Chapter 10: Rui's Invitation

I stared at my mother and placed my hands on her shoulders. "Mother, you don't have to read those."

She moved back a little, her eyes filling with worry. "Is this what you went through while you were staying with Rui? These are things you should never have to endure, no matter what."

"I know that now, I didn't realize how far it had gone until it was already too late."

"Emilia, why did you put up with all of this?" She placed a trembling hand on my head, and I could see the disappointment in her face.

"Mom, please. It's nothing now. I only did all that because I loved him, but not anymore."

I tried to convince her not to dwell on it. Eventually, I let the subject drop, though the pain of those papers lingered in the room long after we stopped speaking.

The next morning, I went to work as usual, but this time I found myself spending more time with my boss. He had ordered me to accompany him to the shopping mall, and I was surprised by how relaxed the trip felt.

"Let's see how this goes," he said, stopping in front of a display of suits.

"I think it will be nice. The design looks unique," I replied.

"You think so?" He lifted the jacket and studied it with a thoughtful frown.

I had not expected my boss to ask me questions like that.

He rarely smiled, even when his own sentences seemed to call for one. Sometimes I wondered whether he had simply forgotten how.

"Yes, sir." I examined the jacket more carefully. "You have broad shoulders, so this cut will suit you well."

He paused, and for a moment I thought I had overstepped. Then he nodded. "Okay, add it. Look at the price, then add it."

I quietly made a note of the item, pleased that he had trusted my judgment.

When we finished, the sky had turned gray and the rain was falling heavily. We hurried toward the car, trying to escape the downpour. Halfway across the parking area, my heel struck something hard, and I stumbled.

"Ouch!"

I stopped at once, wincing as a sharp pain shot through my foot. I tried to swallow it and keep walking, but it hurt far more than I had expected.

"Are you alright?" my boss asked, stepping beside me.

"I'm fine," I replied quickly, attempting another step.

The pain tore through my heel again, and I was forced to stop.

He turned toward me, his brows furrowing slightly. "That's what you call fine?"

I looked away, embarrassed. "It's nothing serious. We should get to the car before we're completely soaked."

Instead of answering, he opened the umbrella he had been carrying and held it over my head. I blinked in surprise.

I had not expected him to care about something so small.

"Come on," he said, moving closer. "Let me see your foot."

"Sir, it's really not necessary..."

"Emilia."

I fell silent at the sound of my name on his lips. It was the first time he had said it without any formality.

"Stop pretending you're fine when you're clearly in pain."

There was something in the way he said it that made my heart skip a beat. He glanced at my injured heel, then back at me. "Can you walk?"

I nodded, although I wasn't entirely sure.

"Then hold on to me."

Before I could protest, he offered me his arm.

I stared at it for a moment, wondering whether I should accept.

He was my boss, after all, and I had spent enough time reminding myself not to become too comfortable around him. But another drop of rain landed on my face, and the pain in my heel made the decision for me.

Slowly, I slipped my hand around his arm.

Steven adjusted the umbrella so that it covered me completely, allowing the rain to fall on his own shoulder instead. I noticed, and I did not know what to think.

"Thank you, sir," I said softly.

I wasn't sure he had heard me. My plan had never been to grow close to my boss, and I was certain it had never been his plan either. Without another word, he simply told the driver to go.

I sat in the car and watched the rain streak across the glass. Outside, the city blurred into ribbons of gray and light.

Headlights flashed past, and a group of children ran out of a building, laughing as they splashed through the puddles. I found myself smiling at them.

That night, I lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling. I had not expected Steven to act the way he did. He had been cold and distant since the day I started, yet today he had shown a kindness I was not prepared for.

I told myself I should not think too much about it. I believed I was finally healing from what Rui had done to me. Every time Rui hurt me, I had promised myself I would heal. This time, I was determined to keep that promise.

"I will get well soon," I whispered.

I closed my eyes, and when I opened them again, it was Saturday morning.

Sunlight filled the room, and for a moment I lay still, enjoying the quiet. Then I heard voices downstairs: a woman's, and beneath it, a man's. I sat up, puzzled. Only my mother, Mia, and I were supposed to be in the house. Did we have a visitor?

I hurried downstairs, curiosity getting the better of me, and I was almost at the bottom when I heard my mother's voice.

"Where are you going all dressed up?"

I had not realized I was already dressed. "I'm going out to do my hair," I said. "But who is that? I heard a man's voice."

I turned toward the living room, even as my mother kept calling after me. "Emilia, you don't have to go and check."

But I had already reached the doorway. There stood Violet and Lucian, just inside the entrance, speaking quietly.

"Oh, hi," I said, smiling.

"My husband and I came to visit," Violet said. "We wanted it to be a surprise."

Lucian simply nodded in greeting.

"I heard a male voice and never imagined it was you," I said. "Well, I was about to go and do my hair, so please excuse me."

"Emilia, no," my mother said softly. "You don't have to do this."

I turned to her, suddenly exhausted. "I don't understand. Mother, what are you trying to say?"

Violet reached into her bag and handed me a card without a word. I looked down, and my eyes landed on the names printed in elegant gold letters. It was a wedding invitation.

Rui and Nora.

I swallowed hard, and the room seemed to tilt. I had promised myself that if I ever heard anything about Rui, it would not move me. It seemed that promise had been a lie.

I cleared my throat and forced myself to look up. "I didn't even know about this, Violet. Please believe me. I only wanted to go and do my hair."

Violet studied my face carefully before he spoke.

"You don't have to go, Emilia. Not today."

"Oh my gosh, please, Violet. I'm not going to the wedding, believe me. So please, will you simply excuse me?"

"Of course you are going," Lucian said.