Seven Years in the Shadows, Quiet Resignation

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Rowan and I had been together for seven years. For all those years, I was her assistant, her shadow, and her secret.

After the award ceremony, Rowan stood before a crowd of reporters. She finally addressed the rumors about her and Ian.

I'm so lucky Ian was with me on set this time, she said with a sweet smile. "Half of this award belongs to him."

Ian wrapped an arm around her shoulders. He told the press they would have some good news to share soon.

Instagram was flooded with photos of the "True Couple." Everyone was talking about how perfect Rowan and Ian looked together.

This time, I didn't blow up her phone with angry questions. I just calmly turned mine off.

I had struggled in this relationship for seven years. Finally, I was just too tired to keep going.

1.

Rowan didn't get back until one in the morning.

She seemed surprised to see me still sitting in the living room.

There was a cake on the table, still in its original packaging.

A week ago, the organizers had told her she was going to win.

Rowan had promised me that she'd use the live broadcast to announce our relationship. She said it was the perfect birthday gift for me.

I recognized the blazer she was taking off. It was the one Ian had been wearing in the interview.

"Why are you still up?" she asked.

"I texted you. The team wanted to celebrate the win, so we went out for a late dinner."

I had been her assistant for seven years. Technically, I was part of the team.

But whenever Ian was around, Rowan rarely invited me to their gatherings.

I didn't care anymore if it was a team dinner or just a date for two.

"What happened there?" I asked, pointing at the red marks on her shoulder.

A flash of panic crossed her face.

"I was waiting for the car and got bitten by mosquitoes. I scratched it too hard, that's all. I'll just put some cream on it."

She looked guilty when she saw I didn't press for more details.

She sat down next to me and pulled a small square box from her bag.

"Open it. See if you like your birthday present."

I remembered that watch. Ian had been wearing it when he had his hand on her shoulder earlier.

I set it on the table without opening it.

"You don't like it?" she asked, her voice dropping.

"I don't want things that other people have already worn."

My cold attitude made her uncomfortable.

She tried to explain, her voice tinged with forced patience.

"Ian just started out in the industry. He couldn't afford something this expensive, so I let him borrow it for the night. It's no big deal."

"If he likes other people's things that much, let him have it," I replied.

Rowan knew I wasn't just talking about the watch. I was talking about her soft-launching her romance with him.

"Ian just joined the agency. Creating a fake couple vibe just helps his career," she said.

"This award wasn't even that prestigious. I'll announce us when I win something bigger next time."

I just gave her a cold "Mhm."

I stood up to go to my room, but she grabbed my hand.

"Devon, look at the trophy. I specifically brought it back to give to you."

In the past, Rowan would give every trophy she won to Ian.

The only reason she brought this one home was because Ian already had an identical one.

I had seen Ian's post on Twitter right before she walked in.

"One for you, one for me. Now we're a matching set," his caption had read.

"Just put it away," I said, not taking it.

Usually, I'd be happy for hours if she gave me anything. My indifference finally made her snap.

"Devon, seriously? You're giving me attitude over such a small thing?"

"You're never like this!"

I didn't give her a reaction. I just walked straight into the guest room.

Rowan was a light sleeper because of her work.

To avoid disturbing her, she took the master suite. The other large rooms had been turned into walk-in closets for her designer clothes.

In this three-thousand-square-foot penthouse, only this tiny guest room felt like mine.

Rowan never cared about my feelings. she just took everything I did for granted.

2.

When I woke up the next morning, Rowan was already gone.

She had left a note on the dining table.

"I'm sorry about your birthday. I'll come home early tonight and make it up to you."

I crumpled the note into a ball and tossed it into the trash.

Rowan only had a photo shoot scheduled for today. Her manager could handle it; she didn't need me.

She only kept me close when she was filming, using me as her personal pack mule.

If I was going to end this, I needed to quit being her assistant too.

I arrived at the agency before the HR manager.

Word was they had all stayed out late drinking and would be coming in late.

I found a spot in the lounge and waited.

An hour later, the HR head walked in, smelling like a brewery.

When she saw my resignation letter, she rolled her eyes.

"You're quitting a job this good? I don't know what's wrong with you!"

Only Rowan's manager knew about our actual relationship.

Everyone else in the office thought I was just some loser obsessed with Rowan, clinging to her like a leech.

They had no idea I turned down a six-figure salary at a top firm just to take care of her as an underpaid assistant.

I walked past the breakroom and heard some new interns gossiping.

"Did you see? Rowan basically went public with Ian last night. It was so romantic!"

Another girl chimed in.

"I was at the party! Ian was so sweet to her. They were even making out in the corner! It was goals!"

"I'm just glad Devon wasn't there. He's always hovering around her. He would've caused a scene for sure."

The others laughed in agreement.

"He really thinks he has a chance just because they went to college together. What a joke."

One of the girls sneered.

"Devon? Rowan told me he's just a helpful assistant. Why would she ever look at him?"

"A goddess like Rowan belongs with a guy like Ian."

I had planned to just walk away, but the smell of lilies in the room made me sneeze.

The girls jumped and went silent when they saw me.

As I turned to leave, I ran right into Rowan and Ian.

I tried to walk past them, but Ian spoke first.

"Hey, Devon. I'm so sorry I dragged everyone out to celebrate last night and forgot it was your birthday."

He gave me a smug, punchable look.

"Don't apologize to him," Rowan said gently. "It wasn't your fault."

