Chapter 23
Isaac
Tip #23: If you’re in an office romance that your whole team is invested in, be prepared for them to be equally invested in your breakup.
I stood frozen by the glass door, my hand hovering over the handle. Through the transparent door, I watched Charlotte. She was bent slightly at the waist, leaning over the new employees’ desks, the tail of her long, dark braid dangling over one shoulder. She pointed at something on one of her replacement's computer screen as the trainees typed up notes.
My heart clenched. She looked as lovely and put-together as always in her crisp white blouse and navy pencil skirt. You’d never know that less than twenty-four hours ago, we’d broken both of our spirits and decided our relationship was not to be.
Charlotte’s honey-brown eyes flicked up, meeting mine through the glass. For a split second, I saw a flash of something. Pain? Regret? But then her gaze shuttered, and she looked away, squaring her shoulders as she refocused on the trainees.
Her professionalism was impeccable, as always. But now there was an invisible wall between us that cut me off from her, something I’d never experienced before.
I pushed the door open and stepped into the team workspace. The familiar sounds of clacking keyboards and murmured conversations washed over me.
“Good afternoon, sir!” Theo shot out of his seat and saluted me. “I hope the meeting went well!”
Lola also scrambled to stand, her shoulders and back as straight as a board. “Hello, sir!”
Arisa’s head popped up from behind her dual monitors. “Good afternoon.”
I nodded to them, noting their greetings. They were acting normal. Clearly Charlotte hadn’t told them what happened.
“Boss! There you are.” Ravi’s booming voice carried across the office. He beamed at me, his perfectly trimmed salt-and-pepper beard emphasizing his wide grin. “I haven’t seen you all morning with all your meetings. How was your evening?”
I was spared from having to respond by Charlotte. “Good afternoon, Isaac.” Her tone was pleasant but neutral. Professional. She didn’t look away from the newbies’ monitors. “There are several emails that need your attention that I’ve sorted in your inbox.”
“Thank you, Charlotte, and hello, everyone,” I managed to spit out.
I headed toward my office in the back, my Italian leather shoes clicking against the polished floor. “Ravi, when you have a moment, I need to see you in my office. I have an update from accounting about one of your projects.”
“Sure thing, Boss!” Ravi called back cheerfully. “I’ll be there in a jiffy.”
As I reached for my office door handle, I glanced back at Charlotte. She was still bent over the trainees’ desks, but I caught the slight tension in her shoulders.
I don’t know which hurt more, knowing that I’d caused the tension or being unable to soothe it away.
I closed the door behind me, the soft click echoing in the sudden silence. My eyes swept across the room, landing on Charlotte’s empty desk. It used to be decorated with knickknacks Charlotte had collected from our various business trips, color-coded files, and photos of Ella and her parents… and us.
Now it was vacant, ready to be moved out.
“That’s right,” I muttered to the empty room, “she cleaned it out.”
I stood there, frozen, staring at the bare surface. It had been a shock when I’d come into the office this morning—Charlotte had come in early and cleaned it out, erasing every trace of herself from my office.
Something cracked deep within me, but the numbness that had overtaken me since I left Charlotte’s house the previous night was too consuming to feel it.
Slowly, I approached her desk and—as if under a spell—eased down into her chair. It still smelled faintly of her, and sitting at her workstation flooded my mind with our routines and shared memories.
Charlotte, leaning on the edge of my desk as she rattled off my schedule for the day, Charlotte sitting in this chair and frowning as she adjusted her shoes, Charlotte entering my office with my usual coffee because everyone else was too terrified to approach me, Charlotte smiling….
Without her, the empty office felt like a tomb. There was a Charlotte-shaped hole in my chest, aching and raw. How had I never realized how deeply she’d burrowed into my life, my routine, my soul?
A knock startled me from my thoughts. The door cracked open, revealing Ravi’s smiling face. His expression quickly shifted to surprise when he saw where I was sitting.
“Is now an OK time?” he asked hesitantly.
