His Lie Count Stayed Zero for Five Years — Till His Assistant Came Chapter 07

Renee hadn’t posted anything new since that first post.

By that evening, Renee had posted a new photo tagged in Los Angeles. She was back home.

All her earlier, vaguely suggestive posts were now hidden.

The photograph showing half of Elliot’s hand.

The blurry shot of him from behind as he brewed her ginger tea in the kitchen.

The two Aspen boarding passes placed side by side.

Gone from view, every one of them.

She even sent a text to my phone.

[Jenna, there’s nothing going on between Mr. Hayes and me. Please don’t misunderstand. I’ll be sure to keep things professional and respect boundaries from now on.]

I read it at my desk and laughed out loud.

Elliot called again, sounding exhausted.

“Jen, I’ve made Renee move out. I’ve put the apartment back the way it was.”

“You can decorate it however you want, as long as you come home.”

“I’ve taken her out of her assistant role and transferred her to sales, the department farthest from me.”

“I can explain everything that happened. Will you at least give me a chance?”

I didn’t answer right away.

Instead, I imitated the tone Elliot used to take with me.

The tone he’d used when he said Renee was only staying temporarily.

When he promised he’d take me to Aspen next time.

When he told me it was just a camera.

“Elliot, explanations won’t change anything.”

“You had your chance on my birthday, when you had to choose between staying with me as I blew out my candles and going to take care of Renee.”

“You had another chance when Renee first messaged you, but you never set clear boundaries between the two of you as boss and assistant.”

“Don’t you think it’s a little late to start explaining now?”

I heard his voice tremble through the phone.

“You know about all of it?”

“I do. So do you still think everything that happened between us was just a bunch of little things?”

He sounded defeated.

“I understand. But I’ll prove it to you.”

At first, I had no idea what he meant by proving anything.

I found out soon enough.

Two days later, on my way to work along San Francisco’s Embarcadero, I saw Elliot.

He looked nothing like the confident man who’d left for Aspen.

In just three days, he’d gone from Aspen back to Los Angeles and then all the way to San Francisco to stand in front of me.

The constant traveling seemed to have drained him.

Dark circles shadowed his eyes. He had several days’ worth of stubble, disheveled hair, and bloodshot eyes.

But when he saw me, he pulled one hand out of his coat pocket. It was red from the cold.

He held it out awkwardly as if he wanted to take mine. Then he hesitated and drew it back.

He forced a smile, trying to make himself look less worn out.

I saw every little movement.

I said nothing. I simply stood there and watched him calmly.

His lips parted and closed again. He seemed to have a hundred things he wanted to say.

I had no idea how much he’d held back. In the end, all he managed was a polite greeting.

“Jen… are you settling in okay?”

I could guess what he really wanted to ask.

Was I getting used to the new job?

The weather?

Life without him?

But he didn’t ask those questions aloud.

Even if he’d asked, I wouldn’t have answered—not with things the way they were between us.

After five years together, we’d become two people who could meet again and find nothing to say except, “How have you been?”

“Pretty well,” I replied.

Elliot smiled. This time, it looked more genuine, as though he really was happy I was doing well.

But I could see the sadness behind it.

Perhaps he’d finally realized I could be happy without him.

No one in this world was indispensable to anyone else.

Jenna Parker could leave Elliot Hayes and still have a wonderful life.

“Elliot, if you came all this way to make small talk, there’s nothing for us to discuss.”

“We’re broken up.”

The words made his face pale.

He drew a breath and stepped toward me.

I immediately stepped back.

He stopped where he was.

After a long silence, he struggled to speak.

“Jen, I know I was wrong. I was a jerk. I hurt you, and I’m sorry…”

“I shouldn’t have lied to you. I shouldn’t have done any of those awful things.”