Chapter 3
My relationship with Alex hit rock bottom because of his girlfriend. He stopped calling me, and whenever we crossed paths at work, he'd just walk right past me. I felt utterly isolated, like a complete loner.
And then, the last straw arrived.
Alex had been grinding away as project manager on a big deal for half a year, only for the client to suddenly shut it down out of nowhere. That project was his ticket to a fat year-end bonus and a shot at a promotion.
And the biggest shareholder of that client company is Charlotte's company.
The afternoon the news hit, Alex lost it and came charging over to my place. He kicked the door open, right then, Charlotte was in the open kitchen, wearing an adorable cat-print apron, making dinner for me.
"Michael!" Alex roared.
He stormed over, grabbed me by the collar, and started yelling right in my face. "I treated you like a brother! And you let your wife do me dirty like this?"
"You'd ditch your own bro for a crazy bitch? Selling out your best friend just to live off your wife? You're really something else, man!"
His words were like blades, slashing right through my chest. A storm of shame, rage, and humiliation raged inside me.
Charlotte turned off the stove and walked out of the kitchen at a leisurely pace. She took off her apron, her expression innocent and a little puzzled.
"Mr. Young, is there a misunderstanding?" she asked.
"I just felt the project carried too much financial risk going forward. Our risk management team reviewed it and suggested we pause it."
"Michael values your friendship, and I really don't want to see his friend lose out because of a bad investment."
Charlotte's words were smooth as silk, leaving no room for argument. Every line sounded like she was just "doing us a favor."
But to Alex, it came off as a straight-up threat and a shameless power move. "To hell with your 'doing it for me' crap!" Alex exploded, completely losing it. "Charlotte, you psycho! You just want to chase everyone out of Michael's life!"
"Michael, wake up! She's going to ruin you!"
I tried to explain, tried to pull Alex away, but he was beyond reason—he wasn't hearing a thing. He jerked his hand free, shooting me a look of pure disappointment.
"Michael, I was so damn wrong about you," he spat.
He turned around and snatched a photo frame from the cabinet by the door. It was a group shot of our college basketball team, taken at graduation. Without hesitation, he slammed the frame onto the floor.
"You're no longer my bro," Alex said coldly.
He slammed the door behind him, leaving chaos on the floor and a dead silence hanging in the air. I turned to look at Charlotte. The innocence and confusion on her face had vanished. Now, there was only a chilly calm—a
She walked over, crouched down, and started picking up the shards of glass one by one, like she was just cleaning up something insignificant.
"From now on, no one will badmouth me or come between us again," Charlotte said softly.
That moment, everything became painfully clear to me. If I didn't break free right now, I'd lose it all. My dignity, my friends, my whole life.
Without a word, I turned and walked back to my room. I opened the closet and dragged out the dusty old suitcase. I started packing, piece by piece. My movements were mechanical and numb.
The only thing racing through my mind was: I had to get out. I needed to leave her—there was no other way. The way Charlotte loved me was crushing, like a web that wrapped tighter and tighter, threatening to choke the life out of me.
I took a deep breath, grabbed my suitcase, and walked out the door. This was my last act of defiance—my only way out.