Chapter 6
The wedding convoy soon arrived at the hotel.
During a quick break to fix my makeup, I got my phone back. The moment I turned it on, a flood of messages and missed calls engulfed my
screen.
Most of them were from Zachary:
“Natalie, please pick up the phone!”
“Natalie, I was wrong. Please come back. Don’t marry someone
“I’m begging you, come back! I can’t lose you…
else!”
There were countless missed calls, but what surprised me was that Aria had messaged me too..
Her texts, unlike Zachary’s desperate pleas, were filled with mockery and provocation:
“Natalie, today is my wedding day with Zachary. He sent you away on purpose because he was afraid you’d cause trouble.”
“If you have any self–respect, you’ll let him go and stop clinging to him.”
“The one who isn’t loved is the real third wheel. Do you really think Zachary hasn’t broken up with you because he loves you? No, sweetie, he just pities you.”
“He doesn’t love you anymore. You’re old, dull, and lifeless. Compared to me–young, beautiful, and full of energy–you’re nothing. When he’s with me, he feels alive, like life has meaning again. But you? You’re just a tired, washed–up woman who makes him sick to look at.”
I stared at her childish words, feeling nothing but amusement.
If her relationship with Zachary was as strong as she claimed, then why was she so insecure? A “winner” should be confident, above it all–not sneaking around, sending petty texts to the person they supposedly defeated.
This wasn’t the first time Aria had tried to provoke me. The last time she was this direct was when I brought Zachary lunch for the final time.
Back when Zachary was starting his business, he worked himself into the ground and ruined his stomach. For years, I experimented with different ways to cook meals that were easy on his digestive system.
Then Aria entered the picture as his secretary.
At first, she’d bring him food under the guise of saving time, saying it was more efficient for him to eat while working. She didn’t even try to avoid me when she did it.
“Natalie,” she’d say with a sweet smile, “you and Mr. Stone are my biggest benefactors. I see how hard he works, and as his secretary, it’s my responsibility to take care of him.”
3:16 PM
<
She never missed a chance to remind me how Zachary and I had helped her in the past.
At first, I felt uncomfortable. Her behavior seemed inappropriate, like she was overstepping boundaries.
But Zachary didn’t see it that way. He brushed off my concerns, telling me I was overthinking it.
“She’s just trying to repay a debt of gratitude,” he said. “Besides, her cooking isn’t even half as good as yours.”
Then he added, “Natalie, trust me, okay? Don’t let your imagination run wild.”
His words didn’t reassure me. The unease lingered.
Zachary noticed my discomfort and decided to address it head–on. He called Aria into his office while I was there.
With his arm draped casually over my shoulder, he said, “Aria, you don’t need to bring me food anymore. Just focus on your job. Natalie takes care of all my meals.”
Aria’s face turned pale, and her eyes immediately filled with tears.
She looked like a scolded child who’d been caught doing something wrong. Her lips trembled as she stammered out an apology.
“I’m so sorry, Natalie. I really didn’t mean any harm. I just wanted to help Mr. Stone. If I made you uncomfortable, I sincerely apologize. You can yell at me or punish me if it makes you feel better. Please, just don’t be mad at Mr. Stone because of me.”
Her overly dramatic reaction made me frown. Something about it felt off–calculated, even.
I shared my thoughts with Zachary afterward, but he dismissed them as paranoia.
“I’ve already told her to stop, haven’t I? Relax, Natalie. Be happy, okay?“.
And with that, he shut down the conversation.
Afterward, things seemed to settle down. Aria stopped bringing him meals, and I let my guard down.
I even started to feel guilty for doubting her intentions. Maybe I had overreacted.
To make up for it, I’d occasionally remind Zachary to look out for her at work, especially when things got busy.
But then I got sick and couldn’t bring Zachary lunch for a while.
And that’s when everything began to unravel.
