I admitted that I’d spent years trying to prove I could succeed without my father’s connections.
“Does he know that?” the man asked.
“Probably. But he still treats me like I’m 15.”
“Maybe he’s just proud of you.”
The way he said it made me smile.
Then he stepped closer.
I could see only his mouth beneath the mask.
“Can I kiss you?”
I should have asked his name.
Instead, I nodded.
His lips touched mine softly at first.
Almost hesitantly.
But when I leaned closer, he slipped an arm around my waist and pulled me against him.
I could feel my heart racing.
The cold air, the music drifting from inside, even the fact that we were at my company’s party seemed to disappear.
When we finally pulled apart, I was breathless and smiling like an idiot.
He laughed softly, brushing a strand of hair away from my face.
“Well, I wasn’t expecting that tonight,” he said.
“Neither was I.”
I was still looking up at him, wondering whether he was going to kiss me again, when a woman’s voice suddenly came from the balcony doorway.
“There you are, love. I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”
I knew that voice.
My stomach tightened before I even turned around.
The woman removed her silver mask.
Diane.
My manager.
“Emma?”
I couldn’t speak.
The man beside me went completely still.
Then he slowly removed his mask.
“Sweetheart, I can explain.”
Diane looked at him, then at his jacket on my shoulders.
“Mark. Don’t.”
This wasn’t some random guest.
He was Diane’s husband.
Oh, God.
I’d just kissed my manager’s husband.
But Diane’s next words frightened me even more.
“Of all people, Emma. You?”
Her face didn’t look angry.
It looked devastated.
I pulled off Mark’s jacket.
Handed it back.
Mumbled an apology.
And practically ran through the ballroom.
I barely slept.
By morning, I’d convinced myself I was getting fired.
But when I arrived at work, Diane wasn’t at her desk.
An email was waiting for me.
“Please report to Conference Room Three at nine.”
I nearly threw up.
Diane was already seated when I entered.
She looked exhausted.
“Sit down, Emma.”
“I’m so sorry. I genuinely didn’t know he was your husband.”
“I believe you.”
That surprised me.
“Then am I being fired?”
“No.”
I almost cried with relief.
Then she continued.
“I’ve requested that someone else supervise your work going forward.”
My relief disappeared.
“You’re transferring me?”
“I’m removing myself from the arrangement.”
“Because of what happened?”
She looked down.
“Because I don’t think I can work with you fairly right now.”
I wanted to defend myself.
But then I remembered everything I’d said about her.
Mark must have told her.
Before I could apologize again, she stood.
“Your new supervisor will contact you.”
And she left.
For the next two days, I felt sick every time someone mentioned her name.
Then something happened that made everything worse.
Linda, a senior colleague who helped coordinate recruitment and our leadership program, stopped me near the elevators.
“I heard about your transfer. That’s a shame. Diane was really pushing for you.”
“Pushing for me?”
Linda frowned.
“The leadership program. She’d been recommending you for months.”
I stared at her.
“Diane?”
“Of course. She was also the one who defended your position during last year’s restructuring.”
I remembered that restructuring.
Several employees had lost their jobs.
I’d kept mine, despite having made a costly mistake earlier that year.
I’d assumed I was lucky.
Linda studied my expression.
“Emma, you do know how highly she thinks of you, right?”
I shook my head.
Linda frowned.
“That’s strange. I remember her noticing your surname when your application first came through. She seemed to recognize it.”
That evening, I went through old emails, remembering incidents I’d dismissed.
Diane staying late to help me finish a presentation.
Diane refusing to let another manager blame me for a missed deadline.
Diane insisting I attend a training course I’d complained was unnecessary.
Why would someone who disliked me do all that?
The next morning, I gathered my courage and approached her office.
“Can we talk?”
Diane hesitated before letting me in.
“Linda told me about the leadership program.”
Her expression changed.
“She shouldn’t have mentioned that.”
“Why were you helping me?”
“Because you’re capable.”
“But you barely ever say anything positive about my work.”
She looked uncomfortable.
