He Said His Ex's Name at Our Proposal

My boyfriend, Austin Miller, always called me by his ex-girlfriend's name.

On my birthday, when he handed me a gift, the words slipped out of his mouth:

Summer, this is your favorite shade of lipstick.

When he accompanied me to the hospital for an IV drip, he asked:

Summer, does it hurt?

Even on Valentine's Day, as he held me by the waist in the dark, he whispered:

"Summer, just relax."

Every single time, I corrected him with rising anger:

"My name is Sera, Austin. Not Summer."

Over time, Austin began to pause for a solid two seconds before calling my name.

Eventually, he would manage to get it right: "Sera."

I thought he had finally trained himself to forget her.

Until Summer Reed, his ex, joined our company.

And just like that, he started slipping up again.

Even when he went down on one knee, holding a ring in front of me, he blurted out:

"Summer, will you marry me!"

But this time, I didn't get angry. I didn't correct him. I stopped forcing him to get my name right altogether.

When Austin realized what he had said, his face went completely blank.

He scrambled to his feet, trying to reach out to me, but he still hesitated for two seconds before speaking.

"Sera, I..."

An overwhelming wave of irony washed over me.

Even in a moment like this, he still had to calculate before addressing me.

I knew exactly what he was going to say.

It was just a habit. He was too nervous.

After three years together, I was sick to death of his excuses.

I took a step back, dodging his hand.

"Save it."

"We're done, Austin. Let's break up."

"No..."

Austin tried to grab my arm.

But the commotion had already drawn our coworkers over. This was our annual company retreat, and seeing a proposal, everyone instantly lost their minds.

"Oh my god! Austin is actually proposing at the retreat!"

"Summer! I had no idea you and Austin were together! Why didn't you tell us?"

I turned around and saw Summer standing not far behind me.

My figure had been completely hidden by the trees along the pathway.

From a distance, it really did look like Austin was kneeling right in front of her.

Summer was covering her mouth, her eyes wide with a mix of shock and pure joy.

Our coworkers swarmed her, cheering and pushing her toward Austin.

Someone pushing past aggressively shoved me aside.

"Hey, they're proposing here! Why are you standing in the middle like a total third wheel?"

I stumbled.

My long dress was stepped on, and my styled hair got caught on someone's jacket zipper, ripping painfully.

I was shoved and squeezed out of the crowd, looking utterly pathetic.

By the time I managed to look up, the two of them were surrounded by a thick circle of cheering people.

Summer, wearing a white lace dress, stood in the center like a glowing bride waiting for her happily ever after.

And I, like everyone else, was just a random spectator watching their beautiful moment.

Through the gaps in the crowd, my eyes met Austin's.

His expression was incredibly complicated.

I saw his lips part, as if he wanted to shout an explanation.

But looking at Summer, who was crying tears of joy, he swallowed his words.

He forced a smile and slid the ringthe ring meant for meonto her ring finger.

I let out a bitter laugh. I didn't make a scene. I didn't demand answers.

I just turned around silently, walking away from the celebration that was supposed to be mine.

The sky grew dark, and the wind blowing off the river was freezing.

I walked across the bridge alone.

My mind kept flashing back to how excited I had been when I accidentally saw Austin's proposal plans.

I had booked the makeup artist a month in advance. I ordered the perfect dress online. I spent eight hours at the salon getting my hair done.

Last night, I was so nervous I couldn't even sleep.

I had hugged my blanket, trying to picture Austin's face when he proposed.

He was always so calm and collected. Would he stutter? Would his ears turn bright red?

No matter what, I had planned to grab the ring, throw myself into his arms, and scream:

"Yes! A million times yes!"

If the sunset over the river was just right, the light would coat us in gold, just like in those cheesy romance movies.

Maybe a passerby would take a picture of us.

I wanted to use it as the cover of our wedding album, placing it in the most visible spot of our future home.

Thinking about it back then, I had actually laughed out loud with sweet anticipation.

The harsh honk of a car horn snapped me back to reality.

