Once Upon a Time I Loved You - Chapter 3

Chapter 3

After Kathleen left the magazine office, she found Nathan leaning against his black Cullinan. He lowered his head, seemingly lost in thoughts.

She drew closer and finally understood what Poppy meant by “surprise“. The black Cullinan was packed with fresh red roses. Only the front passenger seat, the back seat, and the trunk were clear.

She heard the gossip among some of the female colleagues with whom she was close. Hiding behind the company signage, they stole glances in her direction while giggling amongst themselves and shoving each other.

In the past, Nathan would pick her up with something she loved–cupcakes, milk tea, or her favorite snacks.

Her colleagues were no strangers to his actions. Still, they’d poke fun at her each time. “Every time your boyfriend shows up, it’ll be raining snacks in the office. It’s all thanks to you, Kathy!

In the past, Kathleen had met their jokes with a quiet smile before distributing the snacks that Nathan brought her. She bet her colleagues were eyeing the roses in Nathan’s car now.

She called out to him, “Nate.”

Nathan raised his head, but he wore a scowl. He treated her coldly. “It’s just Nathan.”

Taken aback, she slowly nodded. “Got it, Nathan.”

“I was a bit harsh on you last night. Hope you don’t take it personally.”

“Okay.”

“But you’re not a child anymore. Don’t you ever do something as dangerous as pushing someone down the stairs.”

Kathleen’s head snapped up. She laughed incredulously. “So, are you here today to interrogate me?”

His face fell. “Do you still refuse to admit to your mistakes?”

“Nathan Meyer, you and I have known each other for 20 years. Even if I wanted to hurt Kelsey, I wouldn’t be that stupid to do it at home!” she cried, but she immediately regretted her actions. What was the point of explaining herself when she had planned to leave for good?

She said exasperatedly, “Whatever. Please go. I’m going back to work.”

Her colleagues quickly noticed something awry when she returned to the office entrance. They put on concerned looks.

“Kathy, did you fight with him?”

“Hey, cheer up. He must be here with the roses to make up with you. Give him a chance!”

“Right. Kathy, you need to count your blessings. It’s hard to find a good boyfriend like Nathan. Kathleen urged them with a blank face, “Stop gathering around. Get back to work.”

She commanded a certain level of authority in the company due to her superb talents. Her colleagues always listened to her. So, they reluctantly dragged themselves back to work with disappointed faces.

Poppy, who was closest with Kathleen at work, quietly pulled her aside. “Kathy, may I ask him for a stalk of roses? I saw the roses in his car. Look–I even got a vase ready.”

Kathleen felt a headache coming up. “I’ll buy one for you. Don’t worry. I will fill yours.”

She could not calm down even after getting back to work. She forced herself to process some old photographs she had taken. Suddenly, she received some notifications on her phone.

Kelsey texted her a few photos, along with the message with a blushing face emoji, “Which one do you prefer?”

Those were photos of night dresses in different designs. Actually, they looked more like skimpy lingerie, exposing all the private areas.

Soon, Kelsey retracted her text. “Oops, sorry. I texted the wrong number.”

Kathleen turned off her phone and tossed it into a drawer, knowing full well that Kelsey intended to provoke her with the texts.

After work, she finally pulled her phone out of the drawer and turned it on. There were no missed calls, texts, or WhatsApp messages–just radio silence.

In the past, Nathan would spam her with calls and texts if she went missing for 30 minutes or more. He’d even look for her at the magazine’s office.

He no longer did that.

Kathleen noticed that one of her Instagram contacts had updated their story. She tapped into the story and saw a familiar scene of a black Cullinan filled with fresh red roses.

Standing in front of the car, Kelsey smiled happily with a bunch of roses in her arms. The caption read, “Thank you, my dear. Best birthday present ever!”

Kathleen belatedly learned that it was Kelsey’s birthday. Nathan turned out to have bought all the flowers just to celebrate with Kelsey.

After work, Kathleen was reluctant to go home at first. However, Heather called worriedly, ” Kathy, why have you been working late nights these days? I’m worried about you; you’re a lone woman. I’ll get Nate to pick you up.”

But Kathleen no longer wished to take his car. His front passenger seat and his roses were not meant for her.

She replied, “It’s fine, Mrs. Meyer. I’ll take a cab.”

“Alright. Just be careful.”

When Kathleen got home in a cab, she ran into Nathan and Kelsey in the house. Kelsey, who dragged along a huge suitcase, happened to wander out of Kathleen’s bedroom at that moment.

“Kathy, you’re home!” exclaimed Kelsey.

Kathleen fumed. “You entered my room without my permission!”