Six Years On

Synopsis

The man before her was dressed impeccably in a suit. His posture was straight, and his features were as clean and elegant as she remembered. It was Wayne Carter. It has been six years since she last saw him, but time has been kind to him. If anything, it had only carved a deeper, steadier maturity into his features. On the other hand, all time did was wear her down and change her. Colette Hale looked down and slid a contract across the table. Her voice was professionally sweet and rehearsed, "Mr. Carter, your wife has reserved the VIP package in our postpartum care centre. The total cost would be 196 thousand dollars. Please review the document and sign here if everything is correct." Wayne did not look at the contract. Instead, his gaze landed on her nametag. "Colette," he said her name slowly. The last syllable was low, carrying a hint of something inquisitive. "You work here as a sales associate?" There was no contempt in his voice, just incredulity. After all, the Colette from six years ago was a young mistress of the Carter family. She never got her hands dirty, and her biggest dilemma was which seasonal luxury handbag to buy. Colette pretended not to hear the weight beneath his words. Her smile was flawless and impenetrable. "Yes, Mr. Carter, I work here. Please review the contract, sir," she reminded again, her tone polite but distant. Wayne finally looked away. He picked up the pen and signed the contract. The scratch of the nib against paper echoed in the quiet lobby. Colette could hear her heartbeat stuttering. She thought she was numb and over it by now. It turns out it was just because she had not met him yet.