Chapter 2
The next morning, I woke up in Amelia's bed.
When I checked my phone, I was hit with over a hundred missed calls and messages from Alex.
At first, he wanted to know where I was, but when I didn't reply, his texts got sharper and more impatient.
[Where the hell are you? So you know, my patience is running out.]
[I already told you that Emily was joking. Are you done making a scene yet?]
[If you're not home by noon, don't bother coming back.]
That was his last message. I stared at the word "home," stunned into silence. That place was not home to me.
To me, that cold, loveless place was a place to crash. There was nothing there that even remotely resembled a real home.
I hung out at Amelia's place until the afternoon, and then headed back to the house I'd been living in for four years.
I was there to pack up my stuff. Since I was ready to break up with Alex, there was no point in sticking around any longer.
I hadn't had a regular job these past few years, but I'd always picked up some freelance writing gigs online to make a little extra cash. Renting a place on my own was definitely doable.
Alex should've been at work by now, but as soon as I walked in, there he was, sitting on the couch.
"So you actually bothered to come back," Alex snorted, his expression dripping with annoyance and blame.
"We're about to get married, and you're still causing drama? Emily and I went on a trip. Nothing happened. Honestly, if you weren't so dull, I would've taken you instead of her," he said, cold as ice.
He made it clear that he was pissed, dumping everything on me like it was all my fault.
I was too tired to even argue back. "Yeah, whatever," I muttered, barely bothering to hide my indifference. Honestly, I had nothing left to say. Deep down, I knew he'd never be able to give me what I truly wanted.
"What's with that attitude?" Alex snapped, his anger flaring. "Who are you trying to give attitude to? I'm the boss of a company, putting my work aside to please you, and you're still not grateful?"
He took a deep breath, rubbing his temples in frustration. "I'm not going to make things harder for you. Apologize to Emily, and the wedding goes on as planned."
He waved me over, gesturing for me to come closer. I never thought much of it before, but now, seeing him do that, I couldn't help but feel like he was summoning a pet.
Without even glancing at him, I headed straight for the bedroom. He still didn't get it, but honestly, it didn't matter anymore. I'd already decided to let go.
Alex sat in the living room, snapping at me with barely concealed irritation. "Sophie, will you ever stop? Are you trying to make me mad?"
I kept quiet, not giving him the satisfaction of a response.
He stomped out, slamming the door so hard that it rattled the frame. He never really had any patience for me, anyway.
Once he left, I threw my stuff together, hit up a rental agent, and moved into my new place that very day.
It was a tiny apartment, but it felt more like home than that house I'd spent four years in. This place was all mine, paid for with my own cash.
That night, stretched out on my king-sized bed, I slept better than I had in ages.
*****
The next day, I started sending out resumes and hitting up job interviews.
Even though I hadn't really worked much these past few years, I helped Alex handle most of his business affairs behind the scenes.
Back when we first got together, I was one of the top students at school. I was not a once-in-a-lifetime prodigy, but definitely in the top tier.
My mentor was convinced that I was destined for greatness, saying that with a few years of hard work, making a fortune would be a piece of cake.
But because Alex said he couldn't trust anyone else, I turned down a big offer from a top company and jumped straight into working for him.
Once the company was stable, Alex wanted me to give up my career and play the housewife. I never thought I'd end up like this, starting over from scratch.
"Come on. You don't need to run around job hunting. Work with me. Who needs men anyway? We can totally make it on our own," Amelia said, grinning with confidence.
When she found out I was job searching, she came flying over to my apartment without a second thought.
Back when I first graduated, Amelia actually invited me to work at her family's company, but I was so obsessed with Alex that I didn't even hesitate before saying no.
"Hey, if love's a bust, at least we can boss it at work, right? Chin up, girl," Amelia said, giving me a boost.
Amelia wasted no time hooking me up with a job. "This project's in your hometown. Treat it like visiting family, and while you're there, help me oversee the project. Sound good?"
I didn't even hesitate. "Sure. No problem."