I Quit My Job and My Relationship

While we're camping outdoors, my boyfriend, Preston Bassett, hands his cup to his childhood friend, Ashley Rankin. Instead of making a scene, I simply tell him I want to break up. "Just because I'm letting her use my cup?" "Yes." Rather than getting mad, Preston laughs. "Fine. Let's break up then. But try to stand by your decision this time. Don't come crying to me for a second chance before we've even packed up the tent." His friend chimes in from the side, "Maybe you should just apologize. If you guys actually break up, you'll be crying before you know it." Preston looks at me like he couldn't care less, a mocking smirk on his face. "She's just bored out of her mind and is looking for trouble. "Back then, she was even willing to fall out with her family just to move to this city and be with me. I'd be impressed if she could keep this up for two days." He's right. I have loved him for three whole years, and I have willingly given up everything for him. What he'll never understand is the fact that jobs can always be replaced, and the wrong person is always someone worth walking away from. I have already submitted my resignation and received an offer from a new company. So, as soon as the handover is complete, I'll leave. This time, no matter what happens, I am never looking back. Chapter 1 Preston Bassett left the campsite without so much as a backward glance, probably because I'd broken up with him in front of everyone and bruised his ego. Seeing he'd left his car keys on his chair, I bent down to grab them with a sigh. I went over to the campsite owner and asked if he could give Preston the keys for me. The man glanced over my shoulder. "Isn't he right over there? Why don't you just give them to him yourself?" Following his gaze, I saw Preston sitting around a table with a few of his friends. A cigarette rested between his fingers, and he was chatting away with them. "Danielle seems really serious this time, Preston. You'd better take her seriously. A woman who's pretty, loyal, and comes from money doesn't come along every day." "Yeah, just swallow your pride and apologize already. Don't wait until she's completely given up on you. By the time that happens, it'll be too late to do anything." Preston glanced down at the lighter he was fiddling with before arching an eyebrow, looking completely unfazed. "Relax," he said. "You think I don't know her by now? She was willing to fight with her family just to move to this city and be with me. I can bet that she'll come crawling back by tomorrow at the latest." Ashley Rankin, who was sitting next to him, casually snatched his lighter and chimed in with a smirk, "Didn't know you were such an expert on women. Why do you always give me a hard time then? Aren't we friends?" Everyone around the table burst into laughter. "Still, you two can't keep doing this. How many times has it been now?" "That's exactly why I'm not giving in first this time." Preston leaned back in his chair, his tone light and casual. "She's just a sheltered rich girl who's been spoiled rotten her whole life. I need to teach her a lesson so that she won't go throwing around the word 'breakup' so lightly. "Besides, there's no way I'm breaking up with someone that devoted. I'm just messing with her. Notice how she's been feeling way more insecure lately? I simply lent my cup to Ashley since she forgot hers. That's what friends do. Is that really worth making a fuss over?" One of the guys spoke up. "Maybe she thinks there's something going on between you two. I mean, Danielle is used to having you all to herself. It's only natural that she wouldn't be comfortable having your childhood friend pop up out of nowhere and steal your attention. "And let's be real, Ashley's got the looks and the body. It's no wonder your girlfriend feels threatened." Ashley scoffed, slinging an arm over Preston's shoulder. "Please. We're as platonic as it gets. If anything were ever going to happen between us, it would've happened years ago. She wouldn't even be in the picture. "But hey, if I'm really making things difficult for you, I'll disappear right now and won't be a problem for you guys." "What are you even saying?" Preston frowned. "My friends are one thing, and my girlfriend is another. She doesn't get to tell me who I can't be friends with! "Don't worry. I'll set her straight later. If she still has a problem with it, then getting back together is off the table. She literally ran away from home just to be with me. You really think I can't keep her in line?" At that point, I didn't want to hear another word. After asking the campsite owner to make sure Preston got his car keys, I turned and walked away from the campsite. When I got down the mountain, I started working on my resignation. I'd already handed over almost all of my work. The only thing left was to submit my resignation letter. I called home to let them know about my resignation. The phone rang for a long time before someone finally picked up. The background on the other end was so noisy that my mom's voice was practically drowned out. When she heard I was quitting, all she said was a hurried, "Stay safe. I'm busy right now, so let's talk another time." She hung up before I could even respond. Then again, this was nothing new. Chapter 2 For as long as I could remember, my parents never really had time for me. I even had to ask my teacher for permission to skip parent-teacher meetings, and my classmates started calling me "the professional at taking leave". Eventually, I just got used to being alone. After all, even the people closest to me often seemed to forget I existed. That was, until I met Preston. He was a ray of light that suddenly illuminated my dark world. I could still remember one particular time when I unexpectedly got my period and had no one I knew around me. When he noticed, he quietly offered me a pack of