I Was Heartbroken After Discovering My Girlfriend’s Infidelity, but Suddenly I Became Popular With Girls - 9

Chapter 9: Punishing the Other Man and Riona’s Ambush

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In the morning, I woke up as usual while looking at Yuna’s sleeping face, and her skin was glowing. Even though I did it twice with her last night after she begged me, my lower back felt a bit heavy even after taking a shower. I left the apartment, seen off by a cheerful Yuna. Then, I took a taxi to N Securities.

My representative at the general service counter is a woman named Maria Shinogi. She was a veteran career woman in her fourth year at the company. Asking a woman her age was a hard and insensitive thing to do, but I imagined she must be around twenty-five, which meant she was one year older than me. 

“Tawara-san, what brings you here today? I would have come to see you if you had any business.”

Shinogi-san was quite the beauty and possessed a charming smile. She really was the perfect woman for a counter representative.

“Actually, I’m thinking of closing all my accounts.”

“Eh?! Why is that? Has our company made some kind of oversight? I took pride in the fact that we’ve been managing your assets smoothly.”

“No, there’s no problem on that front. Actually, it’s an embarrassing story, but the girlfriend I’d been dating for four years cheated on me.”

“Eh… If I recall, your girlfriend was Kanou-san from our Second Sales Department, right? You don’t mean to say she cheated?”

“Yes. The partner is a male new hire at your company… Riona—ah, no, he’s a guy who joined the same year as Kanou.”

“What on earth do you mean by that?”

“Well, it happened last night…”

I explained the incident from last night without hiding a thing.

“Ehh?! Even a police statement… W-wait a moment, please. I will call my superior.”

After being left speechless, Shinogi-san hurriedly went to fetch her boss. About ten minutes later, the General Manager of the Sales Department arrived, led by Shinogi-san.

“I’ve heard the gist of the story from Shinogi. Tawara-san, regarding your wish to close all accounts…”

“Yes. I’ve lost all trust in a company that employs such insincere people…”

I told him everything about the disrespectful behavior of that man named Arai Toshimitsu. I didn’t tell a single lie.

“Shinogi-kun, go and fetch Arai-kun and Kanou-san immediately.”

“Y-Yes!”

“Tawara-san, I am deeply sorry. It seems our employee training was lacking. Truly…”

“I’ve been dating Kanou-san since our student days, and I was even thinking of getting engaged soon. I never imagined things would turn out like this. In the end, I’ve decided to cut ties with her. We were together for four years, but it couldn’t be helped.”

“I don’t know what to say… there is no way for me to apologize enough.”

“That is why I intend to close my accounts and move my assets to D Securities.”

Just then, Shinogi-san returned.

“I’ve brought Arai-kun. However, it seems Kano-san is absent today due to poor health.”

The moment Arai saw me, he voiced his complaints with a look of blatant displeasure.

“Oh, did you seriously come all the way to the company over what happened yesterday? As far as I’m concerned, my relationship with her is already over, so you’re being so annoying, you know?”

The General Manager’s face at that moment was a sight to behold. Just as I thought his face had suddenly turned beet red, he stood up abruptly and barked at Arai.

“Arai! Tawara-san is an extremely important client for this company! If you’re in sales, you should have at least looked through the VIP list! Saying you ‘didn’t know’ won’t cut it! What is with that disrespectful attitude? Depending on the situation, this could lead to a disciplinary action!”

He yelled at Arai at the top of his lungs. Arai’s face turned pale in an instant. It was the first time I’d seen a human’s complexion turn that white so fast.

“Eh, ha… No, well…”

Shinogi-san questioned Arai, who was unable to give a proper answer.

“Arai-kun, I heard you went to Kanou-san’s room last night. And that you met Tawara-san there. It’s common knowledge that Kanou-san has a boyfriend. Being in the same year as her, there’s no way you didn’t know. Why did you do such a thing?”

“T-That’s… well…”

“Also, is it true that a police statement was taken?”

