I’m lying at Uncle Pete’s place for three days, turning down all visitors. Uncle Pete and his girlfriend Dina plan to go on vacation to Greece, but he’s thinking of canceling because he’s worried about me. I insist that they should go.
“Seriously, Uncle Pete, don’t worry about me. I’m going back to work tomorrow.”
I’m not just pretending to be fine. Even though I’m emotionally devastated and should be taking time to heal, I can’t stand staying home, drowning in the pain caused by my best friend and long-term boyfriend’s betrayal.
I need to do something, and keeping busy seems like the best option. At least I’ll still be useful and be needed .
I cancel my leave and drive to work on the morning of the fourth day after the wedding.
Jason and I work at the same sportswear company but in different departments. I’m in advertising, and he’s in research and development. Thankfully, we’ve kept things low-key, so most people at the company don’t know about our relationship.
I arrive so early—my sleep schedule is completely off. After parking in the garage, I run into Andy from security on the first floor. Mustering my courage, I say, “Hi, good morning!”
I try to hide my sadness and maintain my usual friendliness.
Andy looks up from his phone, surprised. “Oh! Anna! Good morning.”
I notice a flicker of sympathy in his eyes, and a wave of discomfort washes over me.
I shake off the feeling and take the elevator up to the advertising floor. Being the first one there, I make myself a cappuccino in the break room, hoping the caffeine will lift my spirits.
Of course, some of our close colleagues know about my relationship with Jason, though we’ve kept it quiet and haven’t mentioned our plans to get married. There’s an unwritten rule against office romances, and nobody wants an HR talk.
As I finish my coffee, people finally start to arrive.
“Good morning,” I greet. Emma and Jack, deep in conversation, freeze and look at me as if they’ve seen a ghost before replying, “Oh! Anna, you’re actually here?”
I force a smile and tighten my grip on my mug. “Yeah… I’m back from my leave.”
Emma stammers, “Well, it’s great that you’re back. I mean, you really…”
Before she can finish, her eyes widen as she stares at me, and Jack looks equally stunned.
“Did something happen?” I ask, trying to sound casual.
Emma is nervously fidgeting. “We all saw a video on social media. Naomi found it—it was titled ‘The Worst Wedding Ever.’ The bride was you. I can’t believe it…”
I feel a sharp pang as my mug falls to the floor, shattering into pieces. I don’t even bother to pick it up, my eyes locked on Emma’s. “How did you know?”
Emma is getting more flustered, almost incoherent. “We saw it on Naomi’s feed. She recognized you immediately. I didn’t know it was that bad…”
Jack cuts her off, sensing my distress. “Maybe you should check your emails.”
He gives me a pitying look before quickly pulling Emma away from the break room.
I stand there, frozen for a few minutes until the sound of footsteps approaching snaps me out of it. I gather the shards of the mug with trembling fingers and toss them into the trash. Then I rush to my desk to check my emails.
I find a pile of work emails, several personal ones from different colleagues, and one from HR. My heart is pounding as I open it. Most of it is sympathy for my situation, and the last line reads, “If you’re able to read this email, we need to discuss something with you.”
I sink into my chair, recalling how couples are often forced to choose one when discovered. The thought makes my stomach twist in pain.
At exactly nine o’clock, the office is filling up with busy people. My arrival attracts some attention, but most people express their sympathy and then dive back into their work.
My boss, Chris, comes over to my desk and knocks lightly to wake me from my daze.
“HR’s Kate wants to see you.”
He speaks slowly, watching my reaction carefully as if he’s afraid of upsetting me. “I think you should prepare yourself.”
What does that mean?
I’m about to ask, but he’s already walking away.
I nervously head to the thirteenth floor, where I run into a similarly anxious Jason outside Kate’s office.
Seeing him immediately triggers a flood of anger and sadness, overwhelming my rationality. I glare at him coldly, as if he’s my enemy. “I think you should resign.”
Jason looks terrible, with dark circles under his eyes, clearly not getting much rest. I feel a sense of satisfaction from that.
His guilt vanishes as he responds firmly, “No. I can’t resign. My project is at a critical stage, impacting our strategy for the next three quarters and our financials. My position is irreplaceable. Besides…”
He glances at me briefly. “Anna and I have broken up. We’re in different departments. It shouldn’t matter, and…”
“I’m resigning.”
My voice cuts through his words, and both Kate and Jason are stunned.
“Anna, you don’t have to…”
“Ms. Watson, are you sure?”
Jason is right—he’s the lead on a crucial project, and once it’s finalized, the entire company will revolve around it. I’ll be facing the man who hurt me every day for the next six months, which will only reopen my wounds.
I can’t handle that.
“The company is right,” I stand up. “Employees shouldn’t be involved with each other.”
I look at Kate apologetically. “I’m feeling very uncomfortable. I’ll send my resignation letter by email.”
Kate shows understanding and offers concern. “Don’t worry, you need to take care of yourself.”
“Thank you.”
I mumble as I head for the door.
I’m not going back to my desk. My head is spinning, and I just want to go home and sleep for a day. As I wait for the elevator, Jason catches up with me. “Anna, I don’t know what to say.”
“I told you I don’t want to see you anymore.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Shut up.”
Stay away from me—I’m afraid I might punch him.
People are starting to gather around, either waiting for the elevator or watching our drama unfold.
Or maybe both.
Jason’s annoying voice is buzzing in my ears, like a persistent fly. “You don’t need to go this far. I don’t think Kate will insist on one of us leaving, since we’ve already ended things…”
I cut him off. “Don’t you know what I want to hear?”
“What?” He looks confused.
I scan the crowd of curious faces before turning back to Jason, summoning the courage to ask.
“I want to know how long you’ve been cheating with my best friend and why you betrayed me. Why didn’t you tell me earlier? Why did you have to reject me in front of everyone at our wedding? Don’t you have any explanation?”
Jason is caught off guard by my sudden outburst. He knows I don’t usually air my private life, but maybe that’s why he chose to break things off in front of so many people.
I really didn’t want to reveal my private matters in front of strangers, but the fact that everyone knows about it makes it irrelevant.
He’s staring at me in shock, unable to speak. Tears are spilling from my eyes again as I choke out, “You could have told me sooner. I haven’t been able to sleep these past few days, constantly wondering why. My phone was returned by Anya. I didn’t turn it off, and you never called to explain.”
The elevator finally arrives. I leave Jason and the onlookers behind, quickly pressing the button for the ground floor and retreating into a corner.