All Chapters of I Quit My Job and My Relationship: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

Preston Bassett left the campsite without so much as a backward glance, probably because I'd broken up with him in front of everyone and bruised his ego.Seeing he'd left his car keys on his chair, I bent down to grab them with a sigh. I went over to the campsite owner and asked if he could give Preston the keys for me.The man glanced over my shoulder. "Isn't he right over there? Why don't you just give them to him yourself?"Following his gaze, I saw Preston sitting around a table with a few of his friends. A cigarette rested between his fingers, and he was chatting away with them."Danielle seems really serious this time, Preston. You'd better take her seriously. A woman who's pretty, loyal, and comes from money doesn't come along every day.""Yeah, just swallow your pride and apologize already. Don't wait until she's completely given up on you. By the time that happens, it'll be too late to do anything."Preston glanced down at the lighter he was fiddling with before arching

Chapter 2

For as long as I could remember, my parents never really had time for me.I even had to ask my teacher for permission to skip parent-teacher meetings, and my classmates started calling me "the professional at taking leave".Eventually, I just got used to being alone. After all, even the people closest to me often seemed to forget I existed.That was, until I met Preston. He was a ray of light that suddenly illuminated my dark world.I could still remember one particular time when I unexpectedly got my period and had no one I knew around me. When he noticed, he quietly offered me a pack of tissues.Even though I still ended up staining my clothes, I never forgot that small act of kindness.Back then, I genuinely thought about how great it would be if I could just stay by his side forever. But then Ashley came back to the city and everything changed.They were childhood friends and had grown up together. Half the time, all it took was one look for them to know exactly what the oth

Chapter 3

Instead of replying, I simply deleted the message. Our relationship was already over, and there was no going back.This time, I was truly leaving. The next day, I had a nice farewell get-together with my coworkers. Once everything was wrapped up and the goodbyes were said, it was time for me to leave this place.But while I was settling the bill at the front, I saw Preston walk in with his arm draped over Ashley's shoulder.The doorway had a thick curtain over it, and Preston lifted it for her attentively like it was second nature.Ashley ducked under it with a smile, murmuring, "Thanks."The people around them immediately started cheering. "Dang, Preston. Look at you being all gentlemanly. You are definitely boyfriend of the year!"Preston didn't bother explaining himself. He merely exchanged a glance with Ashley. But when he turned his head, his eyes met mine.As if he suddenly felt guilty, he instinctively took a small step back, creating some distance between him and Ashle

Chapter 4

With a hand on my suitcase, Ashley spoke as though she were only trying to smooth things over. "I know you're uncomfortable with the fact that Preston and I grew up together. But you can't assume he'll always indulge you just because he cares about you. We're really just friends. There's absolutely nothing going on between us. I don't even see him as a guy, I swear."Her innocent act made my blood boil. "You don't see him as a guy?" I scoffed. "Then why is it that every time you ask him out, you show up in a miniskirt with that 'no-makeup' makeup look? And the second I call you out on it, you go crying to him about how I'm restricting your freedom to dress?"And wasn't it you who insisted he buy you a Valentine's Day gift? Wasn't it you who asked him to hike up a mountain with you in the middle of the night to watch the sunrise?"Ashley, if you really think men and women are all the same, then why don't you ask your other guy friends to do those things with you?"Ashley went pa

Chapter 5

After the plane landed, I switched my phone back on so I could contact the coworker who was picking me up.But the second it powered on, I was bombarded with missed calls and messages.Countless texts and missed calls from unknown numbers filled my screen. I didn't even need a name to know exactly who they were from."Why aren't you replying? I already reached out first. Are you seriously still playing hard to get?"What are you doing? Why is your phone off? Danielle, where are you? Did something happen? Don't scare me. I'm really worried."The intervals between each message kept getting shorter, and his tone became increasingly frantic.It wasn't until the last message that his tone suddenly shifted to disbelief and anger. "Danielle, did you seriously quit your job without telling me?"My phone was still buzzing like crazy as new messages kept flooding in.I was clearing out the notifications and scrolling through them when another call popped up. I accidentally hit accept. It

