MARRIED TO MY CRUSH

Lena Matthews had been quietly nursing her crush on Ethan Turner for almost a year. Every day she'd see him in the office, and every day her heart did a little flip. Ethan worked in marketing while Lena was tucked away in the finance department, buried in spreadsheets and numbers. They worked on separate floors, had no reason to interact, and yet, every time she spotted him in the company café, her pulse raced.Ethan was the kind of guy who made it impossible not to notice him. He was confident, tall, and annoyingly good-looking. His dark hair was always styled just right, his tailored suits fit him perfectly, and that smile-God, that smile-had melted Lena's heart more times than she cared to admit. But there was one problem. He didn't even know she existed.Lena had resigned herself to the fact that she was invisible to him, just another face in the crowd. And yet, every morning, when she made her way to the café for her daily dose of caffeine, she hoped-no, *prayed*-that today woul

Lena was still floating on air after her impromptu coffee date with Ethan. She had spent the entire night replaying the conversation in her head, smiling at every little detail—the way he laughed, the way he seemed genuinely interested in what she had to say. She could hardly believe that *Ethan Turner* was talking to *her*. It was like all her office daydreams had come to life.The next morning, Lena practically skipped into the office, her heart still buzzing from the previous evening. She felt unstoppable. Maybe this wasn’t just a silly crush after all—maybe there was something real happening between them.As soon as she sat down at her desk, her phone buzzed. She grabbed it quickly, expecting another message from Ethan, but instead, it was a text from her friend Jessie.**Jessie**: Spill the beans, lady. How was the coffee date? And don’t leave out *any* details.Lena smiled and typed back quickly.**Lena**: It was great! We talked for almost an hour, and he wants to hang out agai

Lena woke up the next morning with a pounding headache and a groan that felt like it came from deep within her soul. She rolled over in bed, peeking at her phone, hoping the time wasn't as early as it felt. When she saw the screen flash with *7:30 AM*, she sighed in relief and buried her face in her pillow. The office party had gone late, much later than she had anticipated, and she had no one to blame but herself. Between the fruity cocktails, endless dancing, and even more embarrassing interactions with Ethan, she was surprised she made it home in one piece.Her mind flashed back to the rooftop bar-the sound of tropical music, Jessie laughing hysterically as Lena spilled yet another drink, and Ethan, in that ridiculously charming pineapple shirt, making her feel like her constant mishaps were adorable instead of mortifying.But what stuck with her most wasn't the embarrassment. It was the dancing. Ethan had convinced her to stay on the dance floor for almost an hour. They swayed to

The next few days passed in a blur of work, texts from Jessie, and frequent thoughts about Ethan. The dinner with his family still weighed heavily on Lena’s mind, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t stop thinking about the way Ethan had looked at her that night. It felt like he wanted to say something more, like there was an unspoken connection lingering between them.But then again, maybe she was reading too much into it. After all, Ethan had yet to mention Megan, and there was no real confirmation that they had broken up. She didn’t want to jump to conclusions.It was late Wednesday afternoon when Lena’s phone buzzed with a text from Ethan.**Ethan**: Hey, I need a favor. Can you meet me at the park near your office around 6 PM? I’ll explain when I see you.Lena’s stomach did a small flip. What kind of favor? Was something wrong? She quickly texted back.**Lena**: Sure, I’ll see you there.The rest of her workday crawled by. She found it nearly impossible to focus, her mi

Lena barely slept that night, her mind buzzing with questions and possibilities. What did Ethan want to talk about? Could it be good news, or was he about to break her heart? She replayed their conversations over and over in her head, trying to make sense of his mixed signals.By the time Sunday morning arrived, she was a bundle of nerves. Ethan had texted her to meet him at their favorite coffee shop at noon, and the clock seemed to move impossibly slow as she got ready. She debated what to wear for far too long, finally settling on a casual but cute outfit—a pair of jeans, a light sweater, and her favorite boots.When she arrived at the coffee shop, Ethan was already there, sitting at their usual table by the window. He looked more relaxed than she felt, but there was still a seriousness in his expression that made her stomach flip.“Hey,” he greeted her with a small smile as she sat down. “Thanks for coming.”Lena forced a smile, her heart pounding in her chest. “Of course. What’s