He Deleted My Name From Every Design. I Deleted Him From My Life. Chapter 08
Over the next few months, Adrian started finding ways to send more and more projects to me.
The first time, he asked a mutual contact to reach out to me.
The second time, he went through someone else.
The third time, it happened the exact same way.
By the fourth time, I called him directly.
“Adrian, what exactly are you doing?”
“Those projects are a perfect fit for you—”
“I don’t need you finding opportunities for me.”
There was a few seconds of silence on the other end.
“I’m just trying to help.”
“The best thing you can do is stay out of my life.”
“I remember everything that happened four years ago. I won’t forget.”
His breathing paused.
“You still hate me.”
“I don’t hate you.”
“I just don’t want to see you anymore.’
Later, he asked to meet.
He said there were things he wanted to explain.
We sat in a coffee shop.
His hands were clasped together on the table, his knuckles turning white from the force.
“Claire, everything that happened three years ago was my fault. I admit it.”
“I want to make it right.”
I looked at him.
“What exactly do you want to make right?”
“Tell me what you want.”
“Whatever you want, I’ll give it to you.”
“The thing I want is something you can’t give me.’
“What?”
“I want the Adrian from seven years ago.”
“The one who held my hand and taught me how to draw curves.”
“The one who told me, ‘This design deserves to be seen.””
“Not the Adrian who gave me a score of 52, denied our relationship in front of the entire
architecture firm, and erased my design credit.”
“That Adrian no longer exists.”
His face slowly turned pale.
“You owe me more than an apology.”
“You owe me the seven years I lost.”
“For seven years, our relationship stayed hidden.”
“For seven years, my name never appeared on my own designs.”
“For seven years, I had to prove that everything I achieved was earned through my own hard work.”
“For seven years, I walked carefully, making sure no one could ever use my relationship with
to question my abilities.”
“You gave all your encouragement to Sophie.”
“You said she was talented.”
“You said she deserved support.”
“But what about me?”
“After seven years of work, after everything I created, was I not even worth having my name written on one of those design drafts?”
I stood up.
“Adrian, I stayed silent before.”
you
“Not because those things didn’t hurt.”
“But because I knew you would never listen.”
“Now I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”
“Because it doesn’t matter.”
〇
His expression turned sad.
“Give me one more chance.”
“A chance for what?”
“So you can give me another 52?”
He lowered his head.
“I know you hate me.”
“I don’t hate you.”
My voice was soft.
“I just don’t love you anymore.”
He sat there for a long time without moving.
“If one day you want to come back—”
“That day will never come.”
“Adrian, I’m not the woman who stayed behind waiting for you.”
“I’m the woman who kept moving forward.”
He slowly stood up and walked toward the door.
Before leaving, he stopped.
“Claire.”
“Yeah?”
“If-”
“No.”
