999 Rejections: Her Final Escape

ugh the cold, sterile Austin mansion like a ghost

s tie, his face as impassive as ev

his tone casual, as if I were

eaving,

I don' t have time for thi

alk past me. I

talk. I wan

actually chuckled, a

th. If you want more attention

ak as a cry for attent

ing a new software startup, and I knew he was rushing to finalize th

Giga-Core deal," I said, my voice s

en, scribbled his signature where I po

y dialing his phone as he walked out t

way our marriage wit

bar downtown. I drank cheap whiskey, the burn in my throat a welcome distraction. I got on the dance

hat are you

Ethan' s business part

at home? Ethan is

han, surrounded by his colleagues, his eyes fixed on me. Ther

t' s fine. She' s just letting off

y, did not care. The realization didn'

ed through the bar. She stopped at a table of cowboys, laughed, and

ndifferenc

fury. He strode across the bar, grabbed Mar

re doing?" he snarled, h

o, you' re hurting me!" Maria cri

' t let them look at you like that," he hi

d, landing on me. Her face

e' s the one who ruined everything! If it wasn' t for y

rabbed a half-empty whiskey

l kill

mber glass and searing pain. I hea