chapter 5
1730 Words
Tony stared at the unknown number on his screen for a moment before answering.
“Hello?”
There was silence at first.
Then a familiar voice slipped through.
“Tony.”
His chest tightened instantly.
“…Lily?”
“Good afternoon,” she said calmly, like they were strangers speaking for the first time.
Tony sat up straight.
His heart was already too loud in his ears.
“Good afternoon,” he replied, softer.
Another pause followed.
Not the uncomfortable kind—but the kind filled with things they both refused to say.
Then she spoke again.
“You did well.”
Tony let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.
“So… does that mean I got the job?”
“I didn’t say that,” she replied.
A small, quiet laugh escaped him before he could stop it.
“You’re still the same,” he said. “Still making things complicated.”
“And you’re still impatient,” she replied.
For a second, something warm passed between them.
Something familiar. Something that felt too easy… and too dangerous at the same time.
Tony swallowed.
“Lily…” he said carefully. “About us—”
“We’ll keep it professional,” she cut in immediately.
Silence followed again.
Then her voice changed slightly.
Softer, but heavier.
“This isn’t the office,” she said.
“So answer me honestly.”
Tony frowned. “Answer what?”
There was a pause.
“Why did you really break up with me, Tony?”
That question didn’t just land.
It sank.
Tony went still.
For a moment, he forgot where he was.
The room felt smaller.
The air felt tighter.
“I told you already,” he said quietly.
“No,” Lily interrupted. “You gave me an answer. Not the truth.”
Tony rubbed his forehead slowly, like the memory itself hurt.
“I was scared,” he admitted at last.
“Of what?” she asked immediately.
He hesitated.
“Of how much you mattered.”
Silence again.
Longer this time.
Then Lily spoke, her voice calm but sharp in a way that reached deep into him.
“Why didn’t you say that back then?”
Tony let out a slow breath.
“Because I didn’t understand it myself,” he said honestly.
“Everything was moving too fast… feelings, plans, future… you.
And I kept thinking… What if I ruin it?
What if I mess you up? What if I hurt you… or you hurt me?”
His voice dropped lower.
“So I thought… maybe if I left first, it would hurt less.”
Lily didn’t respond immediately.
When she finally did, her voice was quiet.
“So you decided to hurt me first.”
Tony closed his eyes.
“I thought walking away would be easier,” he said.
“For who?” she asked.
That question stayed in the air.
Tony didn’t answer.
Because there was no answer that didn’t make him sound selfish.
Lily sighed softly.
The line between them felt heavy now.
“This conversation is over,” she said at last, returning to her professional tone.
“Be at the office tomorrow by 10:00 a.m. Wear a suit.
Bring your documents and passport. You’ll need them for your ID card.”
Tony blinked.
“ID card?”
“Yes,” she replied. “Without it, you can’t move freely in the company.”
Then, before he could say anything else—
The call ended.
Tony stayed still for a long time.
The phone remained in his hand, but his mind was somewhere else entirely.
Why did she bring that up?
Why now?
Was she angry?
Was she testing him?
Or… was she still not over it?
The questions kept circling in his head with no answers.
Later that evening, Tony decided he needed air.
He needed something real.
So he went to see his friend, Mick.
Mick lived in a small but comfortable apartment.
The kind of place that always smelled like coffee and sounded like music playing softly in the background.
When Tony arrived, Mick opened the door and immediately frowned.
“Bro, you look like you haven’t slept in days.”
“I feel worse than that,” Tony muttered as he walked inside.
Mick gestured for him to sit. “What happened?”
Tony dropped onto the couch like his body had given up.
Mick returned with a bottle of cold water and handed it to him.
“Drink,” he said. “You look like you’re about to collapse.”
Tony took it and drank half of it in one go.
Mick leaned back in his chair. “Okay.
Talk. What happened?”
Tony exhaled slowly.
“It’s Lily.”
That alone made Mick sit up.
“Wait… your ex Lily?”
Tony nodded.
Mick blinked.
“The one you told me you weren’t ready to talk about ever again?”
Tony gave a dry laugh. “Yeah… that one.”
Mick ran a hand over his face.
“Bro… what did you do?”
“I went for an interview,” Tony said.
“Max & Co.”
Mick’s eyebrows lifted. “That big company?”
Tony nodded again.
