His Betrayal, Her Dublin Escape

My ten-year relationship was supposed to end with our future in Dublin, a tribute to my late father. Instead, it ended when I overheard the man I loved call me a "stage-five clinger" he couldn't wait to get rid of.

He had secretly changed our corporate transfer to Austin for a new intern, boasting to his friends that I'd come running the second I found out.

To secure her promotion, he stole my father's priceless hard drive-his entire legacy. When I confronted them, his new girl dropped it into a puddle, destroying it right in front of me.

Ezekiel didn't apologize. He shielded her and screamed at me.

"Your dad is dead, Finley! Does Blake have to die over some dead guy's broken hard drive?!"

He gave me an ultimatum: apologize to her and change my transfer to Austin before the midnight deadline, or else.

He thought he had me on lock.

But as the clock ticked past midnight, I was on a one-way flight to Dublin, my old SIM card snapped in two. This time, I was choosing my father's legacy over him.

Chapter 1

Finley Church POV:

The ten-year relationship I thought was leading to our future in Dublin ended in a crowded office hallway, with a single, dismissive scoff from the man I loved.

Today was the deadline. The final day to confirm our corporate transfer. Dublin. It was more than a city; it was a promise, a tribute to my late father and his legacy in the gaming world. I held the confirmation form in my hand, the paper slick with the sweat from my palm.

I saw Ezekiel Phillips, my Ezekiel, leaning against the water cooler, surrounded by his team. His laughter, a sound that usually felt like home, now sent a shard of ice through my veins.

Mark, one of his project leads, clapped him on the back. "Austin, huh? Bold move, man. But what about Finley? I thought you two were set on Dublin."

Ezekiel waved a dismissive hand, as if swatting away a fly. As if swatting away me. He didn't even look in my direction, though I was standing just ten feet away, partially hidden by a potted plant.

"What's to worry about?" he said, his voice laced with an arrogance I'd always mistaken for confidence. "I didn't block her on LinkedIn. Her salary is nothing without my connections. The second she sees I've switched to the Austin office, she'll come running."

The air left my lungs in a silent gasp. The hallway seemed to warp, the cheerful office chatter fading into a dull roar in my ears. I squeezed my eyes shut, fighting back the hot sting of tears.

When I opened them again, he was still talking, his friends chuckling along. "Finley? I've got her on lock," he boasted, puffing out his chest. "She's a stage-five clinger."

My stomach clenched. Stage-five clinger. Is that what I was?

"You have no idea how annoying it is to have someone that