Jealousy
747 Words
Lia spent the entire ride home trying to convince herself that nothing had happened.
Nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
Her heart had not skipped a beat.
She was not thinking about Ethan's smile.
And she certainly was not wondering who the beautiful woman at the gala was.
Unfortunately, her brain disagreed.
The next morning, she arrived at Blackwood Tower in a terrible mood.
Sophia noticed immediately.
"You look troubled."
"I'm not."
"You do."
"I'm not."
Sophia smiled.
"You've started sounding like Mr. Blackwood."
Lia groaned.
That was the last thing she wanted to hear.
The elevator doors opened.
Ethan was already in his office.
Of course he was.
The man seemed physically incapable of arriving late.
Without looking up, he spoke.
"Good morning."
Lia placed a folder on his desk.
"Who was she?"
The question escaped before she could stop it.
Silence.
Ethan slowly looked up.
For perhaps the first time since she'd met him, he appeared genuinely surprised.
"Good morning to you too."
Heat rushed to Lia's face.
She instantly regretted everything.
"The woman from the gala," she clarified.
Ethan leaned back in his chair.
"Why?"
"No reason."
"Hm."
That single sound somehow felt accusing.
Lia crossed her arms.
"I was curious."
"Curious."
"Yes."
Another pause.
Then—
"Her name is Victoria Langford."
Lia hated how relieved she felt hearing an answer.
"We've known each other for years," Ethan added.
Something unpleasant twisted inside her chest.
She ignored it.
Immediately.
She had no reason to care.
None.
Zero.
Absolutely none.
The rest of the morning was busy.
Emails.
Schedules.
Meetings.
Coffee.
More meetings.
Even more coffee.
At one point, Ethan disappeared into a board meeting.
Lia stayed behind to organize documents.
That was when she overheard two employees talking.
"...everyone thinks they'll end up together."
"Who?"
"Mr. Blackwood and Victoria."
Lia froze.
The employees continued.
"Their families are close."
"They'd be perfect together."
"Honestly, I'm surprised it hasn't happened already."
The conversation should not have bothered her.
It really shouldn't have.
Yet for some reason, it did.
A lot.
And that irritated her.
By afternoon, Ethan returned.
One look at her face and he frowned slightly.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
"That's not true."
Lia looked away.
"Since when are you an expert on my emotions?"
"I pay attention."
The answer came too quickly.
Too naturally.
And for some reason...
That made her heart beat faster.
Before she could respond, Ethan's phone rang.
He glanced at the screen.
For the first time all day, something shifted in his expression.
Not much.
Just enough for Lia to notice.
He answered immediately.
"Victoria."
Lia looked away at once.
She didn't want to listen.
She definitely didn't want to care.
And yet...
She found herself listening anyway.
The call lasted only a few minutes.
When Ethan hung up, he stood.
"I have dinner tonight."
"Okay."
"You'll be coming."
Lia blinked.
"What?"
"It's a business dinner."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
Lia stared at him.
He stared back.
The silence stretched.
Finally, Ethan sighed.
"You're very argumentative."
"And you're very controlling."
"Fair."
The fact that he admitted it so easily was somehow more annoying.
That evening, they arrived at one of the city's most exclusive restaurants.
Everything looked expensive.
The lighting.
The furniture.
The view.
Even the water looked expensive.
Lia didn't understand how that was possible.
Yet somehow it was.
Then Victoria arrived.
Beautiful as ever.
Confident as ever.
Perfect as ever.
She greeted Ethan warmly.
Then smiled at Lia.
"It's nice to see you again."
Lia forced a polite smile.
"You too."
Victoria took a seat across from them.
Almost immediately, she and Ethan slipped into easy conversation.
Years of familiarity.
Years of history.
Years Lia wasn't part of.
For the first time since she started working for Ethan, she felt out of place.
Not because of the money.
Not because of the restaurant.
Because of them.
Because Victoria belonged in Ethan's world.
And Lia wasn't sure she ever could.
As the evening continued, Victoria laughed at something Ethan said.
A genuine laugh.
Ethan's expression softened slightly.
Again.
Lia looked down at her drink.
Something sharp twisted in her chest.
Jealousy.
The realization hit like a truck.
Her stomach dropped.
No.
Absolutely not.
That was impossible.
She had known Ethan for barely a few weeks.
There was no way—
"Lia."
She looked up.
Ethan was watching her.
Carefully.
"Are you alright?"
For a moment, she couldn't answer.
Because for the first time...
She wasn't sure.
And that scared her more than anything.
- Writer