tissues. Even though I still ended up staining my clothes, I never forgot that small act of kindness. Back then, I genuinely thought about how great it would be if I could just stay by his side forever. But then Ashley came back to the city and everything changed. They were childhood friends and had grown up together. Half the time, all it took was one look for them to know exactly what the other was thinking. Meanwhile, I felt like I could never truly fit in. She was almost always there on our dates. Even on the birthday trip I had planned just for the two of us, Preston couldn't stop thinking about Ashley. He merely glanced at the concert tickets I had gone through so much trouble to get and said, "Ashley likes this singer too. Let's bring her along next time." I threw the fan merchandise in my hand onto the ground, asking, "Did you come here to celebrate my birthday with me, or to check out the venue for your childhood friend?" My question irritated him. "She's a friend. What's wrong with bringing her to a concert?" "You really have to ask? Why is she the first person you think of no matter what we do? You remember her food preferences when we eat out, and you think of her clothing size when we go shopping. Preston, who exactly is your girlfriend here?" I thought that if I just told him all the things that hurt me, he'd understand how I felt and actually make a change. Instead, he just got even more furious. While pointing a finger at my face, he shouted, "Someone like you, who never had a single friend growing up, obviously wouldn't understand what real friendship is! No wonder you're always alone!" Those words hit right where it hurt the most. He knew about my past and what my biggest insecurities were, yet he still chose to aim his knife right there. From that moment on, I began to close off my heart, little by little. It wasn't that I stopped loving him. I just realized that my love was never going to be reciprocated. To him, I was just being a drama queen who was always making him look bad in front of people. But the truth was, I just couldn't stand the fact that my boyfriend always had someone else on his mind. Right after I signed my resignation papers, my phone rang. It was Preston. I stared at his name flashing on the screen for a good while before finally answering. His bright, carefree voice came through the speaker, as if nothing had ever happened between us. "Danielle, how was your day? I'm actually right outside your office. I came to pick you up after work. Are you working late? If you are, I'll wait for you." Gripping my phone, I walked over to the window. Sure enough, there he was, that familiar figure standing downstairs. The old me would've run down there the moment I heard. But now, I was just tired. "Don't bother. I'm going to be working rather late tonight. You should go pick up Ashley instead." He suddenly stopped chuckling, and his voice turned cold. "What's that supposed to mean? I went out of my way to get you, and you're still acting like this?" "I didn't mean anything else. I already said we're done, Preston. Don't contact me again." He let out a frustrated laugh. "Playing hard to get now, huh? Fine. Don't regret your decision." After hanging up, I blocked and deleted his number immediately. Not long after, one of his friends messaged me. "Give it a rest, Danielle Carter. Preston is actually serious this time. If you don't take it back now, your relationship is officially over." Chapter 3 Instead of replying, I simply deleted the message. Our relationship was already over, and there was no going back. This time, I was truly leaving. The next day, I had a nice farewell get-together with my coworkers. Once everything was wrapped up and the goodbyes were said, it was time for me to leave this place. But while I was settling the bill at the front, I saw Preston walk in with his arm draped over Ashley's shoulder. The doorway had a thick curtain over it, and Preston lifted it for her attentively like it was second nature. Ashley ducked under it with a smile, murmuring, "Thanks." The people around them immediately started cheering. "Dang, Preston. Look at you being all gentlemanly. You are definitely boyfriend of the year!" Preston didn't bother explaining himself. He merely exchanged a glance with Ashley. But when he turned his head, his eyes met mine. As if he suddenly felt guilty, he instinctively took a small step back, creating some distance between him and Ashley. There was no expression on my face as I glanced at the group. Once I finished paying, I turned and headed back to the private room. "Danielle!" Preston caught up to me. He tried to sound casual, but there was this condescending, haughty edge to his voice. "I'm just grabbing dinner with my friends. Don't overthink things. We haven't talked in a while. Are you still mad? How about I come over to your place tonight and make it up to you? Sound good? Remember to leave the door unlocked for me." When he didn't get a response, he leaned in closer and spoke in a low voice. "Hey, that's enough. I said I was sorry. You've been ignoring me for days. At least don't make me look bad today." I looked up at him. His face showed nothing but impatience, irritation, and embarrassment. There wasn't even a shred of remorse toward me. "I already told you. We're no longer together," I said. Preston's face contorted, and his voice shot up an octave. All he could think about was that I was embarrassing him in front of his friends, especially in front of Ashley. "Fine! You've got some nerve. We're no longer together, right? Then I'll go confess to Ashley right now!" He assumed I'd panic and back down like I always did, begging him not to leave me. But all I did was calmly say, "We're not together anymore. You're free to be with whoever you want." Without another glance at his pale face or Ashley's barely concealed excitement, I turned and