I thought I’d never see Ethan again.
<
But then Ethan got promoted and transferred
to my company, becoming the second–in-
command.
The day “Mr. Thompson” arrived, I froze,
marveling at how fate could be so cruel. I
watched him walk in and then disappear into
his office.
Thankfully, he didn’t see me.
My coworkers were buzzing, “Finally, we got a
hot boss who isn’t totally out of shape!”
Then, one of them nudged me. “Ashley, he’s
exactly your type!”
I snapped out of it and nodded. “Yeah, he is.”
Г
My supervisor smacked me on the head.
“Don’t even think about it. I heard some girl
drugged Mr. Thompson in the past, and he
hates people who pull that kind of crap.”
My heart clenched, and the shameful memory
of what I’d done resurfaced, haunting me.
One of my coworkers whispered, “How could
anyone be so awful?”
I just wanted to disappear.
I should’ve quit right away.
But jobs were hard to come by, and I was
afraid to leave.
Besides, my job wasn’t that important, and
<
my desk was in the corner. Even though we
were on the same floor, I wasn’t sure he’d
noticed me.
So, I became like a rat in the sewer, keeping
my head down and trying to stay out of sight.
Then, Mark came to visit Ethan at the office.
Ethan was in a meeting, so Mark wandered
around.
I kept my head down, terrified he’d see me.
But of course, that’s exactly what happened.
“Ashley?”
“Holy crap, you followed Ethan all the way
here! You really never give up, do you? I gotta
mere! You really never give up, uʊ you? i gulla
hand it to you, that takes dedication.”
Everyone turned to look at me.
I felt naked, like their eyes were burning holes.
in me.
My nose started to sting. “I didn’t, I was here
first, I had no idea it would be like this…”
Ethan came out of the meeting just then.
He froze when he saw me. “Ashley? What are
you doing here!”
I didn’t get a chance to explain.
Mark pointed at my head. “What do you
think? She came to chase after you. It’s
Crazy: I yo
LO
la pusi lis un ITy Sociais:
Ethan’s hand, holding a folder, started to
shake.
He must’ve been so embarrassed to see me
there.
“Ashley, wait for me at lunch. I have
something important to do right now, we can
talk about this over lunch.”
He turned and went into the CEO’s office.
My coworkers were practically vibrating with
excitement, wanting to know what was going
on between Ethan and me.
Mark was about to say something, but I
looked at him with tears in my eyes. “Please,
don’t #1
く
He rolled his eyes and walked away.
I didn’t have the guts to see Ethan again.
I kept imagining myself sick, helpless, and
dying alone in bed.
I immediately asked my supervisor for a letter
of resignation.
Since my job wasn’t that important, it only
took me an hour to pack up my things and
leave.
I had to change my number again.
It felt like I was running for my life.
I left Chicago and went to Atlanta.
>
This time, I played it smart. I asked Sarah
about Ethan’s plans.
Whenever he came to my city, I’d run.
9 9 7 9 Z B 7 Z Z Z W 2 q q q V Q 4 w sty
70
He’d arrive right after I left.
Finally, I got an offer from a company
overseas, and I stopped running.
I worked abroad for six years, going from
struggling to comfortable.
くくな
Then, Sarah got sick, and I came back home.
Sarah threw a party to welcome me back.
Ethan and Mark were there too.
Ethan seemed calmer.
Г
He hadn’t aged much, and he looked more
mature.
