Chapter 6
1230 Words
Chapter 6: A Tangle of Lies
Celestine didn’t sleep that night.
Her mind was a tangled mess of memories and regrets, of the way Isaac had looked at her, of the question he had asked — Do you love him?
It echoed in her head like a cruel whisper.
She wished she had answered right away, wished she had told him “yes” with the same certainty Michael always seemed to have about their relationship. But the silence had spoken louder than any words could.
And Isaac had noticed.
By the time morning came, Celestine felt like she was sleepwalking. She got dressed mechanically, choosing a simple cream blouse and black pencil skirt, hoping the neutral colors would help ground her.
Michael kissed her before she left for work, oblivious to the storm inside her. “I’ll pick you up for dinner tonight,” he said softly. “It’s been a while since we had a proper date.”
She forced a smile. “Looking forward to it.”
But the moment she stepped out of the apartment, the tightness in her chest returned.
She wasn’t sure how much longer she could pretend everything was fine.
The office was buzzing with its usual morning energy, but Celestine felt like she was moving in slow motion. She kept her head down, burying herself in work, hoping to avoid Isaac for as long as possible.
That hope didn’t last long.
“Celestine.”
Her heart lurched at the sound of his voice.
She looked up to see Isaac standing at her office door, his tie slightly loosened, his dark eyes locked onto hers.
“Can we speak in my office?” he asked, his voice calm but firm.
There was no escape.
Nodding slowly, she gathered her notebook and followed him down the hall, keeping a safe distance as though that extra step between them could stop her heart from racing.
When they entered his office, Isaac closed the door behind her. The soft click seemed deafening.
For a moment, neither of them spoke. The silence felt too heavy, too loaded with everything they weren’t saying.
Finally, Isaac broke it. “About last night…”
Celestine tensed. “It was nothing.”
He studied her for a long moment, his gaze piercing. “It didn’t feel like nothing.”
Her throat tightened. “It doesn’t matter what it felt like. I’m engaged, Isaac. I have a life with Michael.”
A muscle in his jaw twitched. “And yet, when I asked if you loved him… you didn’t answer.”
Her stomach flipped.
“That’s not fair,” she whispered.
Isaac took a step closer, his voice softer now. “What’s not fair, Celestine, is pretending this — whatever this is — isn’t happening.”
She shook her head. “It’s not happening. This is just… residual feelings. From the past. We both moved on.”
His jaw clenched. “Did we?”
Celestine’s heart pounded. “Isaac—”
He reached out, his hand hovering just a breath away from her arm, but he didn’t touch her. “Tell me you feel nothing, and I’ll stop.”
Her lips parted, but the words wouldn’t come.
Because she couldn’t lie — not to him.
The silence was enough.
Isaac’s expression darkened. He stepped back, running a hand through his hair. “You’re marrying him,” he said, more to himself than to her.
Celestine swallowed hard. “Yes.”
“Because you love him?”
Her voice cracked. “Because he’s safe.”
The confession slipped out before she could stop it.
The second the words left her mouth, Celestine wished she could take them back.
Isaac’s face was unreadable, but his knuckles were white where they gripped the edge of his desk. “Safe,” he repeated, his voice hollow.
She squeezed her eyes shut. “I didn’t mean—”
“Don’t,” he said, his voice rough. “Don’t pretend this doesn’t mean anything.”
A tear threatened to spill down her cheek, but she blinked it away. “What do you want me to say, Isaac? That I still think about us? That some part of me wonders what would’ve happened if we hadn’t fallen apart?”
He didn’t move. “Yes.”
Her voice cracked again. “It doesn’t change anything.”
Isaac’s gaze burned into hers. “It changes everything.”
The room felt too small, too hot, and Celestine couldn’t breathe.
She turned sharply, grabbing the doorknob. “I need to go.”
“Celestine—”
But she was already gone.
The rest of the day passed in a blur. Celestine threw herself into work, refusing to think about what had happened in Isaac’s office.
She ignored the lingering looks he gave her during meetings, the tension that seemed to crackle every time they were in the same room.
But it was there.
It was always there.
By the time the workday ended, Celestine felt like she was about to fall apart.
Michael was waiting for her outside the office, smiling as he opened the car door for her. “You look beautiful,” he said softly.
She smiled — but it didn’t reach her eyes.
Dinner was at a quiet restaurant, candlelit and intimate. Michael reached for her hand across the table, his thumb stroking her knuckles softly.
“This is nice,” he said. “Just the two of us.”
Celestine nodded. “Yeah… it is.”
But she wasn’t really there.
Her mind was still back in Isaac’s office, still replaying every word, every glance, every moment of painful honesty.
Michael tilted his head. “Celestine?”
She blinked, forcing herself back into the present. “Sorry… just tired.”
He studied her for a moment, his smile faltering. “Are you sure that’s all?”
Her heart twisted.
He deserved the truth — but she couldn’t give it to him.
So she lied.
“Yes,” she whispered. “That’s all.”
That night, as they lay in bed, Michael held her close, his arm draped protectively over her waist. His breathing was steady, soft, safe.
But Celestine stared at the ceiling, wide awake.
The truth gnawed at her, relentless and unforgiving.
She loved Michael. She did.
But there was a part of her — a part she hated — that still belonged to Isaac.
And no matter how hard she tried to bury it…
It refused to die.
The next morning, Celestine arrived at the office early, hoping to avoid Isaac. She needed space, time to think, time to figure out how to move forward without falling apart.
But when she stepped into her office, there was an envelope on her desk.
No name. No explanation.
Just a single piece of paper inside.
Meet me tonight.
Her stomach dropped.
There was no signature, but she didn’t need one. She knew exactly who it was from.
Isaac.
Her fingers trembled as she folded the note back into the envelope, her heart pounding so loudly she was sure the entire office could hear it.
She should ignore it.
She should throw it away.
But instead…
She tucked it into her drawer — hidden, but not forgotten.
Because deep down, no matter how much she wanted to deny it —
A part of her wanted to go.
To be continued…
- Writer
