Chapter 1 The Assistant

When a relationship between two people changed, it was something that could be felt clearly. Zachary Pallonski was a somewhat renowned lawyer, so he was quite busy. However, there was no way he would be so busy that he couldn't even come home. For the past two weeks, we had hardly even spoken more than a few sentences to each other. Not wanting things to continue being so cold between us, I purposefully made lunch for him and decided to deliver it to him. After knocking on the door, I opened it without waiting for a response. Zachary wasn't alone in the office. There was also a young woman who looked to be in her early twenties. One was sitting while the other was standing. Though they were in somewhat closer proximity than was normal, there was nothing out of line in their actions. However, they had the same type of smile on their faces. It had been ages since I last saw such a relaxed and joyful smile on Zachary's face. Zachary, who was sitting by his desk, was visibly stunned when he saw me. "Why are you here?" Noting the stiffness in his tone, I felt a wave of bitterness surge through me. "I came to bring you lun–" I didn't finish my sentence when I noticed an open lunchbox on his desk. Clearly, the young woman standing beside Zachary had prepared it. "This is?" I asked. Zachary frowned slightly, but he still introduced me to her, "This is my new intern assistant. I'm just having the staff meal for lunch, so she handled it." What sort of staff meal was personally prepared by an assistant? "Aren't you busy with your shop? Go on back." Before I could probe further, Zachary was already chasing me away. My heart felt like it had been stabbed by a needle as it throbbed painfully. Did I no longer hold a place in Zachary's heart? I turned to look at the intern beside him. She was wringing her hands, an anxious expression on her face. There was a pitiful air around her, making it seem like she desperately needed to be protected. Was it because of her? "Tatiana." The moment Zachary noticed me staring at the young woman, he called my name sternly. He also moved so he was standing protectively in front of her. The way he was acting was as though he were facing down an enemy. This shocked me deeply, and sorrow welled in my eyes. I asked, "Do you think I want to hurt her?" Zachary's expression was grim as he replied, "It hasn't been long since she joined the company. She comes from a poor family background, so she had to earn her tuition fees herself. I thought she was quite pitiful, and that's why I gave her this internship." "Is it really because you pity her, or is it because you think she's cute?" I pressed. "Tatiana Sallow!" Zachary bellowed, his embarrassment turning to fury. "Stop being unreasonable! You didn't used to be such a heartless person!" He didn't even bother hiding the impatience in his eyes. The leg I injured two years ago in my effort to save Zachary started throbbing with pain again. My body swayed, and only by grabbing the edge of the desk was I able to steady myself. When Zachary caught sight of my trembling leg, the coldness in his eyes faded, being replaced by a complex look. A hint of patience had returned to his tone as he said, "She's just an intern assistant, so you don't have to worry at all. Anyway, I need to get to work now. You should head back first. I'll pick you up from work later." I left despondently, bringing the unopened lunchbox with me. Throughout the entire exchange, Zachary hadn't even glanced at the lunch I spent the entire morning lovingly making for him.