The Papers
The chatter in the boardroom quieted as Alex walked in, flanked by Victoria on one side and his mother, Diane Barrett, on the other. Victoria’s presence dominated the conference room like a carefully orchestrated symphony.
She sat confidently in Emma’s usual spot beside Alex, her crimson dress a stark contrast to the executive chairs.
Emma stood at the back of the room, tablet in hand, taking notes as Alex announced the company’s latest venture: an exclusive fashion line collaboration with Victoria Bennett. The irony wasn’t lost on Emma – Victoria had claimed her spot in more ways than one.
Alex’s mother, Diane, sat down next to Victoria with an approving nod and Emma felt her stomach tighten. Diane’s presence always brought a different tension to the room, but today her support of Victoria was clear. She leaned in close, speaking softly to Victoria, who nodded and shot another glance across the table at Emma, the subtle smirk in her expression unmistakable.
“Thank you all for joining us today,” Alex’s voice cut through the room, his usual commanding tone only half-focused. “Today’s agenda will cover our new collaboration with Ms. Montgomery’s fashion line, which will soon be under the Barrett Industries umbrella.”
Emma felt her hands clench under the table. Victoria’s fashion line? She hadn’t even been aware they’d been in discussions. She’d been frozen out of the most crucial updates, it seemed, and the revelation felt like a deliberate blow.
“We’re particularly excited to have Diane Barrett joining us as a special advisor for this project,” Alex continued, gesturing to his mother, who sat with perfect posture at the far end of the table. Diane’s approving smile toward Victoria spoke volumes.
The meeting dragged on, each minute feeling like an hour as Victoria expertly commanded attention, dropping casual references to her history with the company – and with Alex – that made Emma’s stomach turn. “Do you remember that charity gala in Milan, darling?” Victoria’s voice dripped honey. “The night you first proposed the Asian expansion?”
His slight smile told Emma he remembered. She gripped her tablet tighter, knowing exactly what Victoria was doing. It wasn’t enough to simply be present; she had to systematically erase Emma’s role, rewrite history with herself as the leading lady.
Alex’s gaze skimmed the room, finally landing on Emma. For a moment, something flickered in his eyes, an almost apologetic glint, before he returned to his composed, detached expression. He looked right past her to address the board, outlining the strategy for Victoria’s integration into the company, while Diane added her own words of support, practically gushing over Victoria’s “visionary talents” and “longstanding connection” with the family.
The whispers started almost immediately after the meeting. Emma caught fragments as she walked through the office: “…his first love…” “…always knew the marriage was strange…” “…just a placeholder…”
The words stung, each one sharper than the last. Emma kept her face carefully blank, willing herself to remain professional, even as she felt the room closing in around her. The whispers among the other executives didn’t help — snippets of gossip she couldn’t quite ignore.
“Weren’t they engaged once? Seems like she’s finally getting her spot back…”
“Wonder what that means for the current Mrs. Barrett…”
“She wasn’t exactly high-society material to begin with, was she?”
The weight of their stares pressed down on her, the familiar judgmental glances drilling into her from all sides. The isolation felt suffocating, but she held her chin high, ignoring the prickling sensation at the back of her neck.
She tried to focus on her work, but Victoria’s voice carried through the open office layout, deliberately loud enough to reach Emma’s desk. “…poor Alex was so lost after I left. You know how men can be, making rash decisions…”
The words stung, but it was Alex’s continued obliviousness that truly hurt. He seemed blind to Victoria’s calculated moves, to the way she was systematically dismantling Emma’s position in both the company and his life.
When Alex’s assistant appeared at her desk that afternoon, Emma knew. The carefully neutral expression, the quiet “Mr. Barrett would like to see you in his office” – it was all too formal, too distant.
The walk to his office felt like a march to execution. Victoria stood by the window, gazing out at the city skyline, a satisfied smile playing at her lips. Alex sat behind his desk, a manila envelope placed precisely in front of him.
“Emma,” he began, his voice professional, detached. “Please, sit down.”
She remained standing, her legs somehow supporting her even as her world began to tilt.
“I believe we both knew this was coming,” Alex continued, sliding the envelope toward her. “Our arrangement has served its purpose, but circumstances have changed. Victoria and I want to try again.”
The words hit like physical blows. Arrangement. Purpose. Try again. As if the past year meant nothing. As if their late-night conversations, shared dreams, and quiet moments of understanding were just items on a contract to be fulfilled and discarded.
“You understand,” Alex added, not quite meeting her eyes. “This was always temporary.”
Emma stared at the envelope, her vision blurring slightly at the edges. She wanted to scream, to remind him of Shanghai, of the way he’d looked at her when they danced at the Christmas party, of all the moments that had felt anything but temporary. Instead, she picked up the envelope with steady hands.
“Of course,” she managed, her voice surprisingly calm. “Will that be all, Mr. Barrett?”
She turned and walked out before he could answer. The office seemed to stretch endlessly before her, faces turning to watch her passage, whispers following in her wake.
The elevator doors closed behind her and Emma finally allowed herself to breathe. The envelope felt heavy in her hands, weighted with the destruction of dreams she hadn’t even admitted to having. The world started to spin, colors blurring together as the magnitude of what had just happened crashed over her.
She stumbled out of the elevator into the lobby, the divorce papers slipping from her grasp and scattering across the marble floor. The last thing she saw before darkness claimed her was Alex’s face as he rushed toward her falling form.
As consciousness faded, Emma thought she heard him call her name – not with professional distance, but with the warmth she’d grown to love. But that couldn’t be right. After all, this was always temporary.
Wasn’t it?
