The days passed in a blur, each one heavier than the last. The air around me felt suffocating, filled with whispers and stolen glances. The office buzzed with curiosity, but I had learned to keep my head down.

When Lily hesitantly approached me at lunch, asking if I was alright, I forced a smile and told her what I had been telling everyone.

"Keith and I are going through a rough time," I said evenly, keeping my voice controlled. 

"And everything online is exaggerated. People twist things to make it more dramatic than it really is."

She didn't seem convinced. Neither did anyone else. But no one pressed further.

Jesse, however, wasn't as easy to shake off.

"Vienna," he said quietly, pulling me aside just before I could leave for the day. His gaze was steady, assessing. "I know it's not my place, but you don't look well."

I stiffened, gripping my bag tighter. "I'm fine."

"Are you?" he countered, unconvinced. "Because if you need to talk—"

"I don't," I cut in, a little too quickly. "But thank you."

Jesse studied me for a moment longer, then sighed. "Alright. I won't push. But if you need anything, just say the word."

I nodded, forcing another smile before slipping past him.

I hated this. I hated how fragile I felt.

The weight of my feelings had grown unbearable.

Keith's cold words echoed in my mind. His dismissive tone. His complete absence. The way he had cut my call short that night, the flirty voice of another woman in the background still haunting me.

And the worst part?

I missed him.

I despised myself for it.

The feelings I had been so desperately trying to suppress were consuming me, leaving me restless, suffocating me in a way I had never experienced before.

By the time my shift ended, I couldn't take it anymore.

I needed someone.

So I found myself outside Kaitlyn's hospital room, my feet carrying me there on their own.

The moment she saw me, her face lit up, but it quickly faded as she took in my expression.

"Vienna," she murmured, sitting up straighter. "What's wrong?"

That was all it took.

A sob broke free, and I crumbled.

Kaitlyn opened her arms without hesitation, and I fell into them, my body wracked with silent sobs as she held me close, rubbing soothing circles on my back.

"Shh," she whispered gently. "You don't have to say anything. Just let it out."

I did.

I didn't know how long I cried, but I was distantly aware of another presence entering the room. When I lifted my head, I saw Reggie standing near the doorway, looking as awkward as ever, his usual snark absent.

"You two are getting way too sentimental," he muttered, but there was no bite in his tone. If anything, he looked concerned.

I sniffled, wiping my face. "You're back."

"Discharged," he confirmed, gesturing to himself. "Turns out, I'm tougher than you thought."

Despite everything, I let out a weak chuckle.

Kaitlyn smiled, but then her gaze softened. "I'm leaving too."

I blinked, taken aback. "Today?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I got the clearance. I wanted to tell you earlier, but... well, you came in like a storm."

A pang of sadness struck me, but before I could say anything, she reached into the drawer beside her bed and pulled out a small bouquet of white lilies.

"These are for you," she said, placing them in my hands.

I stared at the flowers, touched beyond words.

"Kaitlyn, I—"

She gently squeezed my hand, slipping a small note into my palm. "It's my address. If you ever want to talk, or just need a place to escape, you're always welcome."

Something in my chest cracked.

Despite everything I had been feeling, despite the loneliness that had been swallowing me whole, I wasn't alone.

Forgetting professionalism, I leaned in and hugged her.

Kaitlyn returned it warmly.

As she pulled back, Reggie crossed his arms. "Alright, this is getting too emotional. Let's wrap it up before someone starts writing poetry."

I rolled my eyes. "You're still annoying."

"Glad to see you're still alive," he shot back, but his smirk wasn't as sharp as usual.

As I left the hospital that evening, something inside me felt a little lighter.

But that didn't last long.

The moment I stepped into my apartment, my phone erupted with messages and missed calls.

Wedding planners.

Organizers.

People Mr. Aaron Devlin had hired to arrange the wedding.

The wedding I didn't even want.

Keith was nowhere in sight, nor had he made any effort to contact me.

Everything was being planned around me, yet I felt like an outsider in my own life.

I shut my phone off, feeling the beginnings of a headache forming.

As if that wasn't enough, another notification popped up on my social media feed.

Margaret Howey.

But not with Keith.

With another man.

A romantic dinner date.

The caption beneath the photo was filled with speculation, some people defending her, others questioning whether her kiss with Keith had been staged, manipulated, or if she simply liked playing around.

For the first time since the scandal broke, the attention had shifted away from Keith and me.

But I didn't feel relieved.

Because none of this changed the fact that Keith had hurt me.

My phone rang again.

This time, it was Leila.

I considered ignoring it, but that would only make things worse.

"Hello?"

"Vienna!" Her voice was filled with excitement. "Did you see the news? You don't have to worry about all that ridiculous drama anymore. Things are finally shifting in another direction."

I pressed my fingers against my temple, exhaustion washing over me. "Yeah, I saw."

"You don't sound happy."

Because I wasn't.

Because none of this solved anything.

Because my life was still spiraling out of control.

Leila sighed. "Listen, I know things have been crazy, but don't stress. The wedding will be beautiful, and once it's over, all of this will die down. You'll see."

I had nothing to say to that.

Silence stretched between us before Leila finally spoke again, her tone softening. "Vienna, are you okay?"

No.

But I couldn't say that.

"I'm fine," I murmured.

"Alright," she said, though I wasn't sure if she believed me. "Get some rest. Everything will work out."

I ended the call, staring blankly at the wall.

Everything would work out.

How?

I was barely holding myself together.

I had been talking less. Sleeping less.

I felt hollow.

Numb.

Lost.

And worst of all...

Completely, utterly alone.

