Sophia's Point of View

Red roses. Her favorite.

The phrases resonate in my mind while I return to my desk. My legs act on their own, yet internally I'm crumbling

Nicholas wants me to buy roses for another woman. The woman who gets his secret messages. The woman who calls him baby.

I sat down to work on my computer and looked at the screen. My fingers near the keyboard, yet I couldn't move them. How can I change a hotel room for the man I care about to see another woman with him? What can I do to assist him in breaking my heart?

But if I insist , he'll know there's probably somewhere. He'll ask questions. He might figure out that I saw Alexandra's phone.

So I type. The Ritz-Carlton website loads slowly, like even the computer doesn't want me to do this terrible thing. I click through the room options. Presidential Suite. Tonight. Mr. and Mrs. Smith.

As I click , each of the clicks feels like a betrayal to me.

An email confirmation drops in my email inbox. Room booked. Champagne included. I'll have to call the florist about the roses later.

"All done," I called to Nicholas through his open door.

"Perfect. Thank you, Sophia."

That word again. Perfect. I wonder if he calls Alexandra perfect too.

The remainder of the morning creeps along like an unpleasant nightmare. I respond to calls and compose emails while acting like everything is fine. Yet within, my universe is disintegrating bit by bit.

During lunch, Nicholas exits his office while putting on his coat.

"I'm stepping out for a bit," he says to me. "Delete my meeting scheduled for two o'clock."

Move it to tomorrow."

"Should I reschedule lunch with Mr. Peterson too?" I ask.

"No, that is still happening." He looks at his watch. "I'll return by one."

He just left through the main elevator. Five minutes later, Alexandra stood up from her desk.

"I'm leaving for my lunch break," she said . She takes her pricey handbag and moves toward the same elevator.

They are gathering for lunch.

Right now. While I sit here booking hotel rooms for their secret night together.

Something within me breaks.

I wasn't comfortable sitting here any longer. I can't pretend as if I don't know what's going on anymore.

I have to witness it myself. I need to know the duration of this situation.

"Maya, could you take care of my phone?" I inquire. "I 'm going out for a while.

Maya raises her face from her laptop. Certainly. "Is everything alright?"

"I simply require some fresh air."

I take my coat and handbag. The elevator appears to take an eternity to get here. Once it eventually does, I hit the button for the parking structure.

My vehicle is a compact blue Honda. No extravagant cars like Nicholas's black Mercedes or Alexandra's white BMW. However, it begins, and that's precisely what I require at this moment.

I lack a strategy. I simply head to the upscale area of the city where Nicholas prefers to have lunch

The part with expensive restaurants and valet parking.

Three blocks away from our office building, I see his Mercedes parked in front of Bellmont's. It's the sort of place where a single lunch exceeds my weekly food expenses

The kind of place Nicholas takes important clients.

The kind of place he would take a woman he's having an affair with.

I park on the other side of the road behind a delivery vehicle. My hands are trembling once more, but this time it's not only due to sorrow. It's also from anger.

I can see the large front windows of the restaurant through my windshield. The tables indoors are draped with white fabric and elegant flowers. Individuals in costly attire consume gourmet meals and laugh as if worries don't exist.

I scan the tables near the windows. There, in one corner , I saw them.

Nicholas and Alexandra sat beside each other. She's putting on a red dress that is more expensive than my house rent. Her fair hair catches the light from the shining chandelier up their table.

Nicholas moved closer to her , talking to her with that same great look he gets when we do have our dinners alone. His hands were moving around Alexander's body as he talked, like they always do when he's really into something.

Alexandra's laughing about what he was saying, throwing her head back. Even from here, I can see her smile, she looks amazing. She's just right for Nicholas. I am feeling my chest hurting, as if my heart is being tampered. A waiter serves them wine; the luxurious variety in those fragile glasses.

Nicholas lifts his glass to Alexandra, a toast. She mirrors him, and their glasses chime.

What are they toasting? Their secret affair? Their hotel room tonight? The fact that I'm sitting in my cheap car watching them while I booked their romantic evening?

Nicholas extends his arm over the table and grasps Alexandra's hand. Just as he grasped my hand last night while we were having Chinese food

The same gentle touch that made me feel special.

But I'm not special. I never was.

