《Paper Flowers》 Chapter 1 The yellowish lights of the Christmas tree in the corner of the caf¨¦ started flashing. ¡°What did you just say?¡± ¡°I said I want to break up,¡± he replied, a grimace spread across his handsome face. Her mouth was spread in an ¡°o¡± shape. ¡°But why?¡± she asked. Was I really alone in thinking this was a serious relationship? She wondered. ¡°Daphne.¡± The man said her name as though he couldn¡¯t give two shits about its owner. ¡°Do you understand that all you do is work?¡± She clenched her jaw, looking through the window. Even though it was a couple of days before Christmas, there was only a dusting of snow on the ground. Last minute shoppers were rushing around in the strip mall area, packages in hand. ¡°I work so that we can have a better future together,¡± Daphne replied, turning back to the man. She looked down at the still steaming cup of hot cocoa in front of her. He didn¡¯t even give me a chance to get settled in my seat, she thought. Was he always this much of a dick? ¡°How does your job have anything to do with me?¡± he asked, crossing his arms in front of her. ¡°Gary,¡± she said, trying to his say his name in the same tone of voice that he had just said hers in. Her voice cracked instead. She bit her lip, feeling the blood rush to her face. How I wish the floor would just swallow me whole right now, she thought, wincing at the sound of her voice. ¡°How does my job not affect you?¡± she asked, trying to reason with him. ¡°You¡¯re always asking me for extra money to cover your bills.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t live together,¡± Gary replied coolly. ¡°I can always find another way to pay for things.¡± ¡°Are you going to get a job?¡± Daphne asked him, raising her eyebrows. ¡°Or did you find another way to earn money and that¡¯s why you¡¯re dumping me?¡± Daphne looked up and met his eyes. He was grimacing, clearly annoyed. She took a sip out of the hot cocoa in her mug. The song on the radio changed to a song about all of the gifts someone had gotten for Christmas. Gary¡¯s frown deepened, and she could tell that he was grinding his teeth together. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± he said, his palm hitting the table with a soft slam. ¡°I¡¯ve spent so much time waiting for you to get off work, every single day of the last six months, that I ended up meeting someone else.¡± Daphne felt her upper lip pull back from her teeth. ¡°She¡¯s going to take care of you in the same way I have?¡± she asked, her stomach rolling at the thought. After all I did for him? ¡°She¡¯s going to take care of me better than you have,¡± Gary snarled. ¡°You act as if money was all this relationship needed. How shallow of you.¡± She shook her head. Is he serious right now? ¡°So, you are telling me that while I was working my ass off and taking this relationship seriously, you¡¯ve been off gallivanting with some other woman,¡± Daphne said. ¡°Did you ever even try to get a job or were you just mooching off of me?¡± Her breaths were heavy, as if she had been running. Emotions that she had been holding back for months bubbled up to the surface. Gary scowled at her, his green eyes crinkling up in the corners. ¡°Obviously I was seriously looking for a job. You wouldn¡¯t understand how difficult it is to find a job in this economy,¡± he whined. Gary took a giant gulp of his hot chocolate.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Daphne glowered at him. ¡°You¡¯re not going to say anything else about how you found this new woman?¡± she asked. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business,¡± Gary replied, dismissing her with a hand wave. ¡°It is not as though you¡¯re my girlfriend or anything like that.¡± ¡°I can still change,¡± Daphne protested, her heart cracking a little under the heat of his barb. ¡°Now that we¡¯re talking about this, I can take on less work and spend more time with you.¡± Gary¡¯s upper lip curled up at her, a look of contempt filling his face. ¡°After I waited around to spend time with you for six months?¡± he asked. ¡°It¡¯s too late. You¡¯ll only change for the short-term. People don¡¯t change.¡± Daphne flinched at his words. I can still at least try, she thought. She searched his face for a trace of the man that she had once known¡­or thought she had once known anyway. When did things change? She wondered. Surely it wasn¡¯t always this way. ¡°All I¡¯ve done is give you what you¡¯ve asked for,¡± she stated. ¡°If you didn¡¯t ask for more of my time, how was I supposed to know that you weren¡¯t feeling satisfied?¡± Gary shrugged at her. ¡°I dunno. That sounds like a ¡®you¡¯ problem.¡± ¡°What?¡± she snapped. ¡°How am I supposed to give you what you want if you don¡¯t tell me?¡± Her voice was getting shrill, and people in the caf¨¦ were starting to look over at them with curious glances. Daphne swallowed hard and smoothed her thick, black hair in an effort to compose yourself. ¡°I told you what I wanted,¡± Gary replied. ¡°A serious partnership where we treat each other as equals. You¡¯ve only given me things I don¡¯t want.¡± He took another big swig of his hot cocoa, and then continued. ¡°You¡¯re clearly the one in control of this relationship. You act as though you want me to be a dependent baby on you.¡± He shook his head, grimacing at her. ¡°And you¡¯ve basically ignored me for six months. What do you expect?¡± Daphne took a deep, shaky breath, letting out super-heated air. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you misconstrued our relationship that way, but I¡¯m sorry. Is there any way you can find it in your heart to give me a second chance? I can do everything in my power to change.¡± Gary rubbed his nose, a look of derision coming back onto his face. ¡°I already told you, it¡¯s too late. You can find some other guy to change for.¡± He stood up and took one last big gulp out of his cocoa mug, slammed it down on the table and walked away. Daphne turned her head to look out the window again. Besides of the lack of snow, the people who were laughing and smiling, their arms full of shopping bags and gifts, could have been straight out of a Christmas movie. She saw Gary leave the caf¨¦, still looking annoyed and fiddling with his cell phone. Her jaw clenched at the sight of his retreating back. I will not cry, she thought. She took a deep, shaky breath, and took another sip of her cocoa. Instead of tasing sweet, the drink tasted sour and bitter. She looked down at the mug to see how much was left. It was still half-full. Did he really have to break up with me two days before Christmas? She wondered. I was looking forward to spending some time with him, and now I¡¯m just going to be¡­alone. She bit down on her lip hard, nearly drawing blood, trying to swallow down her emotions. Even though they hadn¡¯t been together all that long, it felt as though she¡¯d had a hole drilled straight through her chest. She took another swig of the hot cocoa, which was still lukewarm and sour. I might as well finish it if I have to pay for it, she thought. Her lips turned downwards, as she swallowed the liquid, holding back a choke. She looked into the mug. One more big gulp and I¡¯m done. She chugged it down and sighed heavily. I should have known this day was going to be absolutely shit from the get-go, she thought, as she stood up and walked to the register. I should have just stayed in bed when my alarm did not go off this morning. ¡°Can I cash out, please?¡± Daphne asked the young lady who was manning the register. ¡°Certainly!¡± she replied brightly, her smile a contrast to the darkness that Daphne was feeling. ¡°Two hot cocoas is¡­¡± She was typing the items into her register. ¡°Two?¡± Daphne asked. ¡°He didn¡¯t pay for his?¡± ¡°Sorry, ma¡¯am,¡± the young lady replied meekly, looking a bit scared. ¡°He did not.¡± That fucking bastard had to just keep taking until the very end, didn¡¯t he? Daphne thought. And he says that I wasn¡¯t giving him what he wanted. ¡°Your total is going to be seven dollars and thirteen cents,¡± the worker told her. Daphne sighed heavily and took a ten dollar bill out of her wallet. The worker gave her the change, and Daphne put a one-dollar tip in the jar. The girl seemed to brighten up a bit again after she did. ¡°Have a nice evening and a Merry Christmas!¡± the worker stated in her bubbly tone as Daphne opened the door to leave. Neither of those things will be true for me, Daphne thought, bitterly. If only I could have an ounce of this girl¡¯s attitude toward life. ¡°You too,¡± Daphne replied dully, shutting the caf¨¦¡¯s door behind her. Chapter 2 ~Earlier that day~ Fiona peeked over Daphne¡¯s cubicle wall. Her bright red eyebrows looked perfectly manicured as usual. Her green-blue eyes met Daphne¡¯s brown ones. ¡°Daphne,¡± she said in her nasally, snotty voice. ¡°Trevor is looking for you.¡± Daphne put her purse down and groaned. ¡°I¡¯ve barely just gotten here,¡± she muttered softly to herself. ¡°The rest of us have already been here for forty-five minutes,¡± Fiona shot back as she sat back down on the other side of their shared cubicle wall. Daphne rolled her eyes in the new privacy of her cubicle. As if she, or anyone in this office, works as hard as I do, Daphne thought. She sighed and took off her outerwear, trying to move as quickly as possible. He¡¯s probably going to rip my head off for being late, she thought. As if I don¡¯t work sixty hours most weeks. She stood up and took a deep breath. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Fiona smirking haughtily. Is she up to no good again? Daphne wondered. Her chest felt as though a lead weight was crushing it. Daphne did her best to shake off her emotions. Let¡¯s just get this over with, she thought. I will feel better once I get started on my work for the day. She pumped her fist at herself, doing everything she could to ignore the lead from her chest sinking into her stomach. She walked over to Trevor¡¯s office and paused before she knocked on the door. She could hardly breathe. She clutched the neckline of the sweater she was wearing and then knocked softly on the door. She squeezed her eyes shut and then heard her boss¡¯s voice saying, ¡°Come in!¡± If she didn¡¯t know better, she would assume that Trevor was a pleasant man based on his voice alone. Daphne tried to swallow as she opened the door to his office. It got stuck in her throat because it was dry and patchy. ¡°Ah, Ms. Woods,¡± Trevor said. ¡°Please shut the door behind you.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± she croaked, thankful that she was able to make any noise at all. ¡°I saw that you were late today,¡± Trevor began as soon as the latch clicked into place. Daphne squeezed her eyes shut. Why did my alarm have to fail today of all days? She turned around, opening her eyes to look at her moldy boss. ¡°I¡¯m very sorry about that,¡± she said. ¡°My alarm malfunctioned, and I came as quickly as I could.¡± ¡°I think that someone of your experience level ought to know by this point how essential it is for you to be on time,¡± Trevor replied, crossing his stick arms. ¡°You¡¯re right, I do,¡± she replied, the words tumbling out of her mouth without much thought. ¡°It won¡¯t happen again.¡± Please, please, please, just take my apology and leave me alone today, she thought. I do not want to deal with this. I have work to get done! ¡°Fiona also informed me that you were supposed to have the business plan for the new printers for our office drafted up by this morning as well.¡± Daphne¡¯s stomach fluttered, and she felt herself blinking rapidly. ¡°The um¡­what?¡± she asked. ¡°The business plan for the new printers for our office?¡± Trevor said patronizingly. Does this dumb ass even know what he¡¯s saying? Daphne wondered. A business plan for new printers? Surely, he¡¯s joking. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Daphne said, looking down at the carpet. ¡°It must have slipped my mind this week. I¡¯ve been in meetings pretty much all week for all of the other projects I¡¯m working on, so¡­¡± Trevor slammed his palm onto his desk. ¡°So instead of coming in early to finish it, you chose to come in late?¡± he asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know that ¡®chose¡¯ is the correct word¡­¡± Daphne began. Trevor dramatically got up out of his chair, swinging his arms wide open. ¡°Regardless, I don¡¯t have a business plan to send right now, do I?¡± he asked. ¡°Are you going to stay late and get it done tonight?¡± Is this some kind of joke? Daphne wondered. As if I don¡¯t already have a mountain of work to do today?The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°But sir,¡± she protested. ¡°Tomorrow is Christmas Eve.¡± ¡°All of the more reason to do everything in your power to get it done today,¡± Trevor pointed out. Daphne pressed her fingers to her temple, holding back a heavy sigh. I¡¯m certain Fiona never told me anything about this, she thought. Which just means she probably dumped it on me this morning to get out of it. She chewed on her lips. Fucking typical Fiona. She looked up at Trevor who was scowling at her. ¡°Well?¡± he prompted. Is there any way I can get out of this? She thought. Am I seriously going to have to postpone my plans with Gary even more because of Fiona? Trevor¡¯s face was turning beet red. Daphne knew that if she waited much longer to respond, she was going to end up getting screamed at. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­¡± she choaked out, tightening her grip around the wrist of her other hand. ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± she swallowed hard. It¡¯ll be fine, she thought. Gary and I are going to spend Christmas together. He¡¯ll forgive me for having to push back our plans tonight. ¡°Excellent,¡± Trevor replied. ¡°I¡¯m sure you have a lot to get done, so go on ahead,¡± he added, clapping his hands together. Daphne closed her eyes, feeling her stomach sink from the weight of her decision. ¡°Thank you for understanding sir,¡± she said. She opened her eyes and turned to leave. She left his office, gently closing the door behind her and then grit her teeth. What the fuck? She finally allowed herself to think. Why is Fiona throwing me under the bus for something I didn¡¯t do that she didn¡¯t even ask me to do? Daphne let out a short sigh and strode over to Fiona¡¯s cubicle. ¡°Can we talk?¡± she asked Fiona. Daphne¡¯s jaw was working hard, and she was doing everything she could in her power to keep her voice steady. ¡°Sure,¡± Fiona replied with a little smile and turning in her chair. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± she asked. ¡°I don¡¯t remember you asking me to put together a business plan at all,¡± Daphne said, crossing her arms tightly. ¡°Why did you tell Trevor that I was supposed to have it done by today?¡± Fiona looked at Daphne innocently. ¡°What do you mean?¡± she asked. ¡°Is that why he called you to his office?¡± It took everything in Daphne to hold back a growl. ¡°Why yes, it is,¡± she replied. ¡°What is it a business case for?¡± Fiona asked, tapping a single finger on her lips as if she was searching through her memories. Daphne wasn¡¯t sure if she was imagining it or not, but it looked like Fiona was having to hold back a smile. ¡°A business plan¡­for new printers?¡± Daphne asked, again, realizing how stupid the words sounded. ¡°Ah!¡± Fiona exclaimed. ¡°That business plan.¡± She swung her pointer finger up into the air next to her head. ¡°Yes, that¡­business plan,¡± Daphne answered, furrowing her brows and shaking her head slightly. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember me telling you about it on Monday?¡± Fiona asked, her face turning serious as she leaned forward towards Daphne. Daphne frowned. ¡°When would you have had a chance to tell me about it on Monday?¡± she asked. ¡°I was in meetings from seven am to six pm.¡± ¡°It was over lunch, don¡¯t you remember?¡± Fiona scoffed, leaning back in her chair. ¡°I haven¡¯t gotten a lunch break in a long time¡­¡± Daphne replied, crossing her arms and giving Fiona a sideways glance. ¡°There¡¯s no way you would have told me about it over lunch.¡± Fiona narrowed her eyes. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re just not remembering?¡± she asked, pursing her lips. ¡°Are you sure you didn¡¯t ask someone else?¡± Daphne asked. ¡°It was definitely you,¡± Fiona replied with a patronizing smile. Daphne¡¯s jaw tightened. She¡¯s so full of shit, she thought. But there¡¯s not a whole lot I can do since I already told Trevor I¡¯d take care of it. ¡°Fine,¡± Daphne replied, trying to keep her voice level. ¡°Is there anything you can share with me about what is needed for the business plan? I don¡¯t know anything about it.¡± Fiona¡¯s demeanor switched back to her usual fake, happy-go-lucky self. ¡°I can send you the printers we are supposed to write about in the plan,¡± she said, spinning around in her chair and pulling open her web browser up on one of the monitors in front of her. ¡°Do you know how many we might need?¡± Daphne asked. ¡°And will you send me the link to that web page?¡± ¡°Sending it right now,¡± Fiona replied, opening up the company¡¯s instant messaging platform on a second monitor and sending the link to Daphne. ¡°And I believe there is supposed to be information in the plan about what it would take to get three printers and compare that to what it would be like if we were able to get seven.¡± Daphne gritted her teeth. There was no way Fiona had ever told her about this. It was going to take a significant period of time to compare three versus seven printers. The business proposal alone could take most of her day up. It¡¯s not even my job as a project manager to deal with these kinds of tasks, Daphne thought, one of her fists clenching. This is far out of my scope of work. She swallowed her emotions. ¡°And where might these printers be placed?¡± she asked. ¡°Our department,¡± Fiona replied, turning back around, ¡°And in the continuous improvement department¡¯s area as well.¡± ¡°So just this floor then?¡± Daphne asked, some of the pressure in her chest loosening. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Fiona replied with a bright smile. Daphne nodded sharply. ¡°I¡¯ll let you know if I have any other questions then,¡± she replied. ¡°Okay,¡± Fiona chirped back. Daphne took a deep breath, to steady herself and sat back down in her chair in the cubicle right next to Fiona. She couldn¡¯t hold back a sigh as she massaged her temples, letting out another heavy breath. Daphne picked up her phone and saw it was already nine thirty. She suppressed the urge to exhale again at the time. She opened up her text messages to Gary and typed to him. Hey. Something has come up at work. Any chance we could meet at 7:30 instead? So sorry. Miss you. Much to her surprise, he saw her message right away and responded. Seriously? Why does this always happen? Why are you always putting me off? A lump formed in Daphne¡¯s throat. I should have known better than to think he would be okay with this, she thought. I¡¯m sorry, she replied. It¡¯s urgent. Fine, he answered. Daphne took a big gulp of water out of her plain, silver water bottle, but the lump in her throat did not disappear. Chapter 3 Against her will, Daphne was dragged out for the team luncheon. Fiona, of all the people, had grabbed Daphne¡¯s arm at the last moment, insisting on her coming. Daphne had tried to fight back, but despite her rail thin frame, Fiona was stronger than Daphne gave her credit for. As the team had walked down the street with Daphne trailing behind in the back, heading towards whatever restaurant Trevor had chosen, she overheard him say, ¡°This is a Christmas gift for our project management team!