All Chapters of Echoes of You in My Life: Chapter 1 - Chapter 7

My resignation letter was only halfway out of the printer when the office door swung open.Ethan walked in, dropped a file on my desk, and said, “Nina, redo this report.”He didn’t even look at me. His head was bent over his phone, the faintest smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.I knew that smile.Back in college, that was the exact expression he wore whenever Chloe Lindsay replied to one of his messages.Seven years had passed—so long that I’d almost forgotten he was still capable of looking that gentle.Just never because of me.“Mr. Cole,” I said evenly, “this report already cleared finance yesterday.”That finally got his attention. He looked up, a slight frown forming between his brows. “I said redo it. Do you have a problem with that?”I lowered my eyes and absently ran my thumb along the barrel of my pen.It had been his birthday gift to me during my first year at the company. Nothing expensive, nothing flashy, but he’d picked it out himself.“All right,” I said. “I’ll ha

He froze.His eyes flickered, and he couldn’t meet mine.After a long silence, he forced out a strained smile.“Nina, you know how things are. I’m not ready to get married right now. The company just went public, and there’s still so much to deal with...”I already knew the answer.Why humiliate myself by making him say it out loud?I covered the chill in my chest with a faint, brittle smile.“I know. I was joking,” I cut in, not wanting to hear one more of those familiar excuses.It wasn’t that he didn’t want to get married.He just didn’t want to marry me.That realization was like a dull blade, sawing through me over and over again.I should have understood a long time ago.From the way he always refused to take photos with me.From the way he never introduced me to his family.From the way, in public, I was always just his secretary.The signs had always been there.I was the one who chose not to see them.“Then what do you want?” he asked quickly, sounding almost relieved. “Shares

Ethan didn’t leave town.He checked into the small inn across from the bookstore and started showing up outside every day like clockwork.“Nina, I brought breakfast from your favorite place. The line was insane.“Nina, the weather’s beautiful today. Want to go for a walk?“Nina...”I never responded.He was treating love the same way he treated business—believing that if he pushed hard enough and stayed persistent enough, he’d eventually get what he wanted.The same way, years ago, I had kept confessing my feelings no matter how many times he turned me down.Now that the roles were reversed, I finally understood how exhausting it was to be pursued by someone you didn’t love.One evening, about a week later, I was locking up when I saw him still standing outside.“Ethan, what exactly are you trying to do?”His eyes lit up, and he stepped toward me at once. “Nina, you’re finally talking to me.“I just wanted to let you know that starting tomorrow, I won't be coming back. A coffee shop is

Ethan left town the very next day.He sent me a text with only one sentence:"I’m sorry."I didn’t reply.Life gradually settled back into peace.The bookstore was doing better and better. I hired an extra set of hands, which gave me more time to read and write.Every now and then, I’d catch news about Ethan’s company in the business headlines. From what I could tell, things seemed to be slowly improving.When spring came, I filled the yard with flowers.More tourists started passing through town, and the bookstore became one of those places people loved to visit, browse, and photograph.One bright afternoon, I was organizing a shelf when the bell over the door rang.“Welcome,” I said automatically.“Nina Bennett.”I turned and saw Chloe standing in the doorway.She had lost a lot of weight. Her complexion was drawn, and none of the glow or sweetness she used to carry was left.“What do you want?” I asked flatly.She strode toward me, her voice tight with urgency. “Where’s Ethan?”“I d