Chapter 3

The next day I went back to the office to pick up some files I'd left behind.

Passing Ethan's office, I saw the door wasn't quite shut.

Piper's voice drifted out, coaxing and sweet.

"Ethan, about that project last time. Thank you for covering it up for me. If Serena ever found out she took the fall for me, that she gave up the VP spot because of me, she'd be so upset."

Ethan's voice was flat. "She won't find out. And I told you I'd cover for you."

Two years ago, that project had a serious problem.

I thought it was my own mistake. I didn't want it to hurt Ethan, so I stepped down from VP on my own and went home to be a wife.

It turned out it wasn't me.

It was Piper. And Ethan chose to protect her.

I should have understood long ago. Ethan was always the most responsible, the most careful person about work. Back then he'd stay up all night to fix a single wrong symbol. Yet when that project went wrong, he never even looked into it, just smoothed it over and closed it out.

At the time I thought he simply didn't want to embarrass me. Only now did I understand he did it for Piper.

"All right. It's your birthday today. I'll let you off early to celebrate."

I didn't listen to any more of it. I pushed open the door to my own office.

I froze.

Everything of mine on the desk was gone. The file folders, the picture frame, the mug, all of it replaced with pink storage boxes and a makeup mirror.

On the wall, the photo of me from the year I won the Employee Excellence Award had been swapped out for one of Piper's illustrations.

The nameplate behind the desk had been changed too. It read "Piper."

"Oh, Serena." Piper leaned against the doorway and said it lightly.

"I just heard someone say you'd come in. So it's true."

"Where's my split-leaf plant?"

Piper bit her lip. "Serena, that one... I noticed the leaves were getting a little yellow. I was afraid it would die and look ugly, so I threw it out..."

I turned my head to look at her.

"My mother planted that the year she died."

I turned back and looked at Ethan in the hallway.

He came over, his expression unchanged. "I told Piper to use the office for now. You hardly ever come in anyway. I'll have someone set up an identical office for you later. As for the plant... I'll figure something out."

To my own surprise, I found I couldn't summon even a flicker of anger. There was only a weary, helpless emptiness left.

"What did you say to me the day I left? 'I'll keep this office for you. Come back whenever you want.'"

I looked around the pink room, at all the makeup mirrors and lipsticks.

"Ethan, is there a single thing you've said that's true?"

"Serena—" he called out behind me.

I ignored him and left without looking back.

The elevator doors closed. I shut my eyes and let out a long breath.

So this was what happened after you gave up completely on someone. Even the tears were gone.