Now, with ruined hair and dusty footprints covering my dress, I was walking alone in the dark.

My phone buzzed.

It was a text from Austin.

[Sera, I'm so sorry.]

I stopped walking.

[But let's just go with it for now. Summer already accepted in front of everyone. Don't make it humiliating for her.]

[I'll explain to everyone later that it was just a dare.]

I stared at those lines for a long time.

But I wasn't surprised.

The second Austin said the wrong name, I knew exactly how he would handle it.

It was just like Valentine's Day, when the massive bouquet of red roses he ordered was accidentally delivered to Summer's desk.

When I wanted to go claim it, he had gently held my hand down.

"I'm sorry, Sera. I put the wrong recipient name by accident."

"Just let Summer keep them. Taking them back in front of the whole office would make her look bad."

Another notification popped up in the company retreat group chat.

[Austin is buying drinks for the engagement party! Everyone meet at the hotel's second-floor restaurant now!]

This wasn't a spontaneous decision. It was part of his original proposal plan.

Since he had proposed to the wrong person, he decided to just let Summer have everything else too.

That was always Austin's logic.

Someone posted a photo of the dinner table.

It was the hotel's highest-tier menu, and the main course was King Crab.

I am severely allergic to seafood. Austin could never remember that.

But it happened to be Summer's absolute favorite.

Maybe this was the universe guiding him back to where he belonged.

I closed the app and opened Uber.

Whatever the case, I was officially bowing out.

I unlocked the door to our apartment.

The first thing I saw was our couple's portrait sitting on the entryway cabinet.

My footsteps faltered.

Austin hated taking pictures. I had to beg him for months to get that photo.

I remembered the day we moved in. I ran around the apartment holding the frame, trying to find the perfect spot.

Austin had watched me, shaking his head.

"It's just a photo, Sera. What does it matter where it goes?"

I had turned around and looked at him seriously.

"It matters! I want everyone who walks through that door to see how happy we are the very second they enter!"

I chose the spot right by the door.

The hallway light would hit it perfectly the moment the door opened.

It was my only comfort after working late-night overtime in this crowded city, trying to build a life with him.

But was I really happy?

I picked up the frame, running my fingers over the glass.

Even in our couple's photo, Austin looked stiff and emotionless.

Suddenly, the dozens of photos my coworkers had spammed in the group chat rushed into my mind.

In every single one of them, Austin was holding Summer, smiling with a warmth I hadn't seen in years.

Maybe I was the only one who ever felt happy in this relationship.

I placed the photo face down on the cabinet and started packing my bags.

My clothes, my shoes...

When I got to my jewelry, my hands paused.

The necklace hanging in the center of the rack was the birthday gift Austin gave me last year.

I cleared out all the gifts we had exchanged over the years.

Since we were breaking up, there was no point in keeping any of it.

For the first and second year, our gifts were mutual and thoughtful.

But for the third year, there was nothing from Austin. Not for our anniversary, and not for Valentine's Day.

Because he had "accidentally" addressed them to Summer.

I sent Austin a text.

[I threw away the things you gave me. The things you bought for me are in the bedroom closet.]

[Do whatever you want with them.]

By the time I finished packing, he still hadn't replied.

I opened Snapchat. The party had just ended, and everyone was raving about how fun it was.

Summer had posted a story.

[You said she was just a compromise, a responsibility you couldn't shake. It's okay. I will wait for you forever...]

No views, no replies yet. She had customized her settings so only I could see it.

I tapped the heart icon, closed my phone, and rolled my suitcase toward the door.

What they did next was none of my business.

But the moment I opened the door, I ran straight into a panting Austin.

Seeing me, he let out a sigh of relief.

But in the next second, his brows furrowed, his voice filled with annoyance.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming back? I was looking all over for you."

I didn't answer. I just found it hilarious.

Looking all over for me?

More like he had finished his fancy dinner, accompanied Summer through the entire celebration, and only came looking for me when he finally had some free time.

Austin pushed past me into the apartment.

