Stephanie's POV
I glanced at the clock. It was already ten past twelve. There was no way he would keep his word. That man was probably busy partying or had already found a new woman by now. There was no way, after everything I said, that he would still try to marry me. I couldn't sleep a wink thinking about what might happen if he showed up.
I laid my head on the wooden desk. If only Mom were alive, I would never have ended up in a place like this. We would still be in our old house. I glanced out the window. Spring was almost over. If I were with Mom now, the apricot trees in our backyard would be filled with fruit. The sweet scent of ripe apricots mixed with the faint fermenting smell of the ones that had fallen to the ground remained vivid in my memory.
Mom would pick them up and make jars of jam and bottles of wine. She would crouch under the tree with her favorite straw hat, softly humming as she gathered the fruit.
"Athy, do you want to try some?" She would look at me, her face covered in sweat, yet her smile never fading.
"Stephanie, you alright?"
I jolted upright and saw my co-worker standing beside my cubicle.
I almost forgot I was still at the office. "Ah, yes. I just didn't sleep well last night," I said, trying to laugh it off.
She cast a sharp glance at my bandaged arm. "You know, Stephanie, for someone so meticulous and attentive to her work, you're very careless with your body," she said, adjusting her glasses.
I forced a smile. "Yeah. Nobody's perfect. I should grab some coffee."
I stood up, grabbing my wallet, and heading towards the vending machine.
I stared at the glass panel and sighed. Why was I so anxious? The morning was over. Nothing happened. Dragging me to court? He isn't some mafia boss or criminal. It's illegal to marry without consent, no matter how powerful he is.
I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself as I pressed the button for black coffee.
"Black coffee is bad on an empty stomach, love."
The air left my lungs, replaced by that woody, spicy scent. My back collided with his hard chest. His hand reached over mine toward the button I had pressed. My fingers jerked away instinctively. Through my peripheral vision, I saw his smile and those damn infuriating dimples.
He pressed the button for some healthy juice carton instead. I turned around. There he was with that same annoying smile. That same infuriatingly good-looking face. I took a step back, but my back hit the vending machine.
"What are you doing here?" I crossed my arms and stared straight into his eyes.
Cliff leaned closer, placing one arm on either side of me, blocking my escape. We were in the office lobby. If anyone saw this, it would be bad. I was still an employee even though they believe I got through my connection.
"We had an appointment, love," Cliff said, his warm breath brushing against my skin.
"I never agreed to an appointment. I guess Mr. Graham has never learned that appointments require the agreement of both parties." I smiled, keeping my tone as polite as possible.
Cliff smirked and pulled away. "Well then, don't mind this mannerless person."
Before I could leave, Cliff suddenly wrapped an arm around my waist and lifted me into his arms.
"Let go. This is harassment, Mr. Graham," I snapped, struggling against him. But his grip only tightened, pulling me closer to his chest.
"Don't struggle. You don't want your co-workers to see this, right… Catherine?"
Time stopped. He knows. No. That's impossible. In the past twelve years, Catherine has ceased to exist. Catherine died the day my mom left this world. Not a single person alive calls me that. So how does he know?
"Surprising, isn't it? The girl who once called me trash is now my fiancée," Cliff's voice murmured near my ear.
Trash? I've met him before? I called him trash? I had no memory of that. How does he know my past? A past meeting I don't remember? That was not important. How did he know about Catherine?
Catherine was the name my mom gave me. According to her, I was the pure blessing she received even though I ultimately became the cause of her death. But before she left me, she changed it. Without asking. Just like she gave me my name, she took it away. Catherine died alongside her. All that remained was Stephanie; a name and a person unfamiliar to me. Maybe I died that day too, and Stephanie was the soul that took over my body.
"You're planning to escape, aren't you?" Cliff's voice turned cold.
I blinked. I was in the passenger seat. A seatbelt was strapped across me. Cliff sat in the driver's seat. The car was already moving. I swallowed hard. For the first time, I was afraid of him. Not irritated. Not defensive. Afraid. He was dangerous. Too dangerous.
My body froze. A creeping feeling grew underneath my feet as if millions of tiny spiders came alive, creeping up legs while I helplessly looked as it took over my body devouring me. I remained frozen, my voice refusing to come out. The sinking feeling as they reached my neck the itching grew yet I could do nothing.
"Don't worry. I have no plans to tell your so-called family," he said calmly, as if he knew the truth about them.
"What do you want?" I finally managed to speak. Luckily, my voice came out steady.
Cliff glanced at me.
"I want you. Marry me, Athy."