When the Contract Ends in Goodbye Chapter 8

How could Ava possibly be willing to let Julian come find me?

Ava used these tactics to string him along for five years.

And Julian fell for it, hook, line, and sinker.

Maybe all men in high positions fall for that.

But now, Julian paused, then shook his head.

"I won't go to her again."

"Ella, I've cut ties with Ava completely. Can you come back to my side?"

"I swear, I will spend my whole life being good to you."

Julian's tone was incredibly sincere.

I chuckled lightly. "Julian, are you here because Ava is ignoring you?"

Julian shook his head frantically. "Of course not! It's because I love you!"

"I love you, that's why I said those things to her. I don't want to hurt you anymore..."

"Ella... I love you... I really love you..."

"Give me one more chance, okay?"

But I wouldn't forgive him again.

In the previous one hundred times, he had the chance to say this, but he didn't.

Now, love stacked with one hundred layers of disappointment had no more chances left.

I gave him one hundred chances.

"But I don't need your love anymore, Julian."

"I gave you a hundred chances."

"Do you think just because you love me, I must respond to you?"

"Julian, we have no future."

"Ella... if you don't love me, why did you keep the things I gave you?"

I paused for a moment, then realized what he meant.

"Those compensations?"

"Julian, I haven't touched a single thing you gave me back then. I can return every bit of it."

"Then please, take back everything I did for you as well."

But Julian grabbed me relentlessly, questioning me in disbelief, "You don't want me, and you don't want my money. Are you going to spend your life with that guy who runs a broken-down pasta shop?"

"What can he give you!"

"Love without money can't even block the wind!"

I shook off Julian's hand and said coldly, "I don't need him to give me anything."

"I only need him not to betray me like you did."

Behind me, Julian shouted:

"Who can guarantee he won't ever betray you?!"

I didn't turn back to answer him.

Silence was the best answer.

The money I wired to Marco was returned untouched.

I ran that small pasta shop with Leo. We added many new snacks to the menu.

We sold more fried chicken and whatever desserts were trendy each season.

Later, we even set up a food truck at the school gate.

With the landlady's enthusiastic recommendations, business was booming within a few months.

The landlady asked us when we were getting married.

Before I could speak, Leo chimed in first. "Wait a bit longer."

"At the very least, I need to be capable enough to fill the entire night sky with fireworks for my boss lady."

I smiled and answered, "Then I'll be waiting for that day."