Downgrading Yourself
Rowan leaned back in his chair, his phone in hand as he stared at the last message he’d sent to Remi. Still no reply. He scrolled up through their previous conversations, not that there were many, and sighed heavily.
Last night had been intense. She had left in tears, looking hurt. He had followed her to make sure she was safe.
Indeed she was since there was another man with her.
He adjusted his tie, signing to himself. He bit his lips wondering.
The awards ceremony was hours away, and Callum stood silently by the window, going over the itinerary.
“Callum,” Rowan said, breaking the silence.
“Yes, sir?” Callum replied without turning around.
“Why do you think she’s ignoring me?” Rowan asked, his tone sharper than he intended.
Callum turned, his expression unreadable. “Who, sir?”
“You know who,” Rowan muttered, tapping his phone against the armrest of his chair. “Remi. I sent her a message hours ago, and she hasn’t responded.”
Callum raised an eyebrow. “Perhaps she’s busy. Or perhaps she doesn’t want to respond.”
Rowan frowned, his jaw tightening. “I didn’t ask for commentary.”
“I wasn’t offering it, sir,” Callum replied calmly, returning his attention to the window.
Rowan let out a frustrated sigh, shaking his phone as if that would magically make a reply appear. It didn’t, of course, and he dropped the device onto the table with a soft clatter.
“Why am I so—” He stopped himself, running a hand through his hair. “Forget it.”
Callum glanced at him, his mouth twitching into the faintest hint of a smirk. “If I may, sir, you seem rather... attached to Dr. Laurent.”
Rowan shot him a glare. “I said forget it, Callum.”
Before Callum could reply, the door to the office burst open with a loud bang.
“Rowan!”
Both men turned to see Gigi standing in the doorway, her face streaked with tears. She looked disheveled, her usual polished appearance replaced by a desperate energy that filled the room.
Rowan stood, his expression instantly hardening. “Gigi, what are you doing here?”
She stepped inside, ignoring Callum’s presence entirely as she approached Rowan’s desk. “I need to talk to you,” she said, her voice shaking.
“This isn’t a good time,” Rowan said, his tone clipped.
“I don’t care!” she cried, slamming her hands onto his desk. “Rowan, please. You’re making a mistake!”
Rowan exchanged a glance with Callum, who remained silent, then sighed and gestured for Gigi to continue. “What is it this time?”
“You called off our engagement,” she said, her voice breaking. “You’ve been pushing me away ever since... ever since she came back into your life.”
“Careful,” Rowan warned, his tone icy. “Don’t drag other people into this.”
“But it’s true, isn’t it?” Gigi pressed, tears streaming down her face. “You don’t even remember everything we had, but you’re so quick to throw it all away for her!”
“This isn’t about Remi,” Rowan said firmly, leaning against his desk. “This is about you and me. And the truth is, I don’t trust you, Gigi.”
Her breath hitched, and she shook her head. “You’re saying that because you don’t remember. If you could just—”
“If I could just what?” Rowan interrupted, his voice rising slightly. “Trust you blindly? Believe everything you say, even when it contradicts itself?”
“I’ve never lied to you!” Gigi shouted, her hands curling into fists.
“You lied about my assistant,” Rowan said coldly, crossing his arms. “You threatened her. You tried to manipulate her into leaving. And you lied about your intentions with me, Gigi.”
“That’s not true!” she insisted, stepping closer. “Everything I’ve done, I’ve done for us! For our future!”
“Our future?” Rowan repeated, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “Don’t make me laugh. Everything you’ve done has been for yourself, Gigi.”
“That’s not fair,” she said, her voice trembling. “I loved you, Rowan. I still do.”
He stared at her for a long moment, his expression unreadable. “Maybe you did,” he said finally. “But that doesn’t change the fact that I can’t trust you.”
“You trusted me before,” she said, her tone softer now. “Back then, things were good. You remember that, don’t you?”
“Barely,” Rowan admitted, his gaze hardening. “And even if I did, that feels like a lifetime ago. Whatever we had, Gigi, it’s gone now.”