Chapter 6

The atmosphere at my new company was completely different from what I'd expected.Everyone maintained a healthy boundary. We worked together toward the same goals during work hours, then went our separate ways afterward. No one got involved in anyone's business.As time went by, I got used to this lifestyle and found myself enjoying being on my own. What I didn't expect was for Preston to suddenly show up in front of me.He originally had no idea which city I had moved to or which company I had joined. But someone must have told him that they'd spotted me in Slorville, and he tracked me down from there.By the time I noticed him, he was already standing outside my company with flowers and a cake in his arms.That dessert shop was notoriously hard to get into, and I had always loved the cakes there. But in the past, their cakes were nothing more than a carrot dangled in front of me, something I could only long for.I had to yield to Preston, compromise, and stay silent just to be

Chapter 7

At this point, Preston and I ended things a long time ago. I'd told him that we were done so many times, but he was still stuck in his own little world.He was still convinced I was just throwing a tantrum and that, as long as he played the nice guy and apologized, I'd come running back to him.No matter how many times I repeated myself or how firm I was, he still saw me as nothing more than a child throwing a fit because she didn't get her way.He really thought that all he had to do was show up with flowers and a cake, say a few sweet words, and I'd smile and throw myself into his arms, going right back to being that naive, submissive girlfriend.Honestly, I was exhausted.Preston continued to make promises with an earnest look on his face, as if he actually believed every word he said."Danielle, I'm serious this time. I'll change and be a—"He was interrupted by the sound of his phone ringing. He pulled it out, clearly annoyed, and was about to reject the call when he saw th

Chapter 8

Even after Preston returned home, he still wouldn't give up on getting back together with me. He tried every possible way to contact me.He even tracked down former coworkers I'd long since lost touch with and had them try to talk me into taking him back.I was so tired of being harassed that I changed my number and applied to move into the company dormitory, cutting off all unnecessary contact with the outside world.When he couldn't reach me anymore, the noise finally died down. That lasted until our project wrapped up and the whole team got some time off.I decided to go back to Arverport. Even though my family was always busy, I still held out hope for a family reunion.But after I landed, I found out that both my parents were away on business and couldn't make it back.I let myself into our home with my key. There was no one inside, and everything was covered in a thick layer of dust.I stood at the entrance, zoning out as I looked at the empty living room. By the time I'd

Chapter 9

Early the next morning, I booked a flight back to Slorville.There was no one left here I cared about, and sticking around would only make me feel trapped. I was just about to drive off when someone started banging on my window aggressively. I looked up and saw Ashley. She seemed frantic, her features twisted with desperation. As she pounded on the glass, she screamed my name.I had no choice but to get out of the car and set the record straight with her. Only after getting out did I realize how terrible she looked. Her makeup had run from crying, and her clothes were all wrinkled.I had barely gotten out when she started demanding answers. "Danielle, I should've known it was you! What did you say to Preston this time?"Why is he refusing to see me? He even said he wanted to cut ties with me… Did you secretly manipulate him again?"I just don't understand. How is he still completely wrapped around your finger and at your beck and call when you two broke up ages ago?Hearing all

Chapter 10

Once I got back to work, my life fell right back into the routine of overtime, rest, and occasional business trips.I filled my schedule to the brim, trying to drown out that lingering sense of emptiness that would creep up on me every now and then.That feeling stayed with me for a long time. It wasn't until the following spring that it finally started to fade.I got used to the simple routine of going between work and home every day. I even adopted a cat and occasionally joined social events. My days were ordinary, but they were fulfilling.Then, I met Luke Mills.He was the project lead from our partner company, and like me, he was grinding it out in this city on his own.He had this calm, easygoing personality, but he was incredibly organized and reliable when it came to work.What really stuck with me, though, were his eyes. There was something about the way he looked at me that felt like it could wash away all my anxiety and leave me with this inexplicable sense of securit

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