The Vanished Fiancé Has Returned - Chapter 2

“Mom, but…”

Just one more year and she’d graduate.

Gabrielle wasn’t asking to be sent to college. She just wanted to graduate safely. With a diploma, she could find a decent job. She had always ranked first in her class, so with a bit of luck, she might even get a full scholarship to a technical college with the principal’s recommendation.

Suppressing the surge of emotions, Gabrielle tried her best to explain calmly. But the response she received was cold.

“And when exactly is that going to happen?”

“Mom?”

“You think you’ll make it through a whole year and graduate? We don’t have the money to pay your tuition until then. And what’s this about technical school?”

Sabrina let out a scoffing laugh and furrowed her brow.

“Who gets to do everything they want in life? How can you only think of yourself, Gabrielle?”

The harsh words made Gabrielle’s nose sting. Heat gathered beneath her eyes, and her lips trembled. She had always been a good girl who listened well. But this time, she couldn’t back down.

“But both my sister and brother graduated! And now they’re preparing to study abroad.”

“What did you just say?”

It was the first time Gabrielle had ever talked back, and Sabrina’s eyes widened. What followed completely crushed Gabrielle’s spirit.

“You really take after your biological father. How could you ever think you’re the same as your sister and brother?”

“……”

“You should be grateful your stepfather paid for your living expenses and tuition. If you get greedy, you’ll be punished, Gabrielle.”

It felt like being slapped in the face. Strength drained from her entire body, and Gabrielle staggered unconsciously. Just then, as if to sweeten the blow, a gentle hand caressed her cheek.

“I’m sorry, Gabrielle. There’s no other way. You understand, don’t you?”

It wasn’t a plea—it was a command. The fleeting sparkle in Gabrielle’s eyes quickly faded.

From then on, Gabrielle worked at a factory by day and attended night school. Eventually, she managed to land a temporary secretary job at a mid-sized trading company.

The pay was low, and overtime was constant, but considering she hadn’t even finished school, she was content just to be working in an office.

Of course, that didn’t mean her circumstances changed completely. Her stepfather’s business collapsed during the recession, and Chris and Angela, who had been studying abroad, were forced to return home.

But their lavish spending habits remained the same. They squandered what little money was left, living wastefully without even holding proper jobs.

In the end, it was Gabrielle’s meager salary that sustained the five of them. Even taking care of herself was hard enough, but now she had to support an entire household. She resolved to move out several times, but every time, Sabrina’s tears broke her resolve.

That day was one of those days.

“Your paycheck is small this month, Gabrielle.”

It was at a small café in front of her company. Sabrina had come during lunch, counted the money from the envelope, and then, as if it were hers by right, slipped it into her bag.

“With wages this low, don’t you think it’s time to change jobs? The factory’s hiring.”

Gabrielle regretted how quickly her salary disappeared, but she answered as calmly as she could.

“I didn’t get much overtime last month. I have no plans to change jobs. And you don’t need to come during my lunch break just to get the money, Mom.”

“Don’t be so cold. I came to see my daughter’s face too.”

Sabrina laughed lightly and suddenly turned her head, pointing out the window.

“If you had a man who drove a car like that, would I even need to worry about you?”

Outside was a car that looked expensive at a glance. The driver’s door opened, and someone got out, then opened the back door. A man stepped out next. His face wasn’t visible, but even from behind, he looked tall and well-built.

“You should get someone like that to pamper me too, don’t you think?”

Gabrielle felt a strange inferiority toward the man she didn’t even know. She stood up from her seat.

“I’ll be going now. My lunch break’s almost over.”

As soon as she returned to the city office, she was greeted by none other than the man from before. His tall build and refined appearance made him instantly recognizable.

“I’m Dominic Moore, standing in for the executive director who’s on leave.”

He had long, elegant fingers—white and neat, like those of a pianist. Gabrielle stared at his hand for a moment, then hurried to shake it when she realized he was watching her closely.

“I’m Gabrielle Brooks, the secretary. I’ll be assisting you from now on.”

The hand she grasped felt cooler than expected. The man smiled faintly and withdrew his hand.

“Nice to meet you, Miss Brooks. I look forward to working with you.”

The new executive director. The superior she would be serving for the foreseeable future.

After the brief handshake, the man gave her a soft smile. His sharp, cold appearance softened instantly.

Gabrielle, who had been staring at his face absentmindedly, replied in a trembling voice, “Likewise. I look forward to working with you.”