The way she looked at him was full of a tenderness she hadn't shown me in years.

"I'll take him out for a birthday dinner after the shoot today anyway."

"He doesn't care about small things like that."

Normally, I would have started a fight with her. Now, I just wanted to get out.

Rowan texted me the restaurant address and told me to be there at seven.

She claimed she had a surprise for me.

As they walked away hand-in-hand, Ian looked back at me with a look of pure triumph.

I didn't care. I just took my signed resignation and went home.

3.

That evening, I showed up at the restaurant.

I checked my watch. It was five minutes to seven.

I looked out the window, feeling surprisingly calm. I wasn't even anxious for her to show up.

Seven o'clock passed. I signaled the waiter to bring the food.

I cut into my steak and enjoyed the meal by myself.

After dinner, I went to catch a movie.

For seven years, I had scheduled my entire life around Rowan.

Last year, I asked her to see a movie with me. She said she was too famous and feared being recognized in a theater.

The next day, paparazzi caught her at an amusement park with Ian.

I got home after the movie ended at eleven.

The lights were off. Rowan wasn't there.

I checked my phone after my shower and saw a trending photo of Rowan and Ian at a hospital.

Ian had been hit by a falling light on set.

Looking at the photo, he barely had a scratch, just a bit of swelling.

But Rowan looked terrified in the picture. Ian was holding her face, comforting her. The media was calling it the romance of the year.

Ian had even posted a tweet.

"No matter what happens, you're always the first one by my side."

I felt nothing. I turned off the lights and went to sleep.

Rowan didn't get back until the middle of the night.

She barged in and found the house dark.

Usually, I'd leave the lights on for her no matter how late it was.

I'd even have a warm bath ready.

She pushed open my bedroom door and shook me awake.

"Devon! I went to the restaurant to find you. Why didn't you wait for me?"

"Do you have any idea what time it is?" I asked, squinting at her.

I had waited for her a thousand times before.

Sometimes I'd wait until dawn, and she'd never show up.

Now that I was done, I wasn't going to waste another second on someone who wouldn't show up for me.

Rowan stuttered, trying to find an excuse.

"Ian got hurt on set. As his colleague, I had to be at the hospital. Plus, the cameras were everywhere."

I just gave her a flat "Okay."

This seemed to make her angry.

"Devon, are you really mad about a dinner? Ian is new to this. He can't handle those vultures in the media alone."

Last year, I was in a car accident. I called her from the ER.

She told me to handle it myself and not to bother her with every little thing.

I had to limp through my own discharge. She never showed up.

"Yeah, I get it. I understand," I said, rolling over.

"Devon, I haven't eaten anything yet."

Rowan had a sensitive stomach. I had spent years learning to cook healthy meals for her.

She expected me to get up and make her some artisanal porridge like I always did.

"I already ate. If you're hungry, there are frozen dumplings in the freezer. Cook them yourself."

Rowan froze. She couldn't believe I was refusing her.

A few seconds later, she slammed the door so hard the walls shook.

4.

After that night, the cold war began.

In the past, I would have done anything to win her back during a fight.

But now, Rowan was staying out, and I was finally relaxing.

I ate all the junk food she used to ban from the house. I had time for myself.

When my old college buddy organized a reunion, I didn't even check with Rowan. I just said yes.

At the bar, my friend teased me.

"Look at this busy man! You finally showed up. Did your superstar girlfriend actually let you out of the house?"

I smiled and took a sip of my beer.

"We broke up."

My friend's jaw dropped. He knew how much I had sacrificed to stay with Rowan.

I was the top of our class. I could have had any job I wanted, but I chose to be her assistant.

By the end of the night, I had accepted a job offer at my friend's company.

When I got home, I walked in to see Ian, shirtless, pinned against Rowan on the sofa. They were making out.

Rowan jumped back in shock, pulling her strap back up.

"Ian and I got a jewelry endorsement. We were just... getting into character for the shoot tomorrow."

She scrambled to make up a lie.

Ian looked at me with a smirk, but his voice sounded fake and hurt.

"There are some intimate scenes tomorrow. If Devon is upset, maybe we should just cancel the contract."

"No," Rowan said quickly. "This is your first big deal. You have to sign it."

Even now, her priority was his career.

"If I had come home any later, would you two have 'gotten into character' in the bedroom?"

Rowan's face went pale.

"Devon, it's not what you think. Don't make a mistake."

"Mistake? Do I need to catch you both naked to call it a mistake?" I laughed bitterly.

Rowan tried to grab my hand, still making excuses.

"You used to be fine with me filming. Ian is inexperienced. I'm just mentoring him."

I supported her when it was work. I understood the kissing scenes on screen.

But this wasn't work.

"Mentoring? Do you even believe your own bullshit, Rowan? You're making me sick."

"Devon, stop it!" she cried.

"Seriously, Devon," Ian cut in, grabbing Rowan's shoulder. "Why are you acting like this? Even if we did sleep together, so what?"

"You're just an assistant. I'm the one the world knows as her boyfriend."

I took a deep breath and landed a hard punch right on his smug face.

Ian hit the floor, completely caught off guard.

Rowan rushed to his side.

When she saw the blood on his lip, she spun around and slapped me across the face.

"Devon, have you lost your mind? How dare you hit him!"

I poked the inside of my cheek with my tongue and laughed at the irony.

"Yeah, maybe I have."

I looked her dead in the eyes, my voice cold as ice.

"So, Rowan, let's break up."