Free Hopeless Vows by Rachael Duncan

going to complete itself.” As she so often does, she waves her hand at me, effectively dismissing me.
    Upon entering my office, the first thing I notice is a rather large display of beautiful flowers. My mouth falls open slightly as I stand in stunned silence. I have a feeling I know who sent these, but that doesn’t slow down my pace as I make a beeline for the card nestled neatly in the bouquet.
     
    “The language of friendship is not in words, but in meanings.”–Henry David Thoreau
     
    Jillian,
    Know I’ll be thinking of you throughout the day. Enjoy the view of these parrot lilies, as well as the meaning. Friendship is the foundation to a happy relationship. And I look forward to you becoming my best friend. Have a great day, gorgeous.
    XO,
    Austin
     
    I couldn’t get rid of the sappy smile on my face even if I tried. I pull the flowers closer and inhale deeply, letting the aroma coat my senses. He truly is unbelievably thoughtful.
    Sitting down at my desk, my attention is quickly diverted from Austin’s surprise to the mountain of work lying before me. Man, Mrs. Van der Boor wasn’t kidding. There’s stuff all over my desk. My forehead hits the cool wood as I resist the urge to get up and head home. I start shuffling through the pile when I remember I haven’t talked to Janey since I’ve been back from Bora Bora. With the cameras out of sight, now is the perfect time.
    The phone rings twice before she answers. “Hello, stranger!”
    “Hey, yourself.”
    “I’ve been dying to talk to you! First, how was your honeymoon? Where did you go?”
    “It was really nice, and we went to Bora Bora.”
    “You lucky bitch!” I giggle a little at that. “Okay, now that that’s out of the way. What. The. Fuck?” She pauses between each word, adding the dramatic flair only she can.
    “I know. This is so messed up.” I rest my head in the palm of my hand.
    “As soon as the minister said his full name, I almost freaked out.”
    “You? I almost fainted halfway down the aisle.” I swallow hard as the memory comes rushing back. It was like I’d seen a ghost.
    “Are you going to tell him?”
    “What? Are you insane? Hell, no. I don’t want anyone to know. You’re the only person I’ve told, and I’d like it to stay that way. If I tell him, the whole world will know.” I realize how selfish I sound, but I can’t let that happen. It would ruin me and everything I’ve worked hard to distance myself from.
    “I get it, but what are you going to do then?”
    “Nothing. I’m going to bide my time, then when this is over, I’ll say I want a divorce. No one will find out, he’ll be spared the hurt all over again, and I’ll put it behind me like it never happened.” Yeah, right . He’s already under my skin and it’s only been two weeks.
    “Well, you know I’m here for ya, girlie. I know this isn’t at all how you wanted this experience to go down, but I’m proud of you for staying strong. You’ll get through this, okay?”
    Tears well up in my eyes, and I’m not even sure why. Maybe it was from all the emotions I’ve been bottling up inside since the wedding day, or maybe it’s because life is a bitch. She’s cruel and mean, and right when you think you’ve got the upper hand, she’s there to kick you back down. “Thanks. I have to get back to work, but I’ll talk to you later.”

    It’s another three hours before I’m done combing through the piles of fashion leads, runway news, and other miscellaneous things. Now that I can see my desk, I turn on my computer and open up my email. The first one to catch my eye is from Mrs. Van der Boor’s assistant dated seven days ago. Hope it wasn’t important.
     
    Dear Team Members and Staff,
    This is a reminder of the party you are to attend to celebrate another fabulous year at Trend. Some of the designers we work with have been gracious enough to donate a few gowns. You are welcome to look at them and select one of your choosing. For the men in