Further down, Winifred was flashing a peace sign at the camera, her smile radiant.
Messed up a project today and I was so scared, but he took me here to cheer me up. Said I'll always be the best!
I recognized the place in the photo instantly. The Summit Restaurant.
That was where Asher and I had fallen in love.
Years ago, I'd run away after a fight with my family and secretly taken a waitressing job there. A drunk customer started groping me.
Asher had charged in and knocked the man to the ground. When the guy grabbed a bottle and swung it down at me, Asher pulled me into his arms and took the blow full on. Blood everywhere.
Back then he had no money, no connections, nothing but reckless courage and the instinct to shield me with everything he had.
Now he was bringing another woman to that same place, right through the front door.
It felt like a knife dragging open my chest. I couldn't breathe.
I kept scrolling until I reached her last post, from just yesterday.
Can't wait for the bidding conference the day after tomorrow. The Southgate project is his debut gift to me!
Every drop of warmth drained from my body. My breath stopped.
The Southgate project was a cornerstone venture my father had poured his heart into before he passed. It was supposed to be his gift to me for my twenty-eighth birthday.
And Asher was going to hand it over to his little secretary.
The front door clicked open.
Asher was home.
He walked straight to me, wrapped both arms around me, and rested his chin on the top of my head. His voice was soft and tender.
"Hey, babe. I missed you."
He still smelled like Winifred's cloying gardenia perfume.
I stood rigid in his arms, swallowing the nausea.
He didn't notice a thing. He took my hand and swung it lightly.
"There's an executive gathering at the office tonight. Come meet everyone. You should start dropping by the company more often, keep me company."
I looked at the flawless tenderness in his eyes and felt nothing but the absurdity of it.
Before I could refuse, he'd already pulled me out the door.
The banquet hall glittered with light. The moment Asher walked in holding my hand, every eye in the room turned to us.
A second later, Winifred appeared in a white cocktail dress, eyes rimmed red, walking quickly toward me. In front of everyone, she dipped into a small bow.