¡± No one had been paying attention to her, so she couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes. A better gift would have been to relieve our workload for the holidays, she thought. If anything, it seems as though he¡¯s been ramping it up. They turned and started filing into a kitschy looking place with bright white lights, and enormous, colorful blob like chairs. Daphne held back a grimace. ¡°How many?¡± the hostess asked Trevor. ¡°Fifteen,¡± he replied. ¡°Of course,¡± the hostess replied. The restaurant was pretty much deserted. ¡°We can accommodate that. Would you be willing to give us a few minutes to set up a space?¡± ¡°Of course, that¡¯s no problem at all!¡± Trevor replied, seeming to be in a lax mood at the moment. Yet he wasn¡¯t calm for me this morning, Daphne thought. She took a deep breath, wondering how she was going to make it through the luncheon and the day. ¡°Do you want to sit together?¡± one of her co-workers, Holly, asked. Daphne looked down at the young looking woman. Her hair was full of braids, and she was smiling so broadly up at her. Have she and I ever talked before? Daphne wondered. I¡¯m not sure that we have. ¡°Umm, sure,¡± Daphne replied with a half-smile. ¡°Right this way,¡± the hostess said, coming up to the group. ¡°That was some speedy service!¡± Trevor exclaimed. Daphne had to hold back a cringe. If only these servers knew what he was really like, she thought. The hostess led their group into what looked like it might normally be considered a party room. Fifteen of the artsy, colorful blob chairs had been squeezed around the table, making it nearly impossible to walk around the room. ¡°Whoever uses the restroom or gets up the most often should sit closest to the doors,¡± Trevor announced. ¡°That way the rest of us can eat in peace.¡± Daphne couldn¡¯t keep the grimace off her face at the comment. Was that really necessary? She wondered. What a dick thing to say. She filed into the room behind her colleagues, Holly behind her. The hostess place a bundle of menus at the end of the table as everyone sat down. ¡°Your server willbe with you shortly,¡± she said with a small smile. Trevor had been the first one in, with Fiona next to him. As he sat down, he announced, ¡°Make sure whatever you choose on the menu, that it¡¯s under fifteen dollars.¡± There were groans from the team members as Daphne sat down. Of course there¡¯s a limit, she thought, frowning. The menus were beginning to be passed down, and Daphne soon got her hands on one. She looked it over and immediately noticed that there were only four items that were fifteen dollars or less. She shook her head, holding back a sigh. Shouldn¡¯t he have found a more inexpensive place if he was going to give us a budget limit? She wondered. ¡°What the hell, Trevor?¡± Fiona whined as she looked over the menu. ¡°There are only four things that are within the budget.¡± ¡°Tough luck,¡± he replied with a flirty smile. ¡°If you get promoted to a manger or a director, you¡¯re allowed to spend more on yourself for company meals.¡± Fiona rolled her eyes and grumbled at his comment. So, he¡¯s just straight up admitting that he came here for himself, Daphne thought. What a prick. ¡°What are you thinking about getting?¡± Holly asked on Daphne¡¯s right. ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± she replied, eyeballing her way through the four options. None of them particularly appealed to her. ¡°You?¡± she asked. ¡°I¡¯m thinking maybe the Caesar salad,¡± she replied with a small giggle. ¡°There¡¯s not very many options that I like,¡± she admitted.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Daphne raised her eyebrows and smiled. ¡°Same,¡± she admitted. Her stomach soured at the sound of the Cesar salad as well. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll get the ¡®Modern Grilled Cheese,¡¯ and ask for it without the tomato,¡± Daphne replied, answering Holly¡¯s initial question. ¡°Not a fan of tomatoes?¡± Daphne¡¯s co-worker, Landon, on her left, asked. ¡°No,¡± Daphne admitted with a small, shy smile. ¡°You know they¡¯re mostly water right?¡± Landon asked. He gestured to the glasses of water in front of them. ¡°Yes,¡± Daphne replied softly. ¡°They just irritate my stomach a bit.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± Landon replied with an emphasized nod. ¡°That¡¯s understandable.¡± ¡°Are you still enjoying the work, Landon?¡± Holly asked from Daphne¡¯s right. ¡°I love the work,¡± he replied, a bright white toothed grin spreading across his face. ¡°That¡¯s so good to hear!¡± Holly exclaimed, clasping her hands together and smiling warmly at him. ¡°And Ms. Woods was a fabulous trainer,¡± he replied, his hazel brown eyes catching Daphene¡¯s own. She smiled a little at him, not really sure what to say in response. ¡°I¡¯m glad to have been helpful,¡± she replied. The waiter came and took everyone¡¯s order. Of course, Trevor ordered something that was nearly two times what he had given everyone else as a budget. Daphne had to hold back an eyeroll. ¡°And just to let you all know, since you¡¯re such a big party, it will probably be a little extra time for the kitchen to get everything ready,¡± the waiter said. ¡°Is that alright?¡± he asked, nodding rapidly and looking around the small party room. Shit, Daphne thought. I should have just stayed at the office. It¡¯s going to take so long to get everything done, and this restaurant is going to be wasting my precious time. She bit her tongue hard, but didn¡¯t taste blood. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s perfectly fine,¡± Trevor replied with a wide grin. ¡°No problem at all.¡± ¡°Wonderful,¡± the waiter said with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll get that order placed then and will be back with some pitchers of water!¡± Daphne¡¯s hands had slowly become fists. Why did I let Fiona drag me here? She asked herself. A fifteen-dollar meal was not worth sacrificing my afternoon for. I could have walked back when no one was looking. ¡°So,¡± Holly said on her right, lowering her voice. ¡°How did it go in Trevor¡¯s office this morning? I was surprised that I didn¡¯t hear yelling.¡± Daphne grimaced. ¡°I think he almost yelled at me,¡± she replied. ¡°What happened?¡± Landon asked on her left. ¡°So many people are late all the time and he doesn¡¯t say a word to them.¡± Daphne knew exactly to whom Landon was referring. She glanced up at the red head, who was laughing at something Trevor was saying, despite the fact that only a few minutes prior, she had been whining at him. Daphne looked down at her hands and the napkin in her lap. ¡°Apparently earlier this week, Fiona asked me to put together a business case for why we need more printers in the department and on the floor of the office in general.¡± ¡°What?¡± Holly asked. Daphne looked over at her face, and it was clearly one of disgust. Daphne¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Oh goodness, she thought. Why did I say that? She¡¯s going to think I¡¯m incompetent now. ¡°Are you serious?¡± Landon asked. Daphne looked over at him and his face mirrored Holly¡¯s. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have even had time to say yes or no to that this week,¡± Holly said. ¡°I can¡¯t believe how busy you¡¯ve been.¡± Daphne felt her eyes widen as she looked back over at Holly. ¡°Right?¡± she heard herself asking. ¡°Sounds like she was just foisting her work onto you,¡± Landon agreed. Daphne nodded. ¡°I felt the same. Apparently, it was due this morning though, so I didn¡¯t have much choice except to agree to write it.¡± She looked over at where Fiona was batting her eyelashes at Trevor. ¡°He¡¯ll give her a free pass for almost anything,¡± Holly said, her voice sounding annoyed. ¡°And we all have to do extra work because of it.¡± ¡°Simp,¡± Landon said. ¡°Real men only simp for a woman that is already theirs.¡± Daphne looked over at him and noticed that his upper lip was pulled back away from his teeth. Daphne looked back over at Holly who was looking back at her. Holly¡¯s eyes were full of pity. ¡°Is there anything I can do to help?¡± she asked. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re bogged down with tasks for your actual projects, too. You¡¯ve worked late every day this week, and tomorrow is Christmas Eve. No one deserves to work late the day before Christmas Eve.¡± Daphne¡¯s eyes widened at Holly¡¯s words. No one had ever asked if she¡¯d needed a hand before. This is unexpected, she thought. ¡°You¡¯re willing?¡± she asked. ¡°Are you sure you have time to help?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Holly said with a small smile. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have offered if I didn¡¯t think that I would have time to help.¡± ¡°Thank you so much,¡± Daphne said, breathing out heavily, as the tension in her chest started to loosen. ¡°Of course,¡± Holly replied. ¡°We are supposed to be a team after all.