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It would have been better if Leonard hadn’t brought up the past. The moment he did, my
anger flared uncontrollably,
“You do know I gave ten years of my life, my heart, and my soul to Denol Tech. And you know it was because I loved you that I fought so hard for it. But how did you repay me?
When the company was preparing to go public, you gave my position to your first love. You
joined forces with her to humiliate me and kicked me out of the company.
A
Yes, I get it. You never explicitly expressed your feelings for me. I was the one who assumed. But didn’t it ever cross your mind how cruel it was to treat someone who loved you so deeply this
way?
And now, after your old flame sabotaged the company and ran off, you come back to me.
Leonard, what do you take me for?
When she came back, you tossed me aside like trash. Now that she’s gone, you crawl back to
- me. Don’t you think your behavior is disgusting?”
Leonard finally broke. He collapsed into sobs, wrapping his arms around me from behind. “I’m sorry, Cissy. I’m so sorry. I was wrong. But it’s not what you think. I just wanted to…”
I shoved him away, cutting him off coldly. “Enough. Don’t make excuses. Whatever your reasons, the truth is that I didn’t matter to you. I was the one fooling myself.”
“Cissy, please, let me explain…”
“Get out,” I said firmly. “I don’t want to hear it.”
Leonard left, covering his face as he wept. But my heart didn’t feel any lighter after venting my pent–up resentment. Instead, I was left with an inexplicable heaviness.
I wandered out of the office, feeling restless. With nowhere to go, I walked aimlessly until 1 found myself standing in front of Denol Tech’s building.
The once–luxurious and imposing structure now stood in ruins. Broken windows and graffiti bore the marks of angry protesters and victims. The lobby was in complete disarray, littered with
torn furniture and scrawled debt collection banners.
I stood there on the street, quietly gazing at it until my eyes ached.
From age 25 to 35, I had poured my youth, my brightest and most hopeful years, into this
place and its owner.
I had pulled it back from the brink of bankruptcy, paid off its debts, and helped it grow to
nearly a billion in annual revenue, poised for its IPO.
In this very building, I had vowed countless times to dedicate my life to it, to stand by its owner for eternity.
But in the end, the company had returned to the edge of ruin, and its owner and I had become nothing but relics of the past.
Yes, everything was in the past now.
When Leonard and Rachel forced me out, Denol Tech ceased to be a part of my life. My
feelings for Leopard should have hoop extinguished in that moment as well
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12:09 Mon, 16 Dec
feelings for Leonard should have been extinguished in that moment as well.
These ten years were nothing but a long, foolish dream.
Now that I had woken up, it was time to move on.
The realization lightened my heart. Without sparing another glance at the building, I strode away with renewed purpose.
Not long after, news broke that Denol Tech had filed for bankruptcy due to overwhelming debts. The company was auctioned off at a fraction of its former value.
Fortunately, the authorities acted swiftly. Rachel and her accomplices were extradited and brought to justice. Rachel was sentenced to ten years in prison, sparing Leonard from legal Papercussions.
For me, however, it was nothing more than a headline, a piece of news I skimmed without any emotional reaction.
