Chapter 9: The Girl Behind the Screen

"Emma?"

The single word echoed in the quiet rooftop garden.

Neither of us moved.

Adrian still held the wig in one hand.

I stood frozen, feeling the cold evening breeze against my real hair.

There was no hiding anymore.

No fake name.

No fake hairstyle.

No emergency excuse.

Just me.

His employee.

His online girlfriend.

The woman who had lied to him for two years.

"Say something," Adrian whispered.

I opened my mouth.

Nothing came out.

For someone who spent hours talking to him every night, I suddenly couldn't find a single word.

"You're... Emma Hayes?"

I nodded.

"From Finance?"

Another nod.

He blinked several times, trying to process what he was seeing.

Then he looked at the wig.

Then back at me.

"You've got to be kidding me."

"I wish I was."

A strange laugh escaped him.

Not a happy laugh.

The kind people made when reality became too ridiculous to understand.

"You're telling me..."

He pointed the wig toward me.

"...that I've been dating one of my own employees?"

"Yes."

"For two years?"

"Yes."

"And every weekday..."

"I said, 'Good morning, Mr. Carter,' in the office."

"Then every night..."

"I texted you good night."

Silence.

Long.

Painful.

Heavy silence.

Finally, Adrian laughed again.

"I actually told my online girlfriend that her boss sounded like a terrible person."

"You did."

"And she agreed with me."

"You deserved it."

"Apparently I did."

His smile disappeared almost immediately.

"Why?"

There it was.

The question I had feared for months.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

I lowered my eyes.

"Because I panicked."

"For two years?"

"At first... yes."

"Emma..."

His voice was calm.

Far too calm.

"Did you ever plan on telling me?"

"Every week."

"And then?"

"Every week I became more afraid."

"Afraid of what?"

"Losing my job."

"You thought I'd fire you?"

"I didn't know what you'd do."

"So instead..."

"I lied."

I forced myself to meet his eyes.

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry doesn't explain the wigs."

"That part got... out of hand."

"Out of hand?"

"Lily bought them."

"Who is Lily?"

"My best friend."

"The one who suggested this insanity?"

"Mostly."

"Remind me never to thank her."

Despite everything, I smiled.

Then I noticed he wasn't smiling back.

My heart sank.

"You're angry."

"Shouldn't I be?"

"Yes."

"Do you know how many times I wondered why you wouldn't meet me?"

"I know."

"I thought maybe you were ashamed of me."

"No."

"Maybe you were married."

"No."

"Maybe you never loved me."

"Adrian..."

"Was any of it real?"

That question hurt more than anything else.

"Every single word."

He didn't respond.

"The feelings were real."

"The name wasn't."

"Emma is my real name."

"Claire wasn't."

"I know."

"The hair wasn't."

"No."

"The stories?"

"Most of them were true."

"Most?"

"Everything except the parts that could reveal where I worked."

He looked away toward the city lights.

"I kept thinking there had to be a reason you were hiding."

"There was."

"Apparently there were several."

I stepped closer.

"Can you at least look at me?"

"I'm trying not to do something stupid."

"Like what?"

"Like kissing you..."

He paused.

"...or yelling at you."

"Which one are you leaning toward?"

"I honestly don't know."

That answer somehow made me feel worse.

"I deserve that."

"Yes, you do."

We stood there quietly for almost a minute.

Then Adrian suddenly asked,

"Seven thousand dollars."

"...What about it?"

"You kept it."

"I paid off my student loans."

"Good."

"You're not asking for it back?"

"No."

"Really?"

"Emma..."

He rubbed his forehead.

"I was planning to spend the rest of my life with you."

"What?"

"Did you think I cared about seven thousand dollars?"

Tears immediately filled my eyes.

"Don't cry."

"I'm trying not to."

"You're failing."

"I know."

One tear escaped anyway.

Adrian sighed.

"Great."

"What?"

"Now I'm the one who feels guilty."

"You didn't do anything wrong."

"Neither did you."

"I absolutely did."

"You made a terrible decision."

"Several."

"Repeatedly."

"Yes."

"But you were scared."

"Very."

"And you should've trusted me."

"I know."

"That's what hurts."

Another silence.

This one wasn't angry.

Just sad.

"Do you remember," Adrian asked quietly,

"the night I stayed awake until four because you were nervous about your medical results?"

"Yes."

"Or when your apartment flooded?"

"You ordered dinner for me because I couldn't cook."

"Or your birthday?"

"You somehow remembered my favorite cake."

"Those moments..."

He looked at me again.

"Were they real for you?"

"They were everything."

"Then why didn't you trust me with the truth?"

I couldn't answer.

Because there wasn't a good answer.

Only fear.

Fear had become bigger than honesty.

"I hate that I hurt you," I whispered.

"I know."

"I never wanted this."

"I know."

"Can you forgive me?"

He closed his eyes.

"Not tonight."

My chest tightened.

"Okay."

"That doesn't mean never."

Hope flickered.

"It means I need time."

"I'll wait."

He smiled sadly.

"Funny."

"What?"

"Those were my words."

"I know."

"Now you're saying them to me."

"Because I finally understand what they meant."

He handed me the wig.

"Keep this."

"I don't think I'll be needing it anymore."

"Please don't."

For the first time that evening, a genuine smile appeared on his face.

"It was terrible."

"Lily liked it."

"Lily has questionable judgment."

"She'll be devastated."

"I'll buy her glasses."

I laughed through my tears.

"There's my Emma."

The words escaped him before he could stop them.

Neither of us spoke afterward.

Eventually, Adrian looked at his watch.

"I'll take you home."

"You don't have to."

"I know."

"Are we... okay?"

"No."

He answered honestly.

"But we're not over either."

That was enough.

At least for tonight.

The drive back to my apartment was unusually quiet.

Normally we would've filled the silence with jokes.

Instead, both of us stared out the windows.

When the car stopped, I reached for the door handle.

"Emma."

I turned back.

"Tomorrow..."

"Yes?"

"At the office..."

"I'll be professional."

"Good."

"And online?"

He looked away for a second.

"I don't think I can pretend nothing happened."

"Neither can I."

"Maybe..."

He hesitated.

"Maybe we stop messaging for a while."

The words felt like someone squeezing my heart.

"If that's what you need... okay."

"It is."

"I'll wait."

This time, he didn't answer.

He simply nodded.

I stepped out of the car.

As it drove away, I stood on the sidewalk watching the taillights disappear into the night.

For the first time in two years...

My phone stayed completely silent.