"What?

" I was shocked and blurted out,

"Is he out of his mind?

",

"Ms. Hudson, Mr. Wagner has indeed been acting pretty crazy these days,

" Ivan explained. Suddenly, it all clicked for me. The shopping sprees for the wedding ring and dress must have been his doing.

"What's he trying to do, gross me out?

" I demanded angrily., Ivan fell silent for a while before replying,

"Ms. Hudson, I honestly don't know what Mr. Wagner is up to, but I feel he can't bear to lose you. He loves you.

",

"Ivan,

" I called him out,

"It's one thing for others to say that, but you? Do you believe he truly loves me?

", Ivan didn't respond.,

"Ivan, let him be crazy on his own. I won't join him in his madness,

" I made my stand.,

"Ms. Hudson, I've always felt guilty. If it hadn't been for me that time, you and Mr. Wagner might not have ended up like this,

" Ivan still blamed himself for the mistake he'd made then.,

"Ivan, I appreciate you,

" I paused,

"If it hadn't been for that incident, I wouldn't have been able to decide to split with Conrad. But I want you to understand our break-up isn't just about that one thing. It takes more than a cold day to freeze three feet of ice, and you should know that.

",

"But I was the one who delivered the final blow,

" Ivan murmured.,

"I've said what I needed to. If you still want to blame yourself, that's on you. As for Conrad, if he decides to fire you over what happened today, leave. The world is big, and with your skills, you'll find a better job,

" I consoled him.,

"Ms. Hudson, did you find a better job?

" Ivan inquired.,

"I believe with my abilities, finding a job won't be difficult,

" I gave a non-committal answer, not wanting to stir up more trouble., Conrad acted like a psycho, and I wondered what he might do if he found out I'd landed a new job. After hanging up, I closed my eyes, marveling at how Conrad had gone to such extremes, even considering proposing to me. It seemed I must cut him off decisively to kill any hope he might have., Thinking back to my call with Ernest the night before, I mustered the courage to text him again. I've sobered up. When can we chat?, No reply came through. It was half past ten in the morning. Ernest was probably at work and hadn't seen it., I didn't wait around. Instead, I was ready to head back after showering and changing., But after my shower, I received a text from Ernest. Meet me at the amusement park., He wanted me to go to the amusement park again., Thinking back to what Ivan said about Conrad planning to propose, I immediately refused. No, let's pick another place. I'm short on time, Ernest texted back., As I debated whether to compromise, another message from Ernest came. Worried about being proposed to?, Ernest somehow knew as well. How big of a scene had Conrad planned at the amusement park?, I replied quickly. Don't want to be embarrassed., You dodge this time, and he'll try again. Come, and let's settle this. Ernest's message made me laugh., Was Ernest agreeing to be my fake boyfriend? His message seemed sensible. Fanny also mentioned the best way to get that jerk Conrad to give up was to let him know I was with someone. So, I texted Ernest back, Okay., Wanting to make a statement, I rummaged through Fanny's closet for a strapless yellow maxi dress, let down my usually tied-up hair, and even applied bold red lipstick. I looked enchantingly beautiful, like a fairy. I never used to dress like this because Conrad didn't like it. He knew I was pretty but didn't want other men to see it., When I arrived at the amusement park and texted Ernest, he quickly came running over. When he saw me, I saw his Adam's apple bob several times., Search the website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.