They hold hands and talk. Sometimes Alexandra laughs. Sometimes Nicholas smiles that smile I thought was just for me. They look comfortable together. Natural. Like they've been doing this for a long time.

How long? How many lunch dates have they had while I sat at my desk thinking I was the only woman in Nicholas's life? How many secret messages? How many lies?

I want to walk into that restaurant and face them both. I feel like shouting and weeping and seeking explanations. However, I'm unable to move. I can only remain here and witness my heart shatter in real time.

The server delivers their meal. They dine, chat, and giggle. An ideal pair enjoying a flawless lunch outing. Alexandra says something that causes Nicholas to laugh so much he nearly spills his wine.

I have never caused him to laugh in that way. Our talks always center on work, his issues, or his aspirations. We discuss important matters in soft tones. We don't share laughter and humor as if we're truly delighted to be together.

Maybe that's the difference. Maybe Alexandra makes him happy in ways I never could.

They finish eating. Nicholas signals for the check. This is it. They are about to leave. A piece of me wants to start my car and drive away before they see me

However, I am unable to. I must find out how this concludes.

Nicholas settles the payment as Alexandra applies some lipstick in a compact mirror. Even partaking in something simple like that, she seems elegant and sophisticated. She belongs perfectly in this world of high-end restaurants and shining chandeliers.

They get up to go. Nicholas assists Alexandra with her coat, his hands resting on her shoulders. She shifts to confront him, and they are standing quite near each other

Too close for just coworkers. Too close for just friends.

And then it happens. The element that shatters any remaining hope I had.

Nicholas bends down and kisses her. Right there in the diner, in front of all. Not a brief kiss on the cheek as you could with a buddy. An authentic kiss. Extended and gentle and brimming with emotion.

Alexandra holds his neck under her arms. She kisses him in a way that reveals her real love.

As she adores him.

I produce a noise that is part sob, part gasp. I quickly use my hands to cover my mouth, but it's already too late. The audio is not working. The reality is revealed.

Nicholas is kissing Alexandra Sterling just like he kissed me in the parking garage half a year ago. Just as he kissed me in the elevator yesterday evening.

I'm not unique

I never was. I'm just one of his women. Maybe there are more. Maybe Maya gets secret messages too. Maybe every woman in our office is sleeping with Nicholas Blackwood while thinking she's the only one.

They break apart and smile at each other. Happy. Content. In love.

In love.

That's what I'm seeing. Not just an affair. Not just a fling. They're in love. The way Nicholas looks at Alexandra isn't the way someone looks at a secret on the side. It's the way someone looks at the person who matters most.

She matters most. Not me.

They walk toward the restaurant's exit, still standing close together. In just a few moments, they'll step outside. They may notice me parked in my vehicle, observing them as if I were a stalker

I need to leave. Now.

I start my vehicle with trembling hands. The engine produces a deep sound that resembles wailing. I shifted into drive and left the curb as the restaurant door swung open.

In my rearview mirror, I see them exit together. Nicholas's hand is placed on Alexandra's back, guiding her toward the valet section where their high-end cars are situated.

I come back to the office with tears streaming down my face. Upon arriving at the parking garage, I'm sobbing so deeply that I can barely see.

I remain in my car for ten minutes, attempting to compose myself. I can't head upstairs dressed like this. I can't allow Maya or anyone else to witness me breaking down

In the end, I utilized my phone's camera to inspect my face. My cosmetics are messed up. My eyes are inflamed and puffy. I appear to be precisely what I am: a woman whose universe has just collapsed.

I adjust my makeup as well as possible and head back upstairs. Maya glances up as I come back to my desk.

"Are you feeling better?" she inquires

"Much better," I lied.

Nicholas comes back after twenty minutes. He's softly humming, appearing more cheerful than I've noticed him in weeks. The kiss from Alexandra has lifted his spirits greatly.

"What did you think of lunch?" I inquire, as that's what an excellent assistant would undertake.

"Great," he states

"Very productive."

Productive. Is that what he calls kissing another woman?

"Any messages while I was out?" he asks.

Right now, all that's on my mind is how those lips were pressed against Alexandra's just an hour back.

"Ah, prior to my lapse," he remarks nonchalantly. "Have you handled that unique project we talked about?"

The room at the hotel. He wants to confirm that I arranged his romantic night with the woman I just saw him kiss.

