{"id":79866,"date":"2024-09-09T13:59:21","date_gmt":"2024-09-09T06:59:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/?p=79866"},"modified":"2024-09-09T13:59:21","modified_gmt":"2024-09-09T06:59:21","slug":"i-was-secretly-dating-my-boss-but-he-announced-his-engagement-to-the-new-girl-on-my-birthday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/i-was-secretly-dating-my-boss-but-he-announced-his-engagement-to-the-new-girl-on-my-birthday\/","title":{"rendered":"I Was Secretly Dating My Boss, but He Announced His Engagement to the New Girl on My Birthday"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>I had been eagerly anticipating this birthday. I was sure my boss would not only reveal our relationship but also propose to me. And he did propose\u2014but not to me. Afterward, as I tried to escape, I fell into the cake, and everyone started laughing. But that was just the beginning.\n</p><p>I stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the necklace that rested just above my collarbone.\n</p><p>\u201cIs this too much?\u201d I asked my reflection, tilting my head slightly.\n</p><p>The blue dress I wore was new, purchased just for tonight. It hugged my curves in all the right places, and the color made my eyes pop\u2014a detail Ben had once complimented during one of our secret lunches.\n<figure style='\"width:' class='\"wp-caption' aligncenter><img loading='\"lazy\"' decoding='\"async\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/413025a3adda8286b81da7768f892bff4117aae812076494e62a104c2752650a.png%5C%22" alt='\"For' illustration purposes only source: midjourney width='\"1024\"' height='\"1024\"' title='\"\"'><figcaption class='\"wp-caption-text\"'>For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney\n<p>Ben was my boss and the man I had been secretly seeing for months. He was charming, confident, and everything I had dreamed of. But our relationship had remained hidden, tucked away from the prying eyes of our colleagues.\n</p><p>Tonight, though, I was convinced things would change. I could almost see it: Ben dropping to one knee, a ring in his hand, and our love finally out in the open.\n<figure style='\"width:' class='\"wp-caption' aligncenter><img loading='\"lazy\"' decoding='\"async\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/26d78b3a7b4c753cc7dd4a57ee77425ceaaa22d81df0ad4cb06760b5e4acf95d.jpg%5C%22" alt='\"For' illustration purposes only source: midjourney width='\"4000\"' height='\"6000\"' title='\"\"'><figcaption class='\"wp-caption-text\"'>For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney\n<p>My phone buzzed on the desk, pulling me out of my thoughts. It was a message from Greg.\n</p><p>Greg was my old friend from college, someone who had always been there, quietly supportive, though a bit awkward.\n</p><p>\u201cHappy Birthday, Laura! Any plans to celebrate? Maybe coffee later?\u201d\n</p><p><img decoding='\"async\"' class='\"aligncenter\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/4fd916b602be135bc02b6f50695259af5becf475822bd45acc490b1bd1894d68.jpg%5C%22" alt='\"For' illustration purposes only source: pexels title='\"\"'>\n</p><p>I smiled, picturing his kind but slightly nervous face. Greg was the type who would drop everything to help a friend, always ready with a joke to lighten the mood.\n</p><p>But tonight wasn\u2019t about Greg. Tonight was about Ben, about the future I had dreamed of.\n</p><p>I quickly typed back, \u201cThanks, Greg. Maybe another time.\u201d\n</p><p>The day had been strange. Ben hadn\u2019t mentioned my birthday at all. Not even a small note or a smile in passing. But I told myself it was all part of his plan. He was always strategic, keeping his cards close to his chest.