Chapter 2

The next morning, I got to the office earlier than usual.

The resignation letter sat quietly in my drawer, just waiting for the moment I'd finally hand it in.

My phone buzzed with a text from Naomi. [Ms. Windrow, I heard you've been looking after Darcy all these years. That must've been tough on you.

[He said if you weren't so good at your job, he wouldn't have put up with you for this long.

[Darcy and I are going to pick out our wedding rings today, so I'll have to ask you to take care of things at the office.]

I read the message expressionlessly, my finger hovering over the screen for a moment before I decided not to reply.

I opened the zip file Naomi sent. Inside were photos of Darcy and Naomi from all the trips they'd taken together over the years.

There were pictures from five years ago, three years ago, and just last year.

It turned out that they'd been keeping in touch all along.

While I was drinking so much at business dinners that I ended up with a bleeding stomach just to land a deal, they were off skiing in the mountains.

While I was stuck at the office, working through the night till dawn to revise proposals, they were kissing in a foreign country.

While I was stuck in the hospital, hooked up to an IV and still taking work calls, they were watching the sunset on a beach.

I'd suggested we go on a trip together, even if it was just a short weekend getaway.

But Darcy always rubbed his temples, looking exhausted as he leaned on my shoulder.

He said, "Winifred, I can't let my guard down right now. Let's wait until the company goes public, okay? Then I'll go anywhere you want."

I actually believed him, and even secretly planned out a bunch of trips, hoping for the day we'd finally go.

But his annual solo business trip was actually just a secret rendezvous with Naomi.

I stared at the screen and just laughed to myself.

I grabbed my resignation letter and headed straight to HR to quit.

The HR lady looked genuinely shocked. "Ms. Windrow, you've been here since the company was founded. Now that we've finally gone public, why are you leaving?

"Didn't Mr. Jenning say he'd grant you one wish once the company went public? Don't you think it's a shame to leave now?"

Everybody at work knew I was head over heels for Darcy.

But he never let anyone see us getting close, and he made sure I never crossed the line.

He even insisted we take different routes to and from work.

Everyone at work just thought I was leaving because I could never get together with Darcy.

Now that I thought about it, maybe it was just as well.

Loving him was my choice, and letting go was also my choice.

As for that wish, I was actually going to use it to propose to him.

He once told me he didn't really believe in marriage, so tying the knot was off the table for the time being.

I'd already waited seven years for him, so I thought that waiting for a few more years were fine.

But now that I was worn out, I couldn't keep waiting anymore.

"Yeah, maybe it's a bit of a shame, but I really need a break. Let's just get this over with," I said.

Seeing how determined I was, the HR lady didn't try to talk me out of it anymore.

After finishing all the paperwork, I headed home and found Darcy totally zoned out, just staring at a diamond ring.

When he saw me walk in, he fumbled to hide it, but it was so obvious he was up to something. "You're back? By the way, I'm going on a business trip tomorrow. Just giving you a heads up."

I set my keys down and said, "Okay."

I never argued with him or questioned his decisions.

Just as I was about to walk into the bedroom, he reached out and stopped me.

"Winifred, not even curious how long I'll be away?" he asked.

I blinked, surprised he'd ask me that.

Usually, he'd just let me know so I could get my things ready.

I caught the way he avoided my gaze and managed a weak smile.

"Sorry, I've just been a little out of it today," I said.

He gave me a soft smile and leaned in, kissing me unexpectedly.

"Winifred, we still haven't celebrated the company going public. If you have any wishes, just let me know. I'll make it happen when I'm back," he said.

I knew I should just let go.

But I just couldn't give up yet. I wanted to try one last time, just to give these seven years a proper ending.

I grabbed his hand, asking earnestly, "Darcy, if my wish was to marry you, would you say yes?"

He froze, his eyes darting away, unable to meet mine.

After a long pause, he managed a weak smile.

"Winifred, you know I'm not ready for marriage right now. The company just went public, and there's still so much to handle..." he said.

I already knew the answer. This was like asking to be embarrassed.

I covered up the ache with a bitter smile.

"I know, I was just joking," I cut him off, not wanting to hear those same old excuses again.

It wasn't that he didn't want to get married. It was just that he didn't want to marry me.

That realization was like a dull knife, twisting in my heart again and again.

I should've known all along.

He always turned down taking a photo with me, and never let me meet his family. To everyone else, I was just his secretary.

All the clues were right in front of me. I just kept pretending not to see them.