"Indeed, everything is set," I reply.

"Including the... extras you requested."

"Perfect. You really are amazing, Sophia."

Amazing. I'm amazing for helping him cheat on me. For buying roses for his real girlfriend while pretending to be his girlfriend myself.

He enters his office and shuts the door. I observe him through the glass as he takes his phone and sends a text message. Most likely informing Alexandra about his enthusiasm for this evening. How he is eagerly looking forward to seeing her at the hotel I reserved for them.

I return to my computer and attempt to concentrate. All I can focus on is that kiss. The manner in which they gazed at one another

The way Nicholas touched her like she was precious.

The manner in which he has never laid a hand on me.

A text message makes my phone vibrate. For a wild moment, I consider that it could be Nicholas sharing something nice with me

Something that proves I still matter to him somehow.

But it's not from Nicholas. It's from my phone company, confirming my monthly bill payment.

I stare at the screen and laugh. A bitter, broken sound that has nothing to do with humor. Even my phone company cares more about me than Nicholas does.

That's when I notice something else. Another notification I missed earlier. Another sync from Nicholas's phone to my computer.

A new text message. Sent twenty minutes ago. Right after he got back from lunch.

It's to Alexandra.

And it states: "This evening will be flawless." I've had you on my mind all day long. Sophia managed everything exactly as I expected her to. She is unaware of the true situation.

See you at eight."

Sophia's Point of View

"She is unaware of what is truly happening."

The words sear in my thoughts like poison. Nicholas believes I'm foolish. He believes I'm merely his assistive little secretary who schedules hotel reservations and doesn't inquire.

Perhaps it's time to demonstrate to him just how mistaken he is.

I gaze at my computer display, yet I fail to notice the emails or the calendar. All I perceive is red

Red anger. Red hurt. Red rage that fills every part of my body.

He used me. Not just as his secret girlfriend on the side. He used me to plan his real romance with Alexandra. He made me buy roses for the woman he actually loves.

And he laughed about it. "Sophia took care of everything just like I knew she would."

Like a good little dog who does tricks on command.

My hands ball into fists.I feel like walking into his office and hurling his coffee cup against the wall. And I feel like shouting out in the building for everyone to understand the type of person Nicholas Blackwood truly is.

However,I couldn't do this by this time. Initially, I must understand the reality. Everything.

I glance over at Alexandra in the office. She's typing on her computer, appearing serene and attractive. Her golden hair sparkling under the fluorescent lights. The red dress she wore for lunch matched her flawlessly. She appears to be a woman who recently enjoyed a lovely romantic dinner with the man she cherished.

Because that's exactly who she is.

Does she know about me? Does she know that Nicholas kisses me too? Or does she even think she's the only one he kisses, just like I thought I was the only one too?

I need to find out about this .

At three thirty, Alexandra stands up and walks toward the bathroom. This is my chance.

I wait two minutes, then follow her.

The restroom is vacant aside from Alexandra. She is positioned in front of the mirror applying lipstick

The same lips that kissed Nicholas at lunch. The same lips that probably whispered sweet things to him while I sat here working.

I lock the door behind me.

Alexandra looks at me in the mirror. "Oh, hi Sophia. Busy afternoon?"

Her voice is friendly and normal. Like we're colleagues sharing the restroom at the same time. Like she didn't know that my entire life was falling.

My voice sounds strange. Too calm. Too quiet.

"I know the feeling." Alexandra caps her lipstick and turns to face me. "Nicholas has been assigning everyone a lot of additional tasks recently."

Nick. She pronounces his name as if it holds no significance. I observed how excited she was when she expressed it. I notice the smile that reflects like fear at the edges of her lips.

"On the subject of Nicholas," I speak deliberately. "I have a question for you."

"Sure. What is it?"

I inhale deeply. After I pose this question, there's no turning back. As soon as I learn the truth, everything will transform.

"Since when have you been intimate with him?"

Alexandra stops moving. Her complexion turns ashen beneath her immaculate makeup. The amiable facade fades, revealing something different beneath. Terror. Remorse. Fear.

"What are you saying?" she murmurs.

"I viewed the text messages," I respond

"I know about lunch today. I know about tonight at the hotel."

Alexandra's lips part and shut like a fish struggling for oxygen. She clutches the rim of the sink to balance herself.

