During a game of truth or dare, a colleague asked James about his biggest regret.
He said, "I did not achieve something significant while she was still around. I was not able to make her stay."
Everyone teased him, asking if he meant Emily. He said yes.
Back then, I was just his assistant. Watching him tear up while answering deeply moved me. Now, that same sentiment makes me sick.
Emily glanced at me out of the corner of her eye. She had noticed me long ago. She lit a cigarette in the restroom and leaned against the corner, waiting for me. "You saw everything, right? Your boyfriend... No, your fiancé has always been thinking about me."
My heart couldn't help but sting, but I quickly steadied myself thanks to my years of experience at business dinners. "Why are you doing this?"
"To take back what's mine," Emily said. "Oh, by the way, the wedding is designed just how he and I envisioned it when we were together. When he cried, he was looking at me. When he expressed his gratitude, it was for me."
I remembered the red stain on James' collar during the rehearsal as I watched her lips move. It was the same shade as her lipstick.