Under the bright hallway light, he finally noticed my suitcase.

His face fell.

"Where do you think you're going this late?"

I looked at him, completely expressionless.

"I'm moving out. I'll come back for the rest of my stuff later."

Hearing this, Austin didn't beg me to stay. Instead, a familiar look of impatience washed over his face.

It was the exact same look he gave me whenever I got upset over him calling me Summer, back when he would half-heartedly promise he didn't love his ex anymore.

He took a deep breath, trying to play the patient partner, and pulled the ring box from his pocket.

"Fine. I swear I only love you, okay?"

"Today was genuinely an accident. And I only took the team to dinner because the deposit was non-refundable. I didn't want to waste the money."

He brushed it off as if he had just grabbed a casual burger with coworkers.

"I explained everything to Summer, too. Look, I even got the ring back."

"Let's just drop it."

Austin grabbed my hand, trying to force the ring onto my ring finger.

But it was incredibly loose.

The moment I let my hand drop, the ring slid right off my finger and clinked onto the floor, rolling to Austin's feet.

The air went dead silent.

Looking at Austin's stunned face, I let out a mocking laugh.

"Another accident? Did you get the wrong size when you ordered it too?"

When that ring was on Summer's finger, it had fit flawlessly. Like it was custom-made for her.

For once, Austin looked guilty.

He picked up the ring, coughing to hide his embarrassment.

"It was an oversight. I'll get it resized tomorrow."

"Don't bother," I cut him off coldly.

"When I said we're breaking up, I meant it. We're done, Austin."

Austin froze. Slowly, he put the ring back in its box.

As he snapped the lid shut, the guilt on his face evaporated, replaced by his usual cold, indifferent mask.

"Sera, I said I'd get it fixed."

He looked at me like I was a toddler throwing a tantrum.

"Every time something minor happens, you threaten to break up and run away. It's getting really exhausting."

My breathing hitched.

Suddenly, I remembered the night of our project launch party. I had won the grand prize in the company raffle: a fully sponsored, week-long paid vacation.

I had been ecstatic.

I hadn't taken a day off in three months, and I hadn't seen my parents in two years.

But after I booked my flight and my parents took time off work to wait for my arrival, HR called me.

They told me my prize had already been claimed.

"Austin came by and redeemed it. He said he had your permission to transfer the vacation voucher to your department's new intern, Summer Reed."

When I confronted him with tear-filled eyes, Austin didn't even look up from his laptop.

"Oh, that. I must have written down the wrong name by mistake."

"Then go get it back!" I had screamed, grabbing his phone out of his hand.

But the screen was open to Summer's Instagram post.

[A fully paid vacation to a music festival! Best boss ever! Thank you, A~]

It was a slap to the face.

My hands shook as I held the screen up to him.

"An accident? You call this an accident?"

Austin didn't apologize. Instead, he blamed me with chilling coldness.

"The mistake was already made. I just maximized the utility."

"Giving incentives to subordinates builds my authority as a leader."

"Sera, you've been at this company long enough. Can you please start looking at the bigger picture?"

I was driven mad by his hypocritical corporate speak.

That was the first time I ever threatened to break up with him.

Even when he called me Summer a thousand times, I had never thought about leaving.

I stayed in a hotel for three days, but I didn't receive a single text of apology.

Eventually, I realized Austin only treated me this way because he knew how much I loved him.

He knew I would always forgive him.

He knew I had abandoned a stable job in my hometown and moved thousands of miles to this city just because he said he hated long-distance relationships.

The day I crawled back home, he had a smirk of victory on his face.

Taking my suitcase, he had said casually:

"Don't do that again. Be mature."

The Austin standing in front of me now looked exactly like he did that day.

But this time, I wasn't going to crawl back.

I repeated myself, clearer and firmer than ever.

"I am serious, Austin. We are over."

He slammed the door on his way out, leaving only a cold parting shot:

"You are completely unstable right now. Get some professional help and calm down!"

I didn't care where he went.

Summer's Instagram story popped up immediately.