"Sophia, I can clarify"

"How much time?" I say again. My voice is becoming louder. More furious.

Alexandra surveys the bathroom as if she's searching for a way out. However, there is no place to go. Only her and I, with the truth looming between us like a bomb ready to detonate

"Six months," she finally admits.

Six months. The same time Nicholas started our secret relationship. We began at precisely the same moment.

"You believe you're unique, don't you?" I speak. "You believe he has feelings for you."

"He really loves me!" Alexandra's tone becomes protective. "You don't grasp what we share."

"What do you have as a group?" I chuckle, yet it resembles weeping more. "Would you like to find out what you possess collectively?" There is a man who tells identical lies to a pair of women. Perhaps even more.

"That isn't correct." However, Alexandra no longer appears to be confident.

"He's calling you baby," I say. "He brings you to upscale dining places." "He kisses you as if you are the sole woman in existence."

Alexandra nods slowly. "Yes. He does all of those things."

"Well, guess what? He does all of those things with me too."

The words struck Alexandra like a blow. She stumbles backward until her back collides with the bathroom wall.

"Not at all," she whispers. "That cannot happen."

"It's highly likely." I have been in a relationship with Nicholas for half a year. The identical six months you possess. Every night you believe he's at home longing for you, he's with me. "Whenever he says he loves you, he's expressing the same to me."

Alexandra descends the wall until she finds herself seated on the floor. Her costly gown gathers around her like spilled red wine.

"However, he stated..." She halts and glares at me with large eyes. "He mentioned that I stood out."

Special. He said the other women in the office were just employees."

"Other women?" My heart stops. "What other women?"

Alexandra realizes what she just said. Her hands fly to her mouth.

"Alexandra." My voice is deadly quiet. "What other women?"

She moves her head side to side. "I never intended to express that." "I spoke incorrectly."

"Actually, you did not." I lower myself to my knees in front of her. "Who is Nicholas having an affair with?"

Alexandra begins to weep. Genuine tears that spoil her flawless makeup. "I believed I was the only one," she cries. "He assured me I was his sole interest."

"Who else?" I grab her shoulders. "Tell me!"

"Maya," she whispers.

The world tilts sideways. Maya. Smart, professional Maya who handles business development. Maya inquired about my well-being this morning when she saw me at Alexandra's desk.

"Are you certain?"

"I spotted them together last month." In his office during the late hours. They were... She gulps forcefully. "They were exchanging kisses."

Three females. Nicholas is seeing three women simultaneously

Three women who all think they're special. Three women who all believe his lies.

I settle on the chilly bathroom floor beside Alexandra. We both gaze at the wall quietly.

"How were we unaware?" Alexandra inquires at last.

"Since he excels at this," I say. "Since he understands how to make each of us feel as if we're the sole one that counts."

"However, we are not."

"No. We're not."

We sat there for a few more minutes. Two women who thought they were rivals discover they're actually victims of the same man.

"What should we do next?" Alexandra inquires.

Before I respond, someone attempts to open the bathroom door. The handle rotates, yet the door remains shut since I've secured it.

"Hi? "Is anyone inside?" It is the voice of Maya.

Alexandra and I gaze at one another

Maya. The third woman. The one we didn't even suspect.

"We should let her in," Alexandra whispers.

"Are you certain?"

"If she is experiencing what we are experiencing, she has the right to know the truth as well."

I rise and move towards the entrance. My hand suspends above the lock briefly. As soon as I open this door, Maya will get involved in this chaos. A piece of our collective sorrow.

However, Alexandra is correct. Maya has a right to understand what type of man she has been seeing.

I unbolt the door and swing it open.

Maya is positioned in the corridor appearing impatient. Ultimately. I truly have to" She halts upon noticing our expressions. "What's the matter?"

You both look terrible."

"Come in," I say. "And close the door behind you."

Maya steps into the bathroom. I secure the door once more.

"What is happening?" Maya inquires. She glances between me and Alexandra. "Why are you two in tears?"

"Maya," I say softly. "We have something to ask you." "We need you to be entirely truthful."

"Alright." Maya folds her arms. "What is that?"

"Do you have a relationship with Nicholas?"

Maya's face goes white. Then red. Then white again.

"How did you know?"

Sophia POV

"How were you aware?"