I shot to my feet, grateful for the distraction. “Of course, come in.” I moved behind my own desk, gesturing for Ravi to enter.
As Ravi closed the door, I noticed him peering thoughtfully into the team space before shutting it completely. He turned to me, concern etched on his face. “Is everything OK, Boss?”
“Of course it is.” I jiggled my mouse to wake up my computer. The screen flickered to life, demanding my password.
Ravi shook his head. “You’re not acting like a man who’s fine.”
My fingers froze over the keyboard. “What do you mean?”
Ravi studied me with an unnervingly perceptive gaze. His usually cheerful face was creased with concern, and he stroked his beard thoughtfully. “I know you like to keep things professional, but I think today calls for an exception.”
I frowned, confused by his preamble. “What are you talking about?”
Instead of answering, Ravi grabbed one of the armchairs in front of my desk and dragged it around to the side so we were seated much closer than usual. He plopped down in it with a sigh, settling his hands on his belly. His wild tie—covered in cartoon ducks wearing sunglasses—seemed at odds with the seriousness of his expression.
“Isaac,” he said, his tone kind but matter-of-fact, “have you and Charlotte broken up?”
“ What ?”
“Are you and Charlotte no longer together?” Ravi repeated patiently.
I felt like I’d been punched in the gut. “We were never official,” I said woodenly.
Ravi raised an eyebrow. “Only a fool would believe that.”
I shrugged, not trusting myself to speak.
We sat in silence for a few moments, Ravi’s kind eyes never leaving my face. The longer he watched me, I felt less like his employer and more like a beloved grandchild.
It was the affection in his eyes that eventually won.
“We… we realized we didn’t have a future together,” I admitted reluctantly. “We want different things out of life.”
A look of understanding flashed across Ravi’s face. “Ah,” he said softly. “So Charlotte told you she didn’t want to be in a love triangle with you and Warner Print?”
I blinked, baffled. “How did you know?”
Ravi shrugged, a morose smile playing at his lips. “To someone with my life experience, it was easy to see that disagreement coming. Charlotte’s been making big changes, shifting her priorities. And your dedication to work is legendary within the company.”
I glanced toward the door, suddenly aware of how exposed I felt. “I assume Charlotte hasn’t said anything to the team?”
“Not a word,” Ravi said cheerfully. Then he added, “But she won’t need to. I’m the only one who’s caught on today, but even oblivious Theo will figure it out in a day or two. Charlotte’s been avoiding being alone with you, even if she’s keeping up a professional front. And you....” He trailed off, looking at me with sympathy. “Well, you’re not as good at hiding your devastation. The office feels about five degrees colder, thanks to that.”
I exhaled heavily and leaned back in my chair, unsurprised by Ravi’s astute observations. The man didn’t miss a thing.
“I’m sorry,” Ravi said, his voice soft with genuine sympathy. “For both of you. It seems cruel, doesn’t it? To love each other so much and for so long only to see that it won’t work out.”
“I’ve only recently fallen for Charlotte,” I corrected him, my voice sounding strained even to my own ears.
Ravi’s bushy eyebrows shot up, his expression clearly unimpressed. “Really?” he drawled.
“Yes, really,” I snapped, stiffening. “Why would you think otherwise?”
“Because I have two eyes,” Ravi replied dryly, “and I’ve had the pleasure of working with you and Charlotte together for several years now.”
“Explain.”
Ravi’s face lit up like I’d just handed him an unexpected gift. “I thought you’d never ask!” He leaned forward eagerly, making his belly spill over the restraint of his leather belt. “I started suspecting it even before I was transferred to the team, but it was undeniable once I saw you two interacting together on a daily basis. You, the infamously icy Isaac Warner, would seek Charlotte out just to chat. You knew details about her life, ate lunch with her for fun—not work. And don’t even get me started on the personal space thing.”
“Personal space thing?” I echoed, feeling increasingly bewildered.
