Chapter 2

The smile on Nadia's face went rigid.

She hadn't expected me to strike like that. Her eyes flew instinctively to Damien.

Damien paused.

"Alright. Whatever you say."

Nadia stiffened. "Mr. Voss´"

Damien used the excuse of getting her a cab to walk her out.

He was gone for two hours.

Every dish I'd spent all day making had gone cold.

I threw it all in the trash.

By the time Damien came back, I'd just closed out of the Reddit thread.

My eyes went straight to his collar.

Rumpled. And on it ！ faint, but unmistakable ！ a smear of lipstick.

Ten minutes ago, the comment had updated.

[His fianc└e showed up out of nowhere and dragged him back. Even tried to have me fired. But so what? He played along to her face, and then spent the whole ride back coaxing me.]

[We hooked up in the car. He walked back in with his collar a mess ！ and a little bit of my lipstick on it, oops~]

Every detail matched.

Damien crossed the room to hold me. I shoved him back hard.

"Don't touch me."

Nausea surged up my throat. I pressed a hand over my mouth and ran for the bathroom.

Damien followed, rubbing my back. "Did you eat something bad?"

Her perfume clung to him, drifting into my lungs in slow waves.

Nothing came up.

I straightened and walked back out. Damien poured me a glass of hot water.

I didn't take it. I just looked at him, exhausted. "Is Nadia really just your assistant?"

The moment the words left my mouth, Damien's brow creased.

"Of course. She's just my assistant."

I finally laughed.

I pulled up the thread and held the screen out to him. "Then what is this?"

"An assistant is worth skipping Christmas for? Worth pushing back our engagement?"

Damien stared at the comment for a long time.

I waited. I thought he'd say something ！ anything.

But all he did was frown.

"She's just a girl being dramatic, posting for attention. Don't take it to heart."

Posting for attention.

Nadia said Damien memorized everything she liked. That he cooked for her. That he customized the passenger seat of his car for her alone.

That he even delayed our engagement for her.

That was just for attention?

"Damien," I said. "Do you know I like spicy food?"

He looked at me, clearly lost.

Like he couldn't understand why I was asking something like that.

He said nothing.

I let out a short, bitter laugh.

He didn't know.

Which was why every meal between us had always been mild. Which was why I never knew he could cook ！ because he had never once cooked for me.

And the passenger seat ！ last time I visited, I'd brought a small dashboard ornament, something I wanted to put there. Damien refused without hesitation.

He said he didn't like clutter in the car.

Apparently that rule had exceptions.

Just none for me.

Damien looked at my red-rimmed eyes and softened his voice.

"Mia. Don't worry about her."

"After the holidays, I'll let her go. Once everything's in order ！ we'll get engaged. I promise."

For Nadia, Damien had given up Christmas with his family.

For Nadia, he had pushed back my engagement.

I had told myself he was just busy. Said yes to everything he asked.

And Nadia had told the internet that Damien was only with me out of obligation.

If that was all I was to him ！ an obligation ！ then he didn't need to carry it anymore.

I didn't want the engagement either.