Three years of loving him, three days to erase myself from his world novel Chapter 41

In the office.

After hanging up the phone, Clara Vance sank into her chair, staring blankly at the wall for a long moment.

The more she thought about it, the more ridiculous her devotion over the past few years seemed.

She was just thankful she had finally woken up to reality.

Otherwise, her future would only be filled with even more humiliation.

Exhaling a soft breath, Clara sat up straight, opened her laptop, and began drafting her resignation letter.

She printed it out and slipped it into a sleek envelope.

She planned to take it back to the estate tonight and hand it to Julian Lowell, right alongside the property division agreement.

She was going to sever ties with him completely.

And leave without any excess baggage.

Yet, as she wrote, memories of their time together flashed through her mind, and a hot sting gathered in her eyes.

He had brought her into the industry, teaching her the ropes and the unwritten rules of the business. He had guided her like a mentor and protected her like a fiercely devoted boyfriend.

And on, and on...

She wasn't made of stone.

Of course she had feelings for him.

And being deceived hurt like hell.

***

Meanwhile.

With a sharp crash, Seraphina Shaw slammed her phone against the table in a fit of rage.

Julian used to never ignore her messages. No matter how busy he was, she was always his top priority. What was wrong with him today?!

Was he actually starting to care about Clara?

Seraphina's eyes flushed red with anger, and soon, a wave of unbearable grievance washed over her.

Snatching up her phone, she fired off another text to the man:

[Julian, why are you ignoring me...]

This time, Julian replied almost instantly:

[I was tied up in a meeting, sorry. I'll pick you up in a bit. As for getting Professor Thorne to take you on as a student, I've figured out a way. We'll talk details tonight.]

Seeing the message, a smile finally broke through Seraphina's sullen expression.

But the joy wasn't as profound as it used to be.

Because he hadn't mentioned a single word about how he was going to punish Clara for bullying her. Clearly, something was off. In the past, he would have never let a slight against her slide.

[Okay, I'll wait for you.]

After sending the text.

Seraphina cast a dark, calculating look toward the door, her gaze locked on the direction of Clara's office as she tightened her grip on the edge of the desk.

***

As the workday drew to a close.

Clara wrapped up her pending tasks just as a text from her sister, Elena, popped up on her screen.

Elena: [Clara, come over for dinner tomorrow night. There's something I need to talk to you about.]

But she had never been granted a piece of it.

Clara took one look and forced her gaze away.

Who would have thought that just hours ago, he had spoken to her with such tender devotion?

It was all a lie.

True love, or the lack thereof, was glaringly obvious if you just opened your eyes.

It was fine.

She was leaving soon anyway.

Julian would finally be free of the exhausting charade of deceiving her and enduring her affection.

He could finally be with Seraphina openly.

A bitter scoff escaped her lips.

***

Half an hour later.

The car pulled up to the luxury mall.

Clara headed inside to shop for her dress.

Since Benny, the driver, had nothing else to do, he wandered inside as well to enjoy the heating.

Clara had a clear goal in mind, taking the escalator straight up to an exclusive designer boutique.

A sales associate spotted her and immediately approached with a polished smile.

"Welcome, miss. Are you looking for a specific style today? I'd be happy to assist you in finding the perfect piece."