Part 2The Lover in the Shadows

There was no questioning, no anger. I wasn't even surprised.

I removed the dashcam’s memory card and turned to the manager.

“Do you buy used cars?”

“We certainly do, sir!”

I didn’t haggle. We quickly settled on a price, and I took a cab to the office.

The moment I sat down at my desk, I heard the women at the next cubicle whispering.

“Did you hear? The CEO and that assistant are totally a thing.”

“I knew it! I heard she personally recruited Leo and offered him a huge salary!”

“Of course she did. They were college classmates. I saw them at a bar together just last night!”

Hearing it confirmed still sent a shard of ice through my heart.

So that’s how it was.

I numbly opened my laptop, but the blank document stared back at me. I couldn’t type a single word.

“Matt!”

Isabella’s voice cut through the air from behind me.

“You’re an hour late. I’m marking you as absent for the day.”

As if to cut off any argument, she added, “I checked your time card. Exactly one hour. According to company policy…”

“Okay.”

I nodded, my gaze still fixed on the screen, trying to figure out how to start the document.

My calm acceptance seemed to take her by surprise. She lingered by my desk, her shadow falling over my keyboard, blocking the light.

I looked up, confused. “Is there something else, Ms. Jiang?”

She crossed her arms, looking down at me with a scrutinizing glare.

“Matt, don't you have anything to say for yourself?”

I was genuinely baffled. I thought for a moment.

“I was late. That’s a fact. You’re following company policy, which is your right. I don’t see what there is to explain. I don’t have any excuses.”

My straightforwardness seemed to disarm her. Her face darkened, but she turned and walked away without another word.

Soon, I was lost in my work, and the hours flew by.

When I finally finished and took off my headphones, I looked up to find the entire office was empty. It was 11:30 PM.

I cursed my work buddies for not even giving me a heads-up they were leaving.

Just then, I heard the click of high heels behind me.

Isabella tossed an empty takeout container in the trash and casually sat down in the chair next to mine.

“Why didn’t you answer my messages?”

I opened my laptop and saw that she had indeed messaged me.

“Help me pick out some parts. Which of these CPUs, motherboards, and graphics cards are best for AAA gaming?”

“And what’s a good setup for RGB lighting in the case? Is liquid cooling better or air cooling?”

She knew I was an expert on this stuff; it was my bread and butter.

A year ago, I had mentioned to her that I wanted a new high-end Intel processor for my own work. It wasn’t a hint for a gift; it was a test. She’d been hot and cold with me, and I wanted to see if I still mattered.

Her response then had been sharp with annoyance.

“You’ve been out of college for two years, Matt! You’re not a student anymore. Stop thinking about video games and focus on your job!”

I had tried to explain that a CPU was different from a graphics card, and that for my work, the processor was the priority.

She hadn’t listened.

Now, I quickly put together a list of top-tier components and sent it to her.

She was delighted. After placing the order, she grabbed my arm, and we left the office.

On the drive home, I sat in the back, running diagnostics on a program on my laptop.

I mindlessly scrolled through my social media feed. The first post was from Leo.

A nine-photo grid with the caption: “Mentioned it once, and it appeared. I feel so loved.”

The photos were of the top-of-the-line gaming setup Isabella had just ordered.

I liked the post and left a simple comment.

“Wishing you both the best.”

A moment later, Isabella’s phone buzzed. She glanced at it, and the car screeched to a halt on the side of the road.

She whipped around, her eyes blazing.

“So I bought him a gaming PC, so what? What’s with the passive-aggressive comment on his post?”

“Fine! I’ll buy you one, too! I’ll buy you anything you want, is that what you want to hear?”

I was annoyed. The sudden stop had made my hand slip on the keyboard, interrupting the diagnostic that was almost finished.

Now I had to start all over again.

But I had no interest in fighting. I sighed, restarted the program, and said calmly, “I wasn’t being passive-aggressive. It was a sincere comment. You don’t need to be so sensitive.”

Her face was a thundercloud.

She reached back and slammed my laptop shut.

“Is this still because I asked Leo to pretend to be my boyfriend? You’ve been holding a grudge since yesterday!”

“Is this fun for you, Matt? Instead of thanking Leo for helping me, you go and leave sarcastic comments on his posts.”

“And don’t think for a second that just because you’re younger, I’m going to baby you. If you want to throw a tantrum, go home to your parents. Don’t expect me to put up with it! Know your place!”

“Keep this up, and we’re done!”

Her voice was laced with threats and fury.

In the past, I would have immediately backed down, begging her for forgiveness.

But now? I was just tired.

All I wanted was to finish running my program before the code corrupted.

I just nodded. “Okay. I get it. You can keep driving now.”

I have no idea which word set her off, but she screamed at me again.

“Get out!”

I looked at her for a second, then grabbed my laptop and got out of the car.

I really didn't want to fight with her. One more second and her road rage might have gotten us both killed.

The moment I was out, she floored it, peeling away into the night. I watched the taillights disappear and thought about the past.

Her mood swings used to send me into a panic, making me constantly question what I’d done wrong to upset her. I just wanted her to be happy, but with me, she was a storm of unpredictability. I always assumed it was my fault and was always the first to apologize.

But not this time.

I just sat on the curb, laptop open, desperately trying to salvage my work.

Then I pulled out my phone, called a car, and booked a luxury suite at the nearest five-star hotel.