¡± ¡°Holly is right,¡± Landon agreed. ¡°And for the record, I know that I¡¯m still pretty new, but if you have anything that I can work on, I¡¯m also happy to help.¡± Daphne put her hand over her heart. ¡°Thank you both so much,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m drowning, to be completely honest.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Landon said. ¡°Sure thing,¡± Holly agreed. I might be able to get done earlier than I thought, so I can see Gary sooner, Daphne thought, her heart fluttering in her chest. He¡¯s going to be so excited. The waiter then began bringing out all of the meals, and handing them to be handed down the table. A few minutes later, Daphne bit into her grilled cheese sandwich. It was hot in some places, and lukewarm in others. Of course, Trevor would like a mediocre place like this, Daphne thought, choking down each bite. She reached for her water and found an empty glass instead. ¡°So, you¡¯re the reason my water cup is empty,¡± Landon said from her left. ¡°Wha?¡± she asked, covering her mouth, which was still full of the patchy heated bite. He gestured at the water cup in her left hand. Daphne felt her eyes widen and she put the cup down. She swallowed the bit. ¡°I haven¡¯t drunk anything yet!¡± she exclaimed. She met Landon¡¯s brown, hazel eyes. He was smiling at her. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯d drink all of my water and lie about it.¡± Daphne couldn¡¯t help but smile back at him. ¡°you¡¯re just pulling my leg aren¡¯t you?¡± she asked. ¡°You can clearly see my hands,¡± Landon replied, carefully tapping both of his elbows on the table. ¡°How could I possibly be pulling your leg when my hands are above the table?¡± Daphne let out a small laugh. She was certain that Landon was just trying to cheer her up, and it was helping. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± she said, grabbing her water cup with her right hand. ¡°I was just so thirsty I had to drink yours first.¡± She took a big gulp of her water before taking another bite of the grilled cheese. Maybe coming wasn¡¯t a mistake like I thought it was, she thought, as she smiled at Landon, while he smiled back at her. This day can only get better from here, she thought. Chapter 4 Despite the help that Landon and Holly gave her, Daphne still found herself working late. Their help had been excellent and had maybe taken two to three hours of work off her plate. But it still wasn¡¯t enough. She sighed, taking a quick glance at her cellphone to see what time it was. Six thirty already, she thought. Okay, I can probably work for another half hour and then I¡¯ll head straight to the caf¨¦ to meet up with Gary. She nodded her head at herself, and put her phone away, going back to her tasks at hand. It¡¯s unfortunate that I¡¯m still going to have so much to tackle when I come back to work after Christmas, she thought. How miserable. But without Landon and Holly it would have been way worse, she added, typing on her computer. Her heart warmed a little at the thought of them. I would have never guessed I would have such kind allies on my side. It has always felt as though no one at this company was on my side. I would have been here all night without their help. Daphne switched her focus to putting together a slideshow for one of the projects she had been helping to manage. As she was copying and pasting the text the project director had asked her to put into the deck, her mind started drifting to Gary. I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re going to spend our first Christmas together this weekend, she thought. I really hope that this is still just the beginning of our time together. Her heart felt warm and fuzzy in her chest. I really like him. He¡¯s so sweet. Her mind drifted to when the two of them had first met. It was at the same caf¨¦ they usually used as their meet up spot, only a few, easy, walkable blocks from her apartment complex. Similar to the morning she¡¯d had earlier, the day that she¡¯d met Gary, she¡¯d also been having a very difficult start to her day. And then, to make matters worse, I tripped over that college student¡¯s laptop cable, she thought, shaking her head at herself. My coffee ended up all over the floor¡­ She giggled a little, thinking of that moment. She had been frustrated that she was going to have to clean up coffee, go back to her apartment, change her clothes¡­tears had pricked her eyes at the idea that she wasn¡¯t even going to have her favorite coffee at work to get through her day. And that was when I saw his hands beginning to clean up the mess I had made, she thought, a smile blossoming across her face. I looked up, and there had been his cloudy colored blue eyes. Her heart skipped a beat at the memory, as she copied some more text into the slide deck. She knew she would never forget that he had cleaned up the majority of her spill that day. He had also ordered her another coffee as she ran home and changed. When she made it back to the coffee shop, he¡¯d been standing outside waiting for her, his hair shining under the early morning June sun. Her heart had also shone in that moment, in a way that it hadn¡¯t in such a long time. He asked for my number, she thought, gently chewing on her lip. And we agreed to meet up at the caf¨¦ again. Over the following two and a half weeks, they¡¯d met up at the caf¨¦ around eight times, and as they saw each other more, Daphene¡¯s heart became more and more excited to see him. It had been years since her last romantic relationship, and at twenty-six years old, most of the people she knew had been getting married, not starting relationships. Their six-month anniversary was on Christmas, and Daphne knew that she would probably never be able to forget when Gary had asked her to be his girlfriend. It as the first time that he had run late. Usually he was there before her. As the minutes had ticked by, she had gotten more and more nervous that he had stood her up. He had shown up, ten minutes late, a bouquet of flowers in his hands. ¡°Sorry,¡± he had said, a lopsided grin on his face, and his hair standing up a bit from the heat outside. ¡°I just really wanted to get you flowers.¡± He handed them to her, and he sat down, the coffee that Daphne had gotten him in front of him. ¡°They¡¯re beautiful,¡± she had replied, her heart sinking into her chest. She had pretended to smell them, everything inside of her screaming in protest, feeling ill at the scent of them. ¡°I wanted to ask¡­¡± Gary had looked sheepish. ¡°If you¡¯re willing to be my girlfriend?¡± Daphne had looked up at him, the sea of white flowers fading from her vision, her heart soaring. He feels the same way, she had thought. ¡°I would love to,¡± she replied, smiling goofily at him, her heart skipping a beat. It was the first time in my life that I¡¯ve actually liked flowers, Daphne thought in the present, carefully adjusting some images in the slide show. I figured I¡¯d never have a reason to like flowers. It had been about a week after they had gotten together that Gary had gotten laid off from his job, and things had gotten tough for him. Daphne started buying all of the coffees and lending him money from time to time. She smiled at her computer. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s only a matter of time before he finds something and brings me flowers again, she thought, her heart feeling light at the thought. Though, I don¡¯t mind him relying on me so much, she added. It at least makes me feel a bit better about missing out on time with him to work late. She glanced down at the clock on her computer as she finished the slideshow and sent it off to the project director. Her heart dropped, and her mouth fell agape at the time the clock said. Shit, she thought. I¡¯m late to see Gary. It was seven forty-five. Daphne began closing down her computer and called Gary, putting her phone on speaker phone, so that she could continue getting ready to leave while she was calling him. It¡¯s going to take me another fifteen minutes to get home, Daphne thought while audibly groaning. He¡¯s going to be pissed. The phone abruptly went to voicemail. Daphne ended the call. What the hell? She thought. Did he just reject my call? Her heart that had just been soaring over the joyful moments that she and Gary had created was now sinking in her chest. Her stomach was souring. I¡¯ll just finish getting ready first, she thought, and then I¡¯ll call him again. Maybe he¡¯s in the bathroom¡­or something.