Chapter 4

It wasn’t until after she had vomited nothing but bitter bile that Sadie felt the turmoil inside her subside slightly.

She splashed her face with cold water, each droplet a small shock to her system, helping her piece her composure back together.

With a deep breath, she steadied herself and left the restroom. The door to the meeting room was slightly open as she walked by, just enough for her to see Noah and Kyla sitting side by side.

Kyla tilted her body forward in a pose that spoke of elegance and deliberate grace.

Her voice was soft, almost a whisper, and her eyes glinted with a mix of allure and subtle seduction.

They were so close their shoulders almost touched, casting them in the intimate silhouette of a couple deeply in tune with each other. Watching from afar, Sadie felt like a forgotten shadow lingering on the edges of their world.

In her own marriage, she had always been the one on the outside, peering in, never truly part of the picture.

Tears welled up quietly, tracing a silent path down her cheeks. As she turned to leave, her elbow caught a potted plant, sending it crashing to the floor with a clatter that sliced through the quiet.

The sudden noise jerked Noah’s attention away from Kyla. His eyes found Sadie’s, locking onto her with a mixture of surprise and something colder, harder.

Embarrassed by her own clumsiness and overwhelmed by her feelings, Sadie felt frustrated.

Noah stepped outside, his presence now overwhelming, and Kyla, quick as a flash, appeared beside him.

“What are you doing here?” Noah’s voice was sharp, edged with clear displeasure at the sight of Sadie.

It didn’t take long for Kyla to figure out Sadie’s identity.

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Yet, she pretended not to know, flashing a sugary smile as she asked, “Noah, who is she?”

And there it was—the question that hung in the air, heavy and oppressive. Who was she?

Sadie’s heart ached to know just where she stood in Noah’s life.

The disdain in her expression was evident, and Noah’s features tightened, a flicker of displeasure crossing his face. He responded curtly, “She’s just an employee.”

Just an employee?

The phrase echoed mockingly in Sadie’s ears, amplifying her sense of insignificance.

She felt reduced to nothing—a mere shadow within the cold, unyielding walls of their workplace.

No sooner had Noah finished speaking than he turned around and strode away.

Kyla paused to shoot Sadie a smug, provocative glance, her eyes gleaming with triumph, before she hurried after Noah.

Left alone, Sadie felt adrift, as if standing in the midst of a strange, unfathomable world.

Lost in a haze for the rest of the workday, Sadie was jolted back to reality by an unexpected call from her grandmother, Laura Stewart.

“Sadie, I’m not getting any younger, and who knows how much time I have left. More than anything, I dream of the day you’re settled, with a loving spouse and children by your side. So, when are you finally bringing your boyfriend to meet me?”

As Laura spoke with warmth and ease, Sadie found herself swallowing hard, emotion creeping up on her.

Even Laura, the one who had always been there for her, was completely unaware that she was married.

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