The 100th Proposal

Upon arriving at the office, I was just about to head to my desk as usual when my colleague, Trisha Ballard, stopped me.

"You're in for trouble today, Isabella," she warned.

I shot her a confused look. After all, I'd already handed in my resignation. What kind of trouble could I possibly still face?

It wasn't until Trisha pointed ahead that I realized Natalie had taken over my desk.

I finally grasped the situation after Trisha's explanation. It turned out that it'd been Natalie's first day at work. When asked to pick a spot, she'd immediately set her eyes on my seat.

I made my way over to her wordlessly. Natalie raised a brow when I approached her before curling her lips into a disdainful sneer. "I've got my eyes on this seat. Why don't you find another desk to use?"

I fixed my gaze on her before nodding calmly. "Alright. I'll clear my things up."

I barely spoke throughout the entire exchange. But my quiet compliance had everyone thinking that I'd been forced to comply with Natalie's orders.

Still, none of them dared to say anything given her relationship with Julian.

All they could do was whisper and gesture among themselves as they sneaked pitiful glances at me.

I'd just finished packing and was about to leave when Julian suddenly showed up. Natalie immediately pounced over and latched onto his arm. He drew Natalie closer to him in response before introducing her to our colleagues.

"This is Natalie. She'll be working with everyone from today onward. Please take care of her."

Julian raised an eyebrow when scattered applause filled the lobby, but he paid it no mind.

"Have you chosen your seat?" he asked.

Natalie immediately pointed at my desk the moment his words fell. "I want to sit here!" she declared.

It was only then that Julian noticed me standing there with a box in my arms. An awkward look crossed his face ever so slightly before he replied, "That seat's already taken. Why don't you pick another one?"

To my surprise, he'd rejected her request.

However, Natalie was determined to take my seat. Clinging to Julian's arm, she began to act spoiled. "But Jules, I really want to sit here. It's nearer to your seat, and I can see your silhouette from here," she whined.

I couldn't be bothered to watch them flirt any longer. "Just give the seat to her," I cut in.

After all, I'd already resigned. I couldn't care less about a mere seat.

Natalie shot Julian a triumphant look when I agreed to her request. "See? She's already given the spot up to me."

For some reason, there was a dark look on Julian's face when he glanced at me. Then, he fixed his gaze on Natalie. "Someone's already sitting here. Just choose another seat," he said coldly.

For the first time, the man who'd always doted on Natalie with the utmost care had lost his temper. His reaction had completely caught her off guard as the atmosphere immediately grew tense.

Julian shot me a fleeting gaze after calling the shots before leaving without another word. Natalie didn't forget to cast me one final glare my way before hurrying after him.

I found the situation utterly amusing. Once upon a time, I'd chased behind Julian just as Natalie did. The only difference that set us apart was the fact that I pursued him for five long years.

I was just about to leave when I received a text message from Julian. "I'll be waiting for your 100th proposal tomorrow."

I smiled faintly before blocking his number and deleting every last trace of him from my contacts. After bidding all my colleagues goodbye, I left the company with my suitcase in hand and headed straight for the airport.

...

The next day, Julian kept his word and appeared at city hall in a sleek suit.