“Ah… um…”

Arai couldn’t manage a proper reply. So, I added a supplement.

“Oh, if you go to the ○○ Police Station, there will be a statement, so you should just have them show it to you. The problem is simply that this person, Arai-san, told me he has no intention of taking any responsibility, despite the fact that he’s been going to Kanou-san’s apartment night after night and staying over. Furthermore, he directed verbal abuse toward me and Kanou-san’s younger sister. That is why I am saying I cannot do business with a company that has an employee like this.”

Arai stood there in a daze, while the General Manager and Shinogi-san bowed their heads in profuse apology.

“Tawara-san, I clearly understand the extent of your anger. Even though you were dating our Kanou for four years and thinking of engagement, for it to end in a breakup because of our employee… It is only natural that you would question our employee training. I am truly sorry. However, could you please give us some time? We will conduct an internal investigation, review the police statement, and decide on Arai’s punishment, so please wait two or three days.”

Arai’s complexion turned a sallow, ashen color, looking as if he might collapse at any moment.

“If you’re willing to go that far, I’ll wait and see what the punishment is before I decide. However, if the punishment is too lenient, I have ideas of my own, so please decide your actions carefully. Ah, and I forgot to mention. Please do not punish Kanou-san. She comes from a single-parent household and worked hard to get through university and join your company. At that time, both she and her parent were very happy. I cannot forgive Arai-san over there, but despite our breakup, I sincerely wish for Kanou-san to be happy. Please, look after her.”

“Yes, certainly. I will recommend that Kanou face no questions regarding this matter. However, if rumors make it difficult for her to remain in her current department, please understand that a transfer may be unavoidable. Hey, Arai! What are you doing? Apologize, you fool!”

Startled after being yelled at, Arai bowed his head deeply.

“I am sorry.”

“What kind of apology is that?!”

“No, it’s fine. An apology now won’t take back what happened. So, a formal apology is unnecessary. It would have been better if he had apologized sincerely last night instead of hurling abuse. Oh, and one more thing. Arai-san might personally receive a letter of intent from a lawyer demanding alimony/damages.”

“Ehh?! W-why?!”

Arai panicked.

“You fool, it’s only natural! Because of you, a woman who had been dating for four years and was thinking of engagement has broken up! Tawara-san’s heartache is considerable. If a claim for damages comes, you will pay it sincerely!”

Arai fell silent. 

(I’m sure he has his own side of the story, though. Well, I won’t actually file a claim for damages. It’s just a threat. Wait, actually… If I have him pay about 1.5 million yen in damages, I could give it to Riona. It’ll be hard for her to live in that apartment now, so I’ll have her use it for moving expenses. I’ll contact my administrative scrivener friend immediately and have him write the letter of intent.)

“Well then, I’ll be waiting to hear from you. I’ll take my leave for today.”

As I left the reception room, Shinogi-san chased after me in the hallway.

“Tawara-san, did you really break up with Kanou-san?”

“Well, I saw the act itself, so there’s no choice but to break up. She has no excuse left.”

“That is… my condolences. However, the female employees in our sales department might be happy about it.”

“Eh? Why is that?”

“Kanou-san used to brag about Tawara-san to her close female colleagues. Women’s networks are incredible, so all the female employees knew and were jealous. I’m one of them, but once they find out you’ve broken up with Kanou-san, everyone is going to target you. Tawara-san, you’re single, wealthy, and handsome. You’re a high-quality catch as a marriage partner.”

“Heh? Me, handsome? I don’t think that’s the case.”

Shinogi-san casually said things like “I’m one of them” too.

“Approaches from women are going to increase from here on out. I think you should be prepared. So, I think it’s better if you don’t come to this branch office very much from now on. When you have business, I will visit you at your apartment. Anything at all is fine, so please consult with me. I would be happy to help even with private matters. I look forward to working with you.”

