After My Fiancé Let Her Be Invisible, I Made Him Regret

Everyone at the company thought Charlotte Wells was dating our CEO, Nathan Reed. Even the hotel manager called her the future Mrs. Reed. Nathan never corrected anyone. Meanwhile, he kept reminding me, Evelyn Grant, his actual fiancée, "Evelyn, we're at work. Keep it professional." We had been together for eight years and engaged for two, yet I still wore my ring hidden beneath my clothes. Then one day, he asked me to plan Charlotte's birthday dinner. At the Whitecliff Estate where our own wedding had been postponed again and again. I gave him back my ring. ***** "The future Mrs. Reed is here." The hotel manager said it while I was checking the seating chart for the dinner. I looked up. Charlotte stepped through the revolving doors with her white coat draped over one arm. Nathan was carrying her purse. The manager hurried over to greet her. "Ms. Wells, Mr. Reed specifically requested that your meal be dairy-free. Is there anything else you need?" She turned to Nathan with a smile. "You remembered that?" "Didn't you say it made you sick last time?" He handed back her purse, then casually freed a strand of her hair from her necklace. The manager watched them with a knowing smile. I had known Nathan for 8 years. He did not like people touching his things. He never carried anyone's bag, and he hated displays of affection at work. At least, that was what he had always told me. I closed the seating chart. Tonight was Reed Hotel Group's annual partner dinner. Nathan was 40 and owned dozens of hotels. Business magazines loved photographing his penthouse office, his private jet, and the face that rarely smiled. Charlotte had joined the company 6 months ago as head of brand communications. I had been his executive assistant for 8 years. I was also his fiancée. The event coordinator came over and pointed to the head table. "Evelyn, Ms. Wells is sitting to Mr. Reed's right, correct? That's the seat we've reserved for his partner." I did not answer right away. Nathan was already approaching. He heard the question and glanced at his watch. "Keep it that way. We start at 7 p.m. sharp." He did not look at me. The coordinator placed a check beside Charlotte's name. "Understood." My name was listed at the staff table beside the service entrance. Charlotte glanced at it and smoothed a curled edge of the seating chart for me. "You'll be able to come and go more easily from there instead of running back and forth all night." Her tone was considerate. Then she smiled at Nathan. "You can leave after dinner. I'll remember his coat." I stared down at the chart and said nothing. For 8 years, I had been the one who remembered his coat, his phone, and what he needed to eat after drinking. After the first round of drinks, one of our business partners raised his glass and praised Nathan's taste. "A successful career and a beautiful girlfriend. You really do have it all." Charlotte lowered her head with a smile. Nathan neither confirmed nor denied it. He simply raised his glass and thanked the man. I held my water glass as the chill slowly crept into my fingertips. He had not been like this when he proposed in our bedroom 2 years ago. He had knelt beside the bed, hands trembling so badly that he failed to open the ring box on his first try. When I laughed, he took my hand and pressed it to his lips. "Evelyn, once this round of expansion is over, we'll have a proper wedding." I chose Whitecliff Estate by the sea. After that, something more important always came up. We postponed the wedding three times. My ring moved from my finger to a chain around my neck because he said people at the company would credit every promotion I earned to him if they knew. "I'm protecting you." I had believed him. Near the end of the dinner, Nathan came to the staff table and set down a room key. "Bring today's meeting notes to my room at 8 a.m. tomorrow." Everyone at the table could hear him. I looked up. "Can't we go upstairs together now?" His expression cooled. "Evelyn, we're at work. Keep it professional." He did not raise his voice. He did not need to. Several people at the table exchanged looks. After he left, a new colleague gently nudged me. "Don't take it personally. Charlotte is still here. Of course he has to consider his girlfriend's feelings." I stared at the room key. Nathan had written three words on the sleeve. 'Wait for me.' He returned to the suite at 11:30 p.m. I stood by the window and, for once, did not help him out of his coat. "Everyone thinks Charlotte is your girlfriend." "I can't control what other people think." "But you can tell them she isn't." He loosened his tie and walked toward me. "We need her media connections right now. Do you expect me to embarrass her in front of our clients?" I took a step back. "What about me?" He stopped. "You let everyone treat me like a secretary who's trying to seduce her boss. You really don't see a problem with that?" He watched me for several seconds, then reached for my face. "You know whom I'm going to marry. Why do you care what they think?" For the first time, those words sounded painfully hollow.