[I always knew I was your first choice.]

In the photo, the proposal ring was back on her finger, fitting perfectly.

I liked the post.

I took one last look at the apartment I had lovingly decorated piece by piece, and quietly shut the door behind me.

The next morning at work, the two of them walked in together.

The office erupted in congratulations.

I ignored the noise, keeping my head down to work on my transition files.

Since joining this company, I had closed deals worth over a hundred million dollars.

Next week, I was scheduled to be promoted to Sales Director, which meant I would lead my own department and would no longer have to work under Austin.

Carrying my files, I stood up and ran right into Austin.

His mouth opened, as if he wanted to say something.

I walked right past him without a word.

I walked straight to HR. "Jerry, here is my promotion paperwork. Let me know if anything is missing."

Jerry, the HR rep, flipped through my file with a confused expression.

"But your department's promotion slot has already been submitted."

"What?" I froze.

"Austin submitted it yesterday. He said Summer Reed was the main contributor to the high-value project, so he requested the promotion slot go to her. She's being fast-tracked to Team Lead."

Team Lead was my current position.

Austin was literally stealing my hard work and success to pave a path for his ex-girlfriend.

My phone buzzed.

[Summer helped cover up the proposal mix-up yesterday. Clarifying it publicly would destroy her reputation.]

[Think of this promotion as compensation for her. Your promotion can wait until next quarter.]

I stared at the screen, a blinding rage erupting in my chest.

I was furious at Austin's utter shamelessness.

But I was even more furious at myself for loving him so blindly in the past, allowing him to treat my career like his personal playground.

But this time, I wasn't going to take it lying down.

Without a second thought, I filed a formal complaint disputing Summer's promotion.

Since I had proof that I was the sole creator and executor of the project, HR verified and rejected her promotion in less than half a day.

During that time, Austin sent me dozens of angry messages. I ignored every single one of them.

When the notification popped up on my computer screen confirming my own promotion was approved, I finally let out a long breath.

My phone lit up with a final text from Austin:

[Are you happy now that you've thrown your little fit? Make sure you come home early tonight. Don't make things uglier than they already are.]

Even now, Austin thought I was just acting out of jealousy.

With a few taps, I blocked his number and sent him straight to my blacklist.

Then, I went back to my temporary hotel room.

The next morning.

After the sales department's morning meeting, I was asked to stay behind to discuss my transition to Sales Director.

But the moment I stepped out of the conference room, the atmosphere in the office had completely changed.

When people saw me, they looked at me like I was a piece of trash, quickly lowering their heads and whispering as they hurried past.

Snatches of their conversation drifted over.

"So she's the homewrecker?"

"She seemed so professional. I had no idea she was that kind of person..."

A terrible feeling crept into my chest.

I hurried back to my desk and opened WhatsApp.

The company group chat had been completely spammed by Summer.

[A certain Team Lead, Sera Vance, has repeatedly harassed and tried to seduce my fianc.

When she failed, she maliciously sabotaged my promotion out of spite. How can the company allow someone so toxic to work here!]

The comments underneath were brutal.

"No wonder she didn't show up to the engagement dinner. She was jealous!"

Summer had uploaded dozens of cropped screenshots of my chat history with Austin.

She had deleted all of Austin's replies, making it look like I was unilaterally begging and harassing him.

To avoid office gossip, Austin and I had never made our relationship public.

But since everyone had just eaten his free engagement dinner, it was obvious whose side they were going to take.

The rumors had been brewing for an hour, with thousands of messages flying back and forth.

Yet, Austin, the co-star of this drama, had said absolutely nothing to defend me.

In fact, those screenshots were taken from his perspective.

My stomach turned. I started typing rapidly, trying to draft a clarification.

Suddenly, a loud commotion erupted at the entrance of the office.

Summer pushed past the coworkers trying to stop her and marched straight to my desk.

Before I could even react, a sharp slap landed squarely on my cheek.

"You cheap homewrecker! Seducing my fianc and you still have the nerve to show up to work!"