The Mistaken Bride

The Night She Forgot

Winston Point of View

I sat at my desk, staring at the document in front of me. Numbers, contracts, deadlines—that was the current thing that needs to be attended to. My office, which was always lively, felt too quiet today. The hum of the air conditioning, the occasional knock at the door, all of it did nothing to distract me from the one thought that wouldn’t leave my mind: Julia.

She didn’t remember me.

I thought back to the day she first walked into my company. At first, I thought I was in lotion. Maybe my mind was playing on me. But no, it was her. Julia. The lady I had spent years thinking about. And yet, when she looked at me, she couldn't remember anything.

How could she not remember?

That one night we shared many years ago—it wasn’t supposed to happen. I hadn’t planned for it. But it happened. Her smile was so genuine. For the first time, I felt loved.

But it was a mistake. It shouldn’t have happened. And yet, it was a night I couldn’t forget.

The more I think about it, the more I refuse to admit I was in love.

I had woken up the next morning, ready to talk to her, to figure out what came next. But she was gone. No note, no goodbye. Just gone. I didn’t even know how to reach her. At first, I told myself it was fine. It was a one-time thing. It didn’t mean anything. But the longer I went without seeing her, the more it gnawed at me.

And now here she was, working in my company, walking around like she didn’t even know me.

It made no sense. How could she forget? I remembered every detail of that night. The way she looked at me, the way she smiled. How could she not remember anything?

She is not worth my love, and she is just an employee I tried to convince myself. But the more I saw her, the harder it became to ignore the feelings.

It wasn’t just frustration. It was something deeper. Something I didn’t want to name.

I had always been in control of my life. Every decision I made was calculated, deliberate. But Julia was different. She made me feel things I didn’t want to feel. And that scared me.

When I found out she had a child, everything changed.

I needed her. Not just for me, but I believe that the child was mine, looking at the age of the child. And the more I thought about it, the more I realized that Julia was the perfect choice and plan I needed.

I told myself it wasn’t about love. It wasn’t about that night. It was about doing what was best for my family and retaining my position as the CEO. Marrying Julia made sense. It was logical. Practical. But deep down, I knew the truth.

I loved her.

That’s why I chose her. That’s why I arranged the wedding. That’s why I stood there, saying vows I wasn’t sure I could keep.

The wedding itself felt surreal. I had been to countless events in my life, business dinners—but this felt different. I had always imagined my wedding would be filled with people coming to celebrate a union that was more about love than business. But standing there with Julia, it felt… personal.

When she walked down the alley, I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She looked so beautiful, so perfect, it cut my attention for a moment. I forgot about everything else. The company, the responsibilities, the past. It was just her.

And then the vows came.

I had written mine the night before. I wanted to say something that would show her how much I love her. But I couldn't say a word. How could I explain everything I was feeling?

So, I kept it to myself. I never wanted her to see my weak side, so I had to pretend. It was time to take our wedding vows. 'For better or worse, in sickness and in health, till death does our part,' I repeated. I could see how unhappy Julia looked.

After the wedding, I keep my distance, to focus on work and keep my emotions to myself. But every time I saw her, it was like that night all over again.

She was too kind, too genuine, too real for someone like me. I had spent my whole life building walls around myself, keeping people out. And yet, somehow, she had found her way in.

The worst part was, she didn’t even know.

She didn’t know how much that night meant to me. She didn’t know that every decision I made was because I loved her. I had been trying to get closer to her ever since she walked into my office.

Anytime I close my eyes. Memory of everything that happened that night came flashing back to my face.

The plan wasn't for me to fall in love but to use her and dump her.

But it wasn't going as planned.

And now, I had to find a way to make it work.

I needed a plan. Something that would protect me from her smile, that constant reminder of our encounter I had with her many years ago. Her presence was too powerful, too overwhelming. Every time I saw her, it pulled me back to that night, and the emotions I had buried deep down. I couldn’t let that happen again.

I came up with a strategy—something to distance myself from her without appearing weak. I would manipulate the situation, make her feel insignificant, make her doubt her place in my life. If I treated her like a mere employee, distant and cold, it would keep her from seeing my true feelings. I’d make her think I was in control, that she meant nothing to me.

The plan was simple: keep her at arm’s length. And if I could succeed, I wouldn’t have to face the truth of what I was feeling.

But what if she saw through me?