Chapter 102 One Hundred & Two
The next morning, Izzy arrived at work, her heart heavy and restless from the previous night. She tried to focus on her tasks, but every sound made her glance at the clock, hoping he would show up, hoping for any message.
By mid-morning, Dominic walked in. He was calm, collected, and utterly unbothered. His sharp eyes scanned the room, but when they landed on her, he didn’t acknowledge her at all. Not a nod, not a glance. Just business as usual.
Sienna was there too, casually leaning against a counter, chatting with a few colleagues. Her smile was bright, too familiar, and Izzy felt the old pang of jealousy curl tight in her chest. She reminded herself to stay professional, but every time Dominic looked her way… though he didn’t stop to speak to her... her stomach twisted.
The morning dragged on, each hour heavier than the last. Dominic ignored her completely, keeping his distance, and Sienna seemed all too happy to be around him. Izzy’s hands shook slightly as she typed reports, her mind replaying the wine party and his cold dismissal the night before.
When lunchtime came, she tried to eat, but her appetite was gone. Her phone buzzed quietly on the table, and her pulse jumped. It was Dominic.
She hesitated before unlocking it. The message was short:
“Let’s talk after work hours.”
Her chest tightened. No explanation, no apology, just that. Her mind raced… was he finally going to tell her what had happened? Or was this going to be another test she didn’t know how to pass?
She typed a quick reply: “Okay.”
Her hand trembled as she set the phone down, her eyes flicking to Dominic’s office. He was there, his back straight, focused on his work as if nothing had happened. Izzy felt a mixture of hope and dread.
The rest of the day stretched out slowly, each minute a careful balance between anticipation and anxiety. Every time the clock ticked closer to the end of work, her heart hammered faster.
She didn’t know what he would say, but she knew one thing… nothing would be the same after this conversation and she was scared.
After work, Izzy waited at her desk long after everyone had left. Her phone buzzed again. Dominic’s message: “Can you meet me in my office? Now.”
Her heart pounded as she made her way up, her stomach twisting with nerves. She knocked lightly before entering.
Dominic was sitting behind his desk, hands clasped, his usual confident posture replaced with a tense hesitation. He looked up as she entered, eyes dark, full of something she couldn’t read.
“Izzy…” he began, his voice low, hesitant. “I… I really did try. I really did…”
Her heart skipped a beat. “Try what?” she asked softly, her voice trembling.
He ran a hand over his face, letting out a long breath. “To… be with you. To make this work. I wanted to… I wanted us to have us… but…” His words faltered, and his gaze dropped to the desk.
“But what?” she pressed, stepping closer. Her chest ached with hope and fear.
He lifted his eyes, pained and almost broken. “I can’t, Izzy. I… I would have to marry Sienna.”
Her stomach dropped.
Her mind blanked for a moment, then she shook her head, refusing to believe it. “What… what.. you can’t be serious,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.
“I wish this were a joke,” he said, his jaw tight. “If I don’t… I lose everything. Everything I’ve worked for. My family, my business… my life as I’ve built it. I can’t risk it.”
Izzy’s hands trembled at her sides, her chest tightening, and her mind reeled. “So… so this… us… all this… meant nothing?” Her voice cracked with a mix of hurt and disbelief.
Dominic shook his head, his own eyes wet, but determined. “It meant everything to me, pumpkin. It still does… You have no idea how much I’ve fought, how much I’ve tried… but some things I can’t fight. Not yet. I… I can’t lose it all. I’m so sorry.”
Izzy’s legs felt weak, and she sank into the chair in front of his desk, her mind spinning. Her heart felt heavy, the hope they’d built together shattering piece by piece.
“I… I can’t believe this,” she whispered, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes.
Dominic leaned back, silent for a long moment, running a hand through his hair. “I know… I know it’s not fair. And I know I’ve hurt you. But… I wanted to be with you. I really did.”
Her gaze met his, sharp and trembling. “But you can’t. So… what does that make me, Dominic? A mistake? Youre breaking up with me it's barely a month.”
“No… I'm not ending things with you.” His voice was soft, almost desperate. “And.. You're Never a mistake. You’re… everything I didn’t think I could have. But some battles… I can’t fight. Not yet.”
Izzy’s chest heaved as the weight of his words sank in. She wanted to scream, to cry, to hit him so hard… to beg him.. To want her, but she also knew… some things couldn’t be fixed with just desire.
The room fell silent, both of them trapped in the tension of what was and what couldn’t be.
And in that silence, Izzy realized just how much she loved him… and how impossible it now seemed that he would ever choose her.
Dominic swallowed, his voice dropping. “Even if I marry Sienna… it doesn’t mean I love her. My heart is with you, pumpkin. It’s always been with you.”
Izzy stared at him, her shock slowly turning into something sharper. Colder.
“If you can give me two years,” he continued quickly, like he was afraid she’d interrupt, “just two years, I promise I’ll divorce her. I’ll fix everything. Then I’ll marry you. I swear.”
For a moment, the room was completely silent.
Then Izzy laughed. Not because it was funny…but because it was unbelievable.
She stood up slowly, her hands shaking. “So… let me get this straight,” she said, her voice trembling with anger. “You want to marry another woman, sleep next to her, build a life with her…”
She stepped closer, eyes burning. “And you want me to wait? To hide? To be your secret? Why you still fuck me?”
Dominic stood too, reaching for her. “Izzy, no…”
She pulled back sharply. “So you want to make me the other woman,” she said, her voice rising. “The dirty little secret you come running to when your perfect wife isn’t enough.”
“That’s not what this is,” he said desperately. “I love you. You know I do.”
“Love?” she snapped, tears spilling now. “You don’t love someone and ask them to destroy themselves for you. Is this your version of love?”
Her chest heaved as the truth hit her fully. All the sweet words. The promises. The future she thought they were building.
“You’re choosing comfort over courage,” she said quietly. “Power over love. And you want me to pay the price for it.”
Dominic’s face crumpled. “I’m trying to protect you.”
“No,” Izzy said, shaking her head. “You’re trying to tie me down..”
She wiped her tears angrily. “I will not be anyone's second choice, never. I will not be hidden. And I will never be a sex toy for you ever again.”
The words hung heavy between them.
Dominic looked like he wanted to say something… anything... but nothing came out.
Izzy took a step back, her voice steady now, even as her heart shattered. “You don’t get two years of my life. You don’t get my love while you give your name to someone else.”
She turned toward the door, pausing just once.
“When you decide to choose me without conditions,” she said softly, “don’t look for me. Because by then… I won’t be here.”
And with that, she walked out, leaving Dominic alone in the office… surrounded by everything he chose, and none of what he loved.