Chapter 2
"Typical, graduating from some crappy college. No wonder your standards are so low," someone scoffed.
"You can't even handle your own job, and you still have the guts to envy others?" another person snarked.
"If Brenna gets sick and the project gets delayed, even selling you wouldn't be enough to pay for the losses," a third voice chimed in.
Cason draped his jacket over Brenna's shoulders, his arm wrapped protectively around her.
Brenna looked totally spooked, nestling up to Cason like a lost kitten.
She was a far cry from the boss lady everyone knew at work.
Standing there in the pouring rain, I watched the two of them, my heart heavy with exhaustion.
The rain was coming down in sheets, and the temperature dropped like a rock.
With my fever still raging, the cold wind cut right through me, making me shiver uncontrollably.
Brenna, on the other hand, was a whole different vibe.
With Cason's jacket draped over her shoulders, she looked fresh as ever, practically worshipping him with those adoring eyes.
With his arm still around Brenna, as if he'd forgotten all about it, Cason just popped open the umbrella and the two of them huddled together underneath, heading out side by side.
"Don't want you getting sick in those soaked clothes. Let's hit the mall and grab you something dry," Cason said.
"Even if Jasmine's the one paying for it, just hand her the receipt and she'll reimburse you," he added.
Brenna gave a sugary smile, shooting me a look that was both mocking and provocative.
"Whatever you say, Cason. You're always so good to me," she said sweetly.
Cason grinned. "Hey, you're the backbone of our crew. In my eyes, you matter most."
Cason's words cut me deep, like a knife straight to the heart.
It felt like I was bleeding out inside, every bit of me torn open.
Everyone around me looked at me like I was some kind of joke.
"Cason." I called out to him, my voice calm and even. "Today's my birthday."
Cason stopped in his tracks. His reaction made it obvious. He didn't remember at all.
"Work's been insane lately, and we're at a critical stage. I really don't have time for stuff like this," he said.
"It's just a birthday. I'll make it up to you later," he added. "Brenna's still in those wet clothes, and she's so fragile. I should hurry and take her shopping for something dry."
With everyone staring, I just stood there, expressionless, not letting any emotion show.
Guess buying Brenna some clothes matters more to him than spending my birthday with his girlfriend.
I looked at Cason, the face I used to be crazy about was all worried and urgent, but none of it was for me.
Cason had his arm around Brenna, waving for a cab in the pouring rain, heading straight for the mall.
Right before getting in, he glanced back at me. "Jasmine, this rain's insane. I'm taking Brenna by cab."
"Cabs are super rare when it's pouring, so no point waiting. Just hop on the subway and head home," he said.
"The subway's right up ahead. If you run, you won't get soaked," he added.
I looked at Cason, his face all full of concern, and just curled my lips in a cold smirk.
Seriously, what a joke.
The mall was only a few hundred meters from the office, but he just had to make a big deal out of it and take a cab.
Meanwhile, he and I lived over ten kilometers from work, and he expected me to shove myself onto the subway, fever and all.
"Cason, let's break up," I said.
After work rush, downstairs was jam-packed with people.
Everyone here worked in the same building.
Some faces were familiar, others were total strangers.
My voice was loud enough for everyone to hear. The moment I said "break up," all eyes snapped to me and Cason.
Everyone loved a bit of drama. It was just human nature.
Cason was the project lead, a rising star, and pretty well-known around here.
So, of course, a lot of people knew who he was.
With everyone staring, Cason's face darkened, his jaw tight. "Jasmine, why are you making a scene again?"
"Just do as I say, okay?" he said. "Go home first, we'll talk about this when we get back..."
"Don't bother," I said, shivering, but my voice didn't waver. "Let's break up. There's nothing more to say between us."
With those words, I hoisted my bag over my head and plunged straight into the downpour, never once looking back.
Cason gripped the car door so tight his knuckles turned white. He hesitated, paused, but in the end, he just let me go.
The crowd instantly lit up with excited whispers and nosy chatter, everyone eager to catch the latest drama.
"Wait, what? Did Jasmine just dump Cason?" someone blurted out.
"They've been dating forever, I heard they were almost tying the knot," another person added.
Some coworkers couldn't help themselves and went straight to Cason with their questions.
"Cason, what did you do to make Jasmine mad?" one of them asked.
"Women are always like this, just love making a fuss," another chimed in.
"Just go talk to her, she'll get over it," someone else added.
Cason kept a cold, aloof look, acting like he was above all this drama.
"Why bother making up to her? She's not the type to throw a fit," he said.
"She'll figure it out on her own and come apologize to me," he added.
"She graduated from some crappy college. If it weren't for me, she wouldn't even have a shot at working here," he scoffed.
"Break up with me? As if. She'd never have the guts," he said, full of himself.
"With a boyfriend who's got a PhD like me, there's no way she'd ever let go," he added with a smug grin.