I Saw The Comments And Dumped The Toxic CEO

I was pulling an all-nighter on the Q3 performance review deck when Seraphina called to break up with me for the Nth time.
Rhys Sullivan, you have twenty minutes to get to The Astor Lounge and beg my forgiveness, or we're finished.
I shattered. The review is crucial for my promotion, Sera. Can you please pick another day to throw a fit?
Her voice was light, dismissive. "A fit? I see. So your job is more important than I am. Then let's break up."
She added, almost as an afterthought, "Oh, and Im a very petty person. Undoing your promotion would only take one phone call."
I slammed the phone down, but a row of pop-up comments appeared in my periphery.
The female lead won't actually follow through on the threat, will she? She wants to surprise him; she secretly greenlit his promotion weeks ago.
Just show her you're willing to sacrifice the job for her, and shell hand him the CEO position. She'd never ruin his career.
Thats how we avoidant types are. We say no, but we desperately want it. He just needs to hold on and never let go.
She's waiting by the door, ready to take a taxi to the club and console him. Toxic-sweet angst is the best ship.
Doubt crept in. I almost grabbed my jacket to rush out, but a text popped up.
"Heard Mr. Sullivan's promotion is off the table. Interested in a change of scenery?"
1
I stared at the odd message, replaying the text thread in my head. The name was only a pair of stylized wings. I was certain it wasn't a prank, but I had no idea who it was.
Sera trying to test me with a burner phone?
I quickly dismissed the thought. Sera was too arrogant for such a petty move.
Ten years. Ten years of dating, and it had always been me who caved, me who apologized, me who came running. Wed acted out this exact taxi-to-the-rescue scene countless times. My unwavering devotion had given her absolute impunity.
So, who was it?
The pop-ups had the answer.
The female leads arch-rival is trying to poach her man! The rival overheard the breakup call in the bar's restroom and immediately contacted the male lead. Fast move.
The male lead is Seras lover, but also Kingston Globals rising star. Vivian Sharpe, the rival CEO, needs to poach him.
Seriously, the floor above, are you going to pretend that CEO Vivian, who daydreams about the male lead, isn't doing this for private reasons?
I narrowed my eyes. Vivian Sharpe.
I had led the team that beat Sharpe Dynamics in the last bid. At the celebratory cocktail party afterward, someone had tried to broker a friendly exchange, suggesting we connect for future 'collaboration.'
She hadn't even looked at me. I stood there, smiling until my face hurt, before she finally, coldly, offered her phone for a scan.
I'd assumed she deleted my contact the second she got home. Turns out she hadn't.
Still, I only believed half of what the pop-ups said. Sera never hid our relationship, but she always treated me like a lower-tier employee in public. To outsiders, I was just her cheap corporate conquest, a pet project shed plucked from the field.
Vivian Sharpe's favorite barb, aimed at Sera, was always, "Only Kingston would hire a low-level pawn just for free sex. Such a shrewd businesswoman."
Vivian looked down on me. Her olive branch was nothing more than a move to spite Sera.
I skipped past her name and saw a voice message from Seras assistant, Molly.
"Rhys, you need to get here now. Ms. Kingston is drunk and refusing to leave."
She also sent a video of Sera being dramatic.
I hesitated. I was about to change out of my sweatpants when I froze.
Leo Albrights unmistakable, childish laugh was clearly audible at the thirty-second mark.
The female lead is pulling this stunt again. She deliberately called the male second lead to make the male lead jealous.
The male lead always falls for it! Every time she scares him, he doubles down.
Go now, male lead! I'll bet my premium subscription that if you apologize and console her, she'll be waiting on her knees for your little riding crop later tonight.
I totally get Sera. Watching my boyfriend suffer because I threatened to break up makes me feel so loved and wanted.
I was stunned. The pop-ups weren't a hallucination. They were right.
The 'male lead' was me; the 'female lead' was Sera. She was exactly as they describedalways provoking a fight, always expecting me to rush back. If I didn't, shed enlist everyone around her to force me.
But even if I did go, she wouldn't immediately relent. The last time, I took a red-eye train all night to her side. When I walked in, exhausted and dust-covered, she didn't even look at me, instead clinging tightly to Leo Albright.
"Who told you to call him? Didn't he have the spine to stick to the breakup?"
Yet, the next second, her body would betray her, pulling me in and walking me out.
