CHAPTER 9

ETHAN

I sat on my comfy chair in the sitting room, staring at the two letters on the table before me: the promotion offer letter on the right and the resignation letter on the left. This promotion was a fantastic chance, a huge step up in my career, and something I had always wanted—but it came with strings attached. Memories of that night with Lizzy kept flashing in my mind, making my decision even harder.

I sighed, rubbing my temple, an act I do whenever I was indecisive and stressed. I needed to make a decision quickly. Today marks the end of the submission deadline for the promotion. Uncertain of what to do, I decided to reach out to Mike for advice. I picked up my phone, dialing his number.

After several rings, it connected, and I could hear his husky voice behind the phone.

"Hey, Ethan! What's up?" Mike answered, sounding like I had just woken him up from a deep sleep.

"Hey, man. Got a minute? I need your advice on something," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.