To Love You, Never Again

The sight was overwhelming and for a moment, she stood frozen, the soft petals of the roses against her chest almost ironic in the midst of the celebration.

Reid entered shortly after, his eyes immediately landing on the bouquet in her hands. His smile faltered and his brow furrowed. “Who gave you those roses?” he asked, his tone more guarded than usual.

“Oh, don’t worry about it,” she replied, her voice casual, though her eyes never left his. “It’s from a friend.

But Reid wasn’t ready to let it go. He huffed in frustration and walked out of the room, only to return moments later, dragging behind him another massive arrangement of pink roses. This time, they filled an entire corner of her office, their scent overpowering. It was clear he’d ordered the flowers from all over the city, a display so extravagant it was almost theatrical. From a distance, it looked like Callie was standing in the middle of a vast flower field.

Without missing a beat, Reid dropped to one knee in front of her, pulling out a diamond ring. “Callie Dodson,” he said, his voice full of warmth and emotion, “I love you. Will you marry me?”

The office erupted with cheers and excited shouts.

“Oh, my, isn’t Mr. Matthews so amazing? Just because he’s jealous over a bouquet, he filled the entire room with roses!”

“I got here at 7 this morning and the security guard told me he was already here at 4 AM, preparing everything just for Miss Dodson’s birthday! If my boyfriend did something like this, I’d be so happy!”

“Look at how huge that diamond ring is! It must’ve cost a fortune!”

Callie’s hand remained unmoved as she stared at the ring. Reid had to reach out to place it on her finger. But the paused, confusion and frustration growing on his face.

“Where’s the ring I gave you before?” he asked, clearly doubtful.

“I lost it,” Callie swiftly pulled her hand back and, without another word, walked over to the cake. She began cutting it, serving slices to everyone around her.

Reid stood there, a mixture of guilt and confusion written across his face. It finally dawned on him that there’s something off with. He quickly grabbed a piece of cake himself and handed it to her, trying to salvage the situation.

“Look, I don’t mean to interrogate you. If the ring is lost, so be it. But could you please, wear this one for me? If I’ve done something wrong, please tell me. Don’t give me cold shoulder. So, what have I done?”

“I know,” Callie smiled faintly as she took a bite of the cake. “Everything is fine. Reid. I know. I know everything.”

Before Reid could respond, the phone rang, cutting through the tension. A security guard appeared at the door, informing Reid of an urgent matter.

“Mr. Caldwell, your assistant, Miss Vega just collapsed outside the office. She said she has some important documents for you and needs you to come right away.”

Reid immediately put down the ring box, panic flashing in his eyes. He rushed toward the door without thinking. But just as he was about to leave, Callie grabbed his shirt sleeve, holding him back.

“Reid,” she said, her voice low but firm, “You can have someone else get the documents. It’s my birthday. Don’t leave me alone.”

Reid hesitated, torn between his commitment to Callie and his responsibilities at the office. Finally, he sighed and gently pulled her hand off his sleeve.

“Callie, don’t be silly. You heard him. It’s important file. I can’t just trust it to some random. You should know this.”

With that, he rushed out, too quickly to even grab his phone. As soon as the door closed behind him, the phone buzzed.

She looked at the screen, her gaze hardening as Reid’s phone lit up. The sender was Geneva, her contact saved under the nickname “Foxy.”

Callie’s lips curled into a mirthless smile as she tapped on the chat. The messages between Reid and Geneva spilled out in a damning cascade, a record of intimacy that cut deeper with every word.

“Are you wearing pink today? That’s my favorite color on you. Does it feel as good as it looks, Foxy?”

“Don’t be jealous when I celebrate Callie’s birthday later. I’ll make it up to you with a special surprise just for you. Be good, okay? ”

“Foxy, go to the villa first. I’ll meet you there soon. I’ve canceled the afternoon meeting to spend the whole day with you. How does that sound?”

She marked the messages as unread and placed the phone back where Reid had left it, amidst the chaos of paperwork on the desk. Her chest felt heavy, but her face betrayed no emotion. It wasn’t shock—this was a confirmation, not a revelation.

Her hand rested briefly on the desk, steady as ever. She had seen enough.

Callie stared at the messages, feeling an eerie calm wash over her. She didn’t feel anger or betrayal—just numbness, as if her heart had already prepared itself for this.

After reading the messages, she marked them as unread and placed her phone carefully among the pile of papers on her desk. Her hands didn’t tremble. No, she was beyond that.

Reid returned not long after, looking flustered. His eyes darted around the room as he rifled through the papers on Callie’s desk, only to freeze when he saw his phone lying conspicuously in plain sight. His gaze flicked nervously from the phone to Callie. Guilt was written all over his face.