of the café.
After that day, Silas decided to give me the silent treatment, or as he liked to call it, a “cooling–off period”
In the past, whenever he pulled this stunt, I’d always cave. No matter how badly he’d wronged me, I’d swallow my pride, grovel, and beg for us to make
That was when he’d smugly lay down terms, as if I should feel grateful. His conditions were always the same: accepting his one–on–one outings with Elyse, their dinners, their drinks, their whatever else friends don’t do together.
And why wouldn’t he keep playing this card? It had always worked. He must’ve thought this time would be no different. Too bad for him. I wasn’t “cooling off“. I was done.
After confirming plans with Lila to leave the country next Sunday, I sent my resignation email to HR.
Since everyone at the company knew about my relationship with Silas, HR didn’t dare process my resignation without running it by him first.
It didn’t take long before Silas stormed into my office.
“Why are you quitting? You’ve been doing great here,” he demanded, his tone sharp.
I paused mid–pack, about to answer, but Elyse walked in, cutting me off with her sugary voice.
“Silas, don’t be so harsh,” she cooed. “You’ll scare Nina. I bet she’s resigning because she’s getting married soon and wants to be a full–time housewife.
Her comment seemed to hit the perfect note. Silas‘ expression softened as he reached out and ruffled my hair, his tone suddenly warm and gentle. “You’re amazing, you know that? I was actually trying to figure out how to suggest this. I think it’s great, this quit–and–be–a–housewife thing. You’ll never have to worry about a thing. I’ll take care of you.”
A housewife.
That word hit me like a gut punch. From the moment we got together, I’d made it clear to Silas that I loved working. I loved the thrill of building something for myself.
He had promised to support that ambition, and I had helped him build his empire, working tirelessly as his right hand.
And now, after all that, he wanted me to drop it all because he’d decided I should.
I pressed my lips together and said nothing, letting him believe I agreed.
Later that evening, to my surprise, Silas pulled up to my office in his car. “I’ll drive you home,” he said, as if this were something he always did.
I blinked, stunned. It had been so long since he’d offered me a ride, that I couldn’t even remember the last time. Ever since Elyse returned, I wasn’t allowed in his car. Apparently, Elyse thought it should be for her… and her alone.
I almost refused out of habit, but then Silas added, “Our wedding gown is ready. The shop called earlier. They want us to come in for the fitting.” Right. The dress. If I was going to cancel the wedding, I’d have to deal with the gown. I hesitated for a moment before finally getting in the car. At the bridal shop, the sales assistant’s expression shifted the moment she saw Silas and me walk in together. Her face turned pale as she muttered under her breath, “She’s not the one from last time.”
Her voice was quiet, but I heard it loud and clear.
Silas, still glued to his phone, didn’t catch it. Without looking up, he waved her off. “Take her to try it on.”
The moment I slipped into the gown, I knew something was wrong. The waistline was noticeably larger, almost a full size too big.
My measurements hadn’t changed since the dress was ordered. And this shop was known for its precision. Mistakes like this didn’t happen unless…
I approached the assistant to ask, but she took a step back, her tone dripping with disdain. “You really shouldn’t go after things that aren’t yours,” she said coldly. “Just like this gown, it doesn’t belong to you, so of course it doesn’t fit.”
102
My measurements hadn’t changed since the dress was ordered. And this shop was known for its precision. Mistakes like this didn’t happen unless…
I approached the assistant to ask, but she took a step back, her tone dripping with disdain. “You really shouldn’t go after things that aren’t yours,” she said coldly. “Just like this gown, it doesn’t belong to you, so of course it doesn’t fit.”
Her words stunned me. Before I could respond, she shoved me toward Silas, forcing him to “inspect” the dress.
Silas didn’t even glance up from his phone. “Looks fine,” he said dismissively. “Just make sure it’s the same as last time.”
Last time.
I stepped out of the gown and handed it back. The assistant asked if I wanted to take it home or have it delivered. I shook my head and said flatly, “Neither. Throw it out. I don’t want it.”
shop.
