Chapter 1 The day before the company's transfer request deadline , I discovered a pending application transferring me to a branch office thousands of miles away . The applicant is Liam Carter , who was my career mentor as well as my boyfriend . A cold shiver ran down my spine . My fingers trembled as I dialed his number . He sounded casual , almost amused . " Oh , Chloe submitted it . She said she was just messing with you . " " You can just cancel it yourself . " Chloe Mason , the intern who insisted on calling Liam her mentor . I held the phone in silence for a full minute . So , the career I had worked tirelessly on for five years could be turned into someone's joke . I didn't argue . I simply packed my things and reported to the new branch as scheduled . That was when Liam panicked . " I told you to cancel the request . You didn't ? " " No , " I replied . *** When I first saw the transfer notice , I froze in front of my computer . Liam and I had agreed weeks ago that I'd stay on his marketing team , as his second - in - command . It was a plan we'd mapped out three years ago . But now , the system said I was being sent to the London branch . If I hadn't logged into the system to check , I would've missed the deadline to cancel -no second chances . I took a deep breath and called him . He picked up like it was nothing . " Oh , that ? Chloe thought it'd be funny to see if you'd notice before the deadline . " " There's still time . Just cancel it . " His tone was light , indifferent . I tightened my grip on the phone . My voice cracked . " You really think this is a joke ? " " You're being dramatic again ? " His voice grew annoyed . 21 " Seriously , what's the big deal ? Just cancel it . Chloe's just a bit playful , she was messing around . " I stared at the transfer notice on my screen , my throat dry . " What if I hadn't seen it in time ? She abused her access . I could report her . " Chapter 1 W WebNovel 4.3 * FREE Google Play OPEN You think Fra gonna fall for an fusion ? 14.29 % His tone turned cold in an instant . " Ava , you're being ridiculous . " " It was just a prank , and now you're talking about reporting her ? Can't you cut her some slack ? " He grew more agitated . " I've explained this a hundred times . She's a fresh graduate , new to the job , has no one in the industry . What's wrong with me helping her out a little ? " " Go ahead and report her - might as well report me while you're at it . " Then he hung up on me . I sat there in silence , unable to form a single word . It felt like all the blood in my body had run cold . Liam and I had known each other , for seven years , been together for five . He was my boyfriend , and in many ways , my professional guide . I thought back to my first year on the job . When I nearly tanked a major project , he stayed up all night helping me fix it . I remembered the annual party that year , when someone tried to take advantage of me after a few drinks , and he twisted the guy's wrist until he begged for forgiveness . Then he gently draped his jacket over me and asked if I'd be his girlfriend . For five years , I had gotten used to having him in my life . Everyone said we were perfect together . We had even met each other's families and started talking about marriage . Everything was supposed to be smooth sailing from here . And yet , staring at the screen , my hand hovered over the cancel button . One click was all it would take . But all I could hear was his voice , " It was just a joke . " A crushing exhaustion rose up from deep inside me . And suddenly , I was just so tired . Chapter 1