Seven Years and a Lifetime of Lies Chapter 07

Seven Years and a Lifetime of Lies Chapter 07

Thinking back on everything, a dull, oppressive weight settled over Hank’s chest.

He stepped out onto the balcony without a word, lit a cigarette, and dialed Stella’s number, only to be sent straight to voicemail.

He typed out a new message: [Are you doing okay? Have you seen the moon tonight? It’s beautiful.]

No reply.

A few days later, Hank had finally smoothed over the client dispute and made amends with his female coworker. Just when he thought he could finally catch his breath, Cindy showed up with a fresh set of problems.

“Hank, I think I accidentally offended the department head. She was showing everyone photos of her cat, and I joked that I’m more of a dog person—she’s barely spoken to me since.”

“Hank, Mr. Jacobs asked me to get drinks for a client earlier, but I completely forgot he told me the client is lactose intolerant. The client’s suffered severe intestinal distress and turned deathly pale. I’m so scared, what do I do?”

“Hank, I’m so upset…”

Hank was drowning in one crisis after another. Just the sight of Cindy started to make him anxious, and all he wanted was to get away from her.

He found himself missing Stella’s independence. She never committed these ridiculous, avoidable blunders. On the contrary, she always helped him solve his own problems.

Lost in thought, he pressed his lips together and sent Stella another message.

[Hey, you got a minute? Hope you’ve been holding up alright lately?]

When no reply came, he clicked on her profile.

There he saw a photo of two hands interlaced, both wearing matching rings, with the caption:

“When you meet your destined person, time loses all meaning.”

Hank completely lost his composure. He rushed to the front desk, breathing hard, and demanded of Lily, “You have to tell me where Stella Owen is right now! Who’s the guy she’s planning to marry?”

Cindy had followed close behind and reached for his hand, but Hank shook her off roughly.

“Back off! Lily, I need you to tell me Stella’s whereabouts immediately. She has no right to marry somebody else. She promised ages ago that I was the only person she would ever marry.”

…

“Stella, your boyfriend dropped by with afternoon treats yet again!”

My coworker’s teasing voice pulled my attention away from my screen, and I looked up to see Wyatt’s ears burned bright crimson with embarrassment.

He was the family-introduced match my mother had arranged for me a week after Hank and I broke up. At first, I’d only agreed to meet him out of sheer obligation.

But Wyatt and I were perfectly compatible in every interest and preference.

We could talk for hours without running out of things to say. We both hate cilantro, and we both love sweet-and-sour dishes. Dating him never felt like a chore; it was genuinely fun.

After two weeks, Wyatt confessed his feelings to me one night under a streetlamp.

“Stella, would you be willing to enter a committed relationship with the intent of marriage?”

He handed me a thick folder.

“This contains full family background documentation, verifying clean medical histories and no criminal records. I really like you, and I’d love to build a future with you. I hope you’ll give me a chance.”

Looking into his bright, earnest eyes, I caught a glimpse of the Hank I’d known seven years ago—the one who’d once looked at me with that same intensity, treasuring me more than anything in his life.

But I quickly snapped back to the present and made peace with myself. I would no longer torment myself over another person’s wrongdoings.

So I stood on my toes and kissed Wyatt as my answer.

“Yes.”

The very next day, Wyatt quickly bought a pair of polished matching promise rings, and we took a photo together to post online.

He looked a little embarrassed as he explained, “I just think love needs heartfelt sentimental rituals. Don’t feel pressured, Stella.”

I smiled warmly at him.

“I think you’re right. I love those little gestures too.”

From then on, Wyatt started dropping by my office regularly with afternoon treats.