walked back into the private room. … Back at my apartment, when my landlady, Jessica Smith, heard I was moving out, she looked genuinely sad to see me leave. "Dani, are you sure you want to leave?" she asked. "It's so hard to find a tenant as easygoing as you. It'd be a real shame to see you go." I zipped up my suitcase, my tone calm but firm. "I've already made up my mind, Jessica. Thanks for taking such good care of me all these years." Seeing my resolve, she didn't try to stop me anymore. She asked, "Then, when are you leaving?" "In three days." I'd just seen Jessica out when Preston slipped into my apartment. "What's in three days?" He had a dark look on his face. Who knew how long he'd been standing out in the hall? "What were you talking about with your landlady?" His tone revealed nothing but the irritation I was used to. "Danielle, what's your problem this time?" I offered no response and simply continued packing with my head down. Without warning, he flew into a rage and kicked my neatly packed suitcase over. "I'm talking to you! What exactly are you playing at? "This has been going on long enough. Are you seriously not done yet? Ashley didn't even do anything to you. Do you really have to be so hostile toward her?" I stayed silent. I was just about to tell him to get out when Ashley walked in. She was taken aback by the mess on the floor. Then a look of realization mixed with helplessness crossed her face. "Danielle, don't tell me you're breaking up with Preston because of me." Chapter 4 With a hand on my suitcase, Ashley spoke as though she were only trying to smooth things over. "I know you're uncomfortable with the fact that Preston and I grew up together. But you can't assume he'll always indulge you just because he cares about you. We're really just friends. There's absolutely nothing going on between us. I don't even see him as a guy, I swear." Her innocent act made my blood boil. "You don't see him as a guy?" I scoffed. "Then why is it that every time you ask him out, you show up in a miniskirt with that 'no-makeup' makeup look? And the second I call you out on it, you go crying to him about how I'm restricting your freedom to dress? "And wasn't it you who insisted he buy you a Valentine's Day gift? Wasn't it you who asked him to hike up a mountain with you in the middle of the night to watch the sunrise? "Ashley, if you really think men and women are all the same, then why don't you ask your other guy friends to do those things with you?" Ashley went pale upon being called out like that. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. She kept her eyes down and stayed quiet for a long time. But when she looked back up at Preston, her expression suddenly shifted to a mix of resolve and grievance. "I don't even know how to defend myself… Preston, your girlfriend is being so hostile to me, probably because she thinks I'm trying to come between you guys. "I don't want to put you in a tough spot… You guys should just focus on your relationship. Just pretend we were never friends." With that, she turned to leave. "Ashley!" Sure enough, Preston panicked. He looked at me with anger and resentment in his eyes. Seeing that Ashley was actually walking away, he exploded at me. "Are you happy now, Danielle? How many times do I have to tell you? There's nothing going on between Ashley and me! "If there really had been, do you think you ever would've had a chance? You're always alone and can't make friends, so you just can't stand seeing me with mine, is that it? "I'm only gonna say this one last time. If you still want to be with me, you need to apologize to Ashley. Otherwise, you can forget about us ever getting back together!" After yelling at me, he took off after her without so much as a backward glance. I just stood there, watching him run after her. The key I was holding dug painfully into my palm. And with that, the very last ounce of care I had for him completely disappeared. From then on, Preston and I stopped talking entirely. And of course, Ashley was thrilled. She posted about the two of them on her social media every single day. "He came to a haunted house with me just to cheer me up, but he ended up scaring himself half to death. Who knew a big tough guy like him was so afraid of ghosts?" The picture attached showed Preston looking pale and terrified in the haunted house, clinging to Ashley for dear life. Their mutual friends quickly flooded the comments. "Wow, Preston actually went to a haunted house for you! That's true love if I've ever seen it!" "Right? We could never get him to go before, but he folds the second you get mad. You guys are literally made for each other!" I didn't bother scrolling any further, nor did I care how Preston reacted to the post. I just clicked on her profile, hit block, and deleted her contact. I was done paying attention to anything related to Preston. For the next two days, I focused entirely on preparing for my new job. And true to his word, Preston didn't reach out once, all for the sake of his "friend", of course. That was fine with me. He was irrelevant to my life now anyway. It wasn't until the very last second before I powered off my phone to board my plane that a text from an unknown number popped up. "You've thrown your tantrum long enough. I hope you've reflected on yourself by now. Ashley said she isn't mad at you anymore, so I've decided to forgive you too. We're at Macklow Street. Come pick me up. I'll give you a chance to make it up to me tonight." That arrogant and condescending tone was classic Preston. He sounded like he was doing me some kind of favor. If this were the old me, back when I still hadn't given up on him, I probably would've replied with a quick "Okay" and dropped everything to run to him. But now, I simply deleted the message, like it was nothing more than spam. Before heading through airport security., I turned off my phone.