My boyfriend and I were supposed to go skiing. He bailed. He booked an entire ski resort for her, his old flame. She sent me a video from the slopes, her voice all soft and breathy. "I had no idea Alex would ditch you for me... I'll make him make it up to you next time, okay?" I replied calmly: "Have a great time. Don't worry about the money." Oh. She probably doesn't know that the resort Alex booked? I own it. 1 When Alex got home, I was reviewing the quarterly profits for that exact resort. He walked in and handed me a gift box. "Stella, a present for you." A green box. The complimentary gift for guests who spend over ten thousand dollars. I didn't even have to open it. I knew it was a green, Christmas-themed snow globe. I looked up. "Have fun with Chloe?" He flinched—just for a second—then sighed, as if he was relieved. "So you found out. I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to overthink it. "Chloe's going through a nasty divorce, she's in a bad place. I was just keeping her company. It's not a big deal." "Oh." I nodded, my eyes still on my laptop. He stared at me, frowning. "Are you mad? Over this?" His voice was getting impatient. "Stella, that's enough. I just got back. I'm tired." He went to the bathroom to shower. His phone, left on the coffee table, lit up. A new message from Chloe. [Alex, is Stella mad? Should I explain it to her?] [But what if she gets even angrier seeing me?] For the first time, I saw the contact name he had for her: Little Miss Drama. Unlike me. In his phone, I was, and always had been, Stella. My full name. 2 I was the one who replied to Chloe. [No need to explain. Just apologize.] I sent it as a voice memo. [A wire transfer is the most sincere way.] Another voice memo. Chloe didn't reply for a long time. And she definitely didn't send any money. Alex came out of the shower, toweling his hair, and glanced at his phone. Then he looked up at me. Just then, Chloe's reply finally came. Timid. [Stella? Why are you answering?] [Did you and Alex fight because of me? Please... please don't fight. I'm the one who asked him to come...] Alex listened to hers, then played mine. [No need to explain. Just apologize.] [A wire transfer is the most sincere way.] He listened to mine twice. His face darkened. "Stella, is money all you care about?" "What else?" I asked, surprised. "You?" I opened the green box he'd given me, running a finger over the green, glittery peak of the globe. "And get a freebie from your spending on another woman?" Alex froze. The anger on his face turned into awkwardness. "The flight was a last-minute thing. I didn't have time to get you a real gift. I'll make it up to you tomorrow." "Oh," I nodded. "Cash is fine." "Stella!" he snapped. I just looked at him, confused. I had no idea what he was so angry about now. We stared at each other for a long time. Finally, he gritted out, "You're unbelievable." He stormed off toward the guest room. SLAM. "..." Psycho. 3 Early the next morning, I was in the bedroom packing for a business trip. The second Alex opened the guest room door, his face went dark. "Stella, what are you doing? "Are you seriously running away from home this early? Is this ever going to end?" I frowned. "I have a business trip." His expression softened slightly. He didn't say anything. He just went to the bathroom. By the time he was done, I was dressed and ready. "Let's go." He blinked. "Go where?" "Your office. I need to pick up the proposal." He finally remembered. The whole reason for the ski trip was that I was heading to Colorado to bid on the new mountain resort development. Halfway there, Alex turned the steering wheel. The car's display lit up. Incoming call: Little Miss Drama. He instinctively glanced at me. I looked up. "Can't answer?" He scowled. "Don't be passive-aggressive." He hit "accept." Her voice chirped, "Alex, where are you? I'm all dressed and waiting!" Alex cleared his throat. "You should just grab an Uber. It's not a good time for me." Her voice faltered, then turned worried. "Alex, what's wrong? Did something happen?" The car was silent. I laughed, softly. "Something did. His wife is in the car." The other end went quiet for a long time. Then Chloe's panicked voice came through. "Stella! I'm so sorry, I'm just causing trouble, I really didn't mean anything, please don't misunderstand..." "That's enough." Alex cut her off, frowning. He paused, and his voice softened. "Just get a car. I'll see you at the office." He hung up. He glanced at me while waiting at a red light. He hesitated. Then he explained: "Chloe's living in a new place, it's remote. It's hard to get a car." I almost laughed. "Are you looking for a 'World's Most Thoughtful Husband' award?" Alex's face instantly went blank. He stopped talking. 