Chapter 17
Grace’s POV
Time seems to slow down. Antonio pushes me out of the way as Cecilia collapses on the floor. He flips her on her back, lifting her into his arms and rushing her to the hospital as soon as the elevator doors open.
I pick up my phone, still in shock. The screen is shattered because of his push, but I just go out of the building and all for a taxi to meet up with the property manager.
Time passes, and now I’m back to the office. I sit down, and immediately I see a package on the table. It’s a cheesecake in a jar, and it’s from Antonio. I frown at it, knowing that I’ve seen this exact thing somewhere else.
Half an hour ago, I saw this same cheesecake in a jar on Cecilia‘ s instagram, even though she must have been taken to the hospital because of her recent fall.
Still, I check my instagram again to see if I saw everything right, and I did.
“Sweets from my sweet baby,” the caption says, showing a bunch of little sweets in jars that are very similar to the one I have on my table right now.
Antonio swings by to my office casually, looking at the dessert on my table and frowning when he sees that it’s unopened and ignored.
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“Grace?” he asks. “Why didn’t you open this? Do you not want to eat it? What’s with all the coldness today? I’m pretty sure I didn’t do anything to incur your wrath.”
I don’t reply to him. I just get up and head to my printer. “Excuse me, I need to print my documents. You can leave now if you want.”
He leaves indeed, and when I come back with my papers, he’s not there anymore.
The only thing that he left behind is a note that says, “When you‘ re done with the attitude, come and see me.”
That pushes me to the edge> I crumple the note and dump it in the trash along with the dessert he gave me. I can’t do this anymore. I can’t have them in my life anymore.
I print out a resignation letter and head to my director’s office. She reads it and stares at me.
“Are you sure about this?” she asks. “Because you’re one of the good ones here and I would hate for you to leave.”
“I’m sure about this,” I tell her.
That leaves her no choice but to accept it.
“Well, according to company policy, you still have to render a week of service,” she says. “After that, I will let you go.”
The news of me leaving spread in my department. They all treat me to dinner, knowing that it might be a while until I see them again.
My friend in the department, Harris, is sad to see me go. “We
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will miss you, Grace. I really hope you stay in contact with us because we want to hear from you.”
“I promise,” I say, smiling.
Just then, my phone rings. Since everyone’s phones are on the table for a little bet on whose person calls first, everyone sees. They all laugh, and Harris answers the call. “Hello? What do you want with Grace?”
“Harris!” I try to say, but then Antonio’s angry voice comes through. “Grace, where the hell are you?”
I sigh, taking the phone from Harris. “I’m eating out with friends. Is that not something I’m allowed to do?”
“Send me your location. I’ll go and pick you up.”
With that, he ends the call.
Knowing that this will cause a fight and I want none of it, I send him my location. The dinner is cut short, and yet even when the restaurant is closing, Antonio still isn’t here.
I look at my phone and check Cecilia’s socials. Like I expected, there are updates about her on her story. She’s sick, and that’s how I know that Antonio is with her.
I take a taxi home, wondering why I believed he would be there. I just undress and clean up, eager to come to bed.
However, when the early morning rolls in, I get woken up by Antonio.
“Grace,” he says. “I’m really hungry. Can you get up and make me something to eat? I’m feeling some pasta today. Maybe
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Bolognese.”
I take a deep breath. “And since when do you like pasta? You also hate tomatoes.”
He doesn’t need to answer that, because I know immediately that it’s for Cecilia, and he’s basically using me as a maid to make food for her.
He touches my hand and tries to rouse me from my sleep, but I just push his hand off. I touch his scar, and all the memories flood back.
He got that scar because of me.
Antonio saved me when the school caught fire and I was stick in the hallway.
Somehow, that makes all the sleep leave my body. I get up, but ⚫ to my surprise, he stops me. He looks guilty. “It can wait until later. I don’t really feel that hungry anymore. You can make it later when you have enough rest.
I just put on my robe and get out of the bedroom. “Well, aside from the pasta, is there anything else that Cecilia wants?”
Antonio pauses. He didn’t expect me so say that. “Um, nothing else. Nothing anymore.”
The sky is still dark, so I start making the food that he will give to her. He sits at the counter and watches me, looking nervous. “I forgot to tell you. I have a business trip to London next week. It’s still on Monday, so there’s no need to panic or anything. I will still be with you.”
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“I’m not panicking,” I say blandly. “I hope you have a good trip.”
“Well, we can have dinner with your parents before I go,” he says. “We can talk about the wedding.”
I face him, setting the plate down in front of him. “That won’t be necessary.”
He gapes at me. “Why not? What do you mean?”
I smile. “They haven’t gone back from their vacation yet.”
Antonio just stares at me. It seems that he wants to say something but he’s debating it. Before he can decide, his phone rings.
Without saying anything, he leaves the kitchen to answer the call.
Then he hurries to leave in his car.
My resignation is finalized when Friday comes.
I leave the office, still carrying just my bag. I have put away everything little by little so Antonio won’t know. Antonio shows up and drives me to a steakhouse, still clueless.
He orders food for me, but he’s the only one who seems to be happy. He cuts my steak for me, asking, “Do you want some wine?”
Since I’m on my phone looking at things, I just say, “Up to you.”
He doesn’t like that. “Who are you talking to?”
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“Nobody,” I say, but he still snatches my phone.
He looks at my screen and shakes his head. “Why did you change your wallpaper?”
For years since we got together, my wallpaper has always been us. Now it’s a photo of my parents‘ dog.
It’s a dumb question, so I just stand up and excuse myself, heading to the ladies‘ room.
When I come back, Antonio is no longer at the table. I’m about to call him when suddenly, the lights tun off and someone lights up the fairy lights.
A waiter walks over to me with flowers and a cake.
I look at my phone and it’s a birthday message from my parents.
They remembered, and yet he didn’t.
***
I walk out of the restaurant with my cake and flowers after paying the bill. I don’t have the energy for a taxi so I just walk home. But as I pass by the park, I hear a familiar voice.
“Higher!” Cecilia says laughing. “You’re so strong, Antonio! Push me higher!”
I look beyond the fence and see that Antonio is pushing Cecilia on a swing. I stand there, close to them, until they notice me. They look at each other.
Antonio’s expression turns sour.
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“You should try the swing,” he tells me. “It’s fun.”
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Cecilia blushes. “It really is. We’ve been doing this for a while. Please don’t be mad, though. We just wanted to have some fun. We grew up together.”
“You don’t need to explain anything to her,” Antonio says,
stroking her hair. He turns to me, his eyes cold. “Come here and join us.”
Not wanting to make him feel justified in being an asshole, I get into the park and sit on the spinning carousel. I just try to scroll on my phone and ignore them, but then Cecilia gets off the swing.
She approaches me like she already has a plan in mind.
“I don’t want to go on the swing anymore. What she’s doing looks more fun.”
Chapter 19
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Chapter 18