Maya's inquiry lingers in the atmosphere like fog. Her complexion is wan and frightened.

Her confident business woman mask has completely fallen away.

Alexandra lets out a bitter laugh from where she sits on the floor. "Because we're all in the same boat, Maya. We're all dating the same lying man."

Maya looks at us as if we've just announced that the world is about to end. In a sense, we accomplished that.

"That's not possible," Maya murmurs. "Nicholas and I have been a couple for eight months." He cares for me.

He tells me I'm the only woman who understands his business mind."

Eight months. Longer than both Alexandra and me. My stomach twists into knots.

"He tells you that you understand his business mind?" I ask. "What else does he tell you?"

Maya's eyes darted between Alexandra and me. "I don't have to answer that. This is crazy. You're both just jealous because-"

"Because what?" Alexandra stands up, her expensive dress wrinkled from sitting on the bathroom floor. "Because he chose us over you? Maya, wake up. He picked none of us. "He's been treating all of us like fools."

"Negative." Maya vigorously shakes her head. "You are not being truthful." Nicholas would never treat me that way. "We possess something unique."

"Unique." I chuckle, but it resembles more of weeping. "That's what he said to me as well." That's what he mentioned to Alexandra. Each of us is unique, Maya. "Only we truly understand him."

Maya's expression falls apart. She grabs the sink to prevent herself from tumbling.

"But he said..." Her voice breaks. "He said the other women at work were just employees. That I was different because I could match his ambition."

"Different." Alexandra uses a paper towel to clean her smudged mascara. "He said I was unique because I comprehended his world." "The societal aspect of commerce."

"And he said I was unique because I was aware of all his secrets," I include. "Since I was continually present for him."

The three of us are in the tiny bathroom, looking at one another.

Three successful, smart women who were all fooled by the same man.

"How long is it for you?" Maya asks me quietly.

"Six months."

She looks at Alexandra. "And you?"

"Six months too."

Maya sits down heavily on the closed toilet seat. "Eight months for me. I was first." She talks about it as if it's a form of reward.

"I suddenly understood that you weren't the first." "You were merely the trial version." He discovered what resonated with you and then applied those same tactics on us.

"What are you trying to say?" Alexandra inquires.

"Consider it." Maya enjoys discussions about business, so he expresses that she recognizes his aspirations. Alexandra enjoys social gatherings, so he informs her that she grasps his reality. I manage his private affairs, which is why he says I know his secrets. He customized his deceit to align with what each of us hoped to believe.

The restroom is silent, with only the buzzing of the fluorescent lights overhead. Three women confronting the same harsh reality.

"I can't fathom how foolish I was," Maya murmurs.

"We were not foolish," Alexandra asserts confidently.

"We were in love. Love makes people believe things they want to be true."

"Were we in love?" I ask. "Or did we just love the idea of being chosen by someone like Nicholas?"

It's a hard question. But looking back now, I wonder if I loved Nicholas the man or Nicholas the successful billionaire who made me feel important.

"I thought he was going to leave his other life for me," Maya says. "He always talked about how complicated his situation was. How he needed time to figure things out."

"He told me the same thing," Alexandra admits. "That office relationship was complicated but someday we could be open about it."

"He told me we had to be secret because people would think he was giving me special treatment," I say.

We all used the same excuses. The same reasons why we had to hide. We all accepted it without question, believing we were receiving something that the others weren't.

"When will you meet him?"

Maya asks suddenly. "I mean, when are your dates?"

"Late nights at the office mostly," I say. "After everyone goes home. Sometimes we have dinner together."

"I see him on weekends," Alexandra says. "Fancy restaurants and charity events. He tells people I'm his assistant, but we're really on dates."

"Business trips," Maya adds. "He brings me to client meetings in other cities. We share hotel rooms, but we have to pretend it's just for work."

Different days. Different times. Different places. Nicholas has our whole lives scheduled so we never cross paths during his romantic time with each of us.

"He's been planning this," Alexandra realizes. "This isn't just him being weak or making mistakes. He deliberately set up three separate relationships."

"But why?" Maya asks. "Why not just pick one of us?"

"Because he doesn't want to pick," I say. "He wants all of us. The business collaborator, the social friend, and the personal aide who manages everything. "Why settle for one option when you can enjoy everything?"

The door knob shakes once more. Another person requires the restroom.

