The Rose Withered in the Seventh Autumn

The moment our eyes met, we both froze.

Chloe was too busy gloating to notice anything off about the man beside her.

She stepped forward and kicked the bottle of wine I'd brought, sending it crashing to the floor. "Ivy, you've been hustling in the big city for six years, and this is what you bring home for your own mother?"

She nudged the broken bottle with the tip of her shoe. "Funny enough, Nathan bought me the limited edition from the same brand.

"Just so you know, yours is a freebie they throw in when you spend fifteen thousand at the boutique!"

A ringing filled my ears, drowning out everything else.

Nathan had given me that wine himself. I'd been touched by the gesture for days.

Seeing me frozen on the ground only fueled Chloe's momentum.

She walked up to me and tipped my chin up with the toe of her shoe. "Come on, Ivy. Don't play dumb. When are you paying us back?

"If you really can't come up with the money, get on your knees and wipe my shoes clean. I might even consider waiving the interest.

"Honey, that holds up in court, right?"

She stretched her foot toward me as she spoke.

I knelt at her feet, the rhinestones on her shoes glittering so brightly they stung my eyes.

Instinctively, I looked at Nathan.

Even one glance. Even the smallest shake of his head.

That would have been enough for me to fool myself into believing he didn't know, that he'd find a way to help me.

But Nathan looked away and said nothing for a long time.

Finally, he raised his hand and gently patted Chloe's shoulder. "It's getting late. Your father will start worrying if we don't head back.

"Let's go. We can deal with this another time."

Chloe pouted but listened to him in the end, strutting out with her chin held high.

The moment the door closed, Nathan didn't follow her out.

He crouched down and started cleaning up the mess on the floor.

My mother stood in the bedroom doorway, her eyes full of suspicion. "Ivy, who is this...?"

I took a deep breath, walked over, and gently pushed her back into the room. "Mom, go rest. Everything's fine. I'll take care of it."

After a long, tense silence, Nathan finally spoke, his voice barely above a whisper. "Ivy, let me explain."

I dug my nails into my palms to keep from breaking down right there. "Just tell me. What exactly is your relationship with Chloe?

"Nathan, what did these six years mean to you?"

Nathan hung his head. His tall frame trembled slightly. "Chloe... my father set me up with her six years ago. I never wanted any part of it!

"But my father's business was too deeply tied to her family. I really... couldn't say no."

And just like that, it all made sense.

Why, in six years, Nathan had never once taken me to meet his parents.

Why his Facebook was nothing but work updates, without a single photo of me.

I was nothing more than his escape from Chloe, a dirty secret that could never see the light of day.

My heart felt like it had been crushed and wrung dry.

I shook my head, my voice so faint even I could barely hear it. "Just go, Nathan.

"These six years, let's just pretend I never knew you."

"Ivy!"

A flash of confusion crossed Nathan's eyes.

Almost on instinct, he pulled a checkbook from the inside pocket of his suit jacket.

He scribbled his signature and pressed the check into my hands, his fingers trembling. "Here's three hundred thousand. That should cover the initial debt.

"Leave the rest to me. I'll take care of it."

I remembered a time I'd made a mistake at work and cried alone late into the night.

He'd comforted me the same gentle way back then.

He'd taught me how to negotiate contracts with a smile and shielded me from drink after drink at business dinners.

When I didn't respond, Nathan took a step closer.

His voice turned pleading. "Ivy, please... don't leave me."

The ache in my chest was so sharp I could barely breathe.

I was about to speak when Nathan's phone rang.