Two months later, she broke up with me.
Said we had grown apart, that she needed someone who understood work-life balance. That she had been talking to Zarik again and realized what she had been missing.
"I hope it works out for you," I told her, and meant it.
Honestly, best thing that could have happened. Freed up another 20 hours a week to focus on business.
Edit: For those asking, no, I wasn't trying to win her back. Once someone tells you they should have stayed with their ex, the relationship's already over. This was about proving something to myself.
Update 1: One quick update, since a few people asked how things turned out.
Alera did get back with Zarik. Saw it all over her Instagram. Fancy dinners, weekend getaways, designer everything. The lifestyle she thought she wanted. Good for her.
Meanwhile, I had been grinding like my life depended on it.
Hit 140% of quota my first quarter focusing solely on work. Got assigned to some major hospital networks that had been stagnant accounts for years. Instead of going home and watching television, I would research decision-makers, find ways to add value beyond just selling products.
Started a real estate side hustle with the extra commission money. Nothing crazy. Bought a duplex in NoDa. Fixed it up on weekends. Rented out both sides. The cash flow covered the mortgage, plus gave me an extra 800 a month. Used that to fund the down payment on a second property.
Riven, my gym partner and business accountability guy, kept pushing me to think bigger.
"You were putting in the hours anyway," he would say during our 5:00 a.m. workouts. "Might as well build something that pays you while you sleep."
He was right. Real estate started as a way to park extra income, but became this whole education. Leverage, cash flow, market analysis. I was learning more about money in 6 months than I had in my entire 20s.
The weird part was how different I felt. Not just about money, but about everything.
When you prove to yourself that you can completely change your financial situation through focused effort, it changes how you see problems in general. Instead of complaining or making excuses, you just ask, "What needs to be done, and how fast can I do it?"
Work buddies started asking what had gotten into me. My numbers were getting noticed by regional management.
Stellan pulled me aside one day and said, "Whatever happened to you this year, don't let it wear off. You are about to lap guys who have been here twice as long."
Around month three post-breakup, I ran into Mira, one of Alera's friends, at a coffee shop in South End.
"You look different," she said. "Good different."
"Like I have been hitting the gym every day for 4 months," I said.
"Alera mentioned you guys broke up. She seems happy with Zarik."
"I hope so. She deserves to be happy."