Good grief. But that Riona, she took the day off? Well, given the state she was in last night, it was no wonder she had taken the day off. She probably couldn’t sleep. Since she lost a “high-quality catch” for marriage, she might be mourning. She didn’t commit suicide or anything, right? According to Yuna, she said she would never give up on me, so suicide might be unlikely.

When I returned to the apartment, Riona was in front of the entrance. I didn’t want to see her, but I was spotted, and she came running toward me shouting “Ryo-kun!”

(She’s surprisingly energetic.)

Since I had no choice, we went into a nearby family restaurant. I couldn’t let her into my room, after all. I ordered some drinks and decided to talk.

“Ryo-kun, you’re angry, aren’t you?”

“Of course I am. I brought wine to make up for the other day, and anyone would be angry if they walked into a scene like that.”

Come to think of it, I left that wine in Riona’s room.

“I am truly sorry. I will never, ever… do something like that again. I want you to forgive me.”

“Understood. I’ll forgive you, so please break up with me.”

I was being mean, that was a slip of the tongue. Tears welled up, and Riona began to wail with her hands over her face.

“Ryo-gun, I’m zorry. I’ll do anyding, zo please borgive meeee.”

“H-Hey, stop crying.”

We were the center of attention. People were giving us cold stares, and I could hear them whispering about whether it was a breakup.

(Fine, there’s no choice. I’ll go with Yuna’s plan.)

“Hey, Riona. Then let’s start over as friends first.”

“Eh? Really? But, not as your girlfriend?”

“Friends. If you don’t like that, give up.”

Riona sobbed for a while, but she seemed to calm down a bit. Well, even as friends, her connection with me wouldn’t be completely severed.

“Will you still do lewd things with me?”

“That depends on you. But since we’re just friends, we won’t go on dates, and I won’t let you into my room.”

“Ehh, whyyy?”

Oh, she seemed to have recovered quite a bit.

“Well, of course. You’re not my girlfriend anymore.”

Just then, Riona’s phone received a call. Looking at the screen, it was from N Securities.

“Sorry, one second.”

Riona took her phone outside and came back immediately.

“I got a summons from the company. I wonder what it is.”

“Ah, that’s because I went to N Securities just a while ago and told them about last night.”

“Ehh?! W-why would you do that?”

“I didn’t like your cheating partner. So I requested that they give him a penalty. I told them otherwise I’d close all my accounts.”

“What did you say about me?”

“I told them the truth. That we’d been together for four years and were thinking of engagement, but we broke up because you cheated.”

“Then… I can’t go to work anymore.”

“It’s fine. I made sure you wouldn’t be questioned. The General Manager of the Sales Department promised me. But he said if rumors start and it’s hard for you to stay in your current department, there might be a transfer.”

“It’ll still be like sitting on a bed of needles, but I can’t quit the company.”

“You reap what you sow. You should at least take that much punishment. Ah, and I’m going to claim damages from your cheating partner. I’ll demand 1.5 million, and when I get it, I’ll give it to you. Use that money to move. You can’t live in that apartment anymore, right?”

“That helps, but… I wonder if rumors have started already.”

“Yeah, Shinogi-san knows everything too, so by now the rumor has likely spread to the entire sales department. No gag order was issued.”

Riona looked ready to cry again.

“Ah, this is the worst. You’re mean, Ryo-kun.”

Riona slumped onto the table.

“Your cheating partner has it much worse. He’ll probably be transferred to a local branch office. Plus, his future evaluations will be the worst, and he can’t hope for a promotion. On top of that, he’s being sued for damages. The General Manager even ordered him to pay it sincerely.”

“Hmph.”

Riona seemed completely uninterested in Arai. She probably had her hands full with her own problems.

“By the way, didn’t you tell him you had a boyfriend?”

“Eh? I told him properly. He knew I had a boyfriend. But when I said I wanted to break up, he’d snap, so it just dragged on.”

“Is that true? So, he was holding you knowing full well you had a boyfriend. There’s no mistake there.”

