Not Mine To want
Kelvin knew he couldn’t keep drifting.
He had seen how this ended too many times-hesitation turning into damage, silence turning into regret. Innocent people always paid the price for unresolved feelings, and he refused to be that man.
So he made a decision.
He would marry Stella.
Marriage would anchor him. It would silence the questions, still the restlessness, draw a clear line between impulse and responsibility. He would build a family, refocus, and move forward. That was the sensible thing. The right thing.
Yet even after setting firm rules-no favoritism, no flirting, no blurred boundaries-he found himself gravitating toward a girl he hadn’t even noticed months ago. Sharon had slipped into his awareness quietly, without effort, without intention.
He had never considered himself romantic. Desire, for him, had always been simple, controlled, detached. But with Sharon, it was different. What she stirred in him wasn’t just attraction-it was possession, protectiveness, something raw and frightening.
He wanted to keep her close. He wanted to shield her. And that scared him more than anything else.
If he allowed it, it would consume him.
By Friday, he acted.
The proposal was private-no grand audience, no warning. Stella had come over expecting dinner. Instead, she found him standing in the living room, unusually tense, a small velvet box in his hand.
“Kelvin?” she said, confused.
He exhaled, then dropped to one knee.
For a moment, she just stared.
“I know this is sudden,” he said steadily. “But I’m certain. I want a future. I want stability. And I want it with you.”
Her hands flew to her mouth. “You’re serious?”
“I’ve never been more serious.”
She said yes through tears and laughter, still stunned by how little she’d seen it coming. She had waited for this for so long.
The engagement was announced that evening at a small corporate gathering Stella insisted on hosting-informal, celebratory, filled with familiar faces.
Kelvin scanned the room without thinking.
No Sharon.
Relief and disappointment tangled in his chest.
She usually doesn’t attend events like this. If she did, she stayed close to Esther. He told himself that was enough reason not to look again.
But after the applause died down, after congratulations flowed and glasses clinked, a strange awareness prickled his spine.
Someone was watching him.
He turned.
And there she was.
Sharon.
Their eyes collided.
He saw it immediately-the hurt, sharp and unguarded-before she masked it with a polite smile that never reached her eyes.
Something inside him cracked.
He didn’t remember moving. Only that suddenly he was standing in front of her, Stella forgotten- the noise of the room fading.
“Congratulations, sir,” Sharon said softly.
“Thank you,” he replied.
Silence stretched between them-thick, uncomfortable, full of words neither of them could say.
She had no right to feel hurt, she knew that. He had never promised her anything. Never crossed a line. He was her boss.
And yet the questions burned.
Why did you ask about my personal life? Why did you look at me like that? Why did you make me feel seen-just enough to hope?
I’m falling for you.
The thought frightened her.
“I was about heading home, sir,” she said finally, grasping for escape.
He didn’t want her to leave. He also had no idea how to ask her to stay.
“I can drop you-”
Stella’s hand slid possessively around his arm.
“Our guests want to congratulate you properly,” she said, her gaze fixed on Sharon. “Let’s go.”
Sharon stepped back, her smile brittle.
She watched them walk away together, heart heavy, laughing softly at herself.
He didn’t even date you, she thought. And yet it feels like he just broke up with you.
At the door, she ran into Lillian.
Lillian’s smile was sharp. “Looks like things worked out as they should,” she said coldly. “Some people need to remember their place.”
Sharon said nothing and walked out.
By Monday, the office was buzzing.
The engagement dominated every conversation. Congratulations flowed freely-along with pitying glances in Sharon’s direction.
She found Esther by the coffee machine. “Why is everyone staring at me?”
Esther hesitated. “Because people think… you and Kelvin were having something.”
Sharon froze. “What?”
“The way he was around you. The banter. The attention.” Esther lowered her voice. “They think you were involved.”
Shock gave way to panic. “Nothing happened. Ever.”
“I know,” Esther said gently. “But offices don’t care about truth. They care about stories.
