HIS OFFICE.
I woke up the following morning feeling even worse than I had the night before.
Managing to drag myself out of bed, I walked into the kitchen and found Anna preparing breakfast.
“Good morning, sleepyhead.”
“Good morning, Anna. Why are you up so early?”
“Because I know someone skipped dinner yesterday, so I made baked sweet potato with peanut butter and sliced apples — your favourite.”
“Sounds yummy. I can't wait to taste it.”
“One plate of baked sweet potato with peanut butter and sliced apples coming right up.”
I couldn't help laughing as she tried to sound like a professional chef.
“Come on, Anna, let's eat. I know you need to get back to work.”
“I can stay if you want me to.”
“No, Anna. You've already given me so much of your time. I can't keep you away from work just to take care of me.”
“Alda, you know I would do anything for you. You're not just my friend — you're my sister. You had my back throughout our school days.
You helped me when my parents couldn't afford my school fees. You even got me a scholarship to attend my dream school. I owe you more than I can ever repay.
So don't you ever think you are a burden to me, okay?”
“Okay.”
I wiped away the tears slipping down my cheeks.
“So, tell me… what do you want to do today?”
“I think I want to surprise Seth with lunch at work.”
The excitement that had been on Anna’s face vanished instantly, replaced by a deep frown.
“I can't believe you still want to make him lunch after the way he treated you last night.”
“I'm sure he had a reason for acting that way. I'll just wait for him to come around and tell me what's bothering him.”
“Alda, you need to stop making excuses for him and start thinking about yourself.”
Her voice sharpened with frustration.
“You got hurt yesterday because of him. When are you going to start putting yourself first?”
I lowered my gaze.
But no matter how hard I tried, I kept finding myself giving Seth more chances to explain himself.
I just didn't want to jump to conclusions without knowing the real reason behind his actions.
“Anna, I understand what you're saying, but what if Seth is going through something difficult? What if he's not strong enough to talk to me about it, and everything is just becoming too much for him?”
“You love him too much.”
Her words came out softer this time, but they still stung.
“I bet Seth doesn't love you the way you love him.”
“That's not true, Anna. He loves me.”
Even as the words left my mouth, I didn't fully believe them.
I was only hoping… desperately hoping… that they were true.
“Then why is he shutting you out this early in your marriage? Why is he treating you like this?”
She shook her head in disbelief.
“Your marriage isn't even up to seven months old.”
“I just want to give him a chance to explain himself.”
My voice came out quieter than before.
“That's all.”
“Well, to me, it seems like you're just giving him more chances to keep acting stupid around you. He pushed you even when he knew the floor was covered in broken glass.”
“Anna, can we just eat, okay? I'm beginning to lose my appetite.”
“Alda, I'm just looking out for you. I don't understand why you're keeping all of this from your parents.”
“No, Anna, please.” I quickly reached for her hands, gently squeezing them as I pleaded. “Please don't tell my parents. They'll freak out and confront Seth, and I really don't want to make this situation worse.”
“Fine. I won't tell them… for now.” She sighed. “But if Seth ever tries anything stupid around you again, I swear I will put him in his place.”
I let out a deep breath before giving her a small smile.
“Thank you, Anna. You're the best.”
“It's okay. Now dig in.”
We changed the subject, talking about work and how things had been going for both of us.
Handling my father's fashion company while constantly keeping myself away from the public eye hadn't been easy.
“So, tell me,” Anna asked, shoving a spoonful of food into her mouth. “How are things at the company?”
“Well, we have an audition this Friday. We're choosing the next face of Glams Beauty and Fashion, but I still haven't found the right person for the job.”
“What happened to your last model?”
“She’s retiring. With her first baby on the way, she already has a lot on her plate.”
“I feel her pain, but she could always continue after giving birth… of course.”
“I know. I offered her a place to return after the baby, but she's not really interested in the idea. So now my only option is finding someone just as perfect as she was.”
“But wait…” Anna said, narrowing her eyes at me. “How come you already have the perfect candidate sitting right here, yet you're looking everywhere else?”
Her statement left me confused.
“I never knew you were interested in modelling. I never even asked because you once told me modelling was boring work.”
“I wasn't talking about myself, Alda.” She pointed directly at me. “I was talking about you.”
“Wait… what?” I stared at her in disbelief. “Me? The face of my own company?”
“Yes!”
She sounded almost offended that I hadn't figured it out already.
“You loved fashion back in school. You won practically every Fashion Week competition we had. But now all you do is hide behind your CEO title while running your own company.”
“But it's been years.” I shook my head nervously. “I don't even know if I still have the body, the shape… or the face for it.”
The idea of putting myself out there, of becoming the face of my company, made anxiety twist in my stomach.
“Sweetie,” Anna said dramatically, “your parents own one of the biggest beauty companies in New York. What exactly are you trying to say about your skin?”
I laughed softly despite myself.
“I don't know… I just feel like I might not be cut out for it anymore.”
“I'm telling you, this is going to work. Trust me.”
“Fine.” I finally gave in. “I'll give it a try.”
“Now that's my girl!” she cheered. “Go unleash those hidden modelling skills, baby.”
I couldn't help laughing at how ridiculous and hilarious Anna could be.
“Okay, enough about me. What's going on between you and your boss?”
The moment I asked, Anna let out a long, frustrated sigh.
“My boss is killing me, so don't even get me started.”
“Tell me. I want details.”
