Chapter 92 Hardest Thing To Do
Mia’s POV
“Are you okay now?” Josh asked softly.
I nodded, even though deep down, I knew I would never be okay again.
“A little,” I said, even if the word barely scratched the surface of how I really felt.
Josh studied my face for a moment, like he already knew that answer was only half true. Then he sighed and said, “Don’t worry. I’ll help you.”
I looked up at him, my brows knitting together in confusion. “Help me? Josh, what do you mean?”
“Don’t give me that look, Mia,” he said, attempting a small smile. “I can help you. Besides… I’m going to submit my resignation letter tomorrow anyway.”
His words shocked me. “What?” I blurted out. “Josh, you can’t do that. This is my problem, not yours. I’ll look for another job. I’ll figure it out.”
He laughed softly, not in amusement, but in that tired way people do when they have already made up their mind. “Hey. Don’t feel guilty. Really.” He paused, then added more seriously, “Actually, maybe this happened for a reason.”
I frowned. “For a reason?”
He nodded slowly. “I’ve been wanting to talk to you about this for a while now, Mia. I just never knew how. Or when. And maybe I was scared that if I said it out loud, everything would change.”
My chest tightened as I listened. Josh rarely talked like this. He was always the calm one, the one who carried things quietly, like they never weighed him down.
“But things already changed,” he continued gently. “And I don’t want you thinking you’re alone in this. You’re not. Not now. Not ever.”
I swallowed hard, my throat burning as his words settled in. In the middle of everything I had lost that night, his quiet loyalty felt like something fragile but real. Something worth holding on to.
“I found a partner,” Josh said, his voice suddenly lighter, almost hopeful. “I’m finally going to pursue my dream of opening my own beauty salon. And… I want you to be part of my team.”
The words caught me off guard. I was still feeling low, still carrying the weight of everything that had happened, yet somehow, I felt a small smile tug at my lips. Even on one of my worst nights, Josh had a way of reminding me that life did not end with one closed door.
“Oh, Josh,” I said softly. “I’m so happy for you.”
“Thank you, Mia.” His eyes lit up as he spoke, the excitement impossible to hide. “An old friend of mine from university reached out. She needed a partner, and I had saved enough money since Mom started giving me allowances again.” He hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck. “I actually felt guilty. I didn’t invite you to the opening. I thought you might be upset with me.”
I shook my head, but he continued before I could speak.
“I stayed working here longer than I planned because I couldn’t leave you,” he admitted quietly. “I didn’t want you to go through everything alone, Mia.”
His words only made the guilt in my chest grow heavier.
“Josh, you don’t have to do that,” I said quickly. “I will always be happy for you. You don’t need to stay somewhere just because of me. I’m sorry if I made you worry.”
He smiled gently and reached for my hand, squeezing it like he always did whenever I felt like I was about to fall apart.
“Mia, you’re my best friend,” he said firmly. “And you always will be.”
I looked away, my eyes stinging. “Thank you, Josh. I don’t think I deserve your loyalty.”
“Hey.” His tone softened, but his grip tightened. “Don’t ever say that. You are worth it. You just don’t realize how much you help me.” He paused, meeting my eyes. “You’ve been my rock, Mia. I can’t just walk away from that. I already told you, we’re in this together.”
I let out a small, nervous laugh. “Josh, I don’t even know anything about makeup or hair. You know I’m only good at serving food, taking orders… and washing dishes.”
He laughed, shaking his head. “You’re forgetting something important.”
“What?”
“You’re good with numbers,” he said confidently. “You’re smart. I need you to help us with accounting. You’ll be the cashier. Our financial advisor.”
I stared at him in disbelief and shook my head. “How can I be your financial advisor when I’m completely broke?”
“You know exactly what I mean,” he replied, his smile unwavering.
I fell silent, unsure what to say, overwhelmed by the way he believed in me when I barely believed in myself.
“You start working with me tomorrow,” he said, leaving no room for argument.
Before I could protest, he gently guided me toward his car, opened the passenger door, and waited until I was safely seated inside, like this was the most natural thing in the world.
And for the first time that night, I felt like maybe… just maybe… I wasn’t as alone as I thought.
“Don’t worry. We will succeed, Mia,” Josh said as he started the engine.
I turned to look at him, my chest tightening. “Josh… you come from a wealthy family,” I said quietly. “All you have to do is go home and take over your father’s business. You don’t have to suffer like I do. You already have everything you need.”
My fingers curled in my lap as the words I had been holding back finally spilled out. “You ran away from a life where you didn’t have to work every single day just to survive. A life where making ends meet was never a question.”
I swallowed hard and stared out the window. “I don’t have that choice. I have to work just to live in this cruel world. And maybe I was foolish for thinking I could ever live like a normal girl. Someone who could dream without worrying about tomorrow.”
When I looked back at him, sadness filled his eyes, the kind that told me he understood more than I thought.
“Mia,” he said gently, “you are brave. And you will be fine. I promise.” He paused, then added with quiet determination, “I will help you graduate college. I can see a good future waiting for you. One day, you’ll be successful, confident… and men will be lining up just to get your attention.”
I blinked, then burst into laughter, the sound surprising even me.
Josh smiled, clearly relieved. “You have no idea how beautiful your laugh sounds, Mia,” he said softly. “Do that more often. Don’t let all the negative things pull you down. I’m here for you. Always.”
My smile lingered as I looked at him. “Thank you, Josh.”
The rest of the drive passed in comfortable silence, the kind that didn’t feel awkward, just peaceful. But the moment we reached our place, my breath caught in my throat.
My eyes widened as I saw a familiar figure standing on the driveway.
Liam.
Josh followed my gaze and let out a low whistle as he pulled into his parking space. “Wow,” he said lightly. “Looks like someone’s been waiting for you.”
My heart began to race, butterflies swarming wildly in my stomach. And in that moment, I realized something painful and terrifying at the same time.
No matter how many times I told myself I needed to end things with Liam… letting him go would be the hardest thing I would ever have to do.