I turn and walk inside the building. It’s so much smaller, so much more chaotic and crammed than the Blackwell setup. I never noticed it before, but it feels clumsy and unprofessional once you see a setup like Blackwell’s.
Shaking my head, I step into the elevator and press the button to head up to Derek’s floor. The elevator ride feels different this time. Like I’m walking away from my past. By the time I reach our floor, my hands have stopped shaking.
I walk straight into Derek’s office without knocking. He’s on the phone, feet up on his desk. When he sees me, annoyance flickers across his face. He holds up a finger for me to wait and continues his conversation.
But I don’t wait.
I cross to his desk and set an envelope on top of his precious papers.
Derek’s eyes narrow, and he hangs up. “What’s this?”
“My resignation, effective immediately.”
He picks up the envelope and scans it. Surprise, anger, and concern flash across his face. “You’re quitting?”
“I got a job offer. Creative Director position. Better salary, better benefits, better everything.”
“Marley…” The manipulative tone I know so well. “You’re being impulsive. We can negotiate your salary. You don’t need to leave just because we’re not together—”
“I deserve better than this, Derek. Better than you.” My voice is steady and strong. “Better than this toxic environment where my ideas get credited to other people and my contributions are dismissed. I’m done… I’m so fucking done.”
“You’re making a mistake,” he says, anger creeping in. “You think you’re going to be valued somewhere else? You’ll realize what you had here—”
“I think I’m going to thrive.” I turn toward the door. “I think someday I’ll look back and be grateful I finally found the courage to walk away from you and this place.”
“Is this about that boyfriend? That Uber driver?”
I pause, hand on the doorknob. “This is about me, Derek. It’s always been about me. You just made it easier to see.”
I don’t look back as I walk out.
Me:Done. I’m coming down.
Nitro the Nice Uber Guy:How do you feel?
Me:Like I can finally breathe.
Nitro is leaning against his bike when I emerge, and when he sees my face, his expression softens.
“You okay?”
“I’m perfect.” I walk into his arms. “I’m free.”
“Damn right you are.” He kisses my head. “You just quit your shitty job and got hired at your dream company. That deserves a real celebration.”
“Sage and Beck back at the apartment for dinner and drinks?” I ask him.
“Sounds like a good night to me. Let’s get you home.”
Nitro gets us back to the apartment quickly, and we scramble to set up for Beck and Sage. Barely ten minutes pass before they walk in with champagne bottles and way too much pride plastered across their faces.
“There she is!” Beck sweeps me into a hug. “The woman who finally told Derek to go fuck himself!”
“I didn’t actually say that.”
Beck grabs my hands in his. “But you thought it. And that’s what matters, my darling.”
Sage jumps on the spot as if she’s a small child with a great idea. “Exactly, we should all say a fuck you mantra to that cocksucker—”
