As I walked into the office, I was surprised to see Ryan already seated at his desk, typing away on his computer with a look of intense focus on his face. I had thought I would be the first to report in today, considering I was an hour early, but Ryan was already there, looking like he had been working for hours. I couldn't help but wonder what had brought him in so early, and whether it had anything to do with the unfinished work he had mentioned earlier.
"Hey, man," he said, looking up from his screen and flashing me a brief smile. "What brings you in so early?"
"I'm trying to make up for lost time," I replied, taking a seat next to him and trying to get comfortable. "I don't want to be late again this week. I know how much trouble it caused last time."
Ryan nodded understandingly, his expression sympathetic. "I know the feeling," he said. "I'm actually trying to cover up some unfinished work from Friday. I don't want the Boss to find out that I didn't manage to get everything done."
I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What happened on Friday?" I asked, leaning in a bit closer. "You seemed pretty on top of things when I left."
Ryan sighed, rubbing his temples. "I just got overwhelmed with tasks and didn't manage my time well," he admitted. "I had to leave some things unfinished, and now I'm trying to catch up before anyone notices. I don't want to get in trouble."
I nodded sympathetically, knowing how it felt to be in his shoes. "I've been there too," I said. "But I'm sure you'll get it done. You're always so on top of things."
Ryan smiled, looking relieved. "Thanks, man. I appreciate it. I just don't want to mess up again."
As we sat there, relaxing and chatting, Ryan suddenly dived into the topic of the engagement party. "So, what was the deal with you and Sarah at the party?" he asked, his eyes curious. "I mean, I know you knew Stephanie would be there. Were you trying to cause trouble?"
I sighed, knowing this conversation was inevitable. "It's not like that, Ryan," I said, trying to explain. "I could've come alone, but Sarah offered to come with me, and I didn't want to disappoint her. Besides, I don't regret coming with her. If I had come alone, I would've been depressed by Stephanie's presence."
Ryan raised an eyebrow, looking skeptical. "Depressed? What do you mean?"
I leaned in, explaining my perspective. "You do know that Stephanie and I have history, and seeing her would always bring up mixed emotions," I said. "But with Sarah by my side, I felt more at ease. I didn't feel like I was stuck in the past. I could actually enjoy myself and celebrate my friend cousin's engagement."
Ryan nodded thoughtfully, his expression indicating that he understood what I was trying to say. "I get it," he said, leaning back in his chair. "But, man, Stephanie was really depressed and heartbroken during the occasion. She felt betrayed, like you had moved on and left her behind. She was crying and stuff, it was pretty sad."
I sighed, feeling a pang of guilt. "I did advise her about it, though," I said, shaking my head. "I told her that she was the one who broke things off with me by rejecting my proposal. But she got all defensive, saying that she knew I was cheating on her with another lady."
Ryan raised an eyebrow. "And then you showed up with Sarah, which basically proved her right," he said, his voice laced with amusement. "I mean, I know you two are just friends, but it's hard to blame Stephanie for thinking that."
I shook my head, feeling frustrated. "That's not the point, Ryan. The point is that Stephanie is being manipulative. She's intentionally acting like a victim because she just realized that she had lost me to Sarah. She's trying to make me feel guilty, to make me doubt my own feelings."
Ryan looked intrigued. "Go on," he said, leaning forward. "Tell me more about what happened with you and Stephanie."
I took a deep breath, launching into my story. "Stephanie...... She was always insecure and possessive. She would get jealous over the smallest things, and she always assumed the worst about me. I tried to reassure her every time, to tell her that she had nothing to worry about, but she never listened, I do accept her the way she has always been, but after the rejection..... After the rejection, things changed."
Ryan nodded, his eyes wide with understanding. "I have known her for a long time now, I can see why she would be like that," he said. "But what about Sarah? How did you two meet?"
I smiled, feeling a warmth in my chest. "Sarah is amazing," I said. "We met at a bar, and we just clicked. She's beautiful, intelligent, and kind - everything that Stephanie can possibly be compared to, but Sarah is more like an upgrade, even though I still haven't known much about her and all that..... You know, We started hanging out, and I realized that I had feelings for her, just finding out actually. But I was hesitant to act on them, because I didn't want to hurt Stephanie yet, and as well doesn't know how Sarah feels about me really."
Ryan nodded thoughtfully. "I see," he said. "Well, it sounds like you're better off without Stephanie, man, she's my friend, but you're also my friend. Sarah seems like a great girl. But what about Stephanie's accusations? Did you ever cheat on her?"
I shook my head, feeling adamant. "No, I never cheated on her," I said. "I was faithful to her, even when she was being unreasonable and possessive. But she always assumed the worst about me, and that's one of the things that ultimately drove us apart, the proposal rejection was just the summary of it all."