The Wedding Dress I Returned Alone

4: 4

"Explain what?"

I looked at Diana coldly.

"Explain why you always have some crisis exactly when Paul and I have something important planned?"

"Explain why you spiked a fever in the middle of the night and just had to have Paul come cool you down?"

"Or maybe explain why you're wearing Paul's shirt to bring porridge to the office?"

Diana's expression shifted, and she tugged at the loose collar without thinking.

I knew that shirt.

It was the limited edition Paul bought just last month.

Paul's face changed too. He looked rattled.

"Nadia, that's enough!"

"Diana's clothes got dirty at the hospital. I lent her something to wear. What's the problem?"

"Do you really have to make it sound so ugly?"

I laughed.

"Ugly? There's something uglier. Want to hear it?"

I took out my phone and pulled up a recording.

It was the call Diana made to me yesterday at the bridal shop, right after Paul left.

In the recording, Diana's voice had none of the frailty from a moment ago. It was full of triumph.

"See that, Nadia? Even with the two of you about to get married, one call from me and he'll drop you and come running."

"In Paul's heart, you'll always come after me."

"Be smart and get lost on your own, before I have you thrown out."

The recording ended.

The hallway went dead silent.

A few coworkers who'd been straining to eavesdrop sucked in a sharp breath.

Diana's face went white in an instant. She stared at me like she'd seen a ghost.

"No… that's not true, Paul, it's spliced together!"

"I never said anything like that! How could I ever say something like that!"

She clung to Paul's arm, tears rolling down in fat drops.

Paul stood frozen, staring at Diana in disbelief.

"Diana, did you really say that?"

"No! Paul, believe me!"

Diana wept like a rain-drenched blossom and jabbed a finger at me, shouting.

"Nadia's never liked me. She's framing me on purpose!"

I put my phone away.

"Whether it's spliced or not, get a tech expert to verify it and you'll know."

"Mr. Matthews, you're a technical whiz yourself. This shouldn't be hard to sort out, right?"

I had no interest in watching them tear into each other.

"Diana, you wanted this man. He's yours now."

"Treasure him like a prize. I wish you a long and happy life together."

I turned on my heels and walked back to my office without looking back.

The moment I shut the door, I heard Paul's muffled roar.

"Diana, get in my office!"

Over the next few days, I focused on the handover.

Paul didn't come to find me again.

Word was he and Diana had a huge fight.

Diana cried until she fainted in the office and got carted off to the hospital again.

Tristan and that crowd of buddies were in their little group chat calling me vicious, saying I'd driven Diana to the edge.

I knew all this because gossip was the one thing the company never ran short of.

But I didn't care anymore.

Friday afternoon, I packed up the last box.

HR handed me my resignation letter.

"Nadia, wishing you a bright future."

I took the letter and thanked her with a smile.

Box in my arms, I walked down to the lobby.

Paul blocked my way.

He looked more haggard than he had a few days ago.

His jaw was covered in blue-gray stubble, his eyes bloodshot, like some drifter off the street.

"Nadia."

His voice was hoarse, with a trace of pleading.

"Can we talk?"

I stopped and looked at him coldly.

"Mr. Matthews, we don't work together anymore."

"If this is personal, there's nothing to talk about between us."

Paul stared hard at the box in my hands.

"You're really leaving? Even quitting the company?"

"You're this desperate to be rid of me?"

I nodded.

"Yes."

Paul's body swayed.