Forsaking the Years of Longing
Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Charlotte closed the door and put on her earbuds, shutting out the noise outside. Since she had decided to return and get married, it was time to resign from her job here. Still, she wanted to finish her tasks to avoid any trouble for others. Sitting by the floor-to-ceiling window, she worked alone until the sun dipped below the horizon, and dusk darkened the room. Finally, after hours of work, she removed her earbuds and stretched. The work was done, and the house was quiet again. She instinctively picked up her phone to unwind, and a message from Sophie popped up:

"Why didn't you like my post on Instagram?"

One minute later, another message arrived: "Oh, sorry, Charlotte! I sent that by

mistake-don't be mad, okay?"

Curious, Charlotte opened Sophie's Instagram to see what she'd posted. She was greeted by a photo grid showcasing gifts from Jaziel

and Nolan. A luxurious pink princess dress, spread out like a pink cloud, took center stage. To match it, Jaziel had gifted a pair of custom crystal diamond shoes, glittering with elegance. The red sports car? Clearly, that was from Nolan.

In the center photo, Sophie stood between Jaziel and Nolan, her arms linked with theirs, her smile radiating sweetness. The caption read, "Yay, today I got to be a princess~"

Charlotte knew Sophie had posted this intentionally, trying to provoke her. In the past, she would've been hurt, unable to stand seeing Jaziel and Nolan treating someone else as they once treated her-a person they'd known less than a month. But now, she was leaving. None

of it mattered anymore.

With an indifferent flick of her finger, she liked the post, a red heart lighting up on the screen. From this moment on, she and Jaziel and Nolan were merely friends; Sophie could handle the complications between them.

The next day, Charlotte went to the office to submit her resignation. Returning home, she began sorting through the many photos they'd taken over the years. They'd known each other for over twenty years, filling album after album with memories: childhood snapshots of Ja house with her, awards ceremonies from high school, vacation

they took together during college...

Charlotte flipped through each photo, memories as vivid as if they'd just happened. But now, they were unimportant.

One by one, she burned the photos, tossing them into the trash bin where a small fire crackled, reducing them to ashes.

Jaziel and Nolan arrived one after the other, just in time to see her doing this. Jaziel's voice trembled slightly as he rushed over, "What are you doing?"

Charlotte glanced at him calmly, "Nothing much. These photos are moldy; I figured it's best

to burn them."

Nolan instinctively reached to snatch the remaining-photos from her hand, but she

purposely let them slip, tossing them straight into the fire. The flames spread quickly, leaving them no chance to salvage anything.

Nolan tried to grab a photo that hadn't completely burned, only to pull back his hand from

the scorching heat. "Even if they're moldy, you didn't have to burn them. They're memories!"

His eyes reddened with distress, and Jaziel, too, looked at the burning photos with helpless sadness.

Charlotte found it almost amusing. Here she was, a living person right before them, yet they'd chosen to hurt her over and over for Sophie. Now, it was just a pile of photos, and they were heartbroken. She couldn't help but wonder-when they found out she was leaving to marry someone else, what would their reaction be then?