That night, she clung to me for hours. The next day, she bought me a watch and booked a trip, compensating me tenfold.
I once asked her if she was ever worried I would leave after all the emotional abuse.
She buried her head against my chest, a small child seeking comfort. "My husband would never leave me over something so small. Rhys, if you take one step toward me, I will always take the remaining ninety-nine."
But what she didn't know was that after being repeatedly abused, I didn't want to take even one step anymore.
I was too tired for this exhausting kind of love.
When I didn't reply, Molly kept calling. I was still waffling, considering whether to give in one last time, when a text from Leo came through.
"Sera said you don't need to come. She's taking me to watch the sunrise!"
He followed it up with a video clip.
"Sera, if Rhys doesn't show up, does that mean you're really breaking up?"
Sera chugged her drink. "We broke up. Don't mention him."
She turned to Leo. "Didn't you say you wanted me to watch the sunrise with you? Let's go."
Her eyes flicked toward the camera for a split second.
She knew Leo was filming.
I took a deep breath, tossed the phone onto my couch, and turned back to optimize my review deck.
Instead of believing the pop-ups that Sera had already approved my promotion, I chose to trust my own competence.
I wasnt Sera or Leo, born with a silver spoon in my mouth. For someone like me, who grew up poor, I had to seize every opportunity myself.
2
Sera never came home that night. I didn't sleep a wink either.
The next day, when I walked into the office with a knot in my stomach, she was already there, impeccably dressed and composed. The oppressive weight of the CEO radiated from her. She was a different person from the drunken, petty woman from the night before.
I nervously finished my presentation for the executive review panel. When I finished, she clapped along with everyone else. Her gaze was cool, even friendly.
I wondered, did my refusal to chase her actually calm her down?
The meeting ended, and I noticed small gifts on everyone's desks.
The CFO next to me gasped, eyes shining. "Wow, having a CEO girlfriend is great! Presents for everyone when her man gets promoted!"
The admin sister cleared her throat. "That's the new Executive Assistant's welcome gift to the staff."
The CFO was shocked. "A limited-edition perfume for a welcome gift for everyone? What new form of rich-kid humiliation is this?"
The admin gave me an uneasy look and pulled the CFO aside. "The new assistant is the only son of the Albright Groups owner. And Ms. Kingston paid for the gifts. She said she was 'supporting her childhood friend.'"
So, Leo Albright. It all clicked into place.
Leo had been trying to use a job at Kingston Global as an excuse to get closer to Sera. The Albright family had repeatedly proposed a merger-by-marriage, a power couple linking the two families. Sera had refused because of me.
But after one night, shed given in. She'd hired him for the Executive Officea place so sacred, even I, her long-term boyfriend, had never been allowed a permanent seat.
I fought to block out any thoughts of what might have happened between them the night before. I opened my laptop, ready to work.
A colleague told me Sera was looking for me. I had something to discuss with her as well, so I headed straight for the Executive Suite.
I walked in and saw Leo sitting on the edge of Seras massive desk, his back to me. His body was pressed close to hers.
A searing pain shot through my palms. I never thought I would see Sera in such an intimate position with someone else.
I cleared my throat. Leo jumped up, startled.
He turned, and the smile vanished from his face. He pouted. "You've worked here for years. Don't you know how to knock?"
I paused, momentarily stunned. Knocking had never crossed my mind when entering Seras office.
"My apologies," I said flatly. "Next time you two are doing something inappropriate, you should remember to close the door."
Sera had been waiting for me to explode, but my words made her face twitch. Still, she remained outwardly composed.
"Did you call for me, Ms. Kingston?"
"The board has decided to put your promotion on hold," she replied calmly.
Leo shot me a look of triumph.
I stared at the tips of my shoes. Id known it, of course. She hadn't been bluffing. She had personally stalled my promotion just because I hadn't groveled.
My chest felt like it was crushed by a thousand-pound weight. My eyes stung, but thankfully, the earlier pop-up warnings had prepared me. I managed to remain calm.
"Understood."
The silence was deafening.
"If you want to fight for it"
I cut her off. "I don't. If there's nothing else, Ill get back to work."
I turned sharply, but she called after me.
"One more thing. The West Coast project is being reassigned to Leo. You won't be in charge of it anymore. Please hand over the brief to him today."
I spun back around. "What did you say?"
