Chapter 2
I stared at him blankly and said, “We’ve been together for eight years, and I’ve been the one cooking for you all that time. When I’m having low blood sugar, you don’t even think I deserve a bite of the breakfast you made?”
Zachary’s eyes went cold. “People like that don’t ask – they just take. That’s stealing.”
He then threw on his suit, slammed the door, and walked out.
Faced with Zachary’s latest cold shoulder, I grabbed my phone and checked his messages.
He’d changed his profile pic – it was Madison, wearing cat ears and making a silly face.
I liked the photo, then casually unpinned his chat from the top.
Morning went by.
At noon, I had a realtor appointment to see a place. Just as I stepped into the elevator, I bumped into Zachary and Madison.
Madison’s hair was a mess, and Zachary was tying it back into a ponytail.
When they saw me, Madison immediately put her hands on her hips and pouted, “Lily, you’re just in time! Zachary’s been pulling my hair all day like a little kid-so annoying.”
Before I could say anything, Zachary pinched Madison’s nose lightly and teased, “Hey, little liar, keep that up and your nose will grow.”
Madison blushed, and Zachary finally gave me a rare soft look.
“Lily, Since you’re here, why don’t you join us for lunch?”
We’d worked in the same building but at different companies for five years, and he’d never asked me to lunch before.
Meanwhile, Madison was constantly posting pictures of her and Zachary having lunch together all over social media.
I smiled and said, “You two go ahead. I’ve got stuff to take care of.”
Zachary’s face darkened, clearly caught off guard.
Suddenly, the elevator jolted and went completely dark.
I switched on my phone’s flashlight and saw Zachary holding Madison, his voice low and calming her down.
The quiet stretched on, broken only by her soft breathing and his gentle words.
After what felt like forever, the elevator started moving again.
When we hit the lobby, Zachary immediately stepped forward, insisting on driving me to wherever I needed to go.
Wefore I could say a word, Madison suddenly fainted.
Without missing a beat, Zachary pushed past me, scooped her up, and rushed off to the hospital.
I bent down to grab my cracked phone, then flagged a cab to keep looking at apartments.
In the evening, just as I got back to the office, Zachary showed up with a slice of cake and left it on my desk.
Not long before, I’d noticed Madison had posted a new update: [Trying to keep up with love—and all these pastries—is a full- time job!]
Chapter 2
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The photo showed a whole table covered in fancy French desserts-clearly more than one person could eat.
I didn’t need to ask where my slice had come from.
I thanked him but didn’t open the box.
Zachary looked puzzled. “Lily, why are you being so polite with me?”
I avoided the question and said, “If you don’t need anything else, I’m going to print some papers.”
When I came back with my resignation letter, Zachary was gone.
He’d left a sticky note asking me to come see him later.
I ripped off the note and tossed it along with the desserts.
I went to my boss’s office and handed in my resignation.
My boss tried to convince me to stay, but once it was clear I’d made up my mind, they accepted it.
I’d be free to leave after finishing this week’s work.
That night at 10 p.m., Zachary called while I was out with my coworkers.
One of the guys at the table picked it up without thinking.
When I finally took the phone, Zachary’s voice came through, cold and clipped.
“It’s late, Lily. Where are you?”
I replied simply, “Out.”
“Drop me your location. I’m coming to get you.”
And just like that, he hung up.
I sent my location and stayed until the place closed, but he never showed.
Later, I checked Madison’s social feed-she’d posted a picture of herself hooked up to an IV.
Figures.
I took a cab home alone, showered, and went to bed.
Around 3 a.m., Zachary stumbled in, looking like hell, and shook me awake.
His voice was cold and sharp.
“Lily, I’m starving. Make me some soup or something. Chicken noodle, whatever.”
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