He Stole My Win, So I Walked Away

The graduation design contest decided whether my boyfriend and I would land at the same company, so we'd spent the better part of a year preparing for it.

But on the day of the contest, Jim Farley turned pale. I left my flash drive back at the apartment. Help me out, please? If you go now there's still time. I'll hold things down here.

I hesitated, again and again, but in the end I said yes.

It was an hour's drive. I found every shortcut I could and cut it down to forty-five minutes.

But when I got back to the venue, I found Jim onstage with his junior classmate.

They moved in perfect sync, like they'd rehearsed it a hundred times.

People in the audience were saying, "They work so well together. The championship's definitely theirs."

"Looks like the two of them will get into the Fox Group together."

During the intermission, Jim spotted me.

He sent a message. You got here too late. I had no choice but to put Tilda Fox in. Don't worry, once I'm in at the Foxs', I'll find a way to get you an internship.

I didn't bother explaining that I'd been there the whole time. I just opened the flash drive and took a look.

Sure enough, there was nothing on it.

So I chose to slip away from the venue without a word.

This wasn't the first time he'd taken Tilda's side.

And I had finally learned how to let go.

Back at the apartment, I'd just finished packing my things when Jim called.

"Tilda and I got specially recruited. We're celebrating tonight. Come over to Southport"

He hung up before I could say anything.

No explanation, no comfort, as if everything he'd done was exactly right.

I hadn't planned to go. But while I was packing, I couldn't find the gold bracelet my parents had left me, no matter where I looked.

Then I remembered Jim digging through my jewelry box that morning.

So I texted him. My gold bracelet. Did you take it?

He answered fast. Yeah. Tilda stepped in at the last minute and saved us. Think of the bracelet as a thank-you.

Reading that, I laughed out of pure anger.

Saved them?

He really thought I was an idiot.

And even if she had, what gave him the right to hand off something my parents left me as a favor?

I was too furious to sit still, so I drove straight to the karaoke bar in Southport.

By the time I got there, the private room was already packed.

Jim and Tilda were the center of it all.

Their classmates were toasting them, and the two of them were beaming.

Someone brought me up, his face full of contempt.

"Is there something wrong with Deidre Henson? She wants into the Foxs' so badly but does nothing for it. She kept dropping the ball all through prep, and now look, she actually showed up late on contest day. If it weren't for Tilda, Jim wouldn't have managed either."

While a classmate tore me down like that, Jim didn't just stay quiet. He sighed and let the whole story stand.

I couldn't take it anymore and walked right in. "Oh really? With which eye did you see me not taking this contest seriously?"

The classmate hadn't expected me to appear out of nowhere. He froze on the spot.

Seeing him like that, I looked straight at Jim. "Why didn't I compete? You know exactly why, don't you?"

"All right, that's enough. Everyone's just joking around."

"Joking? Right before the contest, you insisted I go back for a flash drive with nothing on it. Was that a joke too?"

The moment I finished, the classmates in the room looked at one another.

Jim's face changed in an instant. "I know you're upset you didn't get into the Foxs', but you can't just"

Before he could finish, I played the recording of our voice chat.

Right, the flash drive, you've got it? Then hurry up, though I think you might not make it in time?

When the clip finished, I went straight at him. You insisted I go back for the flash drive. I came back, and you were already onstage with Tilda Fox. Jim, can you really tell me this wasn't planned from the very start?

The moment I said it, the faces of our classmates in the room changed.

Jim couldn't stand the embarrassment and started shooting me looks.

I acted like I didn't see a thing.

When he saw it wasn't working, he got angrier. Deidre, what's wrong with you? You think I did it on purpose? Why would I ever say that? You cook up a recording like this to frame me, is that fun for you?

Seeing that Jim still wouldn't admit it even now, I couldn't be bothered to say much more.

Jim, since that's what you think, then let's break up.

Deidre, don't use a breakup to threaten me. I'll take it seriously.

Meeting that threatening look of his, I suddenly remembered the first time I'd brought up breaking up.

Jim was the kind of person who took things at face value. Back then I didn't understand that yet.

I'd thrown out a breakup line just because I was in a mood.

All he said at the time was, You serious?

I nodded, and he walked away.

For months after that he didn't contact me, while I reached out to him over and over.

All he ever said was, Sorry, Miss Henson, we've already broken up. Please don't contact me again.

In the end I gave in. I promised Jim I would never bring up breaking up again.

And I really kept that promise.

Even when Jim sided with Tilda Fox time and again afterward, no matter how angry I got, I never said the word breakup.

But today I really didn't want to keep going.

Deidre, is this really necessary? Jim and I spent so long preparing for this competition, and you were barely involved. Even if it was Jim and me who went up in the end, isn't that just how it should be?

