On the three thousand six hundredth day of dating John Henson, his parents came to tour the company.

I led the team myself.

Everything from the tour route down to the little desserts for the two of them.

I'd stayed up rewriting the pages of the reception plan eight times over.

But on the day his parents arrived for the tour.

John gave last-minute notice.

A new intern would take over everything in my place.

Kayla Fox took my plan.

And handled the two of them so smoothly they were utterly charmed.

She even asked John in front of everyone:

"Don't tell me this is the girl you've been dating for almost ten years?

"Smart and thoughtful, even knew to swap our desserts out for the sugar-free ones.

"No wonder you like her."

John just smiled. He didn't correct her.

Back in the office, I cried as I demanded to know why.

His voice came out cold:

"We're not even engaged, and you're already this eager to show your face in front of my parents.

"Marjorie Walker, are you really this desperate to get married?"

I went rigid.

He brushed past me:

"Don't push it too far."

I didn't argue.

On the day of our tenth anniversary, he blocked my wedding car:

"Weren't you supposed to marry me? Why are you marrying someone else?"

I smiled:

"Mr. Henson doesn't like pushing things too far. I do."

…

John left his warning behind and walked away.

Leaving me alone in the office, silent for a long while.

By the time I came out.

Dale Henson and Lesley Henson had already finished their speeches.

Kayla stood right at their side.

Lesley couldn't keep the doting tenderness out of her eyes as she looked at her:

"Sweetheart, it's our first time meeting, and I didn't prepare anything for you.

"This heirloom jade bracelet. I'd like you to wear it."

Down in the crowd, my heart lurched up into my throat.

The heirloom jade bracelet.

That was something the Hensons only brought out for a daughter-in-law.

And Lesley was taking it off to hand it to Kayla, just like that?

Kayla reached out to stop her:

"Oh no, no, ma'am! This is far too precious! I can't accept it!"

"Still calling me ma'am?"

Lesley's eyes crinkled with a smile.

Kayla's face went red:

"But…"

"That's enough, dear."

Lesley took her by the wrist:

"We'll be family from now on. Why so distant with your own mother?"

Kayla's face flushed even deeper.

She glanced shyly toward John.

I stood below the stage.

My fists trembling faintly.

John's gaze slid over my face.

A faint smile touched his lips:

"Mom's giving it to you. Just take it."

Kayla looked up at him, bashful, then back at Lesley.

Dale laughed:

"The girl's shy. Put it on her yourself."

Lesley didn't refuse.

Smiling, she drew Kayla's wrist over and slipped the bracelet onto it.

Kayla ducked her head, embarrassed.

In the end, she didn't pull away.

Someone set off the confetti cannons first, I couldn't say who.

The whole room broke into cheers:

"To Mr. Henson and the future Mrs. Henson, a hundred years of happiness!"

"Look at you, Kayla! Who'd have guessed your boyfriend was Mr. Henson himself! You kept that one buried deep!"

"Exactly! If you hadn't said anything, we'd have thought it was Director Walker!"

"Right? The way she fusses over Mr. Henson every single day, and how anxious she was to impress when his parents came to tour, anyone who didn't know better really would've thought they were a couple!"

I rose to my feet.

And left the scene.

Every part of the program ran exactly as I had planned it.

Today was supposed to be Lesley's birthday.

The birthday surprise I'd arranged for her, meant to follow her speech.

Now, under Lesley's direction, it had been turned into a blessing for the happy new couple.

A cake as tall as a person was wheeled out.

I watched John get nudged along to Kayla's side.

Lesley pushed Kayla up to the cake as well.

The two of them stood there, shoulder to shoulder.

Kayla Fox had flushed all the way to the tips of her ears.

John Henson looked perfectly at ease.

He glanced at her.

Then picked up the cake knife. "Do you like sweet better, or savory?"

Kayla mumbled, "Whatever you cut for me, Mr. Henson, I'll like it…"

"Aww~"

The teasing started up at once, knowing and suggestive.

Lesley Henson couldn't help but laugh. "Just look at these two lovebirds."

John cut Kayla a slice with his own hands. "Don't you love grapes? I saved this piece just for you."

As he said it, his gaze flicked toward me.

I turned my head away.

And walked back to the conference room without looking back.

I was sorting through the documents when Kayla pushed the door open, humming a little tune.

The moment she saw me, her smile froze on her face.

"Marj… Marjorie."

I said nothing.

I gathered up the folders and stood.

"Marjorie, don't go!"

She grabbed at me in a panic. "I never thought things would turn out like this!

"I got pushed into it too. There was no way for me to say no!

"I… I'll give the bracelet back to you right now!"

With that, she started tugging hard at the bracelet.

But the band of it was clearly wider than her wrist.

She pulled at it several times.

And no matter what she did, it wouldn't come off.

"Stop the act," I said flatly. "You keep it."

"Marjorie!"

She caught hold of me again. "I really didn't mean any of this. Just wait, I'll have it off in a second!"

"What's going on? What's all this fuss in here?"

Lesley pushed the door open and came in.

She saw me and Kayla tangled together, pulling at each other.

Her brow knit in an instant. "So you must be that director with the bad temper, the one who's always picking on Kayla. Director Walker, isn't it?"

I went still.

Lesley… was that how she saw me?

I looked at Kayla.

She quickly dodged my eyes.

Now I knew exactly who had been doing the talking.

