23. Chloe
23
Chloe
Clearing out the workspace I’d settled in for the last three months is a breeze.
Everything I own could fit into my handbag. I make my rounds and hug the colleagues I’d grown close to, explaining that I’m going to chase my dreams. Everyone was curious. Apparently, they thought if I could survive a couple of months with Daniel, my success in this company would be cemented.
As I’m about to exit the building, Sarah catches up with me. “Chloe, got a sec?”
“Sure.”
Sarah gestures for us to step into a meeting room and closes the door. “Listen, I’ve got connections. If you ever face any problems at Carter I hadn’t clued her in any differently than the rest. Maybe Alex let something slip.
“Thanks,” is all I can muster.
She pauses, searching my face. “He’s fond of you, that much is clear.”
“His way of showing it could use some work.”
“He’s lonely and still harboring pain.”
I frown.
“A man’s pain is often hidden behind a tough facade. Seeing him content working alongside you gave me—and perhaps others—some hope.”
I had hope, too; I won’t lie.
“I appreciate your words,” I tell her. “And it’s comforting to know he has someone like you around. But if he’s suffering and can’t grow and change from that, I can’t stay.”
Sarah nods understandingly and wraps me in an embrace. “I’m serious. If there’s anything you need, you have my number.”
“Thanks, Sarah,” I say, my voice thick. “I know you’ll look after him.”
As I make my way home, I cannot help but feel a pang of sadness. The company, the routine, the faces—they’ve all earned a place in my heart. And Daniel’s face is like a stubborn sticker on a suitcase that refuses to peel off. I bet he’s already scrubbed me from his memory. Those flowers were clearly not meant for me. He’s back in the game, tossing his hat in the ring, and I’m just history now.
I wiggle in the backseat of my Uber and vow not to let the tears win.
But the moment I step through my apartment door, it’s like a dam breaks inside me. The tears come hot and fast. I sink to the floor.
I don’t know how long I sit there, but I wipe my face when the phone rings. It’s Amber.
“Chloe, how’s it going?”
“I did it, Amber. I handed in my resignation.”
“That’s good,” she pauses, probably trying to determine how to deliver her next comment. “Listen, I know this is hard, but–”
“Flowers. He had flowers, Amber. And they weren’t for me. What does that say about me? Am I not enough?”
“Chloe, stop,” Amber says firmly. “This isn’t about you being enough or not. It’s about what’s best for you. And honestly, it’s his loss. Guys like him aren’t meant for women like us.”
“You think so?”
“I know so,” Amber insists. “And now, you can heal. You don’t have to see him again, and you don’t have to deal with the mixed signals. You’re free, Chloe. You’re out from under his grip.”
I hold on to that.
Free. I’m free.
I can finally ditch the drab wardrobe that never really suited me. I can embrace color, life, and maybe even a little bit of fun. No more playing it safe, no more dressing to blend into the background of Daniel’s world. It’s time to be bold, to be me.
I get on my feet as a newfound energy courses through me.
Trudging into the bedroom, I yank my suitcase off the shelf and open it up to find some clothes already folded inside. I must be an eternal optimist to think my unbidden thoughts would stop.
I picture Daniel on a date with someone else, and a punch of jealousy hits me right in the gut. The thought of him in bed with another woman was too much to handle.
He’d be with someone who is everything I’m not. Maybe someone with a wealthy family or a model. Those are the kinds of women men like Daniel would chase, while I’m the meantime girl until those girls come along.
You have no right to be jealous, Chloe. He was never yours.
Daniel is the last person I thought I’d want, but he grew on me when I wasn’t looking.
I should have known the moment I met him that he was trouble. I should’ve never kissed him or stayed for a nightcap at his place.
But what’s done is done, and I need to stop sulking.
I remind myself that I have responsibilities to myself.
From this moment on, Daniel will just be a former boss I respect.
It’s time to set aside any animosity and cement the line between business and pleasure.