Tilda Fox couldn't sit still, putting on a show of standing up for Jim.

I almost laughed out of sheer anger. You're saying you and Jim spent a long time preparing it?

Yes.

Tilda looked me dead in the eye, full of conviction.

Without a flicker, I pulled out the lab's entry logs. Then let me ask you. Where are your entry records? Where are your edit records? Where are your original drafts?

My three killer questions left Tilda frozen on the spot.

Jim knit his brows and pushed her behind him. Anyway, you were the one who showed up late first. You

The rule says you can go up anytime within ten minutes of the start. I got there the second the competition began. Did you give me a single chance to go up? You're the one who sent me for the flash drive. What gave you the right not to wait for me?

Jim, admit you never meant to let me go up in the first place. Is that so hard?

This time I didn't waste words on him. I went straight to the point.

The classmates couldn't take it anymore. Jim, what's actually going on here? How could you tell me this project was done by you and Tilda Fox?

Yeah, didn't you say Deidre was only helping you out?

You even said Tilda was being kind, that she wanted Deidre to go up with you so you two lovebirds could share the moment, but Deidre just couldn't pull her weight, so Tilda reluctantly went up instead. Is that right?

The classmates' questions left Jim even more at a loss for how to respond.

I just stood there and watched them with a smile.

The truth didn't really matter anymore. I'd treat it as a lesson, and see a person for who he was.

"Jim, give me back the gold bracelet my parents left me."

I held out my hand to Jim and waited.

Tilda's hand went straight behind her back.

I let out a cold laugh. "What are you hiding? It isn't yours. How do you even have the nerve to wear it? That's a keepsake from my parents. Aren't you afraid they'll come for you in the night?"

That did it. Tilda started trembling.

She slid the bracelet off and tossed it to me, flustered. "I didn't know it was your parents'. Jim said he wanted to thank me, so he gave it to me."

Everyone in the room shot Jim a look of open contempt at that.

I knew that after this, his standing among our classmates would never be the same.

But that wasn't my problem anymore. I was done with him.

I picked up the bracelet and turned to leave.

Jim blocked my way. "Deidre, think this through. The second you walk out that door, there's really nothing left between us."

"Nothing would suit me fine."

Staying with someone who'd schemed against me like that, I honestly worried I might fall asleep one night and never wake up.

Back at the rental, I grabbed my things and went to my best friend's place.

She'd been telling me to move in with her for a while, but Jim couldn't cover the rent on his own, so I'd stayed with him.

From now on, I didn't have to accommodate anyone.

The lease happened to be up this month, so I told the landlord straight out that I was moving.

As for Jim, whether he stayed or not had nothing to do with me.

When I got to my friend's place and she heard the whole story start to finish, she was furious. She even wanted to go track Jim down in the middle of the night.

I managed to stop her.

"It's not worth it. We've already broken up. From now on I just won't have anything to do with him."

"But you put so much into that competition, and now you can't get into the Foxs. Don't you have to start job hunting again?"

She looked so worked up that I couldn't help smiling.

The truth was, I'd had a backup plan from the start.

If the Foxs were off the table now, then I'd go to my mentor.

"Don't worry. I've still got a card to play."

"Really?"

I had to promise her a few times over before she finally relaxed.

We talked for a long time that night.

And it wasn't until I was about to fall asleep that I realized actually breaking up with Jim wasn't such a big deal after all.

I didn't feel nearly as wretched as I'd expected.

I had no idea what Jim was up to. He kept texting me. At first he was demanding to know why I'd exposed him, and then, when I didn't respond, he switched to questions. You moved out?

Deidre, are you really breaking up with me?

The last one came in a minute ago. Jim wrote: Dee, let's talk.

There was no need for that.

I slept soundly, and the next day I packed up and went to see my mentor.

When he learned I was coming to join him, he couldn't have been happier.

Six months ago he'd invited me onto his team.

He and Lance had started a company together, and they were badly short on people.

But at the time Jim and I had already decided to enter the Fox design competition, so I'd turned my mentor down.

He'd thought it was a real shame.

But he'd also said, "Come find me anytime, all right?"

I never imagined that day would actually come.

Once my mentor and I had the details settled, I got in touch with Lance.

By the time everything was sorted out, it was already that afternoon.

When my best friend came to meet me for a meal, she happened to spot Jim and Tilda walking into a restaurant together.

The two of them were all over each other, and when someone pressed them, "Are you two together now?" they only smiled and said nothing.

My friend was so angry she wanted to march over and have it out with them, but I held her back.

"We've already broken up."

Jim saw me and my friend too.

To get under my skin, Jim moved closer to Tilda.

All I could think was how childish he was.

After that, Jim and I didn't see each other for a long stretch.

I was busy with graduation and joining Lance Rowe's team, and I had no time to deal with him.

