Tenant's Secret Love

Chapter 62: The Eve of Departure

I took Mark's signed resignation letter to the human resources department and then to the finance department. After completing all the formalities, I returned to my office.

I went over to Harlan and said to him, "I've applied to resign with Mark, and he's agreed. Could you arrange for someone to take over from me?"

After I had finished speaking, the office suddenly fell silent. Even the sound of keyboards being tapped stopped. All eyes were fixed on me. Like Mark, they hadn't expected me to suddenly resign.

Harlan, however, said to me without any surprise: "I know all about the work you have on hand, so there is no need for a handover. I will arrange for someone to take over."

I nodded without saying anything, then walked over to my desk, gathered up my things, and felt a mixture of sadness and relief. Maybe I never really belonged in this city, and I was going to leave one day anyway, so this time I was just leaving a little earlier.

Jack came up to me, tugged at my shirt and whispered, "Lucas, why did you suddenly resign?"

I laughed and said, 'Aren't you glad that I resigned? No one in the company will suppress you sissies anymore."

Although I was joking with Jack, he said very seriously to me, 'Lucas, don't say that. We have worked together for so long. We are colleagues and friends."

"Do you consider me a friend?"

Jack nodded and said, "Although you are a sarcastic and deceitful person, you are not a bad person. Every time I took leave, you took care of work matters for me without any problem. Others don't understand you, but I do."

I smiled, feeling inexplicable emotions in my heart. I just patted Jack on the shoulder, said nothing more, and bowed my head to start packing up my office supplies. Jack helped me pack.

After a while, I finally finished packing. Then I carried the cardboard boxes and said goodbye to my colleagues with whom I had worked together for more than two years. Everyone got up to say goodbye to me. Maybe over the years they had been suppressed by me in one way or another, but they didn't hold it against me. In Jack's words: although I was mean and hurtful, in this planning department, I was open and honest, and I never excluded or slandered anyone at work.

I nodded to my colleagues, and finally came to the only one sitting, Harlan. I patted his shoulder and said, "Buddy, let's go."

Harlan didn't look up or pay any attention to me. His actions surprised everyone. They were all surprised why we were usually like brothers, but at this moment Harlan was so cold to me.

Finally, I got no response and bitterly smiled. I waved to everyone and carried the cardboard box to the exit of the company.

So my world is free, but only for now! The future, however, has turned into a trap, blocking the only way forward in my life, waiting for me to fall, perhaps crippling me, or perhaps in my desire to survive I will become stronger, and then struggle to escape the trap, becoming a master of life. But how it ends, only time can give me the answer, so I don't have to speculate, I just have to look around with the desire to survive, while walking on thin ice!

...

After leaving the company, I went straight back to my newly rented apartment. The first thing I did after closing the door was to take off my shoes and lie on the bed, covering myself with the quilt, longing to throw off all the heaviness and get a good night's sleep.

Unfortunately, the whole afternoon I didn't feel sleepy at all, just staring at the ceiling, and then in panic I lit a cigarette. In this cycle, the sky outside the window gradually darkened, so the city was once again enveloped in light and shadow, but I was isolated in a dark space by the walls on all sides, unable to feel the warmth of light and shadow at all. It seemed that my winter had come before winter!

Looking out the window at the sky, which had already been lit up by the city's neon lights, I felt a little dazed. In a daze, I lit a cigarette and took a drag, but I felt a sharp pain in my lungs. I then realized that I had already smoked too much for an afternoon when I couldn't sleep. But what was the point? At least the smoke filled the air and saved me from loneliness and helplessness. So I took another heavy drag, which dissolved my helplessness and dispelled my loneliness, but in return I got a heavy cough.

Alas! Life is hard to have it all!

The night had deepened a little more. It was as if I had been forgotten by the whole world in this cold corner. I was still at a loss, still lost in thought, until the phone rang and I was awakened.

I rolled over and with difficulty picked up the phone from the bedside cabinet. I looked at the number and was surprised to find that it was Natalie calling.

I hesitated for a long time before answering Natalie's call. I didn't speak first, waiting for Natalie's questioning. At this time, I was afraid that Harlan had already told her everything that had happened today.

"Lucas, where are you?" Natalie's voice was not as stern as I had imagined.

I was caught off guard and replied, 'Where I live."

"Have you eaten dinner yet?"

"I don't think so,' I replied absentmindedly.

"Don't think so? Are you stupid? How can you give me such an ambiguous answer when I asked if you've eaten?" Natalie said to me, unable to laugh or cry.

So I immediately gave her a definite answer: "I ate."

"What did you eat?"

I finally said impatiently, 'Do I have to report to you every time I go to the bathroom today?"

Natalie snapped back, 'Come on, don't pretend, come to my house for dinner."

"No, your husband doesn't like me!" I firmly refused, but in fact I was afraid of facing Harlan. No matter how decent my reasons were, I would ultimately ruin his and Mark's career prospects.

"Let's go out for dinner alone. Today Harlan told me you quit your job. He wouldn't say why, and he kept his face expressionless..." Natalie didn't say anything more, but the meaning was clear. She wanted to know why I quit my job, why Harlan had a long face, and why I said Harlan didn't like me.

After weighing up the pros and cons, I agreed to Natalie's request to go out for dinner alone. There were some things I needed to clear up with her before leaving the city, and I also hoped that Harlan would understand and forgive me.

...

I waited outside the restaurant where I had arranged to meet Natalie. Because Natalie drives a Mazda 6, I paid extra attention to the cars passing by to see if there was a Mazda 6. But in the end, a red Cadillac CTS stopped in front of me. It was Brittany's car, and I saw Brittany and Natalie sitting in the car.

Natalie, this woman with a huge ego, said she was going out to dinner with me alone, but she brought Brittany with her... After a flash of resentment, I was deeply puzzled as to why Brittany was here. Could it be that these days she has been staying in Suzhou without leaving? And has Natalie already told her that Renee is just an impostor girlfriend that I forced her to be?

These unanswered questions surprised me, made me anxious, and made me feel a little bit ashamed, because from what I know about Natalie, she would definitely tell Brittany after learning that Renee is not my girlfriend.

I sighed again, and it seemed like it was going to be another night of added trouble!