Love That Wasn't Meant to Last

Just as Earth would not stop spinning because of one person's absence, my world kept turning too. After returning to work with a clearer mind, I noticed something strange-Selena had stopped trying to contact me.

When I realized this, I felt an unexpected pang of disappointment. In a weird way, her desperate attempts to win me back had made me happy, proving that she still cared.

Sometimes, I wondered if I had held out for just another month or two, would I have lowered my defenses and given her another chance? Maybe I would have even accepted the reality of our situation.

I wanted to call myself pathetic, but love was a strange thing. To prevent myself from breaking my own principles, I forced myself to avoid any news about her.

I started putting my phone away after work and only used it for business

purposes. During that time, I fell in love with reading physical books, spending my free time quietly immersed in their pages.

I even began enforcing strict discipline in my life-waking up early, going to the gym, trying new hobbies like rock climbing and running. I also rekindled my old dream of pursuing a doctorate, increasingly driven to become a better version of myself.

Yet, deep down, I knew the truth. I had genuinely loved Selena, and all those years of devotion and emotional investment were real. It was not easy to let go of years of love.

Strangely enough, Selena still had not signed the divorce agreement. I had not approached her about it again; instead, I hired a lawyer to draft the divorce papers and file the court application.

Due to the court's busy schedule and the mandatory cooling-off period, our case was pushed back several months. Nonetheless, I did not mind the delay. Like wounds that would naturally heal with time, feelings would eventually fade too.

My exceptional work performance earned me a company celebration dinner-the first one I had received in the seven years since I joined. After the party, my boss gave me a meaningful look before sharing some news.

"The company wants to appoint you as general manager of our subsidiary. We hope you'll manage it well and live up to headquarters' expectations," he said.

The subsidiary was located in Carzonia. It was barely three years old, had a weak foundation, and was thousands of miles away. This "promotion" was essentially a subtle demotion.

In the past, I would have never accepted such an arrangement. But after some quiet contemplation, I agreed.

Once upon a time, I fell in love with this city because of one person. Back then, I turned down offers from major companies in smaller cities and passed up opportunities to study abroad, all to stay with Selena in this city, marry her, and live our simple lives together.

Now that we were separating, it seemed like the right time to start fresh in a new city. When I ran into Sylvia at the subsidiary, I was completely stunned.noveldrama

She greeted me with her usual cheerful smile and extended her hand warmly. "Let me reintroduce myself—I'm Sylvia Zanderson, Director of SinoTech. I'm looking forward to working together!"