She shook her head, tears falling freely. “No, it’s not! We can fix this, Rowan. We can go back to the way things were.”
“There is no going back,” he said bluntly. “And honestly, I wouldn’t want to even if there was.”
Her face crumpled at his words, and she let out a soft sob. “Why are you doing this to me? To us?”
“I’m not doing anything,” Rowan said, his voice calm but firm. “You’re the one standing here, embarrassing yourself. Downgrading yourself. For what? A man who doesn’t trust you?”
She opened her mouth to argue, but he held up a hand, silencing her.
“You’re not trustworthy, Gigi. And without my memories, I can’t even be sure you ever were. So stop this. Stop degrading yourself for something that’s already over.”
The silence that followed was deafening. Gigi stared at him, her chest rising and falling as she struggled to find something—anything—to say.
But Rowan didn’t give her the chance. He turned to Callum, nodding toward the door. “Show her out.”
Callum stepped forward, his expression neutral as he gestured for Gigi to leave.
She hesitated, her gaze flicking between Rowan and Callum, before finally turning and walking toward the door.
“This isn’t over,” she whispered, her voice barely audible as she left the room.
Rowan didn’t respond. Instead, he sat back down at his desk, his eyes closing briefly as he exhaled.
“Sir,” Callum said after a moment, his tone carefully neutral. “Do you need anything?”
Rowan opened his eyes, shaking his head. “No. Just... clear my schedule for the next hour.”
Callum nodded and Rowan stood up going to the garage.
Rowan sat in his car, staring blankly at the dashboard. Gigi’s words echoed faintly in his mind, but he pushed them aside. He didn’t have time for her manipulations anymore. He had more pressing matters to focus on—namely, Remi.
With a sigh, he started the car and pulled out of the building’s parking lot. The idea came to him on impulse: flowers. It was simple, maybe even cliché, but he couldn’t shake the thought that Remi deserved something beautiful.
\---
The florist shop smelled like a garden in full bloom. The cheerful woman behind the counter greeted him with a bright smile.
“Good afternoon, sir. Looking for something special?”
“Yes,” Rowan replied, glancing at the colorful arrangements. “Something elegant. Unique.”
“Ah, for someone important?” she asked, her tone teasing.
Rowan hesitated, then nodded. “Very.”
The florist’s smile widened. “I have just the thing.” She moved to the back, returning with a bouquet of white lilies and pale pink roses wrapped in soft tissue paper.
“This is one of our most popular arrangements,” she explained. “It’s classic, but the combination of colors gives it a unique charm.”
Rowan studied the bouquet, nodding. “Perfect. Add a card.”
She handed him a small card and a pen, her expression expectant. Rowan stared at the blank space for a moment, then quickly scribbled a message:
“For someone who deserves a bit of beauty in her day.”
He paused, then added his initials at the bottom.
“Would you like us to deliver it for you?” the florist asked as he handed the card back.
“No,” Rowan said, pulling out his wallet. “I’ll take it myself.”
\---
On the way to Remi’s workplace, Rowan made another stop, picking up a small box of artisanal chocolates he’d spotted in a storefront window. He didn’t know if she liked sweets, but he figured it couldn’t hurt.
By the time he arrived at the research facility, the flowers and chocolates felt heavier than they had any right to. He parked his car and walked toward the entrance, adjusting his tie as he went.
Inside, the receptionist greeted him with a mixture of surprise and nerves.
“Mr. Vaughn,” she said, standing a little straighter. “Can I help you?”
“I’m here to drop something off for Dr. Laurent,” Rowan said, holding up the bouquet and box.
The receptionist blinked, her eyes darting between the gifts and Rowan’s face. “Oh, um... I can have them delivered to her office, if you’d like.”
“That’s fine,” Rowan replied, setting them on the counter. “Make sure she gets them directly, please.”
“Of course,” the receptionist said, her voice slightly higher than normal.
Rowan nodded once, then turned to leave.
He wasn’t sure how Remi would reac
t to the gesture, but a part of him hoped it would at least make her smile.
And if it didn’t... well, he’d just have to find another way to get through to her.
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