\n<figure style='\"width:' class='\"wp-caption' aligncenter><img loading='\"lazy\"' decoding='\"async\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/9b94f38cf4ad45d3d5f50dc2f7371755f405c94388a251fa5cb727eb572278cc.png%5C%22" alt='\"For' illustration purposes only source: midjourney width='\"1024\"' height='\"1024\"' title='\"\"'><figcaption class='\"wp-caption-text\"'>For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s just waiting for the right moment,\u201d I murmured, trying to convince myself that everything was fine.\n</p><p>Just as I was about to leave, the door to my office creaked open. Jane, the new colleague, barely out of college and full of energy, peeked in with a bright smile.\n</p><p>\u201cLaura! Everyone\u2019s waiting for you downstairs. The party\u2019s about to start!\u201d\n</p><p>\u201cThanks, Jane,\u201d I replied, forcing a smile. I turned back to the mirror, giving my dress one last adjustment. \u201cI\u2019ll be there in a minute.\u201d\n</p><p>Jane nodded and disappeared down the hallway, leaving me alone with my thoughts.\n</p><p>\u201cThis is it,\u201d I whispered to myself. \u201cTonight\u2019s the night.\u201d\n</p><p>With my heart pounding, I grabbed my purse and headed out of the office.\n</p><p>***\n</p><p>The party was already in full swing. Gold and silver streamers hung everywhere, and the tables were set with elegant centerpieces.\n</p><p>I scanned the room and quickly spotted Ben at the front, his presence commanding attention as always. He looked impeccable in his dark suit, his smile easy and charming as he chatted with colleagues.\n</p><p>\u201cThis is it,\u201d I whispered to myself, trying to calm the butterflies in my stomach.\n</p><p>Then Ben raised his hand, signaling for attention. The room gradually quieted. This was the moment I had been waiting for.\n<figure style='\"width:' class='\"wp-caption' aligncenter><img loading='\"lazy\"' decoding='\"async\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/28264c990c64222c93f93221ef4f8b1c22a6cdd7e31b8f9cf54e88d1329d4054.png%5C%22" alt='\"For' illustration purposes only source: midjourney width='\"1024\"' height='\"1024\"' title='\"\"'><figcaption class='\"wp-caption-text\"'>For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney\n<p>\u201cThank you, everyone, for being here tonight,\u201d he began.\n</p><p>\u201cIt\u2019s a special night, not just because of the company\u2019s anniversary, but also because I have some personal news to share.\u201d\n</p><p>I smiled to myself, sure that he was about to mention me. But then his words took a turn I couldn\u2019t have predicted.\n</p><p>\u201cI\u2019m thrilled to announce my engagement&hellip; to Jane.\u201d\n</p><p>I froze.\n<figure style='\"width:' class='\"wp-caption' aligncenter><img loading='\"lazy\"' decoding='\"async\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/ef1677ad04d968b8457817a356e7db4539db7e11271ae9f30d616012b0eef7fe.png%5C%22" alt='\"For' illustration purposes only source: midjourney width='\"1456\"' height='\"816\"' title='\"\"'><figcaption class='\"wp-caption-text\"'>For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney\n<p>Did he just say, Jane? No, this can\u2019t be happening!\n</p><p>I looked at Ben, hoping to see some sign that this was a joke. But there was no mistaking the beaming smile on his face as he reached for Jane\u2019s hand.\n</p><p>The crowd erupted in cheers. The applause seemed to mock me.\n</p><p>Why&hellip; Why did he do that?\n<figure style='\"width:' class='\"wp-caption' aligncenter><img loading='\"lazy\"' decoding='\"async\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/13da2989aa5074a9141bc80eddf152913af5141eee21d0c13501cb80fc39b1ab.jpg%5C%22" alt='\"For' illustration purposes only source: pexels width='\"4160\"' height='\"6240\"' title='\"\"'><figcaption class='\"wp-caption-text\"'>For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels\n<p>I turned quickly, desperate to get out of there before anyone noticed my distress. But in my haste, I didn\u2019t see the large cake behind me. My foot caught on the edge of the table, and the next thing I knew, I was falling.\n</p><p>\u201cNo, no, no!\u201d I gasped, but it was too late.\n</p><p>I crashed right into the cake.