LOGINMy mom sat beside me as she watched me with smile on her face. "You’re really serious about him, aren't you?" she asked softly. "With Adrian?" I didn't even have to think about it. "Yes," I whispered. "I am." "You love him, right?" I gave a small smile and a firm nod. "Yeah... Yeah I do." She exhaled. "I’m happy for you, Amelia. Truly." "Thanks, Mom," I said, reaching out to squeeze her hand. Her smile faltered slightly as her expression became more serious now. "But... I’m not going to ignore the fact that you look kind of down. Something is bothering you. What is it?" I sighed, the exhaustion of the day finally catching up to me. I reached into the ribboned box and took a bite of a scone. "Well," I started, looking at the few crumbs on my lap. "It's my new boss." "Your new boss?" she echoed. "What about her?" "I don't really complain about work. I love my job. I love what I do. Seeing a campaign come together, watching the strategies actually work out, it
I took the shopping bags from the counter before glancing at him. He was not someone I recognized. "Hi," I responded, my voice cautious and keeping the wall of professionalism firmly in place. "You’re Amelia, right?" he asked. I looked at him, unable to hide the flash of surprise that flickered across my face. I hadn't seen this man a day in my life, yet he knew my name. "Who’s asking?" I asked with my eyes narrowing. He let out a small laugh. "Well, me." "And you are...?" "You do not need to know that," he said smoothly. "Not yet, anyway." I felt a bit of unease. This wasn't a exactly standard "pick-up" line, especially when it's a total stranger who knows your name. "Right. Well, that’s weird," I muttered, turning my shoulder to him. I had no interest in playing riddles with a total stranger. Not today. I began to walk toward the mall exit, my pace quick, but the guy wasn't done. He fell into step beside me. "I kind of noticed you got off work early today," he
I got back to my workstation still fuming. Megan and Casey looked up simultaneously as I slumped into my chair. My hands were shaking a bit. "Amelia?" Megan whispered, leaning over "What happened? You look like you’ve had just enough for today." "What’s wrong?" Casey added, his voice laced with concern. I took a deep, shuddering breath, staring at the blank monitor of my computer. "Uhmm, I don't really want to talk about it right now," I said, my voice tight. "Please. I just need a minute." They exchanged a look but respected my boundary. "Okay," Casey said gently. "We’re here if you change your mind." The rest of the day was a blur of distracted work. The warmth that had filled my chest this morning had been replaced by something else... anger. What a way to ruin an anniversary, I thought, shaking my head. I tried to focus on my actual work, the strategy outlines and campaign adjustments I had been handling before Ms. Corey dumped that assignment on me but my mind k
I exhaled slowly, forcing my voice to stay calm even though I could feel the frustration building up. I had spent four months... no, five months, working hard, putting my head down, and delivering results that were nothing short of perfect. And now, I was starting to get pissed. "For the past months, I haven't missed a single deadline. I have always met my schedules and delivered on time. So I have no idea where this sudden criticism is coming from." Ms. Corey leaned back in her chair, eyes narrowing. I took a breath and continued, "Furthermore, the task you gave me isn’t even in my line of expertise. I’m a Senior Marketing Strategist, Ms. Corey. The assignment you handed me falls under financial analysis and operational restructuring and should be handled by someone in business analytics and not me." I held her gaze firmly now. "But I still accepted it because I knew I could do it and wanted to help the team. However, when I think about it now, this is not how things ar
Amelia The morning light filtered through the large windows, casting a soft glow over the room. I stood in front of the Adrian, carefully adjusting his tie. He stood there with his height looming over me and his gaze fixed entirely on my face. His hands rested lightly on my waist as I straightened the knot. "Hold still," I murmured, straightening the knot one last time. "You keep moving." "I’m not moving," he said, his voice quiet but amused. "You are," I chuckled. "Do you know what today is?" he asked, his voice low with a hint of a smile. I paused my movements, as my fingers lingered on the cool fabric of his tie. I looked up, biting my lip and pulling my brows together as if I was genuinely searching my brain for a missing date. "Today?" I mused, tapping my chin. "Hmm..." His eyes narrowed playfully. "Come on, Amelia..." I laughed. "Of course I know what today is, Adrian." "Happy five-month anniversary, babe," he murmured. "Happy five-month anniversary," I
About an hour ago, this corner of my living room was empty. And now... The midnight blue finish shimmered under the warm glow of my living room lights. I stood in front of it, just… staring. My fingers hovered just above it for a moment before I ran it along the polished wood, the surface feeling cool and solid beneath my touch. A warmth began to spread from my chest, rising up my throat until it felt tight. A shaky breath left me. This is real. He did this. For me. My vision blurred for a brief second before I even realized why. Emotion. It came out of nowhere, rising, catching me off guard. I blinked quickly, pressing my lips together as I forced them back fiercely. I swallowed, steadying myself, my fingers still resting against the piano. I heard the front door open and close behind me. Then, his voice drifted through the room, low and steady. "I kind of figured you might like this." I stood still for a heartbeat, my hand still resting on the blue wood. Then, I tu
AMELIA Did that really just happen? I mean… it did. I was there. But still. My legs were still shaky as I padded down the last few steps into the living room. I let out a quiet breath as I walked further into the living room, my steps slower than usual, like I was trying to process everything
Damn! I actually was attracted to him. The words hung between us, undeniable now that it has been said out loud. His gaze held mine for a second longer, like he was making sure. With his hand still resting on my cheek, he tilted his head to the other side of my face and leaned in as his lips b
I gave him a small smile. For a moment he just stood there looking at me, his eyes still fixed on my face as though he had forgotten what he was supposed to say next. "You look beautiful, Amelia," he said again. "Thank you," I replied. "You look good yourself. He actually did look good... li
When I got to the house, I unlocked the door and stepped inside, closing it quietly behind me.I kicked off my shoes near the entrance before heading straight to my bedroom.The moment I walked in, I dropped my purse onto the small table beside my bed and sat down on the edge of the mattress. For a







