He Watched Me Shine Without Him novel Chapter 7

"Dear baby, I know you always forget to eat on time when you’re working. I didn’t want you settling for whatever leftovers they’ve got at the cafeteria, so I sent you a little love-packed lunch. Don’t forget to eat. Yours, your lover."

The office instantly erupted in a wave of excitement.

"Wow, this guy is seriously smooth. So gentle and thoughtful—men like that don’t exist anymore!"

"Think our ice-cold Dr. Marshall’s gonna fall for him?"

"Well, that depends. Our Dr. Marshall’s not exactly the type to swoon for a pretty face. She’s all about her career."

Ethan stood off to the side, stunned. The woman he had tossed away without a second thought… was someone else’s treasure now. The realization hit him like a punch to the gut—he’d thrown away a diamond, thinking it was glass.

He glanced at the lush roses and the beautifully prepared meal, a bitter regret stirring in his chest. No matter how much money or effort this new guy poured into wooing Rose, she’d never fall for it. That’s who she was. She only ever loved him. She never let other men get close.

But then Rose did something that completely blindsided him.

She smiled.

With a quiet, content expression, she arranged the roses in a tall, empty vase and carefully filled it with water. Then she spread out the meal, picked up her fork, and started eating with visible delight.

Ethan’s stomach twisted. He turned and walked away with his head down.

From the corner of her eye, Rose caught a glimpse of his retreating figure. For a moment, her heart dimmed.

Compared to Houston’s tenderness and attention, the Ethan she’d given a decade of her life to had never once treated her with such care.

She used to think the most beautiful love letters were those whispered promises of forever from Ethan’s lips. She’d believed him. And because she did, she gave everything—her time, her money, her future.

Now she knew better. He never really loved her. He’d just been addicted to the life she gave him. If he’d truly cared, why couldn’t he have done for her what Houston now did so easily?

Her ten years with Ethan suddenly felt like a tragic joke. All that devotion—for what? A man who never deserved it.

As she quietly finished her lunch, Rose pulled out her phone.

One by one, she deleted every photo from the last ten years. Wiped her Facebook clean. Ten years of memories—gone in seconds.

The move sent shockwaves through her old college group chat.

"Why did Rose delete all of Ethan’s photos?"

"Did the golden couple have a fight?"

"Ethan, if you let her go, you’ll regret it. No one will ever love you the way Rose did."

Then, among the chatter, a new profile—one no one recognized—suddenly appeared in the group and dropped a bomb:

"Maybe Rose didn’t love Ethan that much. They were together for ten years and never even lived together. If she really loved him, she’d have given him a baby by now."

That sparked instant outrage.

"Giving a man a baby before marriage doesn’t prove love. That’s just being dumb. Rose spoiled Ethan for years, but she was never a fool. That’s what a modern, independent woman looks like."

The unknown user vanished just as suddenly.

The chat exploded.

"Who was that? Definitely not from our class."

"Someone’s girlfriend, maybe? Whoever it was, she clearly wants to see Rose and Ethan fall apart. That’s messed up."

"We’re here to keep peace, not stir the pot," their class president posted.

Ethan read the thread, face black with rage. He picked up his phone and dialed.

"Vivian, did you post in our class group chat?"