Everyone was caught off guard.
Noreen included.
But beneath the surprise, there was a sense of relief.
Atst, things hade to this.
She realized it the moment she found herself doing everything wrong, <i>no </i>
matter how hard she tried.
The problem had never really been her–it was simply that her rtionship with Seth had run its course.
She spoke calmly, “Alright. I’lle in first thing Monday to file the paperwork.”
Jude waited until Noreen had left for a while before frowning and grumbling, “No way. Is she really just going to walk away?”
He didn’t buy it for a second.
“Seth, I’ming by on Monday to watch the show,” Jude announced,
determined not to miss the fallout.
“Do what you want,” Seth replied coolly, his tone giving nothing away.
For Noreen, the evening turned out to be quite fruitful.
Of course, the biggest win was that Seth had finally signed off on her resignation.
So, for the rest of the night, she let herself drink a little more freely. If Dn hadn’t kept an eye on her, she might have ended the night.pletely wasted.
“When you get home, make sure you drink some sobering broth, or you’ll wake up with a killer headache,” Dn reminded her.
“Yeah, yeah, I hear you. Has anyone ever told you you’re a real nag?”
Noreen slurred, a little looser than usual from the alcohol.
21.25
“What did you just call me?” Dn stopped short.
“I… I think I’m going to throw up.”
Dn rolled his eyes and helped steady her. He didn’t want her making a scene in public, so he guided her toward the restroom.
“Be careful in there. If you need anything, just call.”
He waited outside; it would be awkward for him to go in after all.
Noreen didn’t end up being sick–maybe because Dn had made sure she ate between drinks instead of just downing wine all night.
Not wanting to make Dn wait too long, she sshed some cold water on her face, fixed her hair, and headed back out. But as she reached the door, voices drifted in from the hallway.
Speak of the devil–it was Jude, as loud as ever.
“Don’t worry, Bianca, I’ll be at Aurelion Group on Monday to make sure Noreen actually quits. Even if she has second thoughts, I’ll force her out! She’ll never be a threat to you trust me!”
“You really don’t need to worry about her. There’s noparison between you two,” Jude went on.
“But she’s been with Seth for seven years,” Bianca replied, her voice tinged with sadness.
“Seven years is a long time. Even if you just had a pet for that long, you’d get attached. Let alone a person,” Jude said.
“You’re overthinking this! Men and women aren’t the same. I promise you, Seth only ever saw Noreen as a tool–a free one at that! Just look at it: after all these years, he never once spent money on her, not even bought her an apartment. Even if you keep a songbird, you at least buy it a cage. Noreen? She was just there for his convenience. Honestly, that’s why I look down on her.”
Bianca sounded surprised. “Seth… never spent money on Noreen?”
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Jude sounded utterly convinced. “Never! Isn’t itmon wisdom that a man only spends on a woman if he really cares for her? That proves Seth never had real feelings for Noreen. So, you have nothing to worry about.”
“And she’s about to quit, too. Once she leaves Aurelion Group, she and Seth will be like parallel lines–never crossing again. You can rx.”
Bianca seemed reassured, her mood visibly lifting. “Alright, let’s go find Seth. It’s gettingte.”
Their footsteps faded down the corridor. Only when Noreen was sure they were gone did she finally step out.
Seven years–it really was a long time. Long enough to see people’s
hearts change, long enough for Seth to grow tired of her.
She pressed her lips together, eyes burning with unshed tears.
She stood there for a long moment, willing herself to breathe, to swallow down the ache and let it go.
Dn still had guests to entertain, so he couldn’t take her home himself. Instead, he called the driver and instructed him to make sure Noreen got home safely.
21.25 #