"Alexandra suggests we leave this place." "Everyone will begin to realize that we are all absent."

"What happens now?" Maya asks. "Do we tell him we know?"

"Do we break up with him?" Alexandra adds.

I think about Nicholas sitting in his office, probably texting one of us about tonight. Likely thrilled about his hotel rendezvous with Alexandra as he arranges his upcoming covert encounter with Maya. Likely relying on me to manage every detail while remaining entirely unaware.

"Not at all," I responded deliberately. "We haven't informed him about anything so far."

"What are you trying to say?"

Maya asks.

"I mean Nicholas thinks he's smarter than us. He thinks we're just silly women who will do whatever he wants. He thinks he can juggle three relationships without any consequences."

"So?" Alexandra asks.

"Perhaps it's time to prove to him he's mistaken."

The two other women gaze at me with curiosity. I notice a transformation occurring in their expressions. The pain persists, but another feeling is developing as well

Something harder. Angrier.

"What are you suggesting?" Maya asks.

"I'm implying that Nicholas Blackwood isn't aware of who he's up against," I state. "He believes he can manipulate our emotions to his advantage." He believes he can have us rival one another as he relaxes and watches the performance.

"However, we are no longer in competition," Alexandra remarks, a realization dawning in her tone.

"No, we aren't." At this point, we understand the reality.

And now we can use that truth against him."

Maya stands up, her business mind clearly working. "You're talking about revenge."

"I'm talking about justice," I correct. "Nicholas has been playing games with our hearts. Maybe it's time we played some games with his life."

The three of us look at each other in the bathroom mirror. An hour ago, we were rivals who didn't even know we were rivals. Now we're something else entirely.

"He thinks he knows us," Alexandra says. "He thinks he can predict what we'll do."

"He thinks I'll keep being his perfect assistant," I add. "Booking his hotel rooms and buying his roses."

"He thinks I'll keep giving him business advice and making him money," Maya says.

"And he believes I'll continue being his eye candy at upscale gatherings," Alexandra concludes.

We're all contemplating the same idea.

We all have access to different parts of Nicholas's life. His business, his social world, his personal affairs. Separately, we were just girlfriends he could manipulate. Together...

Together we could be dangerous.

"Should we proceed with this," Maya states cautiously, "we must approach it wisely." Nicholas didn't become wealthy by acting foolishly. If he discovers what we're up to...

"I doubt he'll solve it," I state with greater assurance than I truly possess. "Since he believes we're too sentimental to collaborate."

He thinks we'll be too jealous of each other to cooperate."

"Are we?" Alexandra asks. "Too jealous to work together?"

I look at her. Really look at her. An hour ago, I despised this woman. I believed she was taking my boyfriend. Now I realize she was merely another casualty of the same falsehoods.

"I don't feel jealous of you," I say to her sincerely. "I'm upset with him."

"Me too," Maya says. "He made us think we were enemies when we should have been friends."

"So we become friends now," Alexandra says. "And we make Nicholas pay for what he did to us."

Someone pounds on the bathroom door. "Hello! Is everything okay there?"

We looked at each other one last time. Three women about to make a decision that will change everything.

"Are we really doing this?" Maya whispers.

"Are we really going to take down Nicholas Blackwood?" Alexandra adds.

I think about the hotel room I booked for him. The roses I ordered. The text message where he laughed about how clueless I was. The way he used my love for him to help him romance another woman.

"Yes," I say. "We're really doing this."

We unlock the door and file out of the bathroom. The woman waiting outside gives us a strange look, but we ignore her.

Back at our desks, we all pretend to work normally. But everything has changed. Nicholas has no idea that his three secret girlfriends just became his three biggest enemies.

My computer pings with a new email from Nicholas. "Remember tonight." You've been incredibly supportive with all the preparations.

I owe you dinner soon."

He owes me dinner. After I helped him plan his romantic evening with Alexandra.

I type back: "Happy to help. You can count on me for anything."

And I mean it. He can count on me. Just not in the way he thinks.

A message from an unfamiliar number makes my phone buzz. Upon checking it, I noticed it's from Alexandra.

"Coffee shop on Fifth Street. After work. We need to plan."

A few seconds later, another text appears. This one from Maya.

"I'll bring my laptop. Nicholas has no idea what's coming."