"I've heard about you, Marjorie Walker." Lesley's eyes were cold on me. "Quite the ruthless operator, aren't you. You've got everyone under you whipped into line.

"What, do you think the Hensons belong to you? Or have you decided you're already the future daughter-in-law of this family?"

My breath caught.

This was the first time Kayla had ever met Lesley.

So where had Lesley heard all of this?

Could it be…

I clenched my fists.

No…

Could it really have been John?

The door opened.

John appeared in the doorway. "What's the matter?"

Lesley turned to her son. "You really need to get the people in your company in line.

"This girl actually had the nerve to snatch what I gave to Kayla."

John looked at me.

I gritted my teeth. "I did no such thing!"

It was at that moment that Kayla finally slipped the bracelet off.

She pulled my wrist toward her and put it on me. "Don't be upset, Marjorie. I'm giving the bracelet back to you."

Lesley let out a gasp. "You foolish child! How could you give something like that away!"

Kayla's eyes reddened. "But… Marjorie has loved Mr. Henson for so long, after all."

"And just because she loves him she can help herself to your things? Bullying you the rest of the time is one thing, but how could you give in at a moment like this!"

Lesley swept Kayla into her arms. "Don't you worry. This time, John and I have your back!"

"But… I'm only an intern. How could I ever wear a bracelet like that…"

"Who says you can't wear it?"

John's hand closed around my wrist.

He slipped the jade bracelet off me with no effort at all and handed it to Kayla. "If I say you can wear it, then you can wear it."

“As for Marjorie Walker.”

John Henson turned to look at me：

“Your position, as of right now, officially passes to Kayla.”

I stared at him, unable to believe it.

He frowned.

Something close to reluctance crossed his brow.

It vanished just as fast.

He said：

“Marjorie, don't push your luck.”

Lesley Henson beamed：

“There now, Kayla. From here on, she answers to you.”

Kayla Fox looked down at the bracelet, back on her own wrist.

Her cheeks flushed.

She glanced at me, the corner of her mouth curling into a smugness she barely bothered to hide.

I watched the three of them put on their little show right in front of me.

And all at once I felt ridiculous.

I looked at John：

“Fine, Mr. Henson. As it happens, I no longer want this director's chair anyway.”

With that, I brushed past him.

Down in the underground parking garage, I had just unlocked my car door.

A hand caught me from behind.

“In a little while I'll move you under me as vice president. Kayla will still report to you, so don't read too much into this.

“Mother adores her. In a moment like that, I couldn't make her lose face.”

It was always like this.

After every fight.

He could always win back my forgiveness with a few explanations and a little softening.

I clenched my teeth.

And shook off his hand.

With him frozen there, watching, I got in the car and drove straight out.

Back home.

I found that John had already sent me a dozen messages.

The first ones were still explanations.

But the last one, against all odds, was a travel booking.

Seaside Bay.

A trip to the ocean.

【Marjorie, don't worry. While you're off after losing your post, I'll take time off too.

【That ocean you've always wanted to see, I'll take you. Call it our honeymoon.】

I couldn't even imagine it.

Once upon a time.

Reading a line like that.

How thrilled I would have been.

But this time, I replied with one simple line：

【No need.】

He answered right away：

【Be good, don't be angry. I've already booked the eight a.m. tickets for tomorrow. Tonight I'll work late and clear everything off my plate. Don't wait up for dinner.】

He tacked on a 【heart】 emoji.

I frowned.

Set down the phone.

Let it go.

Better to wait until he came back and say it all plainly.

I had already agreed to the matchmaking setup my family arranged.

This boyfriend.

I didn't want this anymore.

But the wait stretched the whole night.

By the time day broke.

He came back, faintly drunk.

And eight o'clock had long since passed.

“Didn't you say eight o'clock tickets, that we were going to Seaside Bay?”

I couldn't help saying it.

He narrowed his eyes.

Remembering something.

He smiled：

“Oh, I refunded those. Took Kayla instead.”

I went still.

“It's not like you haven't seen the ocean. You've seen it how many times now.”

He slumped onto the couch, plainly having gone a night without sleep：

“After I finished work last night, I meant to come home and pack with you.

“But Kayla had just been promoted, and the people at the office threw her a celebration. I had a few too many.

“She said she'd never seen the ocean.

“So I changed the plans on the spot.”

I held no hope.

And yet, in that moment.

I still couldn't stop myself：

“You promised me yourself.”

The alcohol slowed him down for a beat.

He smiled.

A smile that couldn't have cared less：

“Marjorie, how long have we been together? Almost ten years. We're an old married couple by now.

“Why are you hung up on a little thing like this?

“Besides, you've been to the beach three times already. Don't be greedy.”

When he finished talking, he leaned back into the couch and closed his eyes.

I watched him.

Something heavy lodged in my chest.

I had planned that ocean trip three times.

But I never made it. Not once.

The first time, the night before we were supposed to leave, John spiked a fever. I stood up my best friend and stayed by his side for three days, nursing him back to health.

The second time, he had a critical bid coming up. So I returned the tickets again and stayed up rewriting the proposal, draft after draft.

The third time, his schedule fell apart and there was no one to host an important client. I cancelled the trip the way I'd done it twice before, slipped on my heels, and went to meet the client.

Three times.

And not once did I actually leave.

Yet all he remembered was that I'd booked tickets three times.

I nudged his arm.

"Then I'll go with someone else."