Chapter 2

The automatic glass doors of the office building slid shut behind Ethan, muting the sounds of the city. He stood on the pavement, the afternoon sun feeling unnaturally bright. He felt numb, as if he were watching a movie of someone else' s life. He looked up at the gleaming facade of the building, to the tenth floor, where Olivia' s office window was a dark rectangle. He knew she was watching him. He could feel her cold, angry gaze.

He didn't know where to go, so he just started walking. His feet led him to a small park a few blocks away, a place where he and Olivia had eaten lunch on their first anniversary with the company. He sat on a bench, the same bench, and stared at the pigeons pecking at the ground.

His mind drifted back. He remembered the late nights, the takeout containers littering their tiny first office. He remembered her boundless ambition and his elegant code, a perfect partnership. They were going to build an empire together. They had promised each other. "You and me against the world, Ethan," she used to say, her eyes shining with a passion that had once captivated him completely.

Then, six months ago, Liam had arrived. Fresh out of college with a useless degree and an overwhelming sense of entitlement, he was Olivia' s sister' s son. "He just needs a chance, a foot in the door," Olivia had said. "He looks up to you, Ethan. Be a mentor to him."

Ethan had tried. He really had. But Liam had no interest in learning. He was lazy, careless, and spent most of his time trying to look busy while doing nothing. Ethan had brought up his concerns to Olivia gently at first.

"He's just adjusting, Ethan. Give him time."

A month later, after Liam deleted a staging database, Ethan had been more firm.

"He's family, Ethan. We don't give up on family."

The arguments became more frequent, a repeating pattern of Liam' s incompetence and Olivia' s blind defense. Each time, Ethan felt a small piece of their foundation crack. He had warned her that Liam' s mistakes were getting bigger, more dangerous. He' d told her that one day, he would do something they couldn't fix.

And now, that day had come. And she had chosen Liam.

The full weight of it finally hit him on that park bench. Five years of his life. Five years of dedication, sacrifice, and love. He had poured everything he had into her and into their company, and it had all been erased in a single afternoon because he refused to coddle her nephew. It meant nothing. He meant nothing.

He knew then, with absolute certainty, that it was over. Not just the job, but the relationship. There was no going back from a betrayal this deep. Letting go was the only option left.

His phone vibrated in his pocket, a harsh buzz in the quiet park. He pulled it out, expecting a furious text from Olivia, or maybe an email from HR about his final paycheck.

It was a notification from LinkedIn. A message.

"Hi Ethan, my name is Mark Chen, and I'm a lead recruiter at Phoenix Innovations. I'm reaching out because a senior leadership role has opened up in our new R&D division that seems like a perfect match for your skills and experience. Would you be open to a confidential conversation?"

Phoenix Innovations. Their biggest rival. The company Olivia always referred to as "the enemy."

A bitter, ironic smile touched Ethan' s lips. He remembered an email from this same recruiter, Mark Chen, almost exactly a year ago. They had offered him a position then, a generous one. He had turned it down without a second thought. He had told Olivia about it, and she had kissed him and said, "See? They know you're the best. But you're our best." He had been loyal.

Now, he had no job, no girlfriend, and half of his belongings were still in an apartment he could no longer enter. The new opportunity felt less like a lifeline and more like a cruel joke. He felt hollowed out, as if he had lost a vital part of himself.

He sat there for a long time, watching the sun begin to set, casting long shadows across the park. The city lights started to flicker on. He looked at the message from Mark Chen again. His fingers hovered over the screen. Then, with a deep breath, he typed a reply.

"Hi Mark. Yes, I'm available to talk."