He Vetoed My Promotion for the New Girl Chapter 11

He Vetoed My Promotion for the New Girl Chapter 11

I thought I’d made myself clear that day-outside of work, we had no reason to be in touch.

But Graham had completely abandoned the “keep our distance” act.

He started using our partnership as an excuse to show up at our office every single day.

He’d clock in right on time and squeeze into the same elevator as me.

At lunch, he’d sit right across from me and casually pick out the carrots I didn’t like.

Whenever I worked late, he did too.

He’d even pay out of pocket to buy bubble tea and desserts for the entire company.

One of my bolder coworkers asked him if he’d always been this generous to people he cared about.

He admitted it without hesitation.

“Yeah. Elara said she wanted bubble tea, so I bought it for everyone.”

Eventually, my coworkers started ordering food on their own.

Since they were eating on his dime, they all started quietly finding ways to leave Graham and me alone.

I was so annoyed that I laughed.

I deliberately needled him, “Mr. Thorne, you’re so rich. Why don’t you buy something for everyone in

Havenport?”

He acted like he didn’t catch the sarcasm.

“Sure. If you’ll give me another chance, I’ll do it.”

I was so mad I wanted to hit him.

But he was the client. I couldn’t exactly punch him.

And that’s how he kept hovering for over a month, right up until the holiday break.

Business had been booming that year, so Lorna gave everyone some time off early.

I stayed with her at the office until New Year’s Eve.

Lorna grabbed at the extra weight around her waist.

“Look at this. All your fault.”

I burst out laughing and grabbed a cushion from the couch to throw at her.

After we’d messed around for a while, she suddenly turned serious.

“You’re really not going to forgive him?”

“As far as I know, he’s been single for the past two years. Rich, handsome, and completely available. You seriously don’t want him?”

Put that way, he did sound tempting.

But I couldn’t do it.

“Lorna, every time I see him, I think about the person I used to be.”

“I remember her crying under the covers.”

“Remember the anxiety of crouching by the road, waiting for him to text back.”

“Remember the humiliation of collapsing under the blazing sun…”

“I’ve chosen not to hold it against him. But not forgetting. If I forgot, wouldn’t that be betraying her?”

“I won’t let myself fall for the same man twice.”

Lorna said nothing. She just studied me.

Once she was sure I wasn’t putting on a brave face or lying to myself, she sighed.

“Mr. Thorne, you heard all of that, didn’t you?”

The door to the adjoining office opened.

Graham stood there, his eyes unreadable.