I had poured six months of my life into the West Coast project. I hadn't taken a day off in months. The pressure had been so immense that I needed medication every night just to get a few hours of sleep. This project was my hope, my lifeblood. I needed it to prove my worth, to show everyone I wasn't just Seras kept man.
Sera knew how obsessed I was with it. She had even secretly leveraged her resources to support me. And now, when the project was on the cusp of success, she was giving it to Leo?
"Leo just joined the company. He needs a high-profile project to gain a foothold," she explained. "The West Coast project has a great reputation and is about to deliver results. It's the perfect training ground for him."
I fought back tears, my voice breaking. "You know this project is everything to me. Why would you do this?"
She smiled, a cold, vengeful smile. "I told you, I'm petty and I hold a grudge."
"Besides, I'm the owner. I don't need your approval to assign work. If you're unhappy, you're free to quit anytime."
Leo covered his mouth, stifling a laugh.
I glared at both of them. One smug and gleeful, the other poised and unbothered. They both believed I was too pathetic to walk away.
"Fine. I quit."
Sera's smile vanished. She looked at me in disbelief.
"Rhys Sullivan," she snapped, raising her voice. "Don't think your status as my boyfriend gives you the right to throw a tantrum. Don't think I won't let you walk out that door!"
I met her cold eyes. "Ms. Kingston, are you forgetting? We broke up."
She was momentarily speechless. Leo, seeing the tension, smirked but feigned concern.
"Sera, maybe let's just forget it. Don't fight because of me," he whined, then smiled a little too widely at me. "I'm clumsy. What if I mess up Mr. Sullivan's hard work?"
Sera caressed his head, her voice soft with indulgence. "It doesn't matter if you mess up. It's just a small project. Nothing to worry about."
My blood rushed to my head. It took every ounce of strength to keep from lunging at them. My fists were clenched so tightly my palms were bleeding.
"A company that uses projects to reward a lover isn't worth staying at. I'll consider these last few years of hard work a donation to the dogs."
"Who are you calling a dog?" Leo yelled, furious.
I laughed, a harsh, cold sound. "You know who you are."
"Rhys Sullivan!" Seras face was ashen.
I turned and walked out, not looking back.
3
I stumbled back to my cubicle, feeling like a ghost. I didn't let the tears fall until I was alone. They came in a torrent.
The pop-ups reappeared.
The male lead is so clueless. Sera was deliberately putting on a show for him. The moment he leaves, she'll kick Leo out.
Sera just wanted to see him jealous and begging, but the male lead is too stubborn. Hed rather quit than swallow his pride.
If you date the boss, you have to be subservient. He wants to keep his dignity and the money? Thats wanting to have your cake and eat it, too.
The male lead is being ridiculous. Without this job, how will he afford his sick mothers exorbitant medical bills? Can pride buy medicine?
They were right. My mothers life depended on a ridiculously expensive imported drug. Seras salary had always kept us afloat. If I couldn't keep her on the treatment, the only family I had left would be gone.
As I worried about the money, Sera sent a textthe first time she had ever reached out first after a fight.
"Come apologize to Leo, and I'll consider giving you back the project."
"Ill give you Kingston Global's new project next half, too."
"And your key card. Come get it back."
It was the first time Sera had ever truly backed down. Even the pop-ups were advocating for her.
The Queen of Conceit is finally humbling herself! God only knows how much the 'playing hard to get' girl is struggling right now.
As an avoidant, I'm touched. How much love does it take for a stubborn person like her to lower her head? Male lead, treasure this!
Other than being a drama queen, Sera is rich, beautiful, and deeply in love. Male lead, tread carefully, or you'll lose her.
They had a point. Aside from her theatrics, Sera was a good partner. If I could just tolerate the manipulation, she was everything a man could want.
But I refused without hesitation.
"Im submitting my resignation to the HR Director today."
She took a long time to reply. "Are you serious?"
"Fine. Don't ever ask me for help again."
"You'll regret this. Your beautiful relationship and career, all thrown away because of your stubbornness."
I rested my head on the desk and cried silently. I mourned the decade we'd spent together, and the loss of my career.
But I couldn't accept the way Sera treated me. She had a black hole where her heart should be, and she filled it by tormenting me. I saw no end to the darkness, no way to fix myself inside her warped world.
I sent the resignation email, then found Vivian Sharpe's contact.
"Vivian, is your offer still valid?"
She replied instantly: "Valid. But not for Sera Kingston's boyfriend."
Me: "Separated. Resigned."

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