence in the office.

Everyone's eyes fell on me, filled with curiosity, suspicion, and scrutiny.

I looked at Sydney coldly.

Sydney looked at me with a provocative look.

It was as if she believed she could attain anything she desired, be it Everett's favor or professional success.

At this time, Everett came over with his special assistant, and swept everyone in the office indifferently.

He treated me as a stranger.

His silence made his position clear.

Seeing this, everyone applauded and welcomed Sydney.

When I was sure I could get the position, I invited him to dinner on this basis. He even addressed me as "Deputy Manager" jokingly.

He must have been aware of my eagerness for that position.

I didn't have to think too much to know that he was punishing me.

But he didn't know that the competing company had long extended an offer to me.

And the validity period was permanent.

Since I couldn't stay here any longer, I had to find another way.

After the welcome, I immediately contacted Kane Lynch, the vice president of that company, explaining my circumstances.

I thought he would wait until my term was over before recruiting me.

But to my surprise, he was willing to cover the liquidated damages and invited me to start the following Monday.

I worked in the marketing department for four years, and many of the Turner Group's outstanding collaborations were achieved through my efforts at social events.

So I had a lot of resources at my disposal.

The competing company noticed this, willing to spend a huge sum of money to poach me.

I didn't agree immediately, but asked him to give me two days to think about it.

I had to plan for the future and not make blind choices anymore.

When it was time to get off work, I was the first one to leave.

In the past, I was always staying late to improve my work efficiency.

When my colleagues saw this, they all said that I didn't get promoted and started to give up.

I smiled and said nothing in response to their teasing.

As I exited the building, I noticed a car parked nearby.

I ignored it and walked towards the bus stop.

Sydney rolled down the passenger window and shouted, "Winona, come here. We are waiting for you."

Upon hearing her voice, several coworkers around turned their attention towards us.

Reluctant to be seen by colleagues, I approached with a composed demeanor.

I asked, "Ms. Elliott, is there anything wrong?"

She smiled at my address and said, "We are not in the company. You can call me by my name."

Everett, seated in the driver's seat, wore a detached expression.

He didn't even glance at me, and his furrowed brows revealed a hint of impatience.

Sydney continued, "Winona, please get in the car quickly. Today is my first day at work in the company, and I want to treat you and Everett to a meal."

I replied, "No, I have no appetite."

With that, I was about to leave.

Everett said coldly, "Get in the car."

I sneered at him, ignored his words, walked to the side of the road and hailed a taxi.

With a new job in sight, my chosen residence needed to change.

Once inside the car, I contacted the agent to scout for houses.

I could only stay in a hotel until I find a suitable house.

After dinner, I went out for a walk and saw if there was any suitable house nearby.

But none seemed ideal.

After washing up and lying on the bed, I took out my phone and opened the Instagram.

There, I saw Sydney's recent post from ten minutes ago.

It was a photo of them dining at a restaurant.

She didn't take a picture of Everett's face directly, but his hands.

The watch on Everett's wrist looked very familiar to me.

It was the birthday gift I bought him with my first paycheck.

Though not as extravagant as his other watches, he said he liked it and wore it often.

I used to believe he really liked it.

Until last month, I accidentally learned from his assistant that he wore it to facilitate discussions on cooperation with certain special units.

Because it was inconspicuous and affordable.

My gaze shifted to her caption, "Today is my first day at work. I hope Mr. Turner can give me more guidance in the future."

So romantic.

I silently liked the post, then unfriended her.

The next day, I washed and got ready to go out to work.

As soon as I opened the door, I saw a bunch of bright roses on the floor.

I frowned and kicked them aside.

Looking up, I met Everett's displeased gaze.

He was dressed in a suit and his hair was neatly groomed.

He was holding a packed breakfast.

He asked, "Aren't roses your favorite?"

"But I don't like what you gave me." I responded calmly, "How did you find this place?"

He frowned and said, "I found it based on your takeout address."

With that, I recalled using his phone to order food before.

At that time, he teased me for my junk food habits.

I glanced at him indifferently and walked past him towards the elevator.

Everett picked up the rose and followed.

"When are you moving back?"

At the last second before the elevator closed, he rushed in and asked impatiently.

I looked at him coldly, "That's not my home. Why would I go back there?"

"Everett, remember we're over."

"Are you upset I promoted Sydney to assistant manager?" He stared at me and softened his tone, "As long as you don't make trouble with me, I will promote you later. She is just gaining experience in this position, and she won't stay for long."

His words felt like a cruel joke.

My efforts were far less valuable than a word from others.

It was as if everything I worked hard for was a joke to him.

I met his gaze and said calmly, "I don't need anything from you."

Not the job, not the ring.

Not even you.