Jim, on the other hand, did text me during that time. Don't want your stuff anymore?

Just toss it.

I couldn't figure out what Jim was after.

The truth was, I could see it plainly. Jim wanted to get back together.

But the way he went about it was something else.

Flaunting his relationship with Tilda right in front of me, on purpose, to provoke me.

Getting Tilda to post vague, suggestive things on her socials, so that the moment our classmates saw them, they'd come ask me, "Did the two of you break up?"

"Yes."

I didn't hide it. I even came right out and wished Jim and Tilda well.

But Jim got angry and demanded, "Are you out of your mind? When you talk like that, everyone gets the wrong idea about me and Tilda, don't they?"

I didn't reply. I just screenshotted Tilda's post and sent it over.

Jim went quiet.

So he'd seen it too.

That post was a public announcement, plain and simple.

After that, Jim stopped bothering me.

But my best friend told me he'd moved back into the dorms.

Apparently, without me covering the rent, Jim couldn't afford that apartment anymore.

I heard Tilda even picked a fight with him over it.

She said, "You could rent a place when you were with Deidre. How come you can't rent one now that you're with me?"

Jim cared too much about his pride to admit I'd been the one paying the rent.

One thing led to another, and Tilda became convinced Jim still cared about me.

So she made him prove it to her, over and over.

She even posted little digs at me on her socials.

But I'd already blocked her, so I couldn't see any of it.

As for me, my life was full.

Ever since I joined Lance's team, I didn't have a spare minute in the day.

Everyone else on the team was sharp and seasoned.

In that stretch of time, I learned a lot.

Bit by bit, I settled into the pace.

After graduation, I went straight into handling projects alongside Lance.

Jim and Tilda got their wish and landed at Fox Group.

But one day, Tilda dragged me onto the trending list.

#My boyfriend's ex is jealous that we both got into Fox Group, so she's been smearing us behind our backs. What do I do?

People piled in with advice for Tilda. Some even tagged me, asking her, "Is this the one?" She replied with a smiley face.

Half an hour later, my account was overrun.

Every DM and comment was someone cursing me out.

Without the slightest panic, I called Jim.

The instant he picked up, he cleared his throat. "Finally realized you were wrong? If you apologize to me right now, maybe I can forgive that whole breakup thing, but don't let it happen aga"

"Jim, get Tilda under control. If she doesn't post a clarification within half an hour, I'll put the truth out for everyone to see."

I didn't wait for him to react. I hung up.

By the time Jim figured out what was going on, he didn't say a word against Tilda. He just texted me. Isn't this your fault for doing the project too well before? Now Tilda's taken it over and she's out of her depth, so the people at Fox Group are questioning her. She's upset and venting a little, so what?

Deidre, if you're going to be this petty, then I really won't get back together with you.

Reading Jim's shameless words, I actually laughed out of sheer anger.

Five minutes left.

I reminded Jim again, and all he did was keep scolding me.

I ignored every word.

The five minutes passed quickly.

Tilda offered no explanation, and the mob coming after me only grew.

So I sent out the deck I'd had ready all along.

If they wanted to dig their own graves, I'd see them off.

The next second, my phone started ringing, sharp and urgent.

Looking at the familiar number on the screen, I felt a smile tug at my lips without meaning to.

The moment I answered, Jim's voice came through, frantic and furious. "Deidre, what the hell are you doing? You're trying to destroy me and Tilda, aren't you?"

When I said nothing, he only got angrier.

He threatened me through the phone. "I'm giving you ten minutes. Take it down, now, and post a statement saying you set all of this up on purpose, or I'll"

"Or you'll what?"

I cut him off, but he didn't realize I was serious. He even ground out, "Then there's no chance left for you and me, ever."

The second the words were out, I couldn't help laughing.

Hadn't we broken up a long time ago?

"Jim, who told you you were anything special? You think that after all this time apart, I'm still hung up on you?"

"All right, drop the act. I know you still care about me. You only brought up the breakup on purpose because I'd been getting close to Tilda, so I'd come chasing after you, right? Fine, this time I'll admit I was wrong. Happy now?"

Jim apologized to me, grudging and reluctant, and even made me a promise. "Once my job's stable, I'll break up with Tilda, and then we'll go back to how we were before."

And just like that, Jim shattered everything I thought I knew.

I'd known he wasn't the person I'd imagined, but I never thought he could be this low.

So I didn't hesitate any longer. I sent out a document.

I said only one thing to him. "Jim, after all these years together, let me give you a breakup gift."

With that, I hung up and blocked him.

Let it end here.

This man who'd been with me through my entire college years had nothing to do with me anymore.

At that same moment, Jim received a document from Fox Group's HR department.

The instant he saw it, his face drained, and he kept muttering, "No, no, that's impossible. How can this be happening?"