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

Chapter 2

The next morning, Charlotte set a cup of coffee on Nathan's desk.

He was listening to my briefing when he looked up and accepted it.

"Didn't I tell you to sleep in?"

"You said you had an early meeting today." Only then did she seem to notice me. "Am I interrupting?"

"No."

Nathan set down the report I had given him.

I had brought him breakfast 3 years earlier.

Other people were still in the executive office that morning, so he had someone remove the paper bag and reminded me not to handle personal matters at work.

I had gotten up at 5 a.m. to make that breakfast.

I turned to the last page of my report and continued.

I wanted to move from executive support into project management.

Nathan had promised that if the proposal was approved, I could lead its implementation.

Charlotte flipped through two pages and pointed to the rendering.

"This looks beautiful. We could make it the theme of next month's industry summit."

"Then you can present it," Nathan said.

My pen stopped.

"She doesn't know the project data yet."

"You handle the content, and she handles the presentation. Each of you can do what you do best."

"Then who leads the project?"

Charlotte set down the report as though she intended to leave.

Nathan raised a hand, signaling her to stay.

"It's too early to discuss that. Focus on the summit first."

At noon, the communications department sent me the speaker bio.

Charlotte Wells, creator of Lakeside Residences.

I highlighted that line and replied.

Evelyn: I proposed the project and have led the planning. Please verify the information.

Nathan called my extension 10 minutes later.

"It's one line of promotional copy. There was no need to copy that many people."

"Then change it."

"She just joined the company. She needs a few accomplishments before the team will trust her."

I looked through the glass wall.

Charlotte was trying on a jacket for the summit while two colleagues gathered around her, telling her she looked like the lady of the house.

"Do her accomplishments have to come at the cost of my name?"

The line went quiet for a moment.

"We'll talk at home tonight."

But he did not come home that night.

A friend of Charlotte's arrived unexpectedly in Nedoria. Nathan took her to dinner and did not message me until after midnight, telling me to get some sleep.

The following afternoon, his personal assistant forwarded me an event request.

Charlotte Wells's 30th birthday.

Location: Whitecliff Estate.

I scrolled down and saw the oceanfront lawn, the white floral arch, and the glass pavilion with only two chairs.

I knew it all too well. My hands began to tremble uncontrollably.

It was the wedding plan I had saved to our shared calendar.

I took the document to Nathan.

"Why there?" My voice came out strained despite my effort to remain calm.

He glanced over it.

"She saw the photos and loved the place. Don't you know the estate manager?"

"Nathan, that's where we chose to have our wedding."

"The estate can host more than one kind of event."

The irritation in his voice left me speechless.

Charlotte knocked and entered just then. When she saw the document in my hand, she smiled and thanked me.

"I've heard you're excellent at planning events. I know I can relax if you're handling it."

She turned to the floral design page and placed a finger on the white bouquet I had chosen.

"Everything else looks good. Let's change these to champagne roses. Nathan says they suit me better."

That was supposed to be my bridal bouquet.

"And remember to arrange dinner for the staff." She gave me a gentle smile. "Don't get so busy taking care of us that you forget to eat."

Nathan said nothing, which felt like agreement.

*****

Back in my office, I did not contact the estate. I would not hand my work over to someone else a second time.

Instead, I opened the email a recruiter had sent 2 weeks earlier and replied with my interview availability.

At home that night, I pulled the ring out from beneath my collar.

The fine chain had knotted at the back of my neck. After struggling with it in the mirror for a long time, I found a pair of small scissors and cut it.

The ring dropped into my palm.

The skin below my collarbone felt strangely bare. I reached for it out of habit, then lowered my hand a few seconds later.