Chapter 3: Public Masks, Private Battles

I felt both angry and oddly amused. I hadn’t even had time to process Marcus ignoring my call before he’d jumped to answer hers.

My jaw clenched, but I forced myself to look calm—years in the boardroom had taught me to hide my feelings.

I glanced at Hailey’s phone and said with a light smile, “You forgot to give your partner the address.”

She shot me a look like I was clueless, then grinned. “Oh, thanks for reminding me! I’ll send him the location now.”

She scrolled through her contacts, making sure I saw her send her location to Marcus—her contact name for him was “Babe.”

My stomach twisted. That word felt like a slap, and I could feel coworkers whispering behind their hands. The whole room had become an audience to my humiliation.

Some people shot Hailey weird looks—her boldness was starting to backfire. In most offices, she’d be called ambitious. Here, she just looked reckless. I caught someone shaking their head at the end of the table.

Even if I said nothing, she’d made her mark—and made things awkward for herself.

Of course, that’s only if her “partner” actually shows.

I could feel my cheeks flush, heat prickling under my skin. It wasn’t just betrayal—it was the public spectacle that made it sting.

About forty minutes later, the private room door opened.

The room had shifted into awkward chatter, glasses clinking, the country playlist turned up a notch. Hailey was still trying to draw attention, but the energy had changed. When the door swung open and Marcus walked in, everyone’s eyes snapped to him, then flicked back to me. For a second, all the attention made my skin crawl.

Someone joked, “See? Marcus came for Natalie after all!”

It was meant to save face, but it only made things more tense. Another coworker elbowed her neighbor, whispering about how Marcus always came through for me—like we were the company’s golden couple. I flashed to last year’s holiday party, where Marcus and I had slow-danced for the cameras, all smiles while people whispered about how perfect we were.

Marcus kept his usual, easy smile as he crossed the room. He locked eyes with me for a moment too long, then gently asked, “How much did you drink?”

He helped me up and turned to the group. “Natalie’s stomach isn’t great. That’s it for us tonight—we’ll head home.”

“You guys keep having fun.”

He pressed a hand to my back, guiding me out with the kind of practiced ease that comes from years of public performance. I felt every eye in the room on us, everyone waiting for a sign—envy, pity, gossip.

“Bye, Natalie! Get some rest!”

“Marcus, you’re the best!”

“Hailey, drink your penalty—fair’s fair!”

Laughter rippled through the room—some real, some forced. The tension eased just a little.

I glanced at Hailey. She was pouting at Marcus, working the wounded-innocent angle, like a reality show contestant who’d just lost a challenge. Her lower lip trembled, and she looked around for sympathy.

I almost laughed. “It’s just a game, no big deal.”

My voice was soft, but my gaze was steady, letting her know I wasn’t backing down.

“You all keep playing. Or—do you need a ride, Hailey?”

She tossed her hair and muttered, “No, I’ll get home myself.”

She grabbed her glass and downed it, trying to save face. Someone behind me whistled, making a crack about college drinking games.

I tilted my head at Marcus. He didn’t even look at Hailey—his gaze was locked on me, steady and unreadable. For all his flaws, he never let the mask slip in public.

He said quietly, “Let’s go.”

He squeezed my hand—a silent apology. I nodded, feeling the weight of everyone’s attention as we left. Marcus picked up my bag and fell in step behind me, just like always—a united front, even when everything felt like it was falling apart.