By the time Claire Harper returned to her rented apartment, her earlier frustration had dissipated.
Over the past three years, Claire could have chosen to lean on Ethan Sterling, living a dependent and sheltered life. But she didn't. She chose to rely on herself.
If she could live without Ethan, why should she expect to rely on Nathan Cross, a man she barely knew?
Her father, Patrick Harper, once her pillar of support, was gone. From now on, she knew she could only depend on herself.
After taking a long shower, Claire began organizing her small apartment.
The tiny room was crammed with freestanding clothes racks, while shelves were filled with an array of accessories. After the Harper family's bankruptcy, Claire sold all her expensive clothes, shoes, bags, and jewelry to pay off debts. Now, the inexpensive outfits that filled her home were investments for her work as a fashion blogger.
She placed the keys Nathan had given her on the table and began packing her belongings.
If not for fear of exposing their arrangement, Claire wouldn't have even considered moving into Nathan's apartment.
...
Halfway through packing, Claire received a call from her company.
"Claire, I need you to come in right away," her team lead said.
"But I'm still on leave until tomorrow—"
"This is urgent!" the team lead interrupted, his tone softening. "Claire, I've approved all your leave requests lately without complaint. Can't you help me out this time?"
Claire had taken several days off recently, and with the team lead's words, she sighed, set her packing aside, and headed to the office.
...
Claire worked at a creative advertising agency in South City.
Back in high school, when the Harper family was at its peak, her father, Patrick Harper, had heard that art students had an easier path to college. Since Claire had a background in painting from her childhood, Patrick encouraged her to pursue an art education.
At the time, the idea seemed ideal. As the wealthy daughter of a prominent family, learning art seemed like a refined and respectable path. With her natural talent and the resources her family invested in tutoring and preparation, Claire was accepted into a prestigious art college.
That year, the Harper family threw a lavish banquet to celebrate Claire's achievement. Patrick, drunk with pride, had boasted to his guests that he would cultivate Claire into a great artist.
"Claire, focus on your art, and leave everything else to me!" Patrick had declared, his voice slurred.
Who could have predicted that the Harper family would go bankrupt just a few years later?
Claire never became an artist. Instead, she used her artistic foundation to work as an art director at the advertising agency.
Her salary was decent for someone her age. While it wasn't enough to support a lavish lifestyle, it was more than sufficient for her to live comfortably on her own.
But Claire's reality was far from normal. With her father's debts looming over her, her salary alone was nowhere near enough. She had to budget carefully while constantly seeking new income streams. After two years of hard work, her side business as a fashion influencer now earned her more than her salary. Still, the instability of that income meant she couldn't afford to quit her job at the agency.
...
When Claire arrived at the office, the team lead who had urgently called her in was nowhere to be seen. Instead, a young man sat at her desk, clearly waiting for her.
Their eyes met, and Claire immediately turned on her heel to leave.
"Claire!"
Ethan Sterling stood up and grabbed her arm. "We need to talk."
Claire didn't blame her team lead for setting this up. After all, the Sterling family was one of the agency's clients, and it would have been difficult for her boss to refuse a request from such an important client.
She didn't have a private office, and her colleagues were already eavesdropping, eager for gossip. Claire pulled her arm free, straightened her sleeve, and said, "Fine. Let's find another place to talk."
A male colleague hesitated before asking, "Claire, do you need help?"
Claire shook her head. "Thanks, but this is a personal matter. I can handle it."
The male colleague looked disappointed.
Claire had never hidden her engagement at work, though none of her colleagues had ever met Ethan. Many had even begun to doubt the existence of her fiancé. Ethan's unexpected visit silenced all speculation.
When asked about his relationship with Claire, Ethan introduced himself as her fiancé.
Several of Claire's male colleagues, who had secretly admired her, were heartbroken.
...
A few minutes later, Claire and Ethan sat in a corner booth at a nearby café.
This was the same spot where Claire had confronted Vivian Carter. Now, it was Ethan's turn.
As the server placed their coffee on the table, Ethan pulled out a small red velvet box and set it in front of Claire.
"Claire, you left your ring at the Sterling estate," Ethan said.
Claire had already returned the engagement ring to the Sterlings. Ethan's insistence that she had forgotten it was his way of refusing to accept her decision to end their engagement.
This didn't surprise Claire.
If Ethan had been the kind of man to accept a breakup easily, she wouldn't have needed to marry Nathan.
Despite his gentle demeanor, Ethan was deeply possessive. Over the past two years, as he took on more responsibilities in his family's business, he had grown increasingly authoritative.
Ethan's temperament was matched only by Claire's resolve. "We've known each other for ten years. I thought you understood me. Ethan, accept reality. We're no longer engaged."
Ethan frowned. "Engagements require two people to be present, but breakups only need one? Claire, I don't agree to this."
Claire was about to mention her marriage when Ethan's tone softened, his sincerity catching her off guard. "Was it something my mother said? I know she can be difficult, but don't hold it against her."
As he spoke, Ethan placed another box on the table. The logo on the box was from a luxury brand Claire could no longer afford.
Ethan had always been thoughtful about giving gifts. Whenever work forced him to miss a date or his mother made things difficult for Claire, he would offer a small but meaningful present as an apology.
This time, however, the extravagance of the gift left Claire feeling uneasy.
Love thrives on affection, but marriage requires equality.
Perhaps what drove Claire to end their engagement wasn't Ethan's mother's disapproval, but her own painfully clear understanding of the gap between them. Even if they married, she would struggle to feel at ease in their relationship.
"I know why you're clinging to this, Ethan," Claire said, regaining her composure. "But ending things now is the only way for us to part on good terms. Don't come to my office again. I'm married now, and I wouldn't want my husband to be upset."
Ethan chuckled softly. "You're really married? Claire, your lies are getting sloppy."
Claire, once the proud and radiant daughter of the Harper family, had lost her fortune but not her pride. In Ethan's eyes, there was no way she could have found someone she deemed worthy of marrying so quickly.
Pushing back his chair, Ethan stood. "We'll talk again once you've calmed down."
...
Ethan was now certain that Claire was acting out of spite.
He decided to wait for her to come to her senses.