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. She swallowed hard at whatever that something might be and began packing up her belongings and putting on her outerwear again. Just don¡¯t overthink it, she tried to convince herself. Still, the doubt lingered in her mind. She grabbed her purse and walked over to the elevator, hitting the ¡°down¡± button. It only took seconds before the elevator doors opened for her and she pressed the button for the ground floor. She tapped her fingers on her leg, hoping that they typically slow elevator would speed up a little bit so that she could attempt to call Gary again. Once the elevator doors opened, she stepped out and dialed him again. It quickly went to voicemail as she was walking out of the office building¡¯s doors into the cold, windy night. Shit, she thought. He isn¡¯t just pissed, he¡¯s furious. She looked at her phone. It was already seven fifty. As she got to her car, she felt her phone vibrate with a text message. She put her bag in the passenger seat and got in on the driver¡¯s side before she read the message from Gary. You missed our date, it said. There was a second one, immediately after that said, Let¡¯s meet at eight forty-five. Same place. Daphne swallowed hard. She wasn¡¯t quite sure what to make of his words. He didn¡¯t seem all that upset, but there were definitely darker undertones to his first text, and the fact that he had rejected her calls. Twice. It¡¯s not my fault, she thought, running one of her hands through her hair. I didn¡¯t have a choice. I had to work late. Sighing, she sent a text back that said, Okay. She turned the car on, hoping the heat would get going quickly and ease the chill she was feeling in her heart. I guess I¡¯ll go home and see Tanpopo for a little while, she thought, driving away from work. ~ Daphne put her keys into her apartment door, and heard Tanpopo mewling on the other side of it. Her heart felt light at hearing his voice. At least someone is happy to see me today, she thought. She opened the door in front of her, and slipped in, Tanpopo curling around her legs. He looked up at her, meeting her eyes with his green yellow ones. ¡°I¡¯m home, Tanpopo,¡± she said, looking down at him with a smile. She squatted down, and wrapped her arms around him. ¡°I¡¯m so glad to see you, too,¡± she said, hugging him tightly and then scratching under his chin to help appease him. He creaked at her, his little meow turning a bit high pitched at the end. It sounded like he was asking a question. ¡°My day was absolutely shit,¡± she told him as he headbutted her hand. ¡°And I think that Gary is really angry with me now, too,¡± she added. Tanpopo squeaked at her again, looking at her innocently, with his big, round gemstone-like eyes. His nose was little and pink, and his ears were fluffy and black. He put one little white mittened paw on her thigh. ¡°I don¡¯t want Gary to be angry with me for Christmas,¡± she said. ¡°I want everything to be happy and peaceful.¡± She looked in the direction of her kitchen table, where she ate breakfast every morning. On top of the wood veneered table, sat a small, wrapped package, complete with red and green wrapping paper. She sighed, looking down at Tanpopo who was still throwing his body weight against her legs and wrapping his fluffy black tail around her. ¡°I hope that I¡¯ll get a chance to give him his gift on Christmas,¡± she said. ¡°It would be awful to spend Christmas alone again this year.¡± Her heart squeezed in her chest, and her stomach felt like it was starting to go sour. ¡°I¡¯m sure Maggie would let me come over,¡± she murmured to herself. ¡°But I don¡¯t want to crash her family¡¯s Christmas again.¡± Daphne thought back to when Gary had first invited her to his family¡¯s Christmas get-together. She ahd been incredibly nervous and concerned about meeting his family so soon after they started dating, but Gary had reassured her and told her that they wouldn¡¯t mind. Now, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder if those very same plans were in jeopardy. And we were going to celebrate our six-month anniversary the day after Christmas¡­she thought, her stomach fluttering. Surely, he¡¯ll forgive me enough not to put those plans at risk, too? She thought. Tanpopo mewled at her again, his hot, stinky breath hitting her in the face. ¡°Ugh,¡± she replied back to him. ¡°Come here, ya stinky.¡± She tried to reach for him to pull him into her again, and he managed to get just outside of her reach. He spun around in a circle and meowed at her again, looking as though he was trying to beckon her towards the kitchen. ¡°Ah,¡± Daphne replied. ¡°You¡¯re hungry.¡± She let out a heavy breath as she stood up to her full height. Tanpopo yelled at her in the language of his people, seemingly trying to explain to her how excited he was to eat. ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯m coming,¡± she told me. She went into the kitchen and turned on the light so that she¡¯d be able to see him and not accidentally trip over him. Over the course of the day, he seemed to have pushed his wet food bowl to the center of the room, probably trying to clean out every last morsel of food he was able to. Now, he circled around it, shouting at Daphne in anticipation. ¡°Yes, yes,¡± she said again, picking the bowl up off the of the floor and washing it. She picked the wet food she had stored for him that morning out of the fridge, and dumped the half that was left in his bowl. She carefully chopped it up and then put it in the microwave to warm it up a little, just like Tanpopo liked it. He was now curled up around her legs again, still shouting. She looked over at his dry food bowl and noticed that it was empty. ¡°Ah, bud,¡± she said, walking to the cabinet that she stored his food in, and pulling out the dry kibble bag. She walked over to his bowl and added some kibble to it, just as the microwave went off. She sighed and set the kibble bag on the counter, pulling Tanpopo¡¯s meal from the microwave over her stove. She gently put it down in front of him, and he began chowing down heartily, purring a little as he did. She put the dry food away, and noticed the trash needed to go out. She pulled the trash bag out, rolling her eyes up towards the ceiling. Ugh, she thought. I feel like I¡¯m always working. It¡¯s like I can never catch a break at all. She tied up the old bag, grabbed her keys, and headed out of her apartment, quickly going down the flights of stairs down from the third floor. She got outside and let out a huge puff of air that she could see from how cold it had gotten. As she walked towards the dumpster, she noticed tiny little snowflakes coming down. Maybe it will be a white Christmas after all, she thought. It¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve had a white Christmas that I was convinced that I was never going to see one ever again. She threw the bag in to the dumpster and made her way up to her apartment again. Tanpopo had finished his food, and had now jumped into his favorite cat bed, a grey cat hammock that Daphne had placed close to her couch so that she could pet him when he was pretending he didn¡¯t like her. ¡°Was it yummy?¡± she asked him as she placed a new bag in the trash can and washed her hands. Tanpopo didn¡¯t respond, but as she turned off the sink, she could hear him happily cleaning himself. She smiled. How could I survive without this silly cat? She wondered. He brings me so much happiness. He loves me no matter how late I get home from work, or how many times I make a mistake. She looked over at him as he curled up into a little black and white ball in his hammock. If only it took as little to make me happy as it takes Tanpopo, she thought. How much simpler my life would be. Daphne looked over at her stove clock, wondering if she would have enough time to feed herself before she had to go to the caf¨¦. Even though she had gotten home just after eight, it was already eight thirty-eight, and walking to the caf¨¦ typically took her about five minutes. So nothing for dinner for me, she thought, hearing her stomach growl angrily. At least, not until I get back from meeting with Gary. She let out another heavy breath and then nodded sharply. ¡°Alright,¡± she said. ¡°Let¡¯s just go apologize and try to have fun after that.¡± She looked over at Tanpopo, tempted to stay at home with the cat. She couldn¡¯t ignore the pit in her stomach that just kept suggesting to her that something was going to go wrong. She shook her head at herself, trying to clear her dark thoughts. I¡¯m probably just feeling this way because it¡¯s been such a bad day, she tried to convince herself. The pit stayed in her stomach, not convinced by a few measly words she hadn¡¯t even said aloud. She glanced over at the clock. It was eight forty now. There was no more time to debate. It was time to go. ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon, Tanpopo,¡± she said as she walked over to the door to her apartment. Tanpopo raised his head off of his hammock bed, and gave Daphne a dirty look, as if he did not want her to leave again. ¡°I know,¡± she said, sighing again. ¡°I can¡¯t stay out late, so I promise I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± The cat still looked forlorn as she opened the door. She gave one last look at the plain, sparsely decorated apartment, and her adorable cat, and shut the door behind her. Chapter 5 ~After the break up~ ¡°I want to break up,¡± Gary¡¯s voice echoed in Daphne¡¯s mind. ¡°I ended up meeting someone else.