“Yes, your personal space! You let Charlotte get close to you. Hold your hand, touch your arm. You’ll initiate frequent contact with her. No one else gets so close to you or they’d risk frostbite!”
“I am a private person, but Charlotte and I have had years together—isn’t that closeness natural?” I asked.
Ravi ignored me and barreled on, his enthusiasm building like a runaway train. “And Charlotte! Sure, she’s warm to everyone, but she’s always kept work relationships appropriate. Except with you. She eats off your plate! She doesn’t bat an eye that you know her dress measurements—which would be very worrying if it weren’t you and Charlotte. Also, despite her being the perfect professional, you talked her into having a desk in your private office.”
Ravi pointedly tilted his head at Charlotte’s now-empty desk. The sight of it sent a fresh wave of pain through my chest.
“She never hesitated to be your date to work events,” Ravi continued, oblivious to my inner turmoil. “Did you really think she was doing that out of loyalty to Warner Print? Please. It was all for your sake—and Samuel figured out years ago that dangling Charlotte as bait was the only way to get you to show up to anything social.”
I’d known Charlotte was my bait, but I’d never stopped to think why she’d agreed to be my handler as Samuel paraded me around like a prized show pony. We enjoyed the functions together, but they would have been miserable without her.
“There’s a company-wide system for getting information to Charlotte first,” Ravi said, his voice rising with each point, “because everyone knows you’ll always listen to her, even when you’re icing out everyone else. For crying out loud, you’ve shut the door in your own twin’s face—the CEO of Warner Print!—but even at your most cantankerous you’ll let Charlotte speak her mind!”
None of this was new—I was aware of my decisions and the place Charlotte held in my esteem. But while I knew I loved Charlotte, I had never bothered to deduce how long she’d taken up residence in my being.
I slumped back in my chair, a new wave of desolation clawing at my heart. Ravi’s words echoed in my head, each one a painful reminder of what I’d already lost. I rubbed my forehead, trying to ease the ache that was building behind my eyes.
“But, perhaps most tellingly, is that I can count on one hand the number of days you haven’t worn a watch Charlotte gave you when I know firsthand you have an extensive collection gifted to you by other Warners and Warner Print clients.”
I glanced down at today’s watch—a silver and black timepiece that, yes, had been a gift from Charlotte.
“You two have been orbiting each other for years,” Ravi said. “You’ve just been too driven and busy to notice.”
Waves of guilt and misery washed over me. “Are you trying to make me feel worse than I already do?” I asked, my voice rough.
Ravi knit his bushy eyebrows together in concern. “No, Isaac. But it’s best to be honest with yourself and feel the pain.”
I closed my eyes, Charlotte’s smile flashing in my mind. The ache in my chest intensified, a hollow feeling spreading through me. I missed her already.
“I can’t say I agree with you,” I said. “Throwing myself into work sounds like a better plan.”
“Do you really think you can ignore the loss of Charlotte after she’s gone?”
“No,” I admitted. “I knew that even before you presented your meticulous list.”
“Exactly. It’s better to process the feelings now so you can work through your heartbreak.”
“I see,” I said woodenly.
It was easy enough to say, but personally, I didn’t think I’d ever get over it.
There wasn’t another woman on the planet who suited me better than Charlotte. If I couldn’t have her, I didn’t want anyone else.
Ravi stood up, his chair scraping against the floor. “I think you need a few minutes. I’ll go grab us some coffee while you gather your thoughts. Then we can discuss that task update you mentioned.”
Before I could protest, he was out the door, leaving me alone in the suffocating silence of my office.
It was then that the reality of my future crashed down on me—quiet, solo hours of work broken only by obligatory family events.
But wasn’t this what I wanted? To dedicate myself to Warner Print? Besides, I loved Charlotte enough to want her to be happy, and with my obligations, I couldn’t give her what she deserved.
But as I sat there, surrounded by the ghosts of our shared memories, I couldn’t help but wonder if the cost was too high.