Being publicly humiliated like that, even though Harper no longer had feelings for Dylan, still left her face burning with embarrassment. After dropping his bombshell, Dylan promptly ended the meeting and steered Ruby toward the exit, his hand on the small of her back. Marissa from HR, who’d been hovering anxiously outside, intercepted him with Harper’s resignation letter. “Mr. Rodriguez, I need your signature on this resignation paperwork.” Without even glancing at the document, Dylan scribbled his signature across the bottom, his expression completely disinterested.
After he disappeared down the hallway with Ruby, Harper’s teammates swarmed around her, their voices overlapping with outrage and support. “That was complete bullshit,” Trevor fumed. “Everyone knows you’ve carried this department for years.” But Harper remained surprisingly calm. She smiled slightly, the signed resignation form now a ticket to freedom in her hand. “Honestly, the Director thing doesn’t matter anymore,” she said quietly. “I’ve already decided to leave. Rodriguez just approved my resignation. Today’s actually my last day here.” She looked at their shocked faces. “I miss working with all of you. Take care of yourselves, okay?”
Her announcement stunned the room into silence before erupting into protests. “You can’t be serious!” “We should all march into his office right now!” “This is about Ruby, isn’t it? This is so unprofessional!” Harper just shook her head with a gentle smile, thanking them individually before returning to her office to pack up her desk. After work, she treated everyone to drinks at their favorite bar, saying goodbye with clinking glasses and tearful hugs. Back home, she contacted a realtor and listed her apartment at a fire-sale price; it sold within 24 hours. After finalizing the paperwork, she arranged to move out that weekend.
Just as she finished handling these details, her phone lit up with Jemma’s message. “Harper! Tomorrow’s my birthday bash! Don’t tell me it slipped your mind? I’ve been dying to see what you got me!” “As if I could forget your birthday,” Harper laughed. “Your gift’s been wrapped for weeks. I’ll definitely swing by tomorrow.” Harper had not only prepared Jemma’s gift but also planned to break the news about her departure. In previous years, desperate to maximize her Dylan exposure, she would arrive at Rodriguez family celebrations embarrassingly early to “help set up.” This time, she deliberately waited until the party was in full swing before ordering a ride share.
As usual, the birthday extravaganza was being held at the Rodriguez family estate in Greenwich. Having made this pilgrimage countless times over the years, Harper knew every shortcut and slipped through the garden entrance to avoid making a grand entrance. In the sprawling living room, they were just bringing out the elaborate cake. Jemma stood in the center of an admiring crowd, radiant in a designer dress. Mr. and Mrs. Rodriguez flanked her on her left side, champagne glasses in hand, while Dylan and Ruby completed the picture-perfect tableau on her right. They looked like a Ralph Lauren ad for the American Dream family!
Hanging back near the catering staff, Harper couldn’t help overhearing two servers gossiping. “Can you believe they’re back together? After all this time apart? That’s some Nicholas Sparks-level romance right there!” “For real. That other chick from his office chased him for years and got nowhere. Meanwhile, his ex flies back from Europe and boom—they’re joined at the hip again.” “His parents have been on his case about settling down forever. Now that he’s brought her to family functions… I bet we’re setting up for a wedding next!”