The police, investigators, detectives, and government officials were bombarding me with questions. 

One week earlier…

“Hey Ashley, can I talk to you in my office please? It is very important,” he said as she then began to walk into his office, with no idea of what he was going to say to her. She did not know whether to be afraid or excited. As soon as she sat down, he began to talk. 

“This is about us,” he said. “I can’t be your boss and your boyfriend, it just doesn’t work.” 

“I understand,” she said. “I wish you wouldn’t have told me this in the middle of a work day though.” Her heart was broken, they were together for two years. All of the memories they had made together began going through her head as she was taking step after step to exit his office as quickly and calmly as she could, without giving him the idea of what she was about to do. 

Click clack, click clack, click clack. 

The sound her high heels made as she ran down the stairs. She was breathing so heavily that she felt like her lungs were going to collapse. It’s the kind of breathing you experience when you stop taking breaths in hopes that the tears will go away. 

As soon as she made it down the stairs and onto the first floor of the building, she got into her car, took a deep breath, and drove. She drove for miles and miles and miles. She drove till she came to a stop at a beach. 

It was northern California, it was cold, it was windy, the water felt like 40 degrees. She sat in the sand, as it blew all over the place. The sound of the waves crashing against the sand calmed her down. No tears were shed from the moment Chris told her that he couldn’t be with her anymore. It was almost as if she truly didn’t care that much. She knew that something good would come from this, or at least she thought.

Five days earlier…

Buzz, buzz, buzz.

My phone was blowing up, it was Ashley. It’s only five o'clock in the morning, I’m tired, I’m sad, and I want her to know how I feel and how sorry I am.

“Hey Chris, if you’re reading this, I’d really like to talk to you… Maybe not at work this time though lol”, this text on his phone was for sure an interesting one to wake up to. He took a deep breath, looked at the text one more time, threw his phone down, and went right back to bed. 

Buzz, Buzz, Buzz.

This was about an hour later. By this time, I was about ready to just stay awake. Why bother going back to sleep for only fifteen minutes? I was shocked by what her text said, she seemed so calm about it yesterday and she seems almost what I would say happy with it right now. 

“Hello again, Chris! Sorry if I woke you up, I’d just really like to talk. It would be ideal to get a conversation in before work tomorrow.” This text made it seem like there is something on her mind she needs to get out, but it isn’t something bad. 

“Hello Ashley. I would also like to talk to you… how about we meet at that coffee shop we would always stop at before work? The one with the puppies that you can pet.” This was my response. I kept it short and to the point. I made it clear that I am also interested in having a conversation about everything that happened yesterday. I chose the right coffee shop, those puppies always calm her down. 

I grab my glasses off of the nightstand right next to my bed, and I put them on my face. I take my retainer out of my mouth and put it in the glass filled with water and cleaning solution. I pull the covers off of me, stand up, and I get dressed for the day. My usual outfit of choice is a simple suit, preferably black, accessorized with a vibrant-colored tie. Today, I

chose one of the ties that Ashley gave me as a birthday present. She knows how much I love my ties. 

Four days earlier…

“Hey Ashley, it’s good to see you. Look, before we get into anything, I just wanted to say that I’m sorry. I should not have given you this news at work, I should have waited. I had it all planned out. I was going to take you to a nice dinner and slowly, considerately, tell you exactly how I was feeling. After I planned it out, I knew you’d rather me just give it to you straight” I said, right as we sat down at the table. 

She looked at me, with what I believe was a joyful expression on her face. It’s almost as if in the span of three days, she has gotten completely over me. I don’t know what to think, a million thoughts are running through my head. 

“Could she have just been using me the whole time?”

“Did she ever really have feelings for me?”

“Were these two years just a game for her?”

All of these thoughts crowded my brain. I was not at all mentally present in the conversation. That is, until she told me the truth. 

“Chris, the truth is: I was so in love with you”, she said. “I was ready to buy a house together, get married, and build a family together. What you said to me the other day, it permanently altered my life. It caused me to realize that although I thought that I can’t be in control, it turns out I can. With that being said, I quit.”

When I heard those words, I was happy for her. I was so beyond happy that I helped her to realize there is more to life than just living. So, I got her a present. And yes, you might think, “Chris, why the heck would you get her a present when you just broke up with her?’ Well, the truth is, I have absolutely no idea. This present came out of convenience, along with a little thought. 

I was given an all-inclusive trip to fiji. Flights, food, hotel, excursions, they were all paid for. This was truly the trip of a lifetime, especially for a person like Ashley who has been out of the country once, and that was to go to Canada for a work trip. 

She seemed happy when I gave her the present. She loves the beach, she would always drive there in the summer and spend hours staring at the water. 

Just like that, it was time to go to work, but this time, without Ashley. 

One day earlier…

I always have a morning routine. My alarm goes off, I snooze. 

Beep, Beep, Beep

Finally, the third time's a charm. I put my glasses on, take my retainer out, stretch a little bit, and I check my phone. 

“20 Missed Calls”

These calls were from a number I did not recognize. Along with these calls were five voicemail messages. Each one saying “please call back when you have a chance, this is important.”

I ignored them. I turned on the tv because sometimes in the morning I enjoy catching up on one of my shows. I’m scrolling through the channels, going fast over some of them, and slow on the channels that come on the list before the channel I watch one of my favorite shows on. I accidentally clicked “OK” on the remote. Wrong channel. My phone starts ringing again, so I pick it up and answer it. 

As I answer the phone, a video on the news shows up. It begins talking about a missing plane that was supposed to fly from Los Angeles to Fiji, but as soon as it got over the ocean, it went missing. As soon as he heard that, the voice on the other end of the phone started talking. 

“Sir, your private jet went missing. Last thing we knew was that the pilots were thrown out of the plane, and a woman on the plane spoke to air traffic controllers and gave us a message for you.”

“This is what happens when you break up with your girlfriend at work…”