A week passed, and Elisse hadn't heard from Colin or even seen a trace of him. That was when she finally accepted the reality that they were truly over. Her life had revolved around him for three years, and letting him go wasn't an easy decision.
At work, she would often space out, questioning why Colin had changed overnight without warning, until her manager would shout at her for slacking during work hours. As a result of her poor performance, it wasn't surprising when she was summoned to her manager's office right after the boutique closed.
Elisse had once been one of the best employees, and she felt embarrassed that her attitude had significantly affected her work. Therefore, she told herself that she would gladly accept whatever punishment management decided to impose on her.
She knocked on the door and heard a familiar voice say, "Enter." Inside, a petite woman in her early forties was seated in a swivel chair. She gently lifted her head at the sound of the door closing. "You finally came," she said in a soft-spoken manner. "Do you have any idea why I called you here?"
Elisse bit her lip. "I do, Miss Ruby," she whispered, unable to meet her manager's gaze.
"Good." The woman clasped her hands beneath her chin, her temples scrunched into a frown. "You broke a display, mixed up a customer's order twice, and there's more complaints I'm too tired to even mention. Do you know how much of a headache I've had these past few days because of those complaints?"
"I take full responsibility. I'm really sorry. I've just been…" She looked down at the floor in embarrassment. "...distracted lately, although that's no excuse for my mistakes."
"I understand that you might have personal issues, but we have a business to run. I'm worried that if you continue to act this way, the business might suffer."
"Please punish me as you see fit, Miss Ruby. I will hold no grudge because I have nothing to blame except for myself."
The woman leaned back in her chair, studying Elisse with a hint of disappointment and concern in her eyes. "Then I shall inform you of management's decision. Starting tomorrow, you'll be on indefinite disciplinary leave. Take the time to sort yourself out, Elisse."
Elisse managed to summon a smile despite the urge to burst into tears. "Thank you, Miss Ruby. I'll use this time to reflect and figure things out."
"I hope you do, Miss Winters. You have so much potential, and I'd hate to see you throw it all away. Take care of yourself. Come back when you're ready."
Elisse turned to leave, swallowing the lump in her throat as she walked to the door, shutting it behind her.
—
The snow had stopped falling when Elisse stepped out of the building. The air was colder than the day before, cutting through her skin even under her layers of clothing.
She climbed into the car and shut the door, letting out a sigh of relief, grateful to have escaped the freezing air.
Turning on the engine, she pulled out of the parking lot. She wasn't in a hurry to go home since there was no one waiting for her there to ease the weight on her chest. Her life really sucked, she thought with a sigh.
As she reached the intersection, the light turned red. She leaned back in the leather seat, tapping her fingers on the steering wheel. She was torn between driving straight home or turning right to visit her friend, who lived a short distance away. Sheila would definitely be happy to see her; after all, they hadn't seen each other in a month.
Elisse was having second thoughts, though. Sheila might have already retired early for the evening and might not even be home at the moment. Her friend worked as a freelance model and had received a lot of projects this month—thanks to her father, who is the current mayor and had many connections in the industry.
The light suddenly turned green, jolting her attention back to the road. She instinctively pressed the accelerator but hesitated just before the intersection. Her mind was still wrestling with the idea of visiting Sheila. At the spur of the moment, she turned right.
La Casa, the mansion where Sheila's family lived, wasn't that far. After nearly five minutes of driving, the massive three-story house came into view. After parking her car a few distances away, she emerged and decided to make her way to the gate but stopped in her tracks when a family gray car arrived. Realizing it was Colin's car, Elisse immediately climbed back into her car in fear he would spot her. She still wasn't ready to face him after their breakup.
Elisse was still wondering why Colin was at the Kingsley residence when he emerged from the driver's seat, wearing a tailored suit that looked exceptionally good on him. She watched as he turned to the other side to open the door for his companion, and her breath hitched in her throat upon seeing it was Sheila. Sheila wore a stunning sequin gown that hugged her figure like a second skin.
It seemed they had just been to a party. Elisse didn't think much of seeing them together; after all, the Bradford family and the Kingsley family were quite close.
Elisse couldn't quite catch the words exchanged between them, but she noticed the smile on Colin's face as Sheila spoke to him. It hurt to see him so happy, especially knowing she wasn't the reason for that smile. Their conversation continued for a few minutes until Sheila leaned in, pressed a kiss to Colin's cheek, and wished him goodnight before heading inside the house.
Elisse felt a tightening in her chest, as if her heart were being squeezed. Sheila Kingsley was everything any man could desire—beautiful, smart, wealthy, with a bright career ahead of her. Elisse wouldn't be surprised at all if Colin found himself falling for her.