THE BREAK UP

CHAPTER 1

Jayden was a 26-year-old man. His background was not very clear, and he was known to be a loner. He worked at a fairly famous clothing store in Swient City, and now it was time to go home, but he wanted to give his girlfriend, Bella Moore, a little surprise.

"Jayden." Jayden turned his head when he was called. He was preparing to close the store, and the manager told him to come over. "Come here."

Adam Scott, the store manager, looked at Jayden with his cold eyes. Jayden was happy because today was his day to receive his salary.

"This is yours." Adam handed Jayden the rather thick brown envelope, making Jayden impatient and even happier when he saw that there was more money than usual.

"Is this my salary this month? Wow, that's a lot, Mr. Scott."

"That's your severance pay." Jayden was silent, stunned. "You can stop working starting tomorrow." After that, Adam turned away and didn't want to talk anymore.

But Jayden needed an explanation.

"Mr. Scott, why was I fired?"

"Isn't that obvious?" Adam replied casually.

"But why all of a sudden? My employment contract was for one year, right? It's only been three months, sir."

"I have the right to do whatever I want with your contract since I'm the one who made it, and I want to terminate the contract with you now."

Jayden was dumbfounded, not expecting it. But as he went after Adam and grabbed his arm, Adam violently pushed Jayden to the ground.

"Ukh...."

"Get lost while I'm still talking nice to you," Adam said, with a sharp, cold stare that made Jayden think the man hated him.

But why?

Jayden couldn't do anything. He walked out with his head down, feeling sad, disappointed, and confused.

If he didn't have a job, how could he make his girlfriend happy? Bella Moore was a girl who grew up in a rich family and was spoiled with wealth. But if Jayden had no money, how could he give Bella what she wanted?

He was walking home like a dazed man, but Jayden's attention was distracted when he saw the perfume shop Bella used to go to with him.

In the past, Jayden would have had little trouble buying Bella perfume from that shop, but now he has more money. Jayden thought he could finally give Bella the perfume she wanted.

***

"Bella, I'm coming."

Jayden walked into the hotel room where Bella had been staying for the past week. Jayden tried to smile, and he saw Bella cooking something in the kitchen.

Jayden approached her and was about to hug her, but from the other side came a man who hugged Bella intimately first.

Jayden was shocked, almost unable to believe what he saw. especially when they kissed in front of him.

"Bella!"

Bella and the man turned their heads, surprised to see Jayden's presence.

"Jay...? What are you doing here?" asked Bella, leaving Jayden confused.

"What am I doing? I should be the one asking, What are you doing? You're kissing this guy." Jayden didn't pay much attention, but when he saw the man's chest covered in kiss marks, Jayden realized what was really going on. "Bella, are you having an affair?"

Bella massaged her forehead, momentarily at a loss for what to say. But then she confessed.

"I love him."

"What?"

"Is it not clear? I love Baron Wills, and I want to marry him."

"Bella, but you are my girlfriend."

"We can break up. I want to break up with you."

"Bella...."

Jayden was not expecting it; he endured the pain, and Bella did not look guilty.

Bella even said, "I can't marry you anyway, Jay; my father doesn't give us permission."He doesn't want me to marry a poor man who isn't worthy of his family."

"But I've promised to be a successful man for you; even your father allows me to do so."

"He just lets you do whatever you want, but in the end, he won't accept you. You also don't have a clear origin, and how many hundreds of years should I wait for you to become a successful man if you only work as a shop clerk?"

Jayden tried to approach Bella, but Bella pushed him away with a look of disgust and annoyance.

"I'll try hard for you, Bella, but why did you betray me?" Jayden asked, and he remembered the gift he had brought. "I even bought the perfume you wanted for you. See, you always wanted this stuff, right?"

"I don't want it anymore," Bella replied, refusing. "I've wanted it since six months ago, but you can only give me it now. Now that I don't want it anymore, and Baron can even give me ten perfumes more expensive than that only in one purchase!"

Bella pulled the paperbag and threw it until the perfume bottle broke, and the fresh scent of roses filled the room where they were together.

Jayden was dumbfounded. He looked at Bella with anger, but Bella was looking for a defense.

"You don't have a job either, Jay; how can you be sure that you can succeed and deserve to be with me?"

Jayden was silent. "You... know I got fired?"

"Ah..." Bella was awkward, but then said, "Because your salary alone would definitely not be enough to buy that perfume, and you can buy it now because you got extra from the severance pay, right?"

Jayden still didn't respond, unable to speak.

Bella said, "Go, we're done, and there's nothing more to talk about."

Bella grabbed Baron to leave, but Jayden held her back and pulled Bella away with a furious stare.

"Akh, what are you doing?"

"You can't do this to me, Bella!" said Jayden, gripping Bella's shoulders. "I risked everything, even my life, just for you! If you end up with someone else, why do you love me?"

"I never really loved you!" Bella snapped. "Yes, I was wrong. I thought you were a rich guy back in college, but you were just being pretentious! You were a poor guy who acted like a conglomerate's son, and I fell for your trick! Now I regret it; no, since the first time, I've regretted accepting trash like you!"

Baron released Jayden from Bella and pushed the man to the floor. Baron looked at Jayden with a mocking smile.

"You'd better leave while Bella is still talking softly to you, shameless scum," Baron said. That smile, those eyes, and his words reminded Jayden of the arrogant manager, Adam, so Jayden no longer wanted to hold back and lunged at Baron with an attack.

"AKH! BARON!"

Bella panicked when she saw Jayden hit Baron in the face. They fought, but apparently Jayden was good enough at martial arts that Baron was cornered.

"Damn, Baron could die if Jayden keeps this up," Bella said, thinking about helping the man she loved. Until she remembered something and ran to her room.

Just as Jayden thought he was going to win, Bella suddenly kicked him, causing him to fall. Bella pulled Baron behind her, and surprisingly, the woman pointed a gun at Jayden.

"Leave before I shoot you," Bella said shakily. Her hand couldn't even hold the gun properly; how could she shoot Jayden?

But seeing that was enough to hurt Jayden. He laughed, laughing at the story of his life. The woman he loved so much was now pointing a gun at him and threatening to kill him. Does this make sense?

"Haha...."

"I'm not joking, Jay!"

"Neither am I, Bella." Jayden stared at Bella sharply, making her tremble with fear. She had already made Jayden furious, and the ending would be bad if it continued.

Jayden stood up, feeling no fear and trusting that Bella wouldn't be able to shoot him.

Even if the woman got even more scared at the sight of Jayden walking towards her, she wouldn't be able to shoot Jayden because:

BANG!