¡± Daphne was still reeling from Gary¡¯s words as she opened the door to the caf¨¦ and walked out, feeling the door automatically close behind her. She took a quick peek at her cell phone for the time. It was nine pm. It only took fifteen minutes for a six-month relationship to end, Daphne thought. Is that how little I meant to him? She looked up at the sky, noticing that the cloud cover had gotten thicker since she had taken out the trash and it had started to snow a little at that point. Having just come from a warm building, she shivered and pulled her coat tightly around herself. I¡¯m not ready to go home, she thought. Maybe I¡¯ll go to my spot instead. She gritted her teeth, still holding back tears, and began walking towards her apartment complex. Was that all I meant to him? Daphne caught herself wondering. I wasn¡¯t even good enough for him to not cheat on. She thought back to the beginning of their relationship when he had given her flowers, and even when he had helped her clean up her coffee. Did I misinterpret his actions? She couldn¡¯t help but wonder. It is not as though it had been the first time I had received flowers¡­ She shuddered at the memory of bouquets she had held before. She looked up again at the gray sky. Or is it the fact that he only gave me a single bouquet of flowers that made them deceptive? Daphne walked past her apartment complex, over to a park that was nearby. She heard the sound of the river moving as she got closer and closer to her spot. Daphne carefully walked down the steep incline to a little beach on the river¡¯s shoreline. There were little concrete bricks dotting the small beach amongst the dormant brush. I don¡¯t know that I¡¯ve ever been here in the winter, Daphne thought as she sat down on one of the concrete blocks, unclenching her jaw. It¡¯s a lot less private than it is in the summer. She watched the river flowing lazily in front of her. I suppose it¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve been so upset, she thought. I haven¡¯t really needed to come all that much this year. She let out a big puff of air, as she felt the corners of her eyes pricking with the tears she¡¯d held back at the caf¨¦. Or maybe this whole break up really was because I was neglecting Gary, Daphne thought, feeling a couple of tears sneak out of her eyes. She wiped them away with one of her gloved hands, lest they freeze to her face. It¡¯s probably easier to blame Gary for being a bad person than it is to consider what role I may have played in it all, she thought. I figured it was enough to meet with him in my free time and give him money when he needed it. Daphne sniffed. They hadn¡¯t gone on very many dates but she¡¯d never pushed the issue after Gary had gotten laid off. Maybe I should have taken him out myself? She wondered. I figured that might make him feel bad. Should I have just been clingier? Despite how close she lived to the caf¨¦, Gary had never been to her place, and she had never been to his. Was our relationship too wholesome? She wondered. Did I move at too slow of a pace for him? The sky was beginning to drop chunks of snow now, and Daphne¡¯s waterworks turned on. She sobbed, having to hug her legs in order to muffle her cries. I just don¡¯t understand what I did wrong, she thought. Why couldn¡¯t he tell me if he was so unhappy with my actions? Why did he have to go find someone else instead? She bit her lip, wondering what he must have thought of her. I¡¯m so pathetic, she thought. I thought that we were serious. Yet I¡¯m twenty-six years old and I¡¯ve never had anyone take a relationship with me seriously¡­no matter how I feel. She cried loudly, the falling snow dampening the sounds of her tears. I gave him so much money! Why did I do that? She chastised herself. If I had saved that money for myself¡­A million different things she could have done with the money swept through her mind. I¡¯m so foolish, she thought. Her mind drifted back to the words they had exchanged at the caf¨¦. I had asked him if his new girl was going to pay for him. Idiot, idiot, idiot! ¡°I should have asked for my money back,¡± she mumbled softly to herself. ¡°I should have demanded it.¡± Really, though, she thought. I should never have given it to him in the first place. ¡°What if he approached me in the first place because he thought I was pathetic?¡± she wondered aloud. He wouldn¡¯t have been wrong, she thought in her own head. And he certainly wouldn¡¯t have been the first. There¡¯s nothing I can do about it now, though, she thought, her cries starting to subside a bit. It¡¯s over between him and I. I can¡¯t fix or try to save something that no longer exists. ¡°Speculating on his motive doesn¡¯t matter either,¡± she told herself. ¡°Maybe he thought I was pathetic. Maybe he didn¡¯t. Either way, I can¡¯t do anything about it now.¡± I just need to move forward, she tried to convince her heart internally. I just need to learn my lessons and do better next time. That¡¯s all I can do at this point. Much to Daphne¡¯s chagrin, her heart still ached, still feeling as though she was splitting down the middle. ¡°Come on,¡± she croaked at herself, looking at the running river in front of her, fresh tears springing to her eyes. ¡°You just need to move on,¡± she said. What am I going to do for Christmas now? She wondered, resting her face on her legs again as tears began to fall once more. Maggie is going to be pissed if I call her and ask to join two days before the holiday. It sure would have been nice if he had waited until after Christmas to end things, she couldn¡¯t help but think. The present that was nicely wrapped in the sparkly green and red wrapping paper on her kitchen table came to mind. She had bought Gary a pair of nice cuff links that she figured he would be able to use when he was interviewing. At least I¡¯ll be able to return those, she thought. Even though it will be a hassle. Her tears were calming again, and she took a shaky breath. What would her family think of her if they saw her like this? Outside of work, she was a failure in every single meaning of the word. Her sister Maggie had been married for four years, and already had two children. She had gotten married when she was Daphne¡¯s age. Her younger brother, Oliver, who was two years younger than Daphne, had already been in a serious relationship with someone for five years. Maggie had even told Daphne that Oliver was planning on proposing his girlfriend for Christmas. And I can¡¯t even have a stable relationship for an entire year, Daphne thought. When it came to work, though she was paid well, and had a moderately prestigious job as a project manager, it still paled in comparison to her older brother, Cy, who had started his own company that was growing very rapidly. At thirty-two years old, though he had yet to build a family, Cy was already far more successful than most people could ever hope to be. And while her youngest sister, Viola, was still in high school, she was a budding oil pastel artist. She had already won several awards, even at a national level, and clearly had a bright future ahead of her.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. I¡¯m just nothing in comparison to my family, Daphne thought, rolling her face around on her pants to help dry it. My father would be so ashamed to see me like this. Daphne swallowed hard, her lips shaking again at the thought of her beloved, deceased father. If it was anyone she could have counted on to give her guidance at that moment, it was her father. She took a deep breath, the cold air entering her lungs, stinging a little and calming her. She looked at her watch and let her breath out sharply. Shit, she thought. It was already nine forty-five, and she still hadn¡¯t even eaten dinner yet. She thought of Tanpopo, and how she had promised him she wouldn¡¯t be out too late. I need to go home, she thought, standing up quickly off of the concrete block. She watched the river running for a few beats, wishing that the flow could take her problems with it. As she turned to climb up the slight incline, she noticed that it had begun to snow heavily. The snow was rapidly piling up, making the short slope far more slippery than it had been when she had descended it. Carefully, she pulled herself up the hill and took one quick glance back at the river. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be back in the next couple of days, she thought. She turned away and began her quick walk home. ~ The snow was coming down heavier and more quickly than Daphne had seen in a long time. When I wished for a white Christmas, I didn¡¯t expect this, she thought looking up at the dark sky above her. If this keeps up, I might be spending Christmas alone after all. The wind was beginning to whoosh around her, sending chills down her spine. The snow swirled around with it, and Daphne began to realize this snowstorm could be particularly dangerous. I didn¡¯t hear anything about this on the news, she thought. Where has this weather come from? Her phone started vibrating in her pocket, and she pulled it out. It was flashing and notifying her that the weather had become a blizzard warning. Her eyes went wide. What in the world? She wondered. Normally they give at least some sort of information in advance about how bad snowstorms could get. She put her phone back into her pocket, tightening her coat around her. She was thankful that she didn¡¯t live too far away. Still, she thought, I am going to take it slow so that I don¡¯t slip and fall. The snow was heavy, slick, and wet. The type that made the movies look like Christmas. She kept her eyes on her feet as her mind drifted back to her breakup. Will I ever find someone who will love me for who I am? She couldn¡¯t help but wonder. Or is that too high of an expectation? Do I really have to modify myself to such a great degree to be loved? Or is it that other people just hide parts of themselves from their partners? Will I really have to compromise on who I am just to find someone? Just to not be lonely? She sighed heavily, her breath coming out as a powdery white cloud in the snowflake swirling air. How do other people do it? She wondered. How do they find a partner? Where do they find a partner? What am I doing wrong? If she didn¡¯t have a hat and gloves on, she knew that she would be pulling at her thick black hair. What am I missing? What do I need to change? I don¡¯t want to spend my life alone. Her heart clenched. Did I miss my chance by not finding someone in my school days? She thought about Holly, who Daphne estimated to be maybe a year or two older than herself. Landon, on the other hand, was a year