The CEO I Left Behind

Chapter 2: The Scars You Left Behind

Luther's POV

The city stretched beneath the floor-to-ceiling windows of my office, alive with the morning rush. Cars crawled through traffic like tiny insects, and people hurried along the sidewalks, each carrying their own burdens.

None of it caught my attention.

My thoughts were still trapped inside the private elevator.

That woman...

Why did she seem so familiar?

I loosened the knot of my tie and sank into the leather chair behind my desk. The room was quiet except for the ticking of the clock on the wall, but inside my head, memories I had spent years burying were beginning to surface.

Golden eyes.

A nervous voice.

The way she lowered her head instead of looking at me.

It couldn't be...

Could it?

A knock came at the door.

"Come in."

My assistant, Daniel, stepped inside carrying several folders.

"Good morning, Mr. Ashford. These are the documents for this afternoon's meeting."

I gave a slight nod.

He placed them neatly on my desk before studying my expression.

"You seem distracted."

"I'm fine."

He knew better than to ask another question.

As soon as the door closed behind him, I leaned back in my chair and shut my eyes.

The past had a cruel way of returning when you least expected it.

Seven years ago...

The afternoon sun had painted the school courtyard in shades of gold.

I stood beneath the old maple tree, clutching a bouquet of white lilies.

Kathy's favorite.

I'd worked part-time for weeks to save enough money to buy them.

To anyone else, they were just flowers.

To me, they were a promise.

A promise that one day I'd give her a better life.

When I finally saw her walking toward me, my heart nearly burst with excitement.

She was beautiful, just as she'd always been. Her long hair danced in the breeze, and for a brief moment I forgot every hardship waiting for me at home.

"Kathy," I called with a smile.

She stopped a few steps away.

There was no smile on her face.

"I've been looking for you everywhere."

She folded her arms across her chest.

"What is it?"

Her voice was strangely cold.

I ignored the uneasy feeling growing inside me and held out the bouquet.

"These are for you."

She stared at the flowers without moving.

"I got accepted into one of the best universities," I said, unable to hide my excitement. "I know things are difficult now, but I'll work hard. One day I'll build a future worthy of you."

For a second, she remained silent.

Then she laughed.

Not with happiness.

With mockery.

"Luther..."

She slowly looked into my eyes.

"You actually think we have a future?"

My smile faded.

"What do you mean?"

She took another step back.

"I've been meaning to tell you something."

Every instinct told me I wasn't going to like what came next.

"I never loved you."

The words struck harder than any punch.

"I only pitied you."

I shook my head.

"No... you're joking."

"I'm not."

Her voice was calm, almost emotionless.

"Do you really think someone like me would spend the rest of my life with someone from a poor family?"

Each sentence cut deeper than the last.

"My parents may have their problems, but we're still better off than yours."

She looked at the bouquet in my hands.

"And your father..."

She paused before delivering the final blow.

"Everyone knows his reputation. I don't want to be connected to a family like yours."

My fingers tightened around the flowers.

"Kathy..."

She reached out, took the bouquet from my hands...

...and let it fall to the ground.

White petals scattered across the pavement.

"So stop waiting for me."

Without another word, she turned and walked away.

I didn't chase her.

I couldn't.

My legs refused to move.

I simply stood there, staring at the crushed flowers, wondering how the girl who had once held my hand could leave me feeling like I was worth nothing.

That day, something inside me broke.

Not my heart.

My trust.

The memory faded, and I opened my eyes.

The office was silent once again.

For seven years, I had convinced myself that Kathy was nothing more than a chapter I'd already finished.

But this morning...

The woman in the elevator had reopened that chapter.

I pressed the intercom button on my desk.

"Daniel."

"Yes, sir?"

"Bring me the personnel file of the new employee who joined today."

There was a brief pause.

"Right away, sir."

I ended the call and stared out at the city once more.

If that woman truly was Kathy...

Then fate had made a very dangerous mistake.