Chapter 2: The Jacket That Changed Everything

Blake’s proposal pushed the team-building event to its climax. The room was filled with cheers and excitement.

Everyone rushed toward the center. They were afraid they would miss the drama unfolding right in front of them.

I was the only one who turned around and walked away.

I clenched my fists and stood in front of everyone without shedding a single tear.

I left the crowd behind and reached the fire escape alone before I finally allowed myself to collapse. I sank to the floor, completely drained of strength.

The hurt, the sadness, and the unwillingness to accept what happened all flooded my heart at once.

I did not understand.

I did not understand how a relationship I had spent ten years building could be taken away so easily.

I did not understand why my boyfriend and my best friend had betrayed me at the same time.

Most of all, I did not understand why I had to suffer like this when I had never done anything wrong in my entire life.

Did I really deserve this? Was I really not worth loving?

In the darkness, I could no longer hold back my tears. They poured down my face uncontrollably.

I bit down hard on the back of my hand to stop myself from making a sound. I cried in silence, filled with despair, in the empty stairwell where no one knew I was there.

Suddenly, the door behind me opened.

I covered my head in panic and begged in a broken voice, “Please don’t look at me. Please just don’t look at me...”

The person who came in did not question me or laugh at me. He did not say a single word.

He stood there quietly for a few seconds. Then he took off his suit jacket and placed it over my head.

A faint scent of cologne, so light that I could barely notice it, instantly surrounded me.

The man’s suit jacket felt like a shield that separated me from the outside world. At that moment, it gave me a sense of security like nothing else could.

A few seconds later, I heard footsteps. The door closed again.

He actually left just like that.

I stayed wrapped in his jacket and cried for a while longer before I finally managed to calm myself down.

I went to the restroom and touched up my makeup. Other than my slightly red eyes, there was nothing unusual about my appearance. No one would notice unless they looked carefully.

Once I was sure I was fine, I picked up the suit jacket and examined it.

First, it definitely was not Blake’s. I was the one who had chosen his suit for him that morning.

Second... it looked familiar, and it looked expensive.

Where had I seen it before?

With a head full of questions, I carried the jacket back to the banquet hall.

I stood at the entrance and quickly scanned the room. Everyone from every department was dressed in formal suits. The air conditioning was set so low that everyone still had their jackets on.

Then, my eyes landed on the VIP table at the front. That was the place where only the CEO and senior executives could sit.

The CEO, Lucas Parker, was there. His shirt was perfectly white and looked brand new.

But his jacket... It was gone!

I immediately sucked in a breath.

No way! Was the person who put his jacket over me in the stairwell Lucas?

I covered my mouth in shock and could not say a word.

At that moment, Lucas, who was quietly talking with the executives in the distance, suddenly turned his head and looked straight at me.

Then, his slender fingers lifted the champagne glass in his hand. He raised it slightly toward me.

I swear, at that moment, I felt myself completely freezing over.

Lucas Parker was the newly appointed CEO. He was known throughout the company for his cold demeanor, sharp judgment, and strict professional standards. Most employees were afraid to approach him unless they had a good reason.

And I had just spent several minutes crying beneath his jacket.

I wanted the floor to open up and swallow me whole.

I quickly walked toward the VIP table, hoping to return his jacket before anyone noticed anything unusual.

Unfortunately, just as I reached the table, one of the executives stopped me.

“Ms. Cooper, is there something you need?”

I tightened my grip on the jacket. “I just wanted to return something to Mr. Parker.”

Lucas looked up from his conversation.

“You can give it to me,” he said calmly.

I stepped forward and held out the jacket with both hands. “Thank you for lending it to me, Mr. Parker. I'm sorry I didn't recognize you earlier.”

He accepted it without looking away from me.

“You don't need to apologize for being upset.”

His words caught me off guard.

I had expected a reprimand, a warning about workplace conduct, or at least a question about why I had been crying.

Instead, he simply added, “You should get something warm to drink. You look pale.”

Before I could answer, he turned back to the executives as though the conversation had ended.

I walked away, feeling strangely unsettled.

Why had he helped me without asking questions? And why had he looked at me as if he knew there was more to my pain than what had happened at the event?

I didn't have time to dwell on it. My phone vibrated again.

Blake had sent another message.

“Where did you go? Nicole is asking about you. Come back and congratulate us. Don't make things difficult.”

I stared at the screen, unable to believe what I was reading.

He had proposed to my best friend, and now he wanted me to return and congratulate them as if I were nothing more than an ordinary coworker.

My fingers hovered over the keyboard.

For one reckless moment, I wanted to tell him about the pregnancy. I wanted him to know that while he was promising Nicole a future, I was carrying his child.

But I stopped myself.

A child should never be used to force someone to stay. And I would never beg a man to choose me just because of the life growing inside me.

I typed only three words.

“Congratulations, Blake Carter.”

Then I blocked his number.

My hands trembled after I did it, but beneath the fear, I felt a tiny sense of relief.

For the first time in ten years, I had made a decision without considering how Blake might react.

As I walked toward the exit, I glanced back at the VIP table.

Lucas Parker was watching me again.

This time, he didn't raise his glass. He simply met my gaze, his expression unreadable.

I looked away first and stepped into the cool night air.

I still had a thousand questions, a pregnancy to think about, and a life that had suddenly become unfamiliar.

But one thing was certain: I could not keep living as though my happiness depended on Blake Carter.

And somewhere inside that quiet resolve, a new chapter of my life had begun.