Chapter 3
An hour later, Wesley Castro strolled into my office, his sudden appearance catching me completely off guard. I couldn’t mask my surprise.
'Is there something you need?' I asked, my tone clipped and professional, sticking to the boundaries we’d agreed on. My cool demeanor seemed to irritate him.
'Can’t I just drop by because I want to see you?' he shot back, his voice tinged with defiance.
'Wesley, have you forgotten? You were the one who insisted we keep personal matters out of work,' I reminded him, my words sharp but measured.
He paused, visibly taken aback by my words. Instead of lashing out, though, he handed me two concert tickets.
'They’re for your favorite rock band. How about we grab dinner after work and then catch the show?' he offered, his voice softening.
I couldn’t resist. Tickets to my favorite band were like gold, and I nodded quickly, eager to use the outing to finally address our breakup.
'Let’s take my car after work,' he suggested. 'We can head to the office together in the morning.'
Even though we worked at the same company, we’d never commuted together. Wesley had always been adamant about keeping our relationship under wraps, insisting on driving separately even if we left at the same time. I’d never pushed back on it.
After setting the tickets on my desk, Wesley walked out. When work ended, I headed straight to the parking lot, scanning for his car but not spotting it. I pulled out my phone and called him.
It took him a moment to answer. 'Annalise, go ahead and get started. I’ll be late; something came up.'
Just as I was about to hang up, I heard Liliana’s playful voice in the background.
'Wesley, am I going to kick the bucket?' she teased.
'What on earth are you talking about? The doctor said it’s just a cold—fever and dizziness, nothing serious,' Wesley replied, his tone dripping with concern.
His tenderness toward Liliana was something I’d never experienced. Not wanting to hear more, I ended the call.
By the time the concert ended, Wesley still hadn’t shown up. Whenever Liliana was involved, his priorities always shifted to her. Still, the concert was even more thrilling without him.
Afterward, I found a street vendor and indulged in the fast food Wesley had always banned at home, claiming it was unhealthy and lacked nutrition. He’d supposedly been concerned about my health, though he’d recently shared some with Liliana. Over our four years together, I’d given up everything Wesley disliked, sacrificing countless things I loved just to keep him happy.
When I stepped through the front door, there was Liliana, sprawled on the couch, her head resting on Wesley’s lap.
Wesley rushed to explain. 'Liliana caught a cold. I couldn’t leave her alone in her small apartment, so I brought her here to take care of her.'
I glanced at Liliana, unable to spot any signs of illness.
'Wesley, I should probably head back. Ms. Stewart, don’t get any wrong ideas,' Liliana said, her tone feigning innocence, but her eyes gleaming with smug satisfaction.
'If you’re sick, you should take the master bedroom. It’ll be easier for him to take care of you,' I said, catching them both off guard.
Before they could respond, I retreated to the guest room and shut the door. My phone buzzed with a text. It was from a real estate friend, letting me know that my house had been sold.