ELLA.

I had never been more embarrassed in my life than I was at that moment.

Honestly, one thing I hated more than anything was drawing attention to myself, and Alex seemed determined to do exactly that without caring how uncomfortable it made me feel.

People had already started staring, whispering and looking between us with open curiosity.

And the more attention he drew, the more irritated I became.

I had even forced myself to acknowledge that I was Theresa instead of Ella—something I had not fully come to terms with—just to make him leave peacefully and to make him understand.

But apparently, he either didn’t get the hint...or simply refused to accept it. Instead, he kept causing a scene.

Luckily, Micheal stepped in.

Though honestly, his choice of words had nearly made me choke.

Girlfriend?

Really?

Out of every possible thing he could have said, that was what he went with?

Still...I couldn’t deny that I was grateful because the look on Alex’s face after hearing it was absolutely priceless.

The shock, the disbelief and the pure confusion.

It took everything in me to keep a straight face and not burst out laughing right there in front of him.

He definitely wouldn’t have expected me to move on so easily, not after how foolishly I had loved him before. The old me would have followed him endlessly, tolerated everything, forgiven everything.

But not anymore.

And honestly, maybe this was a good thing.

Maybe seeing me with another man would finally push him into signing the divorce papers quickly and spare me the stress of dragging everything into court.

That alone felt like enough motivation to keep the act going if necessary.

Micheal and I reached the car park quickly, and the moment we got there, I finally breathed out a sigh of relief.

The tension I had been carrying since seeing Alex eased slightly from my shoulders.

"Thank you, Micheal," I said out loud, genuinely this time.

He turned toward me immediately.

"There is no need for thanks between us, Ella," he replied with a bright smile on his face. "We are friends."

I nodded slowly at his words.

Friends, yes—but we had barely just become friends.

The thought lingered quietly in my mind.

Still, after what he had done earlier, I couldn’t deny that I owed him one and honestly, I would definitely cherish this friendship of ours.

"But you know..." Micheal suddenly started.

I looked at him curiously.

"I can be your pretend boyfriend if you want."

I blinked.

For a second, I honestly couldn’t tell whether he was being serious or joking, as his expression didn’t help at all.

"I mean..." he added quickly, rubbing the back of his neck slightly, "just to ward off people like that guy earlier."

Then he laughed awkwardly, the sound slightly nervous, almost embarrassed by his own suggestion.

The atmosphere suddenly turned strange, awkward even, and somehow I found myself laughing along with Micheal despite the weirdness of the conversation. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Maybe it was easier that way...to pretend everything he said was merely a joke.

"There is no need, Micheal," I replied amidst my laughter, waving my hands lightly. "Next time he appears in front of me, I would just get a plank and break his head."

I said it so seriously that Micheal burst into louder laughter immediately.

"That would actually be very nice..." he said between laughs before suddenly tilting his head slightly. "...but what if I insist?"

My laughter faded almost instantly. I blinked at him, momentarily unsure if he was still joking or not.

The look on his face wasn’t helping either because although he was smiling, there was something oddly sincere hidden beneath it.

And suddenly, I didn’t know how to respond anymore.

What exactly was I supposed to say to that?

I parted my lips slightly but no words came out.

So instead, I kept quiet.

Micheal stared at me for a few seconds before laughing awkwardly again, probably realizing how speechless I had become.

"Just kidding!" he said almost immediately, raising both hands dramatically like he was surrendering. "Relax."

I released a breath I didn’t even realize I had been holding.

Geez.

This man was unexpectedly difficult to understand sometimes.

"So..." Micheal continued casually, shoving one hand into his pocket. "Which direction are you heading? I can drop you off."

Direction?

Oh right.

We were technically leaving together.

I had completely forgotten about that after everything that happened outside earlier with Alex.

"My car is over there," Micheal added, pointing toward the other side of the parking lot.

My gaze followed the direction of his finger and landed on a sleek black Audi RS 6 Avant parked a short distance away.

I blinked twice.

That car definitely wasn’t cheap.

And wasn’t Micheal supposed to be an intern?

I unconsciously glanced back at him again, momentarily confused.

How could an intern afford a car like that?

Unless...

No.

I stopped myself immediately.

That was none of my business.

I hated people prying into my personal life, so it would be hypocritical of me to start doing the same thing to others.

Besides, everyone had secrets.

Mine was already complicated enough.

I slowly looked away from the car and opened my mouth to speak, ready to tell him the direction I was heading but before I could say anything, my phone suddenly vibrated inside my hand.

Then it started ringing loudly.

I frowned slightly and lowered my gaze toward the screen.

The moment I saw the caller ID, irritation washed through me instantly. I almost cursed out loud right there in the parking lot.

Why was he calling me now?

Without hesitation, I quickly turned the phone off, hoping to avoid whatever unnecessary drama or interrogation.

I genuinely thought I had escaped successfully but then, I heard a deep voice echo clearly from behind me.

"Why aren’t you picking my calls?"

My entire body froze instantly.

Slowly, very slowly, I turned around, and it was indeed....