I stepped outside, but as soon as I reached the building’s entrance, I froze. Steve was already there, leaning against his car, waiting for me. His face was tense, and he walked over when he saw me, his hand reaching out for mine.

I yanked my wrist away before he could touch me.

"Claire, we need to talk," he said, his voice strained.

"We’ve already talked," I shot back, my tone cold. "We’re done, Steve. There’s nothing left to discuss. Have you agreed to my terms, or not?"

Steve looked like he hadn’t slept all night. There were dark circles under his eyes, and he was frowning, his frustration clearly visible. "Claire, I never agreed to break up."

I folded my arms, unimpressed. "Then you’re delusional. We’re over, Steve. You made your choice when you ran to Amy."

He sighed heavily, as if he were dealing with a child throwing a tantrum. "Claire, Amy almost got disfigured. I stayed up all night with her in the hospital. This morning, she told me she hasn't used that email in ages, there's no way she sent those messages. You have to believe me."

I stared at him, my disbelief quickly turning into bitter amusement. "Did you even bother checking the login details? You didn’t, did you?"

He blinked, taken aback by my sudden change in tone. "I… I didn’t think I needed to. Amy wouldn’t… "

"Of course, you didn’t," I interrupted, my voice filled with sarcasm. "Because when it comes to Amy, you believe whatever she says without question. You haven’t changed at all, Steve."

His expression wavered. "Claire, it’s not like that. You don’t understand..."

"No," I cut him off again, my eyes narrowing. "You don’t understand. I don’t care what Amy told you, and I don’t even care if you want to believe her. But I want what’s mine. You give me the project, and we part ways for good, or we drag this out, and trust me, you won’t like where that leads."

Steve’s shoulders drooped in defeat, but he still tried to reach out for me again, as if somehow his touch could convince me to stay.

"Claire, do we really have to make this such a big deal? I mean, can't we just move past this?"

I took a step back, glaring at him. "Steve, you literally had me arrested. You chose her over me. Now, you have to live with that choice."

He opened his mouth to protest, but I raised a hand, cutting him off for the third time. My patience was running out.