The rest of the day Fiona was forced to watch Katherine interact with everyone.
Katherine had decided to "get acquainted with her husband’s workplace," and she did it with the grace and confidence of soone who already saw the 38th floor as part of her future domain. She moved through the open-plan office with Martin occasionally by her side, smiling warmly at every team mber, asking polite questions, and making small talk that felt carefully calculated.
She spent extra ti with Clara.
The two won seed to click instantly. Clara, in her deep burgundy dress, laughed brightly at sothing Katherine said, touching her arm lightly as they stood near the coffee station. Fiona watched from her desk as Clara leaned in and whispered sothing that made Katherine’s eyes sparkle with amusent. Clara looked thrilled by the new dynamic — her smile sharper, her posture more confident, as if she had just gained a powerful new ally.
Fiona looked away.
During the afternoon team eting, the tension beca almost unbearable.
Katherine sat in.
She took a seat near the head of the table, right beside Maya, looking every bit the elegant future wife of the CEO. She listened attentively, nodding at the right monts, occasionally offering soft complints that felt like veiled comparisons.
"That’s a lovely approach to the inclusivity angle," Katherine said during Fiona’s update on the event tiline, her voice sweet but pointed. "It reminds of so of the campaigns I saw at my previous company — very heartfelt, though perhaps a little... safe. I’m sure with the right refinents it could be truly groundbreaking."
The words were polite on the surface.
But everyone in the room heard the subtle dig.
Fiona struggled to stay focused.
Her notes blurred on the page. She kept her voice steady as she continued her presentation, but her hands trembled slightly on the laptop.
Martin sat across the table.
He tried to catch Fiona’s eye several tis.
Every ti their gazes almost t, Fiona looked away.
She couldn’t bear it.
Not with Katherine sitting there, smiling serenely, flashing her diamond ring every ti she gestured. Not with Clara watching from the side, clearly enjoying the show. Not with the entire team pretending everything was normal while Fiona’s world felt like it was quietly collapsing.
The eting dragged on.
Katherine offered another "helpful" comnt — "I love the inclusivity focus, but perhaps we could make it more aspirational?" Fiona felt very nauseous.
She excused herself briefly to the restroom.
In the stall, she leaned against the wall, breathing slowly, one hand on her stomach.
But the dizziness lingered.
When she returned to the eting, Katherine was still there, still smiling, still perfectly composed.
Martin’s eyes found hers again.
This ti Fiona didn’t look away imdiately.
For one brief second, she let him see the exhaustion, the hurt, the quiet strength she was clinging to.
Then she looked down at her notes.
The eting finally ended.
Fiona gathered her things quickly.
Katherine being around the office was going to make every day even harder.
But Fiona lifted her chin slightly as she walked back to her desk.
The office grew quite with everyone taking a break from the eting.
Most of the team headed down to the cafeteria or out to nearby cafés.
Katherine, turned to Martin with a bright smile as they stood near the marketing area.
"Darling, would you mind if I go to the cafeteria to eat sothing there? I’d love to see more of the office culture and maybe chat with a few people."
Martin nodded, barely registering the request.
"Of course. Go ahead."
Katherine kissed his cheek lightly and walked off, her heels clicking confidently down the corridor.
Martin stayed behind.
His eyes scanned the floor until they landed on Fiona.
She was sitting alone at her desk, staring at her screen but clearly not working. Her shoulders were slightly hunched. The sight of her like that isolated, tired, trying to hold herself together hit him harder than anything else that day.
He couldn’t stay away.
He walked over, keeping his voice low.
"Fiona... can we talk? Just for a minute. Please."
She looked up, guarded.
After a mont, she nodded and stood, following him to the small, unused eting room down the hall.
Martin closed the door behind them.
He turned to face her, his expression raw.
"I’m sorry about the elevator this morning," he said, voice thick with regret. "I didn’t know Katherine was coming in today. I didn’t plan for you to see that."
Fiona crossed her arms over her chest, remaining guarded.
She listened, but her walls were up.
He took a step closer, then stopped when she tensed.
"I know how it looked," he said, running a hand through his hair. "I’m working to end the engagent. I told my father last night that I’m not going through with it. I’m fighting this, Fiona. I swear I am. The party was already planned, the rger is tied to it, but I’m dismantling it from the inside. I just need a little more ti."
Fiona shook her head, tears stinging her eyes.
"You always need a little more ti," she whispered. "Every ti you say you’re fixing it, sothing else happens. Katherine in the office. The wedding planning. The toasts. The applause. I can’t keep doing this, Martin. I can’t keep waiting for you to choose while I watch you stand beside her."
Martin’s face crumpled.
He stepped forward, reaching for her hands, but she pulled back.
"Please," he begged, voice breaking. "Hold on just a little longer. I’m fighting for us. For you .I love you. I’m not letting you go.Just... please. Give a little more ti."
The conversation was tense and emotional.
She looked at him — the man she had fallen for, the man who had held her while she cried, the man who kept promising but never fully delivered.
"I can’t wait for you anymore," she said, her voice trembling but clear. "I can’t keep putting my life on hold, hoping you’ll finally choose . I have to think about myself. If you’re really fighting, then fight. But I can’t keep standing here watching you with her while I fall apart."
Martin looked devastated.
"Fiona..."
She shook her head.
"I need space. I need to breathe."
She turned toward the door.
Martin didn’t stop her.
But as she reached for the handle, she heard his quiet, broken whisper behind her.
"I’m sorry. I love you."
Fiona didn’t turn back.
She walked out of the room.
Feeling more relieved than ever....
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