He Never Loved Me, Until I Left by Joy Brown Chapter 04

He Never Loved Me, Until I Left by Joy Brown Chapter 04

Nicholas stared at the email on his computer screen. Something was wrong.

Before he could open it, Alice breezed in. “Here’s what needs reviewing today.”

She came up behind him, hand dropping to his shoulder. “You look stressed.”

The touch had always felt natural. Now it didn’t.

He shrugged her off and took the documents. Flipped to the first page.

Three seconds in, his hand went still.

Sloppy formatting. Charts that didn’t line up. Typos in the executive summary.

“Who put this together?” He kept his voice level. “This wouldn’t pass an intern review.”

Alice went pale. “I… I made that report.”

The anger drained out of him.

Replaced by something worse-a kind of tired resignation.

“Do you think I’m useless?” Her eyes went bright with tears.

Nicholas opened his mouth. Nothing came.

Someone else’s face surfaced in his mind.

Isabella never cried at work. Never apologized for asking hard questions.

She’d stare down hostile clients without flinching. Even as a new hire, shed had that steel in her.

‘Maybe I should just go. Alice swiped at her eyes. “You could get someone better.”

Nicholas caught her wrist before thinking it through.

But he wasn’t seeing Alice’s hand.

He was seeing Isabella’s.

The realization hit him sideways

What the hell was he doing? Why was he thinking about the woman whod trapped ham?

‘Leave, he said, letting go. He rubbed his eyes. Just go

‘But-

‘Go.

Alice left, wounded.

The office went quiet.

Nicholas stared at the botched report. The past wouldn’t stay buried.

Six years ago, Isabella had been nobody. Fresh out of school, no family money, no industry contacts.

But she’d aced every assessment. Landed the job on merit.

He remembered her first week. That overstuffed planner she carried everywhere. The way she’d lean forward when taking notes, like she was afraid of missing something.

“Can you walk me through this workflow? I want to make sure I have it right.”

The Singapore client prefers morning calls-1 flagged it for next time.”

I could’ve handled that better. Won’t happen again.”

Always pushing Always improving.

Shed outlast him on late nights. Navigate the worst negotiations like she’d been doing it for decades.

Everyone said he d lucked out with her.

Her erg me tow

09:01 Wed, May 6 N

He Never Loved Me, Until I Left

Until he woke up and found her in his bed.

Then everything she’d done-every late night, every perfect report-it all looked different. Calculated. Part of some long con.

She’d played him. Set the whole thing up.

That’s why the marriage never worked. Even with Joseph between them, Nicholas couldn’t look at her without seeing the trap.

So he’d picked Alice instead. Soft where Isabella was sharp. Uncertain where Isabella had been sure.

Safe.

But now, looking at this disaster of a report, the exhaustion was crushing.

Was this really better? Was this what he’d wanted?