Chapter 1
On the day of the company's annual gala, I spotted a sign posted at the entrance of the banquet hall.
“Annalise Stewart and dogs prohibited.”
I asked the staff to take down the sign just as Liliana Guzman strolled up, looking smug.
“Annalise, it's just a harmless joke, right? You’re cool with it, aren’t you?” she said.
I frowned, ready to retort, but before I could speak, Wesley Castro came out from the banquet hall.
“What's the commotion here? Liliana’s just having a bit of fun. You shouldn’t take it so seriously.”
Liliana threw me a triumphant look.
As the awards ceremony was about to start, I decided not to argue with Wesley and made my way inside.
To my surprise, the grand prize meant for me was given to Liliana.
I stood there, expressionless, watching them on stage, arms linked, feeling a deep bitterness.
Amidst the applause, I turned and left.
I thought to myself, if this is the sum of a four-year relationship, it’s better left behind.
---
Wesley returned home at two-thirty in the morning and seemed surprised to find me awake in the living room.
In previous years, no matter how late the gala went, I’d wait in the hotel garage to drive home with him.
My sudden departure tonight must have annoyed him.
“Annalise, why did you leave without saying anything? You know how hard it is to get a cab late at night and how cold it is outside?”
He tugged at his tie, trying to hide what looked like faint lipstick marks on his neck.
“Well, if it’s cold, maybe you should dress warmer.”
A month before the gala, I had custom-ordered a suit for Wesley, yet today, he opted for a thin shirt to match Liliana's Victorian-style dress.
I asked whom he was trying to impress, but Wesley simply replied, “Liliana’s just young. Why are you getting worked up over her?”
My words clearly made Wesley uncomfortable.
“Annalise, what's gotten into you?” Wesley pointed a finger at my face, his expression furious.
“Am I wrong?”
I responded calmly, avoiding any shouting.
Wesley’s face shifted through shades of red then pale.
“Annalise, you’re upset about that sign Liliana put up, aren’t you? She’s just young; you’re an adult. Aren’t you embarrassed to be upset with her?”
Wesley assumed my unusual behavior tonight was entirely because of Liliana’s prank.
For four years, Wesley and I kept our relationship secret from everyone at work.
I suggested going public, but Wesley disagreed.
His career was on the ascent, and disclosing our relationship would hinder his chances for a director’s position.
Since I was a manager in another department, it would definitely spark rumors that Wesley's promotion was due to our relationship.
Yet today, at the gala, he openly held hands with Liliana, without clarifying anything, leaving everyone to assume they were involved.
“Wesley, I’m supposed to be your girlfriend, yet you let her pull such a childish prank at the entrance?”
Wesley was at a loss for words.
He walked over and wrapped an arm around mine, his way of conceding.
The lipstick marks on his neck were even more visible now, along with a lingering perfume.
A scent that only Liliana wore.
I sniffed and casually said,
“What happened to your neck?”
Wesley’s face registered panic for a moment.
“Just a little bump at the party, nothing serious.”
Regaining his composure, Wesley pulled out a certificate from his bag.
“This is the certificate the company awarded to you. You weren’t there, so I collected it for you.”
The project bonus, originally meant for me, had ended up with Liliana through a rigged raffle.
“You fixed the raffle, didn’t you?”
A trace of guilt crossed Wesley’s face before he loudly countered.
“Annalise, it’s just a hundred thousand. You don’t need the money.
Liliana, who just graduated, needs it more than you do.
Why are you making a fuss tonight? You were never like this before!”
I stood up, disappointment evident on my face from Wesley’s words.
Without another word, I headed to the guest room.
That night, Wesley didn’t hear a knock on his door from me, nor did he come to disturb me.