4 I printed a few extra copies of the proposal at his office. While I was having some tea, the office door was thrown open. Chloe stood there, her eyes red. "Alex, I still couldn't get a car." She was on the verge of tears, her wide, wet eyes fixed on him. "Is Stella still mad...? "So... can you still come pick me up...?" She looked devastated. "Does this mean... I can't work at your company anymore?" I was sitting on the sofa, facing away from the door. I set my teacup down on the table with a clink. "Good tea," I said, loud enough to be heard. Chloe's face went white. She looked desperately at Alex. "Stella." Alex's voice was heavy, displeased. "You're taking this too far." In front of me, he buzzed his secretary. He had Chloe settled in a conference room first. Then he came back, locked his office door, and rubbed his temples. "Stop seeing her as a threat. She's going through a divorce, she's got no job, nowhere to live. I'm just... helping her out." He made me laugh. "Just helping her out? "Helping her out so much she can just burst into your office without knocking? "Are the security and receptionists at your company dead? They just let strangers come right up?!" Alex's expression cracked. "That's enough, Alex. Stop being disgusting." I sneered, grabbed the proposals, and walked out. Chloe was standing by the secretary's empty desk. Our eyes met. She gave me a small, triumphant smirk. It was a look only another woman would understand. See? I'm taking your man. I stopped. I raised my voice. "Ms. Yao, what are you smiling at? Are you proud of yourself?" Her expression immediately shifted to panic. Alex pulled his door open. Chloe tugged nervously at her clothes. "I... I wasn't smiling..." 5 Before boarding, I saw Chloe's new Instagram story. A shot from the passenger seat. She was holding a bubble tea. One cup, two straws. A couple's drink. The driver's hand was in the shot, wearing an expensive watch. Instantly recognizable. Her caption: [It's only good tea when you're drinking it with the right person.] I liked it. Then I screenshotted it and forwarded it to Alex. He replied almost immediately. A voice memo. "Stella, Chloe's place is far, I'm just dropping her home." In the background, I could faintly hear Chloe's panicked voice, "Oh no, I forgot to hide my story from Stella..." My voice was flat. "Next time you two get a room, tell her to hide that from me, too. Otherwise, it's so hard for you to explain." Alex's call came in immediately. I looked at it. Declined. Airplane mode. It was snowing in Aspen. The flight was delayed. By the time I landed, it was night. My potential partner, Ethan Chen, picked me up himself and hosted a dinner. We talked about the resort development until midnight. My phone had been vibrating for ages. I finally picked it up. Alex's voice was exhausted. "Why are you just answering now?" "Busy." I kept it short. The dinner wasn't over. Just before I hung up, a woman's crying came from Alex's end. "It's so late... and I heard a man's voice on Stella's end... what if she's in trouble... "Did you two fight again because of me..." She was sobbing. Alex, however, sounded panicked. "The construction on Chloe's street... they blocked the road. I can't leave. I just... came upstairs for a minute..." I paused. "No need to explain. You two spent seven days and seven nights at the resort together. This is nothing." Alex was stunned. He couldn't find a word to say. At the table, Ethan's young assistant, already drunk, slurred, "Ms. Yu, taking a call means a penalty drink!" I smiled apologetically. "Alright." Before I could hang up, Alex's voice exploded from the phone. "You're drinking? "With men?! "Stella, where are you?! Send me your location! I'll come get you!" The strong liquor burned my throat. These mountain guys could really drink. I held up the phone, screen bright. I laughed. "Road's blocked, remember? You can't get out. You forgot?" Alex choked. I just hung up. Phone off. The assistant was already coming at me with another glass. Ethan blocked him. His voice was calm. "That's enough. Easy on the drinks." The drunk assistant sobered up instantly. He sat straight down. Ethan pushed a glass of fresh-squeezed juice in front of me. "Try this." I don't like orange juice. But I took a sip. "Not bad."
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