****
After the dinner party, Sharon felt an unexpected sense of relief. At least now he was engaged. At least now he was off-limits.
Maybe this would finally help her let go.
She had just settled into her seat, powering on her system, when her intercom buzzed.
“Sharon on the line,” she answered.
“In my office,” Kelvin’s voice cut in, already ending the call.
Her stomach tightened.
When she entered, he was seated behind his desk, eyes fixed on his laptop, fingers moving with practiced focus.
“Good morning, sir. You called-”
He looked up then. Really looked at her.
She was composed, polite, but there was a distance in her voice he hadn’t heard before. It unsettled him.
He decided not to bring up the previous night. He wouldn’t even know how to start. So he went straight to business.
“I have an out-of-state event coming up,” he said. “You’ll be coming with me. I need an analyst there.”
She frowned. “Sir… you’ve never taken me on trips like that before. Grace will be there-she’s a senior analyst. Why me?”
“It’s my company,” he replied evenly. “I decide who goes.”
Then, softer, he continued "You're sharp. You pay attention to details. I noticed that on the last trip. Frankly, you should’ve been promoted already. You’ve been overlooked for too long. You’ve been here two years-write to HR.”
“Thank you, sir,” she said, but her hands twisted together nervously.
He noticed. “Sit down, Sharon. Say what’s on your mind.”
“Hm… nothing, sir.”
“When is the trip?” she asked quickly. “So I can prepare.”
“Two months from now.”
He leaned back, watching her open her mouth, then close it again.
“Spit it out,” he said, impatience slipping through. “What is it?”
She swallowed. “Can someone else go with you?”
“Why?”
“I-” Her voice failed her. “Forget it, sir.”
She stood.
“Sit down,” he said firmly. “And tell me why.”
Her heart pounded so loudly she was sure he could hear it.
“I’m attracted to you,” she blurted.
The room went completely still.
Fear flashed across her face-raw, unguarded.
“And I need distance from you, sir.”
He laughed before he could stop himself.
Her face fell instantly. Shame burned hot. Of course. He thinks I’m foolish.
“I’m sorry,” he said quickly, composing himself. “I’m not laughing at you.”
She didn’t look convinced.
“You’re attracted to me,” he continued calmly. “And you believe distance will help. Am I understanding you correctly?”
She nodded, breathing hard, struggling to keep control.
“I’m not angry, Sharon,” he said gently. “I just want to understand.”
He paused. “Has distance helped you before?”
“Yes, sir.”
“When?”
“In school.”
“So you liked someone, you distanced yourself, and the feelings went away?”
“Yes.”
“Why did you distance yourself? Because the feelings weren’t mutual?”
“They were,” she admitted quietly. “But school break made the distance inevitable. When we resumed… I realized I didn’t feel the same anymore.”
He considered this. “So you think it’ll work here.”
“I know it will,” she said.
He nodded slowly. “Alright. We’ll try it.”
She looked up, startled.
“One month,” he said. “I won’t call you in. No unnecessary interactions. After that, you come back and tell me how you feel.”
She opened her mouth, then stopped.
“Say it,” he encouraged. “You’re not in trouble.”
“Have you ever fallen for someone you shouldn’t have?” she asked softly.
“Yes,” he replied without hesitation.
“How did you handle it?”
A wry smile crossed his face. “Poorly. I made a choice I might regret for the rest of my life.”
Her breath caught.
“I fell for someone I shouldn’t have,” he added quietly. “Someone who makes my heart race just by being in the room.”
“Miss Stella?” she asked.
“No,” he said. “Someone else.”
The realization hit her hard.
He loves someone else.
“But… Do you love your fiancée?” she asked carefully.
“I do,” he replied. “But it’s different. What I feel for her is deep-but not the same.”
He fell silent, lost in thought.
After a moment, he spoke again. “You can go, Sharon. Come back in a month.”
She stood, legs trembling, and left without looking back-her heart heavier than when she’d entered.