The Girlfriend

Chapter Ten – The Girlfriend

Alina’s POV

I had been back at the office for two days.

My body was still weak from the accident, but I didn’t want to stay home. I didn’t want to look like a burden. I wanted to work. To prove that I deserved the chance they gave me.

Everyone treated me… different. Smiles. Greetings. Even the ones who ignored me before now tried to talk to me.

I didn’t understand. Why?

At lunch break, I heard it clearly for the first time.

“Did you hear?” one of the assistants whispered, grinning. “We’re getting a new Head of Design.”

“Yes,” another replied. “And she’s not just anyone. She’s the CEO’s girlfriend.”

My spoon froze in the soup.

Girlfriend?

Lucien’s… girlfriend?

My heart dropped. I tried to keep eating, but I couldn’t swallow.

The girls at the next table giggled, their voices low but sharp enough for me to hear.

“They say she studied in Paris. Very talented. Very beautiful. No wonder Mr. Hale chose her.”

“Of course. She’s his woman. She doesn’t even need talent.”

Laughter.

I stood up and left the cafeteria before they could see my face.

Girlfriend. The word kept repeating in my head.

Why did it bother me so much? He wasn’t mine. He was my boss. The man I should stay far away from. The man I kissed last night when I lost control of myself.

But still… why did it hurt?

Why did my chest feel so heavy?

****

The next morning, the office was louder than usual. People stood around, whispering, fixing their hair, straightening their clothes.

“She’s coming today.”

“She’ll be here in a few minutes.”

“She’s gorgeous, I heard.”

I sat at my desk, my fingers shaking as I tried to type. I didn’t want to see her. I didn’t want to compare myself to her.

But I couldn’t escape.

When the elevator doors opened, everyone stood. Even the senior staff.

She walked in.

Tall. Slim. Beautiful in a way that almost didn’t look real. Her hair was glossy, falling over her shoulders like it had been touched by light. She wore a white silk blouse tucked into a navy pencil skirt that hugged her perfectly. A small designer bag hung from her arm, and her heels clicked softly on the polished floor.

Her smile was confident. Like she already owned the room.

“Good morning, everyone,” she said, her voice smooth and sweet. “My name is Vanessa Claire. I’ll be the new Head of Design here at Luxe.”

The room broke into applause.

She held up her hand like she was on stage. “And I am also the girlfriend of your CEO, Mr. Lucien Hale.”

The clapping grew louder. People looked at her with admiration, envy, excitement.

I sat frozen.

My heart sank deeper with every word she said.

So it was true.

Not just office gossip. Not just rumors.

Girlfriend.

His girlfriend.

I forced myself to look down at my screen, but my vision blurred. I couldn’t let anyone see my face. I couldn’t let them see how much it hurt.

When the crowd finally began to settle, I quietly opened a browser on my computer. My hands trembled as I typed his full name: Lucien Hale.

In seconds, articles appeared. Headlines. Photos.

And there they were.

Lucien and Vanessa. Smiling. Standing side by side at a charity event. Another photo at a business gala, his hand on her back. Another, walking out of a car together.

Every picture stabbed me like a knife.

He looked happy with her.

So perfect. So natural.

Like she truly belonged to his world.

Not me.

I clicked one photo and stared at it until my chest ached.

I wanted to cry, but I blinked fast and forced the tears back. Not here. Not in front of everyone.

I smiled at my screen, pretending to read. Pretending I was fine.

But inside, I was breaking.