***

The day after her stepbrother Chris’s company’s stock listing party.

She had barely escaped that event, but Dominic Moore’s presence continued to entangle Gabrielle. Starting with the fact that even his name wasn’t real.

“Julian Rogers?”

“Huh?”

“The person you mentioned. No matter how I think about it, it has to be him. When did you meet? Do you know him?”

“That’s not his name. He clearly said he was Dominic Moore.”

Gabrielle shook her head, denying Chris’s words. The glimmer of expectation in Chris’s eyes turned cold.

“He’s a stranger. It’s not like someone with those looks is common. You must’ve been mistaken.”

“No, I wasn’t.”

It was definitely him. The fiancé she had dated for a year and was about to marry. But she couldn’t bring herself to say it aloud. She had never once introduced Dominic to her family. And she had never met his family, either. It wasn’t until after she had been cruelly abandoned that she realized how strange that was.

Just thinking about it made her chest ache and her stomach churn.

“Well, in any case, this is perfect. I was planning to introduce you two anyway.”

“Introduce me? Why?”

“He said he was interested in you that night. He’s a consultant for an investment firm that invested a significant amount in our company.”

“No.”

Whether it was the same person or not, she didn’t want it. Gabrielle stood abruptly, not wanting to be used like a tool again.

“I’ll be going now.”

“You’ll regret this, Gabrielle.”

As she turned away as if fleeing, a low voice caught her by the heel.

“Your mother. Sabrina.”

Gabrielle froze and slowly turned her head, like a broken clock winding down.

“You know she’s an alcoholic, right? Every night she drinks herself into a stupor, and my father can’t take it anymore. Angela and I have been holding him back out of sentiment.”

With every word, Gabrielle’s face flushed with anger and shame. “Our mother supported you and Angela all these years. How can you be so cold?”

“What’s done is done. The past is the past.” Chris shrugged and slowly stood up, pulling a business card from the inside pocket of his jacket and handing it to her.

He said, “Just meet him once. The appointment is the day after tomorrow, lunchtime, first floor café at the Clinton Hotel.”

Gabrielle bit her lip. She didn’t want to go. No matter how she thought about it, the man Chris was talking about and the man she once knew seemed to be the same.

“I don’t want to.”

If it really was him, why had he used a fake name back then? Or maybe the name he was using now was the fake one.

She wanted to vent all the resentment she had piled up and curse at him. But still, it was better not to meet at all.

“Did I say it was a request, Gabrielle?”

As if seeing right through her thoughts, Chris placed a hand on her shoulder and warned in a low voice, “This is an order. If you don’t care what happens to your mother, then feel free to disobey.”

It was a threat, even if he didn’t phrase it like one. In the end, Gabrielle nodded. Only then did Chris smile in satisfaction and tap her cheek with his index finger.

“That’s more like it. My good little sister.”

***

Dominic Moore was from a completely different world—a man who had walked an elite path.

Though she had become his direct secretary, Gabrielle barely had a chance to see him face to face. Unlike the previous executive director, he was often out on business and rarely in the office.

Assignments were always left on her desk when she arrived in the morning. Otherwise, he gave instructions over the phone. His directions were concise, precise, and devoid of excess.

The former executive director had taken a sudden leave citing health issues. The very next day, the young replacement had appeared.

Everyone in the company was talking about it. Many coworkers approached Gabrielle trying to dig for information about him. But Gabrielle always gave the same answer.

“I’ve only seen him a few times, so I don’t really know.”

“Come on, are you really going to be like that? If you keep hogging him, people are going to start resenting you.”

“It’s true. I really don’t know anything. We’ve never had a personal conversation—only work-related matters.”

The only time they exchanged a few words was when they first met and greeted each other. Other than that, she only knew he was like a tall, pale birch tree.

“Are you being honest?”

One of her coworkers narrowed her eyes and looked at Gabrielle.

“I am. And why are you so curious about him, ma’am? You have a family.”

“Excuse me, what kind of person do you think I am? Sure, he’s handsome, but he’s not my type. It’s not that, I’m curious for another reason.”

“Another reason?”

“There’s a lot of talk about the new executive director. Some say he’s got connections up top and that the previous director was pushed out to make room for him.”

“So it’s political? Office factions?”

“Well, that’s what people are saying. I just need to know whose side he’s on so I know whether to align myself with him or keep my distance.”