Chapter 3: Shadows and Rumors

Aubrey was hired a month ago, after I’d confirmed my surgery date. She showed up on her first day with a notebook full of questions and a backpack covered in enamel pins. I remember thinking she looked too innocent for corporate life.

Pam had offered to cover for me during my leave, but I’d politely declined. Pam’s a pro, but she likes to stir the pot. I didn’t want to make things complicated for anyone. Plus, there’s pride in handling things yourself. I had my reasons.

Four years ago, fresh out of college, fate landed me at Nathan Reed’s side. Sometimes I still can’t believe how random it all was—a Craigslist ad, a desperate interview, and suddenly, I was someone’s right hand.

At that time, he’d just left Reed Industries and started his own company. Everyone in town whispered about it, saying he was either a genius or insane for leaving his family’s business behind.

In only four years, he’d already built it into an industry leader. Now, the company logo was everywhere—on billboards, in news articles, even on the water bottles in our breakroom. Nathan made it look easy, but I’d seen the late nights, the stress etched on his face.

Standing before him, I basked in his light, but there was always a shadow behind me. Success is contagious—but so is suspicion. Every accomplishment felt a little borrowed.

Now, everyone in the company respectfully calls me Natalie, but only because I’m by his side. The title sounded nice, but I knew it was conditional. I’d earned respect, but the rumors always circled just out of sight.

Rumors stuck to me like gum on a shoe. Watercooler gossip was the soundtrack of every office, ours included. I’d gotten used to hearing my name in hushed conversations.

Even in Nathan Reed’s eyes, I’m just someone who can be replaced at any time. A promotion could vanish in a day. I never let myself get too comfortable, always waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Only by leaving him can I prove that I’ve lasted this long because of my own ability. That was the thought that kept me going. I wanted to stand on my own two feet, not just be Nathan Reed’s shadow.

Besides, when I first joined, I heard people say: He only took one look at me and decided to keep me—all because I resembled his high school sweetheart, the one who’d gone abroad.

The first time someone whispered it in the breakroom, I laughed it off. But it stuck, the way rumors do.

I didn’t really believe it at first. Until the day Aubrey came for her interview—Nathan lifted his eyelids, and a fleeting emotion crossed his eyes, as if he’d seen someone familiar. He didn’t show much, but I caught it—a flicker, gone in a heartbeat, but enough to make me wonder.

That’s when I started to believe the rumor was true. Only this time, when everyone joked, they didn’t mention that "prom queen."

The story had changed, but the pattern was the same. I was just the current version.

"Aubrey looks a bit like Natalie."

Pam said it first, and suddenly everyone had an opinion. I tried not to care, but it got under my skin.

"Seems Mr. Reed prefers this type."

Late at night, when no one was around, I stared at a group photo on my phone—the more I looked, the more I understood.

The office was quiet, city lights glowing outside. I sat at my desk, scrolling through photos, piecing together the similarities and differences like a puzzle.

Aubrey didn’t really look like me, but she looked even more like his high school sweetheart. Sometimes the universe just likes to repeat itself, I guess.

The group photo was taken facing a small, palm-sized photo.

A year ago, after the cleaning lady finished tidying the office, she brought me a photo. She hesitated at the door, holding it like it might bite. “Ms. Lin, Mr. Reed left this photo in the trash. Not sure if he still wants it.”

"Give it to me. I’ll ask him."

I took the photo. Nathan had a youthful smile—seventeen, maybe eighteen years old. He looked like he belonged in a yearbook under Most Likely to Succeed. Next to him stood a girl, beautiful and sweetly smiling. She had that prom-queen glow, all soft curls and perfectly lined lips. Her smile was the kind that made you want to trust her.

The two of them, side by side, looked like a golden couple, both carrying an air of confidence—an absolutely perfect match. They fit together in that effortless way some couples do, like they’d been drawn that way.

On a whim, I secretly snapped a picture of the photo with my phone. I felt a little guilty, but curiosity got the better of me.

When I put the photo back on Nathan’s desk, he glanced at it. He was reading some report, but I saw his gaze linger. His hand reached out, paused in midair, then pulled back. I caught my breath, watching his jaw tense.

"I threw it away."

His voice was flat, but I could hear a tiny crack in it.

"She got married."

I silently scolded myself for meddling. My cheeks burned, and I suddenly wished I could disappear into the floor. Why did I have to dig up old ghosts?

"Then I’ll shred it before tossing it—safer that way."

I tried to sound practical, keeping my tone light.

"Forget it. Give it to me."

As my fingers touched the photo, his hand landed on mine at almost the exact same moment, covering the back of my hand. His hand was warm—too warm—and for a split second, it felt like the rest of the office faded away.

The moment he looked up, I drew my hand back, my throat tightening. My pulse skipped. I avoided his eyes, pretending to study the calendar on the wall.

"Okay, Mr. Reed."

The electric warmth lingered in my chest. Nathan must have forgotten by now. But I hadn’t. Some moments stick with you, no matter how hard you try to let them go.