Chapter 3

I picked up the keys from the coffee table and placed them in his palm.

"The house is yours again," I said.

I glanced at Alina. "And she's yours, too."

Jonah's fingers tightened around the keys.

He asked, "If you leave me, where do you think you'll go?"

I picked up my laptop bag and replied, "Anywhere's better than staying here and being your punchline."

Alina whispered, "Wendy, don't say that. Jonah definitely has feelings for you."

I looked at her and asked, "If you're so sure, why are you always trying to get closer to him?"

Alina's face went pale.

Jonah said my name quietly, "Wendy."

I didn't say anything else.

The mover carried out the last box. I was changing my shoes in the entryway.

Jonah followed me. "Take a few days to cool off. When you're not so upset, we can talk."

"No need to wait," I replied.

"What do you mean?"

"I got a job out of town. I'm heading out the day after tomorrow."

His face finally shifted. "When did you decide that?"

"The night of my birthday," I replied.

"You made such a big decision without telling me?"

I looked at him. "You didn't ask me before bringing Alina to my birthday dinner, either."

He reached out toward me.

I stepped back. "Don't touch me."

His hand hung in the air, frozen.

As the elevator doors closed, I saw him standing in the entryway, still clutching the keys.

Alina stood behind him, her tears finally dried.

On the night of Jonah's corporate dinner, I wasn't even supposed to be there.

The client's files were all sorted, and my assistant knew how things worked. But their rep sent over a last-minute revised contract.

Two figures and delivery dates needed to be double-checked. I was the one who brought this client in, so I didn't want anything to mess up at the last minute.

At 7 pm, I arrived outside the hotel ballroom.

The registration desk was still staffed, and I could hear voices coming from inside. As the receptionist took my document bag, the ballroom doors swung open.

Jonah stepped out.

He was wearing the dark gray suit I'd ordered for him last month, and the tie I'd picked out. But the person standing next to him wasn't me.

It was Alina. She had on a champagne evening gown.

I knew that dress instantly.

It was the dress I'd picked out for tonight's event, as Jonah's partner. The style, the brooch, every detail was my choice.

But on Alina, it hung awkwardly. The waist was loose, and the hem dragged too long. Still, she linked her arm with Jonah's, standing steady and sure.

A client came out from inside with a playful grin, cracking a joke. "Mr. Forbes, is this your girlfriend?"

Alina dropped her gaze, her face turning red, but she stayed quiet.

Jonah didn't rush to deny it. He smiled and said, "She's young, so go easy on her."

Just as he finished speaking, he spotted me.

His smile stiffened, and he dropped his hand from Alina's arm.

Alina turned to see what he was looking at, and her gaze paused on me for a moment.

"Wendy, what are you doing here?" Alina asked.

I didn't answer her. I handed the document bag to Jonah's assistant.

"This is the revised contract. I've already sent the digital copy to your email. There are two sections marked in red. Double-check them before you send it to the client," I said.

The assistant quickly took the bag.

Jonah took a step closer and said, "Wendy, let me explain."

I shot him a look and asked, "Explain what, exactly?"

He swallowed hard.

I pressed, "So are you going to explain why you didn't call her your girlfriend, or why you didn't say she wasn't?"

The people nearby went quiet.

Alina quickly dropped his hand, her eyes rimmed with tears.

"Wendy, you've got it all wrong. Jonah didn't want me to be nervous at my first big event, so he brought me along to get some exposure," Alina said.

I looked at her. "Is wearing my dress part of your crash course in high society?"

Alina's face went pale.

Jonah said quietly, "The dress was at home. She didn't know it was yours."

"She didn't know, but you did, didn't you?" I shot back.

He stayed silent.

I pressed on, "Jonah, you can bring whoever you want, and let someone else take my place. But don't turn around and say I'm the one who's misunderstanding everything."

Jonah's expression turned stormy.

"Wendy, this is an important event. Don't cause a scene," Jonah said.

I nodded. "Then I'm leaving right now."

I turned and headed for the elevator.

Jonah rushed over and planted himself right in front of the elevator doors, blocking my exit.

"Do you really have to do this?" he asked.

"You're the one who insists on making it this way," I replied.

"It's not like that between Alina and me."

"And you and I will never go back to how we were."

The elevator arrived.

I stepped inside and pressed the button for the first floor.

Jonah stood outside, his fingers clutching the edge of the elevator door.

Alina called out to him from behind, "Jonah, the client's still waiting for you inside."

For the first time, I saw real panic in his eyes as he looked at me.

The elevator doors slid shut.

I took out my phone and blocked him everywhere. I deleted every personal contact, except for his work email.

Outside, the night breeze brushed past me. I didn't call a cab right away. Instead, I shot a message to the project owner, Tyrone Potts.

Me: [Mr. Potts, I'll be there the morning after tomorrow and can jump right in with the team.]

He replied almost instantly: [Welcome. I'll send you the files first thing tomorrow morning.]

I slipped my phone back into my bag.

A cab pulled up at the hotel entrance. After I got in, the driver asked, "Where to?"

I gave him the hotel address.

As the cab pulled out of the parking lot, I got an email from my assistant. It said: [Ms. Hull, I've received the files. Thank you.]

I replied: [Got it.]

Then I opened the project group chat to double-check my flight for the day after tomorrow.

It was time to leave this city.