younger than her. What about them? She wondered. Do they have partners? She couldn¡¯t remember if either of them wore rings on their left hands. When I see them again, I should ask, Daphne thought. Maybe they will give me some clues of how I could find someone myself. She looked back up at the dark, cloudy sky, the snow now coming down harder. Why is life so difficult? She wondered. Did I do something so wrong to deserve all of this? Is everyone else as lonely as I am? Surely not¡­ Daphne heard the engine of a car, and quickly glanced at the road nearby, noticing that a smaller car was struggling to get up the slight hill with all of the snow. This came on really quick, she thought again. No one was prepared, not even me. She chewed a little bit on her lower lip. I should try to be careful, she thought. No car would be able to stop if they started slipping and coming at me. She turned away from the street, her mind wandering back to the feeling of emptiness she felt inside. She had to clench her jaw in hopes that she wouldn¡¯t start crying all over again. All I want to do is be happy, she thought. Why does that seem harder than it ought to be? She breathed heavily, and looked up at her apartment building. I do have Tanpopo, she thought. I¡¯m not completely alone because of him. She grimaced. Though, the past six months, I really haven¡¯t been paying all that much attention to him¡­Daphne¡¯s chest felt tight at the thought. I didn¡¯t even think about getting him a Christmas present, she thought. The cuff links, ornately wrapped on her table came to mind. I¡¯ll just return them tomorrow, she decided. And then I¡¯ll get Tanpopo a gift instead. She smiled at the thought. For the future, though¡­she thought. I can¡¯t neglect Tanpopo the way that I have been for the last six months. I chose Gary over Tanpopo, and look how that ended for me. She shook her head at herself, tsking. How ironic is it that I¡¯ve been trying to fill my life with the person who abandoned me, while ignoring the most loyal being in my life. She nodded sharply at her thoughts. I guess that means going forward, Tanpopo needs to come before anyone else who might come into my life. Whoever I date in the future will just have to understand that Tanpopo is a priority. They will just need to understand, she thought. Even if that lowers the pool of potential partners, I can¡¯t neglect Popo the way I have been. Daphne smiled at the apartment building that she was getting close to. Her heart started to grow warm at the thought of Tanpopo, warm and cuddly, snuggled up in his hammock bed, waiting for her to return. She thought about how Tanpopo had greeted her when she got home from work, and she couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he was going to greet her just the same when she got back from her outing. No matter what changes with me, he¡¯s always so happy to greet me, she thought. He¡¯s always so happy I¡¯m home. Her stomach growled loudly, and squeezed hard, reminding her that it had been nearly ten hours since she¡¯d last eaten. She patted her tummy gently, grateful to have an appetite despite having been broken up with. I¡¯ll get you taken care of soon, she promised her stomach. Just then, she heard a car engine revving, sounding reckless for the weather. She shook her head. People will be people, she thought. She heard the squealing of breaks, as the world around her got brighter from headlights that were pointed¡­at her. She swiveled her head to turn and see a truck that was coming straight at her. She didn¡¯t have time to react or jump out of the way before the truck slammed into her, crunching the lower half of her body against a utility pole. She heard a scream, and wondered if it was her own, because in the next moment, she was nearly unable to breathe from the excruciating pain she was in. She couldn¡¯t feel her legs, and the stomach that had been growling only moments earlier seemed to be cut off from her brain. In front of her, she saw the snow that had stuck to the ground turning bright red with blood coming from her head. Inches from her nose, somehow still alive and having been revealed from the accident, was a bright, happy yellow, chrysanthemum. For the first time in a long time, she heard her mother¡¯s voice. ¡°It¡¯s traditional to bring some kinds of mums to funerals in the fall and winter,¡± her mother had lectured her, when Daphne had come to her father¡¯s funeral empty handed a couple of years earlier. ¡°The most common colors are white and yellow,¡± her mother¡¯s voice continued in her mind. ¡°White signifies grief, and yellow signifies hope that the person made it safely to the afterlife. In other places, yellow mums at a funeral also serve as a symbol of renewal, a hope that the person will be met again in the next life. Next time, make sure you bring flowers if you¡¯re going to be so upset about a death.¡± Her mother¡¯s scoffing face appeared in her mind for a brief moment. How ironic it is that these yellow mums are growing where I am dying, Daphne heard her own voice in her head now. She tried to focus on the flowers, attempting to sniff if they had a scent, but instead, she started coughing up blood. Will paramedics be able to save me? She wondered. Even if they can, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to walk again. The concrete, despite the temperature and the wind, was beginning to feel a bit warm and sticky from her blood. Her own body was feeling the chill of the weather more than it had before. I¡¯m going to die, she thought, managing to glance over at the apartment building. She had almost made it home. I¡¯m sorry, Tanpopo, she thought. Thank you for the flowers. I, too, hope we see each other in the next life. She tried to swallow and clear her throat, but it was now filling rapidly with blood. She coughed again in an effort to clear her lungs. I wish I had a chance to find happiness in this life, she thought. If I could do it all again¡­She coughed again, the snow around her melting from the heat of her body flowing out onto the ground. I would put myself and Tanpopo first and try to make the two of us happy, she thought. I¡¯ve spent so much of my life running around, trying to make other people happy instead of myself. Her vision was beginning to fade, and she still wasn¡¯t hearing sirens. She heard, instead, the sound of the truck door opening and closing, it¡¯s engine still idling in the blizzard. She could barely make out someone squatting down in front of her. Help! She screamed in her mind, but the words wouldn¡¯t come out of her mouth. Her vision stabilized again for a moment, and she saw the bottom half of the driver¡¯s face. She could only see from the nose down, but the driver was wearing dark red lipstick, and those very suave lips were widening into a cruel smile. The lips moved, saying something, but Daphne was no longer capable of hearing. Her ears were ringing, and a single thought was clear in her mind. This was not an accident, she thought. This woman¡­murdered me. Daphne¡¯s eyes fluttered shut, her world rapidly darkening and growing colder. I¡­never got to be happy¡­ Chapter 6 Daphne¡¯s alarm blared. She winced at the racket, peeling one of her eyes open and cringing at the sun streaming into the room. She grabbed her cell phone and performed the snooze motion, one she had performed nearly every day, and closed her eyes again. The memory of the headlights and the pressure of the truck crushing her legs flashed through her mind, and she saw the woman¡¯s smile in the darkness of her closed lids. Daphne bolted straight up in bed; her eyes open wide despite the sun streaming into her apartment bedroom window. What¡­? She wondered, looking around the room. Tanpopo was curled up into a little poofy pool of black at the foot of her bed. The furniture and layout of the room were exactly as she remembered. Gingerly, she curled her toes on her right foot and then her left. I can feel my legs, she thought. I can even move my legs¡­ She looked around the room again, looking for anything to give her a hint as to why she could feel her legs still. But there was nothing. She was not in a hospital. There was no wheelchair or crutches, and there was nothing that was the least interpretable as ¡°medical¡± in her bedroom at all. Didn¡¯t I die? She wondered. Her alarm started blaring again, and rather than snoozing the alarm, she turned it off, and noticed that her phone said it was Monday. What the fuck? She thought. Am I actually in hell? She ran her hand through her hair, feeling her fingers snag on a handful of tangles. The fuck did I do to deserve to go to hell? She thought. Last I checked I wasn¡¯t nearly as bad as other people in this world. She shook her head, and bit her lip. It¡¯s got to be hell, she thought. Why else would I have to go back to work with no weekend? She swung her legs over the edge of the bed, rubbing her dominant hand on her forehead. Tanpopo sat up and looked at her. She stared back at him as he licked his lips and yawned widely. ¡°If this is hell, why are you here?¡± she asked him. He blinked his yellowish green eyes at her in response before jumping off the bed and performing a big stretch. He¡¯s so¡­real¡­ she thought. Tanpopo turned and looked at her, licking his lips again. ¡°What?¡± she asked him. He swallowed and she stood up, causing him to mewl at her, and twirl his tail around one of her legs. I can stand, too, Daphne thought. What is going on? She clicked on the lock button on her phone. It was six thirty am. Something else caught her eye this time. It was the date. Daphne¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°How is this possible?