Abigail's hands clenched into tight fists. It became more apparent to her that this man had completely lost his mind and was utterly arrogant.
'How dare he shamelessly say those words?' She couldn't help but curse Ryland in her mind.
"Listen, Mr. Ryland Wood! I won't return to work at your company. And you don't need to worry about whether I can afford my rent," Abigail paused to take a deep breath as she felt her chest tighten.
"Abigail, please—"
"And, Mr. Wood, this is the last time I will pick up your calls. Never contact me again or show up before me," Abigail immediately ended the call before Ryland could say anything else. She was done with him—wholly done.
"Ryland Wood, damn you! How dare you ask me to come back to your damn company after what you did!? Sleeping with my sister right in front of my eyes. You bastard! I hope God punishes you with divine retribution!"
After venting her anger, Abigail took her beer and finished the bottle.
However,
She hesitated when placing the bottle back on the table, realizing a pair of light blue eyes were staring at her. She felt slightly awkward, realizing the godly, handsome man was still there, sitting next to her.
'Oh my God! Did he hear everything?' Abigail thought to herself, wishing she could disappear at that moment.
Awkwardly, Abigail turned to face him. With an embarrassed grin, she said, "Sir, I'm sorry you had to hear me ranting about my awful ex-fiancé."
He said nothing but raised his beer to reassure her it was fine.
"Sir—"
"Sawyer!"
Abigail frowned, "Sawyer?"
"You can call me Sawyer."
"Ah. Nice to meet you, Mr. Sawyer. I'm Abigail Snow."
After seeing him only nod slightly without speaking, Abigail felt even more guilty for disturbing his peace.
"Alright, I need to leave now," Abigail said while standing up. "As I said earlier, I owe you my life. Call me if you need anything, and I'll help however I can. Till we meet again, Mr. Sawyer."
Sawyer was about to say something but stopped when he saw her nod and walk away. A slight smirk appeared on his lips.
"What an interesting woman. How can I call you if you didn't give me your number?"
Sawyer sipped his now-warm beer, his gaze fixed on the greenery in the distance.
He tried to enjoy the tranquility of the place, but somehow, the woman's voice echoed in his ear, and her flawless beauty flashed in his mind as if she were still sitting next to him.
Taking a deep sigh, Sawyer turned his gaze to the empty chair beside him and pulled out his cell phone to make a call.
"I need you to investigate Abigail Snow," Sawyer said.
"Sir, which one?" the person on the other end asked curiously.
Sawyer told him what little he knew about her, at least what he overheard while she scolded her ex-fiancé.
"Understood, sir."
"When can I get her full profile?"
"By today. I'll do my best," the man replied.
Sawyer sipped his beer again before standing up from his seat. He no longer felt like meeting his friend, as his thoughts were filled with her alluring smile.
"Perfect. Send it to me right away—"
Just as Sawyer was about to end the call, the man on the other end asked, "Sir, may I ask something?"
"Go ahead."
"You rarely ask me to gather information about women unless it's for business-related matters. And I know this woman isn't business-related. May I ask who she is? Why are you interested in her?"
Sawyer stopped in front of the elevator, a clear frown forming on his forehead, as he began questioning his interest in uncovering the woman's identity. He had never felt like this before.
"Ding!"
The elevator door snapped him back to reality.
"She owes me a debt but left without giving me her number. So, find her for me. I need to collect her debt."
A choked sound could be heard from the other end before Sawyer ended the call.
***
Abigail hurried out of the building after asking her colleagues to bring her bag from her office. She didn't want to encounter the cheating couple, fearing she might end up in the police station—she might kill them this time.
After walking away from the building for a few minutes, she finally found a taxi to take her to Ryland's apartment to pack her belongings.
The distance wasn't far; it only took her fifteen minutes to reach Ryland's apartment, but for some reason, those fifteen minutes felt painfully like an hour. She couldn't wait to arrive, pack, and leave everything behind.
However, upon arriving at the apartment door, her heart ached. She felt upset because she had spent years in a relationship with him, thinking he would be her last man and love—the one to grow old with. But it turns out she had been wrong.
"Abby, it's all over! No need to feel sad!" Abigail tried to strengthen herself before opening the apartment door.
Abigail didn't waste time looking around; she headed straight to her bedroom and packed everything she owned. She was thankful she didn't have too many things in the apartment to which she was emotionally attached. All her most needed belongings could fit into one medium-sized suitcase.
She left behind everything Ryland had ever given her—jewelry, bags, clothes, and the engagement ring. She even returned all the money he had given her that was unrelated to her work and rightfully hers. She didn't want Ryland coming after her for it later.
For the last time, she glanced at the small bedroom she had stayed in for a year before closing the door.
As she headed toward the front door, her steps paused outside Ryland's bedroom.
A bitter smile crossed her face as she imagined her sister sleeping in Ryland's room whenever she stayed over.
Now everything was clear: her sister had often refused to sleep with her and opted for the living room.
"Gosh! Abby, you were so stupid not to notice the signs," Abigail muttered to herself as she left the apartment. She swore never to return to this DAMN place!