“And?” Mick asked.
Tony hesitated.
“She was there.”
Mick froze. “She was… there?”
“She works there,” Tony said quietly. “And she was the one who interviewed me.”
For a second, Mick didn’t say anything.
Then he exhaled slowly.
“Life is not serious,” he muttered.
Tony gave him a tired look. “You’re laughing?”
“I’m not laughing,” Mick said, though he clearly was trying not to. “I’m processing.”
Tony leaned forward, rubbing his face.
“But that’s not even the worst part.”
Mick narrowed his eyes.
“There’s more?”
Tony nodded slowly.
“Two hours ago… she called me.”
Mick sat up straight.
“She called you?”
“Unknown number,” Tony continued.
“I almost didn’t pick it up.”
“And?”
Tony swallowed.
“It was her.”
Mick blinked.
“She called you personally to say you got the job?”
“Yes.”
Mick leaned back slowly.
“That’s not normal HR behavior, bro.”
Tony nodded.
“Then she said… ‘Can I ask you something?’”
Mick frowned. “What?”
Tony’s voice dropped.
“She asked me why I ended things with her.”
The room went quiet.
Mick stared at him. “Right after giving you the job?”
Tony nodded.
“I told her the truth,” he said quietly.
“Or part of it. I don’t even know if she believed me.”
Mick rubbed his chin, thinking.
“Bro… I don’t like this,” he said slowly.
Tony looked up. “What do you mean?”
“I mean,” Mick said carefully, “she’s not just talking like an ex.
She’s doing something.
I don’t know what, but it’s intentional.”
Tony shook his head immediately.
“No,” he said.
“Don’t say that. Lily isn’t like that.
We broke up because of me.
I don’t want to blame her for anything.”
He paused.
“I don’t want to drag her down. Not now.”
Mick studied him.
“Tony… she’s pregnant, right?”
Tony went silent.
The truth hung between them.
“Yes,” he said quietly.
Mick sighed.
“Then she’s not just your ex.
She’s also the mother of your child.
And now your boss—or your senior.
Whatever this is… it’s complicated.”
Tony leaned back, staring at the ceiling.
“I can’t mix work and emotions,” he said.
“I’ll lose both.”
Mick nodded slowly.
“That part is true.”
Then he added,
“But you also can’t pretend nothing exists between you two.”
Tony closed his eyes.
“So what do I do?”
Mick looked at him seriously.
“You take the job,” he said.
“You’ve been struggling for months.
You don’t throw that away.”
Tony stayed quiet.
“But what if she only gave it to me because of… us?” he asked.
Mick shrugged.
“And what if she gave it to you because you deserved it?”
Tony didn’t answer.
Mick stood and tossed him a pillow.
“Bro,” he said, “don’t destroy yourself with thoughts you don’t even have proof for.”
Tony gave a small tired smile.
“You always act like you know everything.”
“I don’t,” Mick said.
“I just know you need peace more than theories.”
Tony lay back on the couch.
And for the first time in hours… his chest felt a little lighter.
First Day at work
The next morning came too fast.
Tony stood outside Max & Co. again.
But this time, everything felt different.
It wasn’t just a building anymore.
It was history.
And something unfinished.
Inside, Lily was already waiting.
She stood with her tablet, professional as always. Calm face.
Controlled expression.
But when her eyes met his—
Something changed for a second.
Just a second.
“Welcome to the team,” she said.
Tony nodded.
“Thank you.”
She handed him a file.
“We have a client meeting in one hour,” she said.
“Try to keep up.”
A small smirk appeared on her face.
Tony noticed it.
And for a moment, he almost smiled too.
Almost.
Lily turned slightly, walking ahead.
But in her mind, things were louder than her silence.
Some endings don’t stay endings, she thought.
And some people… don’t stay in the past, no matter how carefully you close the door.
They entered the conference room together.
Tony followed her in and sat across from her.
Lily placed her tablet down.
Her voice changed again—firm, official, in control.
“Mr. Tony,” she said.
“From today, you’ll be working directly with me.”
Tony nodded slowly.
Then she added,
“And there’s one condition.”
Tony’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Something in her tone made his chest tighten.
He looked at he
r carefully.
And in that moment, he understood something clearly.
Whatever they were before…
Wasn’t over.
It had only just begun again.
- Writer
