16th May, 2024
Arman came to pick me up from home today, and we went to work together. He even seemed happy with my work. Our project got approved, so Jane threw an after-office party—and Arman joined us. I can't even describe how happy I was. He sat across from me at the restaurant, and we drank a little, sang karaoke, and played truth or dare. When someone asked him if there was someone he liked, he looked in my direction, and I could feel my heart fluttering. He's been acting differently since yesterday. I can't tell you how happy I am.
Aliana stared at the fresh scribbles appearing on the diary page. She was at her office desk, head in her hands, breathing unevenly as bile rose in her throat.
"This has to be a joke," she muttered. "How stupid could I be?"
The handwriting on the page felt all too familiar now. She had finally accepted that the girl writing these entries was indeed her—but one who had been too hopelessly in love with Arman to see what kind of game he was playing.
Sure, Arman had picked her up from home this morning and gone to work with her—but that was probably after relentless nagging from her mother. And the so-called compliment about her work? It was likely just a professional courtesy, not a confession of love.
The secondhand embarrassment hit her hard. She groaned and hit her forehead lightly against the desk. "Oh my god, I was pathetic," she whispered, cheeks flushed. "How much lower could I have possibly gone?"
Her phone buzzed. A message from Sally.
Got the samples. I'll let you know the second the results are out.
Aliana pressed her lips together and exhaled slowly. "I think I already know what they'll say."
Surprisingly, she wasn't as panicked as she thought she'd be. Just last night, she'd been terrified at the thought of losing everything. But this morning, she felt… calmer. Maybe it was because she'd already seen what was supposed to happen to her. Maybe once you read your own death, everything else feels lighter.
If she could just survive this—if she could make it past whatever was coming—she might finally be able to move on.
A knock on her desk pulled her out of thought. Jane stood there with a grin. "Hey, the boss wanted me to tell you—the changes you made to the project were approved."
Aliana managed a small, polite smile. "Thank you."
"That's all you've got? Just 'thank you'? You don't look very excited," Jane teased.
"Not feeling too well today," Aliana replied quietly.
Jane nodded. "Alright, take it easy. But the next thing on your list is finishing those recipes for the cookbook so we can send it out for publishing, okay?"
"Got it," Aliana said, glancing at her screen. She was going to review her old recipes she'd written months ago, wanting to make them more approachable now.
But then Jane hesitated. "Hey… are you planning to resign?"
Aliana blinked. "What? Why would you think that?"
Jane pointed at the screen. "You are literally looking at job openings."
Aliana's stomach dropped. She hurriedly clicked the tab shut. "Oh, that. It's nothing serious. Just checking something random."
"Okay." Jane didn't sound convinced, but she let it go. Before leaving, she turned back with a grin. "We're celebrating tonight, so you better join us. No excuses this time."
Aliana managed a faint smile. She had always avoided these gatherings before, thinking she didn't need to associate with anyone outside of Arman's circle. But things were different now. If she was going to lose everything, she might as well start learning how to live like everyone else again.
She nodded silently, and Jane finally left.
As the door closed, Aliana exhaled deeply, tempted to drop her head back onto the desk. "I'll be needing some kind of sustenance if I'm about to be kicked out of the family," she muttered under her breath. Her lips curved bitterly as she turned back to her laptop, scrolling through countless job listings and sending out her resume to each one with quiet determination.
Beatrice wiped down the tables with half her focus elsewhere. The words of her coworker from yesterday wouldn't leave her head.
"Maybe he's got a thing for you," the girl had teased.
Beatrice's brows furrowed as she replayed the thought. Could that really be true?
He was handsome—too handsome, really. Tall, broad-shouldered, always dressed in clean, crisp suits. And he visited the restaurant a little too often for someone who claimed to be "just passing by."
She sighed, glancing toward the door. But he's never said anything to me… maybe he's just shy?
Her coworker had said men sometimes hesitated to approach the women they liked. Maybe this time, she thought, I'll be the one to say something. If she served him personally, maybe offered something off-menu as an excuse to talk, he might actually look at her properly.
She was still lost in thought when her heel caught on the edge of a small step behind her. Beatrice gasped as her balance gave way. The tray in her hand tilted dangerously, and she could already feel herself falling backward toward the heavy rock sculpture behind her—
But before she could hit it, a firm arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her forward.
Her breath hitched.
She grabbed onto whatever she could—his collar, as it turned out—to steady herself. The sudden tug pulled him closer, their faces only inches apart. Her heart pounded so violently she thought she might faint right there.
Arman's eyes locked with hers. His expression was calm but his grip stayed firm, holding her upright until she regained balance.
And that was the exact moment the restaurant doors swung open.
Jane walked in first, followed by Aliana and the rest of their team.
Aliana froze mid-step. Her gaze landed on Arman and Beatrice—still close, her hand clutching his collar, his arm steady at her waist.
For a split second, no one said a word.
Aliana's stomach twisted. The sight burned itself into her mind.
"Isn't that our CEO?" Jane mumbled, her voice barely above a whisper. She shot Aliana a quick glance, reading her reaction like she knew Aliana had a crush on Arman.
Beatrice straightened up immediately, her face burning red as she stumbled over apologies. "I'm so sorry, sir! I didn't see where I was stepping...oh no, your collar..." She reached up without thinking, brushing at his shirt and fixing the crease she'd caused. Her hands trembled slightly as she patted down the front of his coat, desperate to make up for her clumsiness.
Arman shifted back, his expression unreadable as he adjusted his sleeves. But just as he turned, his eyes locked onto Aliana's.
The rest of the restaurant blurred away for a second.
She kept her face calm, expressionless, like this didn't matter. Like it didn't sting that much. Jane, sensing the tension, quickly motioned for everyone to move along.
"Come on, let's not interrupt them," she said softly, leading the group toward their reserved table.
Aliana followed without a word, her steps steady, her eyes fixed anywhere but the man now standing behind her. But inside, every nerve in her body was screaming, It's this happening a little too fast?