Chapter 6

At a table meant for three, one person was clearly the third wheel. Isabelle placed a piece of meat on Sean's plate, almost like she was comforting a child and urging him to eat properly. Watching this, I instantly lost my appetite. I turned to Isabelle. "He'll feel uncomfortable if you baby him like that. Let him eat on his own." "It's fine, I like it when she takes care of me. I'm used to it by now. You probably don't know this, but Isabelle loves taking care of people. Back when we used to eat together—" "Sorry, I'm really not interested in your old stories." I cut him off and then turned back to Isabelle. "If you two want to reminisce, I think I'll head back to the office." With that, I mimicked his gesture, standing up as if I was about to leave. Just as I expected, Isabelle stood up and grabbed my arm. "Bryce, I wasn't trying to bring up the past. Please, sit down, and let's finish our meal." Unfortunately, I wasn't as shameless as he was. When I said I was leaving, I meant it. I gently brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear and said quietly, "Isabelle, don't forget what you promised me. My patience has limits. I'm heading out." It was a warning. I hoped she understood my message. In the end, I barely ate anything. I drove away and called Jerome. We ended up having a meal at a restaurant in our office building. As soon as he sat down, he started wolfing down food, slurping soup everywhere, even splashing some onto my shirt. I frowned. "Can you have some table manners? Were you starved in a past life or something?" "Don't even start. I didn't have breakfast this morning, and I'm starving!" "Well, you only have yourself to blame for drinking so much last night. Not to mention, you got me accused of sexual harassment. While I was being questioned, you passed out. You were even snoring on the table " This morning, when I messaged him to tell him about the whole ordeal, he had the audacity to laugh instead of showing any remorse. He should be paying for this meal. However, I knew that since he started working, he hadn't saved a single dime. He spent it all on booze and fun, living paycheck to paycheck. He even asked his family for money from time to time. Luckily for him, his family could afford his lifestyle. "But honestly, how crazy is it that the girl turned out to be your girlfriend's first love's sister?" I shook my head. "It's not that much of a coincidence. That bar's where he and Isabelle used to hang out, so it's not surprising his sister would show up there." At that, Jerome finally looked a little more serious. "So, what's your plan? Didn't you say you were going to ask for the ring back? Did you?" "I'm not sure…" I was feeling confused. On one hand, I was disappointed in Isabelle. On the other hand, I still trusted her. I didn't think she would really betray me. After all, she had shown that she wanted to stay with me and that she still cared about our relationship. "You know, if she really saw me as a stand-in, now that her ex is back, wouldn't she have broken up with me right away? The fact that she hasn't... doesn't that mean she's choosing me over him?" Jerome gave me a look and sighed. "You're doomed, Bryce. You're really in love with her." "No kidding." If I didn't love her, I wouldn't have proposed. If I didn't love her, I wouldn't have gone out of my way to buy a ring worth nearly two million dollars from abroad. "Well, if you love her, then it's simple. Just be with her. Maybe she's just feeling a little sentimental because her ex came back, but she'll get over it. And really, think about it. There are lots of pretty girls out there, but finding someone as naturally gorgeous as Isabelle? Rare. You're not exactly losing out." His words convinced me. Maybe she was just caught up in nostalgia as her first love had returned from abroad. I could understand that feeling. I never really had an "ex", but if I ever ran into someone I cared about from the past, I might want to reminisce with them, too. I just needed to wait this phase out. That was what I kept telling myself. Around 1:00 pm, I went back to the office to get ready for the afternoon. Suddenly, I got a call from Isabelle. "Bryce, I'm downstairs at your office. Can you come down for a second?" I already had a feeling she was coming to apologize for what happened at lunch. Knowing that she took the time to come find me, even though she was about to start her own shift at work, made me feel bad about turning her away. Hence, I put down my pen and headed downstairs right away. As soon as I stepped into the lobby, I froze. There she was, standing in the middle of the room, holding a bouquet of red roses, shyly looking down at the ground. Her cheeks were flushed, and the contrast of her black hair with the bright red roses made her look as pure and striking as a crimson flower blooming in the snow. Even after three years together, she still took my breath away. Everyone in the lobby was staring at her, and I could see her getting even more embarrassed. She was not the type to make grand gestures like this. I knew it took a lot for her to do something so bold. I quickly walked over and grabbed her wrist. "Come with me." I led her to an empty conference room on the first floor. Looking at the roses, I asked, "What are you doing?" She handed me the bouquet, blushing. "I know you were upset earlier. Bryce, I really just wanted to have a simple meal with you at lunch. I didn't expect to run into Sean. There's nothing going on between us. My future is with you." This was the first time she had been this straightforward with me in days. I placed the roses on the table, took her wrist, and pulled her into my arms. I cupped her face and looked deeply into her eyes. "Isabelle, do you really mean that?" She nodded, her cheek gently brushing against my palm. "I know I said some things last night that I shouldn't have, but I was drunk. I admit, I've been feeling nervous about the idea of getting married. But now I'm sure. If I'm going to spend my life with anyone, it's going to be you." Hearing her sincere apology warmed my heart. I leaned down and kissed her. "Thank you, Isabelle. I promise you won't regret this choice. I'll take care of you every single day for the rest of my life." I held her tight, feeling an overwhelming sense of relief and joy. When I walked her to the door, I offered to drive her back to work, but she seemed a bit flustered and turned me down right away. "No need, Bryce. You don't have time to drive me back and return in time for work yourself. I'll head back on my own. It's not like it's nighttime." She gave me a quick kiss on the cheek before she left. I watched her get into her car and drive off before heading back upstairs. As soon as I walked into the lobby, my colleagues surrounded me. "You're one lucky guy! Your girlfriend is gorgeous!" "And she came all the way here just to give you flowers? I've never seen a woman give a guy flowers before." "If a woman like that gave me flowers, I would die without any regrets!"