Chapter 24

"Mr. Gallagher, did you hear? President Lancaster fired Ethan Winslow!" A former colleague leaned in, lowering her voice conspiratorially. "Rumor has it they still live together, but they fight constantly. Last week, I even saw Ethan going to the hospital with bruises on his face."

I took a sip of coffee, offering no response.

The glass walls of the office break room reflected my composed expression. I had seen this coming—Vivian Lancaster, once a formidable businesswoman, now reduced to a shadow of herself, dragged down by a toxic relationship.

"Good thing you got out when you did," the colleague remarked with a sigh. "The company's performance has plummeted. A lot of long-term clients have switched to us."

I set my cup down gently. The business world was a battlefield—one misstep led to another. Vivian had chosen her path, and now she had to face the consequences.

"Ryan, the foreign client project is a massive success!" My business partner burst into the room, beaming. "They’ve already renewed the contract and referred new clients!"

Over the past three months, our company had surged ahead. What was supposed to be a year-long goal had been achieved ahead of schedule. In the conference room, we debated whether to expand further.

"I think we should consolidate first," I said, pointing at the data on the report.

But my partner insisted on pushing forward. "Opportunities like this don’t come often!"

The discussion stretched late into the night. Unlike Vivian, my partner actually listened to my input. Our disagreements led to better solutions, rather than being outright dismissed like before.

Exhausted, I returned to my new home—a sleek, minimalist space designed exactly to my taste. Sinking into the bathtub, I let the warm water ease the tension from my body.

Then my phone rang.

The name flashing on the screen made me raise an eyebrow—Vivian Lancaster.

We hadn’t spoken in six months. Occasionally, we exchanged polite nods at corporate events, but that was it. Ethan, on the other hand, always glared at me like I was some threat, as if I’d steal Vivian away.

"Ryan…" Her voice trembled on the other end. "My pipes burst. Can you come take a look?"

I wiped the water from my hands. "Call maintenance. Or Ethan."

"We broke up…" Her voice cracked. "The company fired him too…"

Water dripped from my hair onto the fogged-up bathroom mirror—just like the blurred lines between Vivian and me, long faded beyond recognition.