His Ex Over His Mom

On the eve of our wedding, my fianc, Julian, told me his mother was sick and that we needed to go take care of her.
I didn't hesitate to get in his car.
But on the highway, he took a call from his ex-girlfriend.
His face was a mask of pain. Claire's not in a good place mentally. I have to go comfort her. You'll have to get out here and go to my mom's alone. It'll be good practice for you to get used to the role.
Just like that, he dumped me on the side of the road. But I wasn't angry. Not one bit.
After all, if he was willing to abandon his own sick mother to console his ex-ex-girlfriend, what could I, his brand new ex-girlfriend, possibly have to say?

01.
Julian was on the phone with Claire Ashton while driving me to see his mother. He was on his headset, so I couldn't hear what she was saying, but I could see the conflict on his face as he soothed her, occasionally glancing my way with a pained expression. Finally, he took a deep breath, his mind made up.
"Don't cry," he said, his voice firm. "I'm on my way."
"It's fine. She'll understand."
He hung up and pulled over to the shoulder of the highway, turning to me with a soft voice. "Claire's having a really hard time. I need to go be with her."
"Are you sure about this?" I asked, my voice flat.
A flicker of annoyance crossed his face. "Claire just lost her mother and grandmother. Have some compassion."
"Are you absolutely certain you want to leave me here, right now?" I pressed.
His impatience was now palpable. "Mina, be reasonable. Get out of the car."
I smiled. "Alright."
His brow relaxed. He shifted in his seat, as if about to offer some hollow comfort, but I was already out of the car. His hand, halfway extended, dropped back to his side. He sighed. "Look, just go on to Mom's, will you? Try to make a good impression. Its a good chance to finally get her to approve of you."
Then, he drove off.
I called a rideshare and went straight back to Julian's apartment to pack my things. I have my own small place and only stayed with him occasionally, so it didn't take long.
In the middle of moving, I got a call from the hospital. A nurse informed me that the prepaid funds on Mrs. Vance's account had run out and that another payment was due.
Martha Vance, Julians mother, was a frequent guest at the hospital. Id covered a bill for her once as a favor, and somehow, it had become my responsibility ever since. Julian, obsessed with his image, would always pay me back, but not before rounding down the total and dragging his feet for weeks.
I gave the nurse Julian's number and made it clear that I was no longer affiliated with their family. They could chase him for the money.
On second thought, I decided to do the responsible thing and call Julian to let him know. He didn't pick up. After a few more tries, he blocked my number.
Still determined to be responsible, I used a different number to text him about the hospital bill and to officially tell him we were done.
Whatever happened after that was none of my business.

02.
The next morning, I went to the office early to hand in my resignation to Julian.
Years ago, hed asked me to help him build his dream from the ground up. What he'd really wanted was an assistant with no official title or recognition, working for peanuts.
"Everything I have is yours," he'd said. "I'll give you a generous allowance every month, so we don't need to worry about things like shares or a fancy title. A smaller salary is better for you anyway, for tax purposes."
I was in love with him then, and I was willing to give up a promising career to join his startup, but his proposal set off alarm bells.
"My salary is what I earn for my labor," I had told him firmly. "Paying taxes is a civic duty. But I'm young and capable. What would I look like taking an 'allowance' from you?"
"Besides," Id added, "without a proper title, I'll have no authority. What kind of company has the boss's personal assistant running around negotiating deals? How am I supposed to manage a team? You're building a legitimate business, not some fly-by-night operation."
Julian had looked furious, but in the end, hed given me a proper title and a fair salary.
To his credit, he was talented. In a few years, the company had grown from a single office to occupying three floors of a skyscraper in the heart of the financial district.
But none of that mattered to me anymore. After a breakup like this, staying at his company was out of the question.
What I didn't expect was to find Claire Ashton sitting in Julian's office when I walked in.
Before I could even register my surprise, he launched his attack. "What was wrong with you yesterday? Didn't I tell you to go see my mother? Do you have any idea... Thank God I sent Sarah to check on her."
The office door was still open. Sarah, Julian's actual assistant, happened to be walking by. She heard him, her face contorted in a pained grimace, and she quickly scurried away. Sarah was constantly being ordered to run Julian's personal errands without overtime pay. It was only after my repeated insistence that hed grudgingly given her a small raise.
I closed the door. "I told you about the hospital bill," I said with a dry laugh. "But you were too busy having a moment with Claire, so you blocked me."
Claire bristled. "I know it was wrong of me to bother Julian yesterday, Miss Reed, but nothing happened between us. You have no right to slander me like that."
Julian's face darkened. "Mina, watch your mouth. I told you, I was just comforting her. Don't be so dirty-minded."
"Comforting her all night and bringing her to the office today?"
Julian was momentarily speechless. "Claire said she needed something to do, so I brought her in. Starting today, she'll be taking your position. You can be her deputy."
I stared at him. "Excuse me?"
"She needs the work experience," he said, as if it were the most reasonable thing in the world. "Don't worry, your salary and benefits will remain the same. Only your title will change."
Claire put on a brave face. "I won't be staying at Julian's company for long, Miss Reed. You don't have to worry."
I almost laughed. "And who's going to do the actual work?" The responsibilities of Director and Deputy Director were worlds apart.
Julian looked guilty. "Claire's been living abroad. She's not used to the corporate culture here. You'll need to help her."
"Never mind," Claire said, feigning nonchalance. "Perhaps I'm asking too much. I'll figure something else out."
"Wait!" Julian grabbed her hand, then turned to me, his voice sharp. "Mina, be reasonable. I haven't even gotten on your case about yesterday."
"Oh, cut the act, both of you," I said with a thin smile. "I quit."

