Longing for the Unreachable

"Honey, I picked up a cake from your favorite bakery. Come on over," Bernard Jackman said.I laughed, threw myself into his arms, wrapped my arms around his neck, and kissed him."Look at you spoiling me with cake," I teased.He gave me an indulgent smile, scooped me up, and set me gently on the couch.As always, he was meticulous. He unpacked the cake, poured drinks, and placed everything onto the coffee table."Dig in, my little foodie. I'm going to shower."I nodded and tasted the cake. The moment the first bite hit my tongue, I spit it back out. Confusion prickled through me as I glanced toward the bathroom.The filling was mango.I still remember the last time I ate a mango. It sent me to the emergency room with anaphylaxis.That night, Bernard held my hand without letting go, his eyes reddened as he promised he'd never let mango near me again.I told myself maybe he had no idea what was in it, but he was always so careful.The thought stuck like a thorn in my chest.I

After I hung up, I thought for a moment, then created a new account on Instagram and searched the handle I'd memorized.I sent a request, and she accepted almost immediately. She really had her guard down, even with a stranger.Bernard didn't come home that night. Apparently, she had kept him very satisfied.…The next morning, just as I arrived at the office, Bernard's assistant showed up with a bouquet of roses and a thermos of warm, sweet oatmeal Bernard had made himself.A minute later, Bernard called. "Honey, I just got notice I have to travel for work. I probably won't be home for the next few days. I swung by to pack and made your favorite oatmeal. Have it while it's hot."After the call, I opened my Instagram. The "maid" shared a breakfast photo, and there it was—the same sweet oatmeal.The caption said, "He made me breakfast as a reward for last night."Bernard once promised he'd never cook for anyone but me.A coworker stopped by my desk, her eyes lighting up at the

Bernard went pale the moment he saw me and hurried to shove the woman off his arm.She kept yapping anyway. "See how arrogant she is?""Shut up!" Bernard snapped.She flinched, blinking in confusion. "Babe, what's wrong? Why are you mad?""Vera, go home," he said in a low voice.So, her name was Vera.The room fell into awkward silence.Everyone exchanged uneasy looks until Wyatt tried to smooth it over. "Jenna, this is a misunderstanding. Let Bernard explain."As she read the room, Vera finally put the pieces together. Her arrogance vanished, leaving only a wounded look as her body trembled."Go back now!" Bernard urged.To my surprise, Vera didn't run. She slipped behind Bernard, peeking out with tearful eyes that barely hid the sly glint beneath, like a kitten crouching low yet ready to strike.So, I'd underestimated her after all.She'd called me before using his phone just to taunt me, so of course, she knew who I was. Maybe even that bump in the hallway had been stage

I left without looking back once, but what I didn't expect was that Vera would actually come to confront me.On Friday after work, she blocked my path at the entrance of my office building.She was decked out in labels and carried a designer bag. Bernard had clearly been spending on her.She lifted her chin like she'd already won. "Bernard said you're boring in bed. He can't even stand being around you! You're older than me and nowhere near as pretty. What do you even have to compete with me?"Her flailing bravado almost made me laugh.She was there the night I ended things with Bernard, so what scene was she trying to put on now?When she saw a few passersby slow down, Vera straightened and raised her voice so everyone could hear. "You can't force a man to love you. Bernard doesn't want you. Why are you still clinging to him?"That did make me laugh. I was clinging to Bernard?It sounded more like Bernard had tried to cut her loose, and she panicked. Those photos she kept send

After the fight, Bernard's eyes were puffed up, yet he flashed me a goofy grin."Jenna, see? I really like you! I can protect you!"At that moment, I finally let my guard down and hugged him tight."Who do you think you are? Do you have any idea who I am to Jenna?" Bernard's voice snapped me back to the present as he shot Zach a contemptuous look.I sighed and stepped between them. "Zach, he's my friend. We just had a misunderstanding. Thanks for the ride. You can head back now."Zach still looked worried. "Are you sure you're okay?""I'm fine. Thank you," I replied with a smile."Text me when you're inside," he said.I nodded.Zack got into his car and drove off.…Bernard asked coldly, "Who is he?""The new intern," I replied with a faint smile. "He's pretty handsome, right?"He took that as confirmation of whatever story he'd built in his head. His expression darkened as he snapped, "You can't just trust a guy like that! He's not serious about you! Don't let yourself ge