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Chapter 2

Author: Hyacinth
I was about to put my phone away when another message came through from Dominic.

"Clara, let us just go with it for now. Bianca already said yes in front of everyone. I am the family heir, and backing out now would make De Luca look bad. It would damage Bianca's reputation too. Later I will tell them it was all a misunderstanding, that I always meant to propose to you."

I read the lines several times. It did not surprise me. The moment Dominic called out the wrong name, I knew exactly how this would go.

It was the same as last Christmas, when he sent a scarf to my apartment but it ended up at Bianca's address by mistake. When I tried to get it back, he held my hand and said: "Sorry, Clara, I must have filled in the wrong address. Just let her keep it. She has already opened it."

A message came through from the estate manager: "Mr. De Luca asked me to let you know that the reception after the dinner will be held in the main hall. The main course has been changed to lobster pasta with white truffle. The chef has confirmed the ingredients. We look forward to seeing you there."

It was part of the proposal plan. Since he had proposed to the wrong person, everything would go to Bianca instead. That was how Dominic always handled things.

I saw a guest's Instagram post of the dinner table. White linen, silver candlesticks, floral arrangements. The main course was lobster pasta with white truffle. I was allergic to truffle. Dominic never remembered. But it was Bianca's favorite.

I went back to my Manhattan apartment alone. I pushed the door open. On the console table by the entrance sat a small record player and a record sleeve beside it. It was from our first date, a jazz show he had taken me to. He had bought a signed copy later and placed it here. He said the first record you play in a new place gives it a voice.

Dominic had never cared much for rituals. I was the one who taught him. I remembered the day I put that record on the console table. He leaned against the doorframe and said, "It is just a record. Does it matter where it goes?"

I turned and shook my head. "It matters. I want everyone who walks in to see it first and know this is a home."

That was the first time he did not argue with me. I thought that meant he was beginning to believe me.

I picked up the record sleeve and ran my finger along the crease on the cover. Images from the dinner flashed through my mind. In every photo, he stood next to Bianca, relaxed, his mouth slightly lifted in a smile I had not seen on his face in a long time. I realized I had been the only one who thought we were happy.

I turned the sleeve over and put it in a box with the record. My phone buzzed once. Bianca had put up a story. A photo from the dinner, with one line: "Some things are decided for you."

She did not name anyone. She did not need to.

I closed my phone and booked a flight. The morning flights were full. The only one left was the earliest flight the day after tomorrow. Six forty in the morning. Arriving in London that night. I confirmed the booking.

[Booking confirmed. There were thirty-four hours left before takeoff.]
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  • He Proposed to Me With Her Name   Chapter 9

    Not long after, I threw myself back into work. I had been working on a client account that had been stalled for two months. I thought the deal was dead, but a week later, they responded and scheduled a meeting to go over the details.That was my first major deal in London. On the day we signed, the project lead shook my hand and said, "Your proposal was very clear. The consultants we have worked with before did not have your execution skills. Welcome to the team."I stood by the window and looked at my name on the contract. I did not feel especially excited, but I did confirm one thing. Leaving New York had not diminished my ability. The problem had been the place, not me.When I called my parents to tell them I was settling in, my father said, "We always knew you could do it. You just never thought you were good enough before. Now you know."I smiled. He was right. I used to think I was not enough. I thought I had to be better to deserve standing beside him. Now I understood that I ha

  • He Proposed to Me With Her Name   Chapter 8

    I had been in London for almost a month.On the weekend, I went to a secondhand bookshop and bought an old novel with a worn cover. I brought it back to the apartment and sat by the window for an afternoon. I realized I had not sat still like that in a long time. In New York, my weekends had always been full going to his estate, taking care of Dominic, arranging his schedule. I always felt like I needed to keep doing things so he would forget Bianca and finally pay attention to me.But while I was doing all that, I had forgotten to look at myself. I had forgotten to ask what I wanted.Monday evening, I came home from work and was about to unlock the door when I saw someone standing at the end of the hallway. I turned and recognized him. It had been over a month since I had seen Dominic, and he looked thinner than before. He wore a dark gray coat and had nothing in his hands, but his left hand was in his pocket, holding something."How did you find this place?""I had the family check

  • He Proposed to Me With Her Name   Chapter 7

    Dominic arrived in Boston a little after three in the morning. He had driven through the night without stopping. The sky was still dark, and he parked in front of Clara's parents' house. He sat there for a moment before he got out.He rang the doorbell and waited. He rang again. The door opened, and Clara's mother stood behind the chain. She did not open the door. She looked at him through the narrow gap."Mrs. Hayes, I know it is late. I apologize. But I need to see Clara."She looked at him for a few seconds without stepping aside or closing the door. "She is not here.""She went back to Boston, did she not? Is she staying here? I can wait outside—""She did not come back." Mrs. Hayes's voice was calm. "Where she is, we cannot say.""Mrs. Hayes—""There is no point in asking." She stood behind the chain, her hand on the edge of the doorframe, not moving aside. "Clara is an adult. She makes her own choices. She decided to leave, and we support that. She does not want us to tell anyone

  • He Proposed to Me With Her Name   Chapter 6

    Bianca's heels clicked down the hallway, and she had taken a taxi over as well.Dominic had been sitting for a long time before he finally spoke. "Clara left."Bianca paused, set her bag on the coffee table, and sat down beside him. Her voice softened. "Left? How could she just leave? She cannot be that upset—""I cannot reach her. She blocked me everywhere. The calls do not go through. The messages do not deliver."Bianca was quiet for a moment, watching his face like she was waiting for him to say something else. He did not. She leaned back into the sofa, her tone gentler now. "Maybe this is not such a bad thing. You do not need someone like her by your side. She never understood your position or your responsibilities. She could not even handle this one situation. You are going to run the De Luca family one day. You need someone who can hold her ground, not someone who runs away."Dominic did not respond.Bianca waited, then continued. "I have known you longer than Clara has. Your fa

  • He Proposed to Me With Her Name   Chapter 5

    All the files were already in the handover email. There was nothing left for me in this office.I went back to the hotel and picked up my things.I knew Dominic would not come looking for me. He had booked a table at the restaurant I had mentioned several times. I was not going to show up, but I knew he would not eat alone. He would bring Bianca instead.He had always been like that. Flowers that were already ordered could not go to waste. A restaurant reservation that was already made could not be canceled. A gift that was sent to the wrong address might as well stay there. He never wasted anything. He also never realized he was wasting my feelings.Three hours later, Dominic sat in that restaurant across from Bianca. She cut a piece of steak and placed it on his plate, her voice carrying that practiced softness. "Dominic, try this. Their steak is excellent."He did not move. He held his fork, but his mind was on Clara's face from earlier that afternoon. "I do not want a new ring. I d

  • He Proposed to Me With Her Name   Chapter 4

    The next morning, Dominic and Bianca came into the office together. The open floor plan buzzed with murmurs of congratulations. I kept my eyes on the screen, sorting through my handover documents. In three years in New York, I had closed deals worth over a hundred million dollars in sales. Since I had already decided to leave, I needed to file all the client records I had managed.HR Vivian came to my desk with a file in her hand. Her expression was hesitant. "Clara, do you have time this afternoon? I want to talk to you about the headcount for the department promotion."I looked up. "Promotion?""The promotion list for your department has been submitted. Mr. De Luca said the main contributor to that project was Bianca Russo. He requested that she be promoted early to supervisor. But I remember most of the work on that project was yours. I wanted to confirm."Supervisor was my current position. He was giving my work, my effort, to Bianca.I was quiet for a moment. "Vivian, I will send

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