03.
News of my resignation spread through the company like wildfire. Members of my team flooded our group chat with messages of support, asking if I was taking them with me.
I was surprised by how unpopular Julian was, though on reflection, it made perfect sense. In the early days, hed been fine. But as the company grew, his respect for his employees dwindled. Benefits were constantly cut, and his primary method of compensation was empty promises. When I tried to reason with him, hed get angry and lecture me about his version of "executive mindset."
I didnt want to burn everything to the ground, and I planned on taking a break before looking for a new job, so I politely declined their offers. They were all top performers; they would have no trouble finding better positions elsewhere.
A few days later, I received a call from a headhunter. The Winslow Corporation was offering me double my current salary, along with a host of other incredible benefits. They even said that if I could bring my team, the salary was negotiable.
I hung up, completely bewildered. The Winslow Corporation was a titan of industry. Julian's company, while successful, was a guppy next to their blue whale. Why on earth would they be headhunting me and my team?
I suspected it was a scam, but the documents the headhunter sent over were legitimate. It was really them. I wracked my brain but couldn't think of a single connection I had to the Winslows. Still, an opportunity like this was too good to pass up. I agreed to an interview.
Just then, Julian summoned me to his office.
I walked in to find him glowering.
"What do you want?"
"Why aren't you cooperating with Claire?"
"Cooperating with what? Making her coffee? Running photocopies? Is that my job now?"
"She... she doesn't know the ropes yet. You don't have to have such a bad attitude. You could teach her."
"I'm already preparing the handover documents. I'll get them to her as soon as possible. Until then, tell her to stay out of my way."
"Handover? What handover? You'll be Director again as soon as she leaves."
"We broke up, Julian. It's not appropriate for me to stay here."
"Broke up? I never agreed to that!" He shot to his feet, his face turning a dark shade of red. "Are you serious, Mina? You're giving me a death sentence over one mistake?"
"It wasn't just one mistake. Have you forgotten what happened two years ago?"
Two years ago, on the night we were supposed to celebrate our anniversary, Claire had called in a panic, claiming she had a fever. Julian had ignored my protests and rushed out to take her to the hospital. He didn't come back for two days. When he finally did, he was full of apologies, saying he couldn't bear the thought of her being sick and alone in the city, so far from her family. He swore to me it would never happen again.
I still loved him then, so I forgave him. But I also told him there wouldn't be a second time.
Now, hearing me bring it up, Julian actually laughed. "Are you jealous? That was so long ago. Fine, I promise you. After I help her through this, I'll cut off all contact. Just give me one more chance. Don't they say everyone deserves a second chance?"
I shook my head. "You should probably focus on getting her up to speed."
His expression hardened. "You're really doing this?"
"What did you expect?" I turned and walked out of his office. As the door clicked shut behind me, I heard the sound of something shattering against the wall.
There was no "second chance" rule in my book. Forgiving him once had been a moment of love-induced madness I wouldn't repeat.

04.
I returned to my office to see Claire directing someone to move a cardboard box out of the room. The employee was moving at a glacial pace, and his face flooded with relief when he saw me.
My stomach clenched. "In a hurry?" I asked, my voice tight.
Claire crossed her arms. "Julian said I could have this office, so I had someone pack up your things."
I shot her a withering look. "You could have waited for me to get back. Were you raised to go through people's belongings the second they turn their back?"
I took the box from the employee. "You can go. I'll handle it." He practically fled.
Walking back into my office, I immediately started rummaging through the box.
Claire followed me in. "What are you doing?"
"Making sure nothing's missing or broken."
She scoffed. "You think I'd steal from you?"
Just then, my fingers brushed against what I had been dreading I'd find at the bottom of the box. A fountain pen.
The moment I saw it, the blood rushed to my head.

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