Five Years Being “Practical,” Then I Made My Dream Pay Off Chapter 02
It was already ten o’clock at night by the time I reached
Walter’s apartment in New York.
He was lounging on the sofa, watching TV, completely
unbothered. “I told you to head straight back. What took you so long?”
No hug. No concern. He barely glanced my way.
Standing in the entryway, I noticed my old white slippers
were gone. In their place sat a pair of soft pink ones–clearly not my size.
Dread settled in my chest. “Last week, when you went
? drinking with my supervisor in that other city–who was the
woman you brought with you?”
Walter spoke flatly, without emotion. “Zoe, of course.”
Deep down I had already known, but hearing him admit it
sent a sharp, stinging ache through my chest. “Who spread
the story that I’m neglecting my work to make online
content? Was it her, or was it you?”
Walter’s eyes stayed fixed on the television screen, his eyelids
drooping slightly. “Does it matter who said it? It’s the truth anyway.”
“The truth?” I let out a bitter, hollow laugh.
Walter’s expression remained impassive. “Aria, for five years.
Can you honestly say you haven’t built social–media content
on the side? That you haven’t gone out taking photos and writing posts?”
It’s natural to want fame and money. There’s no shame in
that. I just don’t believe you will ever succeed at it. Your
approach is flawed, and you refuse to face reality. That is why
I say you are unfocused and chasing impossible fantasies.”
I stared at him, feeling all the blood drain from my face. H
never expected to hear such harsh judgments fall from his mouth.
Over those five years, I had never abandoned my dream of
being a content creator, but I had never once let it interfere with my job.
Walter, I poured every bit of effort into my position. I never
slacked off. Every design brief, every client assignment—I
handled them flawlessly. Just because of gossip you two
spread, my supervisor fired me.”
He finally lifted his eyes and shot me a brief, dismissive
glance. “I told you so.”
My heart sank sharply.
He kept going. “Aria, let me teach you something today, No
matter how outstanding or irreplaceable you are at work,
that only counts for so much. Managers care about one thing
stability. That’s what determines whether they’ll invest in you.”
I stared at him in total disbelief. “So even now you still think
I am unstable and unfocused?”
“What about Zoe? From what I know, she studied translation
and only ever works part–time. And what about you? How
many businesses have you started and watched collapse
across these five years?”
“What right do the two of you have to call me unfocused for
filming videos?” My voice rose.
Walter stood up, towering over me. “We are talking about you
right now. Can you try to act more mature? Stop dragging
other people into this.”
The apartment air–conditioner was blasting. My clothes,
damp from rain, chilled me to the bone and made me shiver,
yet tears burned hot on my cheeks.
Walter, I worked so hard for that stability you keep talking
about. But you are the one who got me fired. Why can’t you
just admit you were wrong? I was so close to that promotion,
so close to real security. Everything got destroyed because of
words from you.”
Walter frowned, growing impatient. “If your work was really
that solid, nothing Zoe and I said could have hurt you. You
wouldn’t have lost your job. This is your problem. Don’t take
your frustration out on me because you couldn’t handle it.”
Anger swelled tight in my chest. My eyes burned red from
crying, tears streaming nonstop, “Is this really only my problem?”
“Did I work myself to the bone at that studio just for myself?
For five years, I tried to become the person you wanted. I split
every bill, obeyed your rules about spending, never asked you
for luxury bags or expensive gifts. Do you think I didn’t want those things?”
“I did all of it so we could get married! I was trying to live up
to the standards you set!”
Silence filled the room. Walter said nothing, just stared coldly
at me as though I were a total stranger.
My legs gave out from exhaustion, and I slid to the floor,
curling in on myself. “Five years. I fought so hard for this
relationship, all for the hope of marrying you…“
“Do you know how many times I had to talk myself through
the hard days? How draining it was to keep holding on? Do
you know what it’s like to live alone in a strange city with
nobody beside you?”
“You have never cared how I feel. Not once.”
I collapsed forward onto the floor, sobbing uncontrollably, my
whole body shaking. Every fresh tear deepened the weight of
my disappointment.
Walter’s phone rang sharply. “Zoe, go ahead.”
Zoe’s bright, soft voice came through the speaker. “Walter, I’m
hungry again. Wanna get late–night snacks?”
Walter agreed and turned toward the door.
As he stepped past me, he tossed a pack of tissues onto the
floor beside me. “You fall apart over every little setback. It’s
just a job loss. If Zoe went through this, she would smile.
brush it off, and apply for the next opening. Aria, you are far too fragile.”
The front door slammed shut. I was left completely alone.
In that moment I understood. Five years in, the man who
once comforted me when my boss ripped my designs to
shreds–the one who would murmur “Hey, it’s okay, just keep
trying” when I cried; who never called me fragile, only told
me “You’re my best girl, cry all you want, my shoulder is
always yours“—that version of him was gone forever.