~

I walked into the office, my head feeling heavier than usual. The moment the warm air of the building surrounded me, I knew something was wrong. A deep cough rattled through my chest, forcing me to stop in my tracks for a second.

"Vienna, you okay?" Jesse's voice pulled me from my discomfort as I straightened up, brushing my hair out of my face.

"I'm fine," I croaked, only for another cough to betray me.

Jesse frowned, stepping closer. "You look pale. Are you sick?"

I shook my head dismissively. "It's just the weather. I'll be fine once I get to work."

He didn't look convinced, but he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Alright. Just... don't push yourself too hard."

I offered a half-hearted smile before heading to my desk.

The day dragged on, files stacking higher and higher as I drowned myself in casework. My body felt sluggish, and the occasional coughing fits weren't helping. Just as I was rubbing my temples, feeling a slight dizziness creeping in, a small cup of steaming soup was placed before me.

I blinked, looking up to find Jesse at his desk, casually signaling me to drink it.

A small smile tugged at my lips despite my exhaustion. His subtle gestures always caught me off guard.

As I lifted the spoon to my lips, I caught Jenny and a few of my other office mates watching with barely contained smiles, whispering among themselves. Their coy expressions made my face heat up.

God, they were enjoying this too much.

I shot them a glare, but it only made them giggle behind their hands. I rolled my eyes, focusing on the warm soup instead.

But halfway through the day, the dizziness got worse.

Everything around me felt like it was swaying, my limbs heavy as lead. I clenched my jaw, thinking about whether I should quietly get myself checked out.

By lunchtime, I made my way to the hospital, hoping to get in and out without anyone noticing.

The doctor barely needed a minute to diagnose me.

"Viral fever," he said, checking the thermometer before shaking his head. "Your temperature is way too high. You need to rest."

I sighed, already knowing I wasn't going to listen. "I'll be fine, doctor."

His frown deepened. "I mean it. Your body is already strained. If you don't rest, it'll only get worse."

I nodded absentmindedly, already planning on returning to work, but as I stepped back into the office, Jesse caught sight of me almost immediately.

"You're leaving," he said, voice firm.

I frowned. "What?"

Jesse crossed his arms, his expression unreadable. "I just got off the phone with the doctor. He called me to let me know that you are sick, and now I'm telling you—you're taking the rest of the day off."

I scowled. "I don't need—"

"You do," he interrupted. "And everyone here agrees."

I turned to see several of my colleagues nodding in agreement, some even muttering things about how stubborn I was.

Mrs Young exhaled sharply. "Vienna, stop being so damn hard on yourself. You're sick. Go home, rest, and get better."

Seeing no way out, I sighed. "Fine."

Jesse nodded, satisfied. "I'll drop you home."

"I can—"

"Not a debate," he said, already grabbing his coat.

I rolled my eyes but didn't argue further.

The drive to my apartment was silent, aside from the occasional cough that escaped me.

As soon as we reached, Jesse parked and got out, grabbing something from his backseat before following me to the door.

"Here." He handed me a small bag.

I peeked inside to find containers of food.

"My cook made these for me today, you can have it as your lunch," he said simply.

I sighed, shaking my head. "That wasn't necessary, Jesse."

He suddenly knelt before me, his eyes searching mine. "It was," he said softly.

I froze.

"You don't take care of yourself, Vienna," he murmured, his hand gently covering mine. "You've been pushing yourself too hard, letting yourself suffer when you don't have to. I just... I just want you to be okay."

I swallowed the lump forming in my throat.

"You are a beautiful woman, Vienna," he continued, voice sincere. "And you deserve to smile more often. Stop keeping everything bottled up inside. Stop letting things eat you alive."

I looked away, feeling heat rush to my cheeks.

"I'll be fine, Jesse," I mumbled.

He didn't look convinced but nodded anyway. "Alright. Just promise me you'll actually rest."

"I will."

With great reluctance, he left, and I was finally alone.

I sank onto the couch, exhaustion washing over me as I pulled a blanket around myself.

I didn't even realize when sleep took over.

By the time I woke up, my head was still heavy, and my throat felt raw. I groggily reached for my phone, my eyes widening at the number of missed calls.

The wedding planner.

Again.

But what caught my attention were the ten missed calls from Keith.

My breath hitched as I opened my notifications.

There was a message from him.

"Take care of the wedding planners. I'm busy trying to find a way out of this marriage. Ask them not to call me."

I swallowed thickly, already feeling my heart sink.

Another message followed.

"Why aren't you answering my calls?"

A bitter smile curled my lips.

Why should I?

Keith was always busy, too busy to deal with the mess he created, too busy to talk, too busy to care.

I dropped my phone onto my stomach, closing my eyes.

The moment was short-lived.

The phone started ringing again, the screen flashing with his name.

I hesitated before answering.

"Where the hell have you been?" His voice hit me like a slap, sharp and demanding.

I stayed silent.

"Why weren't you answering my calls?" he pressed.

I exhaled slowly, my patience already running thin. "I was resting."

"You didn't answer my texts either."

I clenched my jaw. "I saw them."

"Then why didn't you—"

"Because I don't want to deal with it, Keith!" My voice cracked, my exhaustion bleeding into my words. "If you're so determined to handle everything on your own, then go ahead. Handle this too. I don't want to talk to them. I don't want to talk to you."

There was a beat of silence before he spoke, his tone colder than before.

"You don't get to decide that, Vienna."

"Yes, I do," I snapped.

And before he could say anything else, I ended the call.

Tossing my phone onto the couch, I curled into myself, hugging my knees.

I didn't want to deal with this anymore.

I didn't want to deal with Keith.

But deep down, I knew, no matter how much I tried to ignore him, he was still the only thing I couldn't stop thinking about.