Chapter Fifty-Eight: Foolish Assumptions

EVELYN’S POV:

We walked out of the restaurant, the crowd still waiting outside. I tried to hide my tear-streaked face as we passed through them. When we reached the car, Leonard opened the door for me. I entered, and he followed. And he ordered the driver to move the car.

The only sound in the car was the soft hum of the engine and my quiet sobs. How could I have known that Leonard was only taking me for a ride and would eventually break my heart? Caleb was right all along. I remembered his warning, how he’d told me to be careful. Even though we were not cool, I regretted not listening to him.

Tears continued to flow as helplessness overwhelmed me.

"Evelyn, this isn’t what you think. Please let me explain," Leonard pleaded, his voice calm yet desperate.

His words only fueled my anger. "Please, Leonard, take me home and spare me the lies. You never even asked me out officially! I only assumed things. How foolish could I have been?" I said, my voice trembling through my tears.

"Evelyn, I was waiting for the perfect time," he defended himself.

"The perfect time? Well, breaking news—I just realized my mistake, and we’re done."

Leonard moved closer, trying to touch my hand, but I jerked it away.

"Leonard, leave me the hell alone!" I screamed, my voice breaking.

The drive to my house felt excruciatingly long. Every minute suffocated me, sharing the same air with him. What a loser, I thought to myself. A disrespectful man who couldn’t handle honesty.

Finally, we pulled up to my house. Leonard got out first and opened the door for me. I stepped out, He tried to follow me, probably to talk, but I ignored him completely. My cold demeanor left him no choice but to leave.

As I walked into the house, every step felt heavier than the last. By the time I reached my bedroom, the pain in my chest was unbearable. I flung myself onto the bed, crying until my voice was hoarse.

After an hour of sobbing and replaying everything in my mind, I pulled myself together. I recited affirmations to remind myself of my worth.

Eventually, I got up, went to the bathroom for a warm shower, and tidied myself up. I grabbed a bottle of water from the kitchen before returning to my room. Without thinking twice, I climbed into bed and drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, I was woken up by a call from my secretary. She’d applied for a four-day leave and wanted to confirm it with me.

"I’ll be at the office soon. We’ll talk more then," I told her.

"Uhmm, congratulations, ma’am," she added cheerfully. Her excitement confused me. Was there a promotion I wasn’t aware of? Or had another major client signed with the company?

"Thank you," I replied, still puzzled. I told her to schedule a meeting with Mr. Watt for 4 PM before ending the call.

I got out of bed, completed my morning routine, and got dressed for work. Before heading to the office, I decided to stop by my dad’s place.

When I arrived, I found him in the middle of a workout, which was rare. But I assume he was just bored.

"Good morning, Dad," I greeted him with a smile as I approached.

He responded warmly, and we chatted briefly. He asked if I was okay, mentioning that my eyes looked puffy. I brushed it off, blaming lack of sleep.

"Good luck today," he said before I left.

As I reached the garage, the driver opened the car door for me, but I decided to drive myself. Taking the keys, I drove off to the office.

When I arrived, I supervised the premises briefly. Everything seemed intact, so I headed to my office. My secretary entered immediately after spotting me.

"I sent an email to Mr. Watt, but he hasn’t approved it yet," she informed me. She also explained that her mother was ill, which was why she needed the leave.

I understood her situation and wished her mom a quick recovery. My secretary had always been diligent, and I mentally noted to consider her for a promotion soon.

I turned my attention to my laptop, checking emails and messages. One email caught my attention—it was a confirmation of a meeting next week regarding the successful project presentation. Our company had officially joined a major partnership. 

Suddenly, it made sense why my secretary had congratulated me earlier. I smiled, proud of the achievement, and continued attending to other emails and tasks.

Later, my secretary walked in again.

"Someone is here to see you," she said.

"Is it an official appointment?" I asked.

"No, it’s Leonard Henderson," she replied, almost as if expecting me to change my mind.

"I’m only accepting official appointments," I said firmly.

She left and returned with a bouquet of flowers.

"He left these," she said.

"Just put them somewhere," I replied dismissively.

It was lunchtime, and I decided to walk to a nearby restaurant. My phone rang again, but I ignored it. Leonard had been calling nonstop since morning, but I wasn’t ready to talk to him.

After a quick, light meal, I returned to the office and prepared for my meeting with Mr. Watt, he had sent his approval. The meeting went smoothly, and we secured the deal.

As we stood to leave, Mr. Watt turned to me with a smile.

"Congratulations, by the way," he said.

"Thank you, sir. I’m excited to give this my best," I replied.

"Not just about the deal—I mean congratulations to you and Leonard Henderson," he added, his words catching me off guard.

Confused, I nodded politely and thanked him. I remembered the phone call Leonard had made to Mr. Watt the other day. Perhaps he’d assumed we were together.

It was past 5 PM when I finally headed home. As I approached my front door, I spotted another bouquet of flowers and a note.

"Evelyn, I’m sorry, but you need to hear me out," the note read.

I rolled my eyes, left the flowers outside, and entered the house.

After grabbing dinner in the kitchen, I sat down to eat. My thoughts betrayed me, drifting to memories of Leonard—our meals together, our jokes, and the way he always made me smile. Frustrated, I grabbed my phone and turned on my data.

Immediately, notifications flooded in. Curious, I clicked on one that had tagged me on I*******m.

The headline caught my attention: "She’s the one," accompanied by a picture of Leonard and me holding hands from last night.

My heart skipped a beat.