“The way you put it is mean. But I always told him I wanted to break up because I felt bad for my boyfriend.”

“Fine, then I’ll double the damages. 3 million yen. If the time comes, make sure you testify properly. You’ll be getting 3 million, after all. Move into a more decent apartment.”

(Well, in reality, 3 million is probably impossible. At best, I can claim 1 million as a nuisance fee.)

“Yeah, that’s fine, but… with what kind of face am I supposed to go to work? I’ll be called the woman who cheated despite having a boyfriend. Nobody will want to have anything to do with me anymore.”

“Like I said, you reap what you sow.”

“Hey, Ryo-kun, you don’t look that hurt.”

“Ah, that’s because the moment I saw that scene, my affection for you vanished. Sure, it was a shock, but I was able to stay surprisingly calm.”

This was a lie. It was all thanks to Yuna. It was true that my affection had vanished, though.

“Then, you don’t love me anymore?”

“Of course not. From now on, I might start dating Nanami-chan instead. Nanami-chan has gotten cute, hasn’t she? In a few years, she’s going to be an incredible woman.”

“That’s a no! Absolutely not! Stop trying to lay a hand on my sister!”

“That’s my freedom, isn’t it? You’re not my girlfriend anymore, you’re just a friend. You should just find a new boyfriend yourself.”

“I will absolutely never get a boyfriend, so Ryo-kun, don’t date anyone either. Please.”

“No thanks. More importantly, you’ve been summoned by the company, right? Shouldn’t you go?”

“I told them I’m in poor health today and asked to make it tomorrow.”

“You look energetic enough to me.”

“I can’t go with eyes swollen from crying so much. I haven’t slept at all.”

“Then go home and sleep already.”

“There’s no way I can sleep! Hey, how can we go back to how we were?”

“We can’t. There’s no way I’d make a woman I can’t trust my girlfriend. But, I wouldn’t mind holding you once in a while.”

“Really?! But that makes us friends with benefits, right?”

“Exactly. Friends who just have sex. No dates, no going out for meals.”

“Ehh…”

“If you don’t like it, give up. Also, let me see your phone.”

“Ehh, no.”

“Is there something in there you can’t show me?”

“N-No, nothing like that.”

“Something seems fishy. Show me.”

“Can’t be helped, then. Here.”

(I wonder if there’s still image data. Or did she transfer it to a computer?)

Just as I thought, she had transferred it to her computer. 

“Hmph, nothing suspicious.”

“Of course not. You’re so suspicious.”

“That’s what happens when you’re cheated on even once. I want to doubt everything, because I don’t trust you. Fine, from now on let’s communicate via email. If Riona wants to have sex, send an email.”

“Is that okay? I understand.”

She had a happy smile. It kind of pissed me off. 

(As I thought, this girl is making light of me.)

“In exchange, every time, take two lewd photos of yourself using a selfie stick and attach them. I’ll only have sex with you when I look at them and like what I see.”

“What’s that? That’s horrible. It’s embarrassing.”

(Liar. You let Arai take so many photos, yet you’re unwilling to do it with me?)

“Regardless, those are the terms. I won’t meet you except when we have sex. Also, never tell anyone that I’m your boyfriend. Say that we broke up. Got it? If you can’t keep this promise, this deal is off. I’ll never speak to you again.”

“Ehh, Ryo-kun, you’re lying, right? You’re joking.”

“Put yourself in my shoes, having to see you being taken from behind. Truthfully, I never want to see Riona again. I’m doing my best to put up with you by making you a friend with benefits. If you’re a friend with benefits, then act like one and send me plenty of lewd images. If you don’t like it, don’t meet me. For me, this is the maximum concession I can give to you. Put yourself in the place of someone who was betrayed after dating for four years, thinking of engagement and promising a future together. I haven’t forgiven you at all.”

“Ryo-kun…”

I took the bill, paid, and returned to the apartment. Riona did not chase after me.

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