I Was The Backup Plan, She Was The Return Chapter 07
He’d planned to use her birthday to tell Nora how he felt and
finally bring them closer.
For two months, he’d agonized over finding something good
enough for her. In the end, he’d prepared two gifts.
The first was everything he owned. He’d prepared an asset
transfer agreement to give her his home, his bank accounts,
and his company stock.
He hadn’t hesitated over any of it. He’d have given himself to
her, too, if she wanted him.
The other gift was the scarf he’d spent two months learning
to knit himself.
Winter was coming, and she always forgot to wear one.
He’d even stitched his initials into it, a clumsy little attempt
to claim her as his.
When Nora found it, he’d panicked, afraid she’d guessed the
surprise he’d been planning.
Now he didn’t even have the right to give it to her
Julian sat on the couch, forcing himself to calm down and
think about where she might have gone,
She’d always had a strained relationship with her family and
rarely visited them, even after they married.
He couldn’t stand them after they’d tried to pawn her off on
a middle–aged man. He didn’t even have their number.
Her coworkers probably wouldn’t know where she was, either.
She kept things polite and professional, and as far as he
knew, she wasn’t close to any of them.
Would the police even treat her as missing? She was an adult
who’d been gone less than half a day.
He raked a hand through his hair, frustrated that he couldn’t
seem to think straight.
His phone rang. One of his more capable employees was calling.
“Mr. Mercer, who’s taking over Nora’s work now that you’ve fired her?”
“Who told you I fired her?”
His voice was hoarse. Something wasn’t right, and he had a
feeling Sloane was behind it.
The employee hesitated.
“That’s what everyone’s saying.”
They said Sloane told them herself. Something about Nora
having a crush on you when she should’ve known better.”
The employee chuckled awkwardly. “I mean, you wouldn’t
want someone like that working for you, right?”
Word of Julian’s resignation hadn’t spread yet.
Julian clenched his jaw, a vein throbbing at his temple.
He’d known it. Sloane had driven away the wife he’d schemed
so hard to marry.
Tell me everything that’s happened at work lately.”
“Anything involving Nora.”
The employee paused, assuming Julian was looking for more reasons to punish her.
They recounted every rumor about Nora and every clash
she’d had with Sloane, then sent several videos coworkers had secretly recorded.
When he’d read Nora’s neatly written note on the title page
of The AI Wave, he’d been ridiculously happy.
“Fuck!”
He finally understood what had happened.
He hated Sloane for interfering, but he hated himself more.
If he’d been a dog, he’d have wagged his tail clean off.
Why hadn’t he told her how he felt sooner?
After retrieving The AI Wave from the trash, he’d read Nora’s
note on the title page and been ridiculously happy.
He’d actually thought that if he’d been a dog, his tail
would’ve wagged right off.
He’d called Nora to his office because he couldn’t wait
another second.
He’d meant to tell her how he felt, to admit that his fear and
stupidity had cost them three years.
Then he’d been dragged into a meeting, only to come back
and find his wife gone.
Julian took a breath and picked up his phone.
For the first time, he posted something in the office Slack
channel that wasn’t strictly about work: a photo of their marriage certificate.
@channel I’m married. Stop spreading rumors.]
He hesitated, then added:
(Also, any advice on how to make it up to my wife? DM me. I’ll
make it worth your while.]