¡± she nearly shouted. She took several giant steps across the room and opened the curtains to her balcony. The trees still had leaves on them, and the gentle morning sun was bathing everything in a golden light. It was September 26th. Christmas was supposed to be tomorrow, she thought, furrowing her eyebrows. She checked her phone again, wondering if maybe she had been asleep for nine months. It was still the same year, just earlier. Was it some kind of prophetic dream? She wondered. She looked in her full-length mirror. There was no scarring on her legs or stomach that suggested she had been in an accident. There were no new tattoos or marks on her body that hadn¡¯t existed prior to the accident. She thought back to the days leading up to the accident. Her memories were still intact. This has got to be hell, she thought as she felt her cellphone vibrate. It was a reminder to try to get to work early so that she could get some extra work completed. She sighed and tossed her cellphone onto her bed. Tanpopo mewed at her again, spinning in a circle and asking for food. I guess I just need to go to work while I figure out what the hell is going on, she thought, grabbing clothes that a past version of herself had laid out for her. She deposited them into the bathroom on her way to the kitchen. Tanpopo followed her, nearly tripping her a couple of times, meowing at her in excitement for his upcoming meal. ¡°Stop,¡± she grumbled at him, as she took a quick peek into the coffee maker. Just like every other workday, she had pre-prepped her coffee so that she could just smash the brew button. The grounds lid slammed shut, hitting brew, and she picked up Tanpopo¡¯s bowl from the center of the kitchen. She quickly washed it, realizing that she was already running about ten minutes behind from having spent the time trying to figure out what was going on. She grabbed a fresh can of cat food, cut the pate in half, and began chopping up the food for Tanpopo. He was standing right in front of her, hindering her chopping ability, mewling loudly, his voice going higher pitched with excitement. She placed the food bowl on the ground, and Tanpopo started mowing down immediately. I need to hustle, Daphne thought as she put the half can of leftovers into her fridge.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. The coffee maker slurped loudly, pulling water through the grounds. Daphne turned away and went back to the bathroom to hop in the shower. I gotta be quick, she thought. No time for dilly dallying today. As she showered, she tried not to let her mind wander too much. Considering the circumstances, that was a challenge, in and of itself. After toweling off, she got dressed and walked back into her kitchen. Tanpopo was happily licking himself in his gray hammock bed. She paused for a moment and smiled at him. Even though I wish it was a weekend, and I don¡¯t know what the hell is going on, I¡¯m so glad to see this cat again, she thought. I didn¡¯t spend enough time with him in the past. Glancing over at the clock, she noticed that she had about twenty minutes before she needed to leave. She pulled together a quick bowl of cereal, and poured herself a cup of coffee with an extra splash of creamer than what she usually did. Since I don¡¯t know how long this hell is going to last, I might as well enjoy it, she thought, placing her coffee and cereal on her kitchen table. She walked quickly back to her room, grabbing her favorite pair of flats and her cell phone off of her bed. She walked back to the kitchen, throwing the flats onto the floor and then stepping into them. She sat down and devoured her cereal, sipping her coffee slowly as it cooled off. As she was eating, she unlocked her phone and was looking through the news. The headlines were somewhat familiar to her in terms of current events, and there was also a smattering of things she didn¡¯t recognize. Did I get transported to an alternative universe by that truck? She wondered, frowning at her phone. Or did I just miss some of these headlines before? She sighed at herself and shook her head. There¡¯s only one way to find out, she thought. And that is just to see what happens. She swallowed her last sip of coffee and noticed that it was time to leave. She quickly checked the weather in an attempt to determine if she would need a jacket or not. It was warm, just as it had been earlier that year in September. She nodded at her phone, and then went over to the hallway byt the door, grabbing her purse and her car keys. ¡°See you soon, Tanpopo,¡± she said, glancing over at him in his bed. He stared back at her, slowly blinking his eyes a few times. Daphne let out a low giggle. ¡°I love you too, Tanpopo,¡± she said. ¡°Hopefully I¡¯ll be back tonight.¡± She took a deep breath, and then left her apartment. As she was locking the door, she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She pulled it out and noticed that she had a text from Gary. Hello beautiful, it said. Hope you have a wonderful day! Daphne¡¯s heart felt lighter. Gary¡­ she thought, a small smile creeping back onto her face. I guess if this isn¡¯t hell and I¡¯m truly back in the past, maybe I¡¯ll have a shot at saving our relationship before things get too bad. You too! She texted back with a heart. Good luck today. ~ A team meeting on a Monday? Daphne thought, locking her computer and standing up. Her co-workers were all also grumbling about how early it was for a team meeting. To her right, Fiona was lazily sucking down a name brand, expensive coffee. Daphne had to hold back a look of disgust. Though it hadn¡¯t technically happened yet, if it ever had, Daphne didn¡¯t think she would ever be able to forgive Fiona for throwing her under the bus right before Christmas. Near Trevor¡¯s door, Holly¡¯s braided hair caught Daphne¡¯s eye. Her face broke out into a small smile. I wonder if she¡¯d be willing to sit next to me for the meeting, she thought. Has she been trying to be friendly with me for longer than I thought? Daphne strode over to Holly¡¯s cubicle and gently tapped her on the shoulder. Holly turned around and her eyebrows shot up when she met Daphne¡¯s eyes. ¡°Would you mind if I sat next to you?¡± Daphne asked, chewing on her lip a little. Holly¡¯s eyes widened and a small smile spread on her face. ¡°That sounds great to me,¡± she replied. ¡°Thanks,¡± Daphne replied, smiling back. Holly looked a bit puzzled, but she didn¡¯t question Daphne as they walked to the conference room together in silence. They sat down together at the table, and Holly smiled brightly at her. ¡°How was your weekend?¡± she asked. Daphne swallowed hard. Maybe it was a bad idea to sit next to her today, she thought. I have no idea what I would have possibly done this past weekend. ¡°It was, uh, good,¡± Daphne replied trying to force her wince into a smile. ¡°Did you get all that work done on Friday night?¡± Holly asked. She genuinely seemed concerned. ¡°It seemed like you were underwater with the amount of stuff you had to get done.¡± Daphne couldn¡¯t keep the grimace off her face any longer. ¡­I have no idea what to say, she thought. Maybe I should have called in sick for the day while I figured everything out. Internally, she winced. But I would have been so far behind if I had done that. As it is, I am running behind because I don¡¯t even know what projects I was working on when I came in this morning. ¡°Oh no,¡± Holly said, reacting to Daphne¡¯s face. ¡°Were you here super late again?¡± Daphne nodded even though she, herself, didn¡¯t know. ¡°Unfortunately,¡± she replied. ¡°How was your weekend?¡± She asked Holly with a strained smile. Anything to get this conversation off me, Daphne thought. ¡°It was very good,¡± Holly replied with a smile that seemed a bit surprised. ¡°I spent a lot of time with my son.¡± Daphne had to do a double take at the woman¡¯s face, her eyes widening at Holly¡¯s statement. ¡°Your son?¡± Daphne asked in a high-pitched voice. Holly looked a bit disappointed. ¡°Ah, yes,¡± she replied, tucking one of her braids behind her ear awkwardly. ¡°My husband was on vacation, so it was just me and my son.¡± Daphne¡¯s ears felt like they were steaming. How could I have not known that Holly was married and had a kid, she wondered. Have I really paying that little of attention to the people around me? ¡°Sorry,¡± Daphne replied, looking down and feeling her body slump. ¡°I had totally forgotten that you had a son, so you surprised me,¡± she lied. The smile returned to Holly¡¯s face and Daphne felt her stomach swirl from the lie she had just told. I¡¯m so fake, she thought. What the hell is wrong with me? ¡°That¡¯s alright,¡± Holly replied. ¡°I feel like I talk about him a lot, but I know I look too young to have a son.¡± A lump formed in the back of Daphne¡¯s throat. I was so stupid to lie about that, she thought. Of course she talks about her son a lot. It probably would have served me better to just have been honest. ¡°You do look really young,¡± Daphne agreed, not really knowing how old Holly was either. This is too hard, she thought. I should have just waited for her to approach me. Most of the team had filed into the room, and Daphne found herself looking around for Landon. ¡°By the way¡­¡± she began to say, as she saw Landon and Trevor coming up to the conference room. Landon was trailing behind, looking anxious. Oh shit, Daphne thought, biting back her words before they came out. It¡¯s Landon¡¯s first day.