“He's constantly on my neck! I mean, I'm his manager, not his personal secretary. It's always Anna this, Anna that, and he is seriously getting on my last nerve.”
She groaned dramatically.
“I swear, I wish I could just be the boss for once.”
From the expression on her face, I could tell work had genuinely been draining her.
“Do you want me to help you look into another company?”
“Nah.” She waved me off. “I'd better hold on to this one, or I might never find another boss as kind as this one.”
I knew from her tone that she was being sarcastic, but a part of me still considered looking for better opportunities for her.
“Speaking of my boss, I'd better get going before I lose my job.” She stood up from her chair. “Help me clear the table, okay?”
“Don't worry about it. I'll take care of everything.”
“You're the best.”
I started clearing the table while Anna rushed upstairs to get ready for work.
After washing the dishes, I pulled out my phone and started searching for meals I could prepare for Seth.
After scrolling through recipes and watching countless cooking videos, I finally settled on pesto turkey pinwheels.
Hmm… I've never made this before.
I just hoped it would turn out well.
“I can't believe you're still going through with this.”
I heard Anna’s voice behind me.
I turned around to find her fully dressed and ready for work.
“Hmm… you look sexy in that dress.”
“While I appreciate the compliment, I know you're trying to change the topic.”
I sighed internally.
I had completely forgotten that Anna knew me far too well.
“But I wasn't lying about the dress.”
“I know,” she said. “But cooking for Seth after what he did last night isn't worth it. Still… if you want to go through with it, who am I to stop you?”
“I'm really sorry, Anna.”
“For what?”
“Everything.”
I wrapped my arms around her.
She hugged me back immediately.
“Just be careful around him,” she said softly.
“And if he comes home in a bad mood again, don't pressure him into talking, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Good. I’ll call you so we can grab dinner together. Sounds good?”
“Yeah, I’ll be expecting your call.”
I walked her out to her car and waved goodbye as she drove away.
The house felt painfully empty without her.
I wished there was a way to have her around more often.
I headed back into the kitchen and continued making the meal with the help of the tutorial video I had downloaded online.
The first attempt hadn't gone well, so I tried again.
This time, it turned out perfect.
I loved the result, and even the taste was surprisingly good.
I packed everything neatly into a lunch box before heading upstairs to get ready.
I took my time showering and styling my coils.
When it came to choosing a dress, I stood staring at my closet for what felt like forever before settling on the body-hugging blue dress Seth had gotten me for my birthday a few months ago.
I stood in front of the mirror, admiring how my coils had turned out and how beautifully the dress hugged my figure.
Maybe… if everything went well, I could even convince Seth to go out for dinner with me afterward.
The thought made a soft smile spread across my lips.
Maybe today would be different.
Maybe today, I would finally get my husband back.
Smiling to myself, I grabbed my phone and dialled Albert’s number.
“Albert, please prepare the car. We’re going to see my husband before we head back to work.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
I went through my jewellery box, picking out the heart-shaped necklace along with its matching earrings and bracelet.
After grabbing my bag and the lunch box, I headed downstairs.
Albert was already waiting for me when I stepped outside.
“Are we heading to any important meetings today?”
“No, Albert.” I smiled. “I just want to surprise my husband.”
We drove toward Seth’s company while I softly hummed along to my favourite song.
I couldn't stop smiling as I imagined the surprised expression that would appear on Seth’s face.
I had never done something like this before — cooking something special and showing up unexpectedly at his workplace.
The thought alone filled me with nervous excitement.
I became so lost in my own imagination that I didn't even notice when we arrived.
Albert’s voice snapped me back to reality.
“Ma’am, we're here.”
“Give me thirty minutes and I’ll be back. Or you can go grab lunch. I’ll call you when I’m done.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
As I stepped into the elevator, I found myself surrounded by employees heading to different floors.
People kept staring at me.
At first, I tried to ignore it.
But after a while, the constant attention started making me nervous.
Why were they looking at me like that?
I had been here two or three times before.
So why did it suddenly feel like I was some kind of celebrity?
Pushing the uneasy feeling aside, I headed toward Seth’s office.
When I reached the secretary’s desk to let her know I wanted to see Seth, I froze.
The desk was empty.
What kind of secretary abandoned her desk in the middle of working hours?
I waited for almost ten minutes, but no one came back.
She didn't seem like she would be returning anytime soon.
Finally, I decided to just knock and let Seth know I was there.
I knocked softly.
No response.
I knocked again.
Still nothing.
After several attempts with no answer, I slowly twisted the doorknob.
To my surprise — and relief — the door opened.
I stepped inside.
His desk was empty.
Where could he be?
Maybe he was in a meeting… or with his secretary.
I could just wait.
I placed the lunch box carefully on his desk before sitting down on the couch.
Minutes crawled by.
With every passing second, I grew more restless… more nervous.
Glancing down at my wristwatch, I realised I only had about five minutes left before I had to leave.
With a sigh, I grabbed a piece of paper and wrote him a small note, attaching it to the lunch box.
Disappointment slowly settled inside me.
I hated that I wouldn't get to see him after all.
I turned to leave—
But something suddenly caught my attention.
The door to Seth’s restroom was slightly open.
And I could have sworn… I saw movement inside.
My brows furrowed.
Slowly, I walked toward the restroom.
My heartbeat quickened with every step.
I pushed the door open.
What I saw made my legs go weak.
