Chapter 33

Angela POV

I kept reminding myself that this was all just an act-I shouldn't let it get to me.

But then I thought about the kiss Sean gave me this morning, and my face warmed instantly.

I'd already agreed to Christina's deal. Soon, I'd be out of Sean's life for good.

I needed to start getting used to it.

A little affection in front of Elizabeth was one thing, but having lunch together? That was crossing a line I wasn't willing to step over.

Still, when I thought about Sean rushing to the nursing home at noon without eating, I felt a pang of guilt. I ordered him an Italian lunch and had it delivered to his office.

It had become a habit.

For the past two years, I had been the one making sure he ate.

He doesn't like sweets, but he loves spicy food.

He can't stand cilantro, but he's crazy about basil.

I shook my head, pushing those thoughts away. From now on, I needed to focus on myself-and the baby growing inside me.

My long vacation was over, and today was my first day back at work.

Even though I had handed off my tasks before leaving, things had been rushed. Now that I was back, I was seeing all the mistakes in Emily's work.

While I was swamped, Emily walked in and set a cup of coffee on my desk.

"Emily, from now on, just bring me water instead of coffee."

She looked at me, confused. "Aren't you the one who loves coffee?"

I couldn't tell her I was pregnant, so I just said, "Tastes change."

I kept my head down, working straight through the morning. By lunchtime, my phone rang. It was Sean.

"Have you eaten yet? If not, come to my office. We can eat together."

Then he added, almost awkwardly, "Don't get the wrong idea-Michael ordered too much, and I can't finish it all."

This morning, I had told Michael to take over ordering Sean's lunches. Maybe he had overdone it on his first try, unsure of Sean's preferences.

"No thanks, I've already eaten." I hung up before he could say more.

I turned to Emily. "Let's go grab lunch."

We headed downstairs to a fast-food place.

Just as we sat down, I overheard a group of women at the next table whispering.

"I heard Christina sent the boss food again today."

"Yeah, and yesterday she made cookies. I tried them-they were amazing. I didn't expect her to be so beautiful, smart, and a great cook too."

I picked at my salad, pretending not to hear.

Sean doesn't like sweets. Or at least, I thought he didn't.

But if Christina made them, he'd eat them.

I remembered how I'd ordered him lunch yesterday, worried that he hadn't eaten. The realization stung. He had Christina looking after him now-there was no way he was skipping meals.

Was inviting me to his office just his way of rubbing it in?

Emily shot me a knowing look, but I kept my expression neutral.

The women behind us kept talking.

"I heard Christina is the one he really likes."

"Yeah. She's so much better than that poker-faced woman. That one's family went bankrupt, and she only got a job at the company because the boss helped her."

"I can't stand gold diggers. We work hard, but some women just use their looks to get ahead."

"I bet the boss is going to marry Christina soon."

.......

Bang!

Emily slammed her fork down. "These people are too much! I'm going to shut them up."

I grabbed her wrist before she could stand. "No, don't."

"But-"

I gave her a warning look, and she sat back down, fuming.

"Angela, didn't you hear what they said? It's disgusting! They have no idea what they're talking about."

"I'm not in the mood to argue, and you can't stop people from talking. Save your energy."

Emily huffed but said nothing.

I didn't have the time or energy to fight, but more than that-I couldn't risk the stress affecting the baby.

Emily had a lot on the line too. She came from a poor background and was drowning in student debt. I had hired her, and if I was leaving soon, I needed to make sure she was secure in her position before I was gone.

As for the gossip Once I was out of the picture, it would die down.

When Christina and Sean got married, no one would care about his ex-wife anymore.

After lunch, Emily and I returned to the office. Just as we stepped inside, I saw Christina leaving Sean's office.

She waved at me. "Angela!"

I forced a polite smile but kept walking.

To my surprise, she followed me and slipped into my office behind me.

"Do you need something?"

"I made some snacks, and since Sean couldn't finish them all, I thought I'd bring some for you."

I scoffed. "So, I only get what's left over?"

Her face fell. "That's not what I meant I just wanted to be nice."

Emily crossed her arms, unimpressed. "We're working. If you have nothing else to do, maybe go bother someone else."

Christina gasped. "You guys are unbelievable!"

She turned on her heel and stormed out.

Emily grinned, satisfied.

But something about the whole thing made me uneasy.

I turned to Emily. "Do you like working here? Do you want to stay long-term?"

She blinked at me. "Yeah. I mean, I like it. As long as they don't fire me, I'll stay."

"Then focus on your work. Leave personal feelings out of it."

Emily frowned. "What are you trying to say?"

I sighed. "Christina might marry Sean one day. Even if you don't like her, it's not worth making enemies."

Emily's face fell. "I was just trying to help you."

I gave her a long look. "You're just an employee. I'm your leader. Our relationship is professional-why do you think you need to defend me?"

Emily's eyes welled with tears.

The office fell silent.

Then, someone cleared their throat.

"Ahem."

I turned and saw Nathan standing in the doorway. I hadn't even noticed when he arrived.

I motioned to Emily. "Get back to work."

She gave me one last glance before scurrying out.

Nathan stepped inside and shut the door behind him.

"Why were you so harsh with her? She was just trying to help, and you made her feel like an idiot."

I leaned back in my chair, sighing. "I don't care how she feels. I won't be here much longer anyway."

Nathan's eyes sharpened. "You're leaving?"

He stepped closer, watching me carefully. "When?"