What He Chose to Show
The door closed behind Ella, and for a moment, Ethan remained still.
He didn't return to his work immediately. His eyes stayed on the door, as if expecting something—though he didn't know what.
After a few seconds, he looked away and picked up another file, forcing himself back into routine.
Before he could continue, the door opened again.
Liana walked in without knocking.
"You're still thinking about her, aren't you?" she said casually.
Ethan didn't respond. He simply turned a page in the file.
"She's just an employee," he said after a moment, his voice calm and distant.
Liana smiled faintly and walked closer to his desk. "If she's just an employee, then treat her like one."
He didn't answer that.
Instead, he continued working, but his focus wasn't as steady as before.
---
Outside, Ella sat at her desk, trying to concentrate.
She told herself to focus only on work. Nothing else mattered. Not the past. Not him.
But the glass walls made it difficult.
She didn't want to look, yet her eyes betrayed her.
She saw Liana standing close to Ethan. Too close.
She quickly looked away and forced herself to continue typing.
---
As the day went on, Liana began assigning her more tasks.
"Redo this report."
"Fix the formatting."
"This isn't detailed enough."
At first, Ella thought she had made mistakes. But after checking carefully, she realized most of the work was already correct.
Still, she didn't argue.
She quietly did everything again.
---
Ethan noticed.
From inside his office, he could see Ella working continuously, barely taking a break.
He also noticed how often Liana walked to her desk, pointing out things, giving instructions that seemed unnecessary.
He understood what was happening.
But he chose not to interfere.
He told himself it wasn't his concern.
Yet, every time his eyes drifted toward Ella, something inside him felt unsettled.
---
By evening, the office had started to empty.
Most employees had left, but Ella was still at her desk, working under the soft glow of her screen.
Her shoulders were slightly tense, and her eyes showed signs of exhaustion, but she didn't stop.
A few minutes later, Liana walked up to her again.
"You're still here?" she asked.
"Yes," Ella replied softly, without looking up.
Liana watched her for a moment, then smiled.
"You're trying very hard," she said. "But no matter how much you try, you won't get him back."
Ella's hands slowed, but she didn't respond.
Liana leaned slightly closer and added, "He doesn't look at you anymore."
This time, Ella's fingers stopped completely.
The words hit deeper than she expected.
Still, she kept her head down.
"Are you done?" she asked quietly.
Liana gave a small smile. "For today."
Then she turned and walked away.
---
A few minutes later, Ethan stepped out of his office.
Ella could feel his presence even before she saw him.
She straightened slightly but didn't look up.
"Report," he said.
She handed it to him.
Their fingers almost touched, but both pulled back.
He flipped through the pages, his expression unreadable.
Then he stopped.
"Fix page twelve," he said.
Ella frowned slightly. She knew that page well.
"There's nothing wrong with it," she said before thinking.
Ethan looked at her, his gaze turning colder.
"Are you questioning me?"
Her throat tightened.
"No."
She lowered her eyes. "I'll fix it."
He didn't say anything else. He simply handed the file back and walked away.
---
When Ella finally left the building, it was raining again.
She stepped outside slowly, not caring that she didn't have an umbrella.
The rain soaked through her clothes, but she didn't stop.
For the first time that day, she let her tears fall freely.
"He doesn't look at you anymore."
The words repeated in her mind.
And this time, she didn't try to deny them.
---
Inside his car, Ethan sat quietly.
His phone lit up with a message.
Liana: Dinner tonight?
He stared at the screen for a few seconds.
Then he typed a reply.
But before sending it, he stopped.
For a brief moment, Ella's image appeared in his mind—standing in the rain, silent, distant.
His grip on the phone tightened slightly.
After a pause, he deleted the message and locked the screen.
He leaned back and closed his eyes.
He didn't understand why it bothered him.
But it did.
---
And that was something he couldn't ignore for long