\n</p><p>The room went silent for a moment, and then the laughter started. My face burned with humiliation.\n</p><p>Please, please, let this be a nightmare.\n<figure style='\"width:' class='\"wp-caption' aligncenter><img loading='\"lazy\"' decoding='\"async\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/d7503ceccc1c3c83927b6498599c738312f51bb48b300361687f3373e1323e62.png%5C%22" alt='\"For' illustration purposes only source: midjourney width='\"1024\"' height='\"1024\"' title='\"\"'><figcaption class='\"wp-caption-text\"'>For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney\n<p>Finally, I managed to get to my feet, covered in cake, my dress ruined, and my dignity in shreds. Tears blurred my vision as I pushed through the crowd.\n</p><p>The night that was supposed to be the happiest of my life had turned into a nightmare.\n</p><p>***\n</p><p>I packed a bag and drove straight to my parent&rsquo;s home, a small town that always felt like a safe haven.\n</p><p>My mom greeted me at the door. I was emotionally exhausted.\n</p><p>\u201cLaura, honey, what\u2019s wrong? You look like you\u2019ve been crying.\u201d\n<figure style='\"width:' class='\"wp-caption' aligncenter><img loading='\"lazy\"' decoding='\"async\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/e9e9ad63c8f56e9ddde4e7a240cf41bab7eb39de8bfe3acf6286256e8c29dd57.png%5C%22" alt='\"For' illustration purposes only source: midjourney width='\"1024\"' height='\"1024\"' title='\"\"'><figcaption class='\"wp-caption-text\"'>For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney\n<p>\u201cI&hellip; I don\u2019t want to talk about it right now, Mom.\u201d\n</p><p>My mom, always the intuitive one, didn\u2019t press me for details. Instead, she led me inside and made me a cup of tea, the same way she had when I was a kid and had a bad day at school.\n</p><p>\u201cYou know,\u201d she began, after a few minutes of silence, \u201cthere\u2019s a festival at the park tonight. It might be good for you to get out.\u201d\n</p><p><img decoding='\"async\"' class='\"aligncenter\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/c3ae35ec7b13d3051a815f3278be9efba01a8be19bcf636216cceb1ab887204f.jpg%5C%22" alt='\"For' illustration purposes only source: pexels title='\"\"'>\n</p><p>\u201cI don\u2019t think I\u2019m up for it, Mom. I just want to hide for a while.\u201d\n</p><p>\u201cCome on, Laura. It\u2019ll be fun.\u201d\n</p><p>She was right. I needed some fun.\n</p><p>That night, before we left, I had a few glasses of wine\u2014more than I probably should have. But it was the only way I could muster up the courage to face people again.\n</p><p>The park was alive with the sounds of laughter and music. The smell of popcorn and fried dough filled the air.\n</p><p>But instead of lifting my spirits, the cheerful atmosphere only made me feel more isolated\n</p><p>\u201cJust stick with me, Laura,\u201d my mom said, looping her arm through mine. \u201cWe\u2019ll just walk around a bit, maybe play a game or two.\u201d\n</p><p>As we walked through the festival, I spotted someone in the crowd. My heart sank as I realized it was Greg, making his way toward me.\n</p><p>\u201cOh no,\u201d I muttered, trying to avoid eye contact.\n</p><p>Greg was a nice guy, but right now, the last thing I needed was to get caught up in one of his drawn-out stories about work or his latest hobby.\n</p><p>Suddenly, I heard the festival host take the stage and start speaking into the microphone.\n</p><p>\u201cLadies and gentlemen! We\u2019re about to start our contest for the best toast!\u201d\n</p><p>Before I knew what I was doing, I raised my hand.\n<figure style='\"width:' class='\"wp-caption' aligncenter><img loading='\"lazy\"' decoding='\"async\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/eca11f66975e9f096ea1cb3fc585acf38433562b16ca6553c181b57874f6be8a.png%5C%22" alt='\"For' illustration purposes only source: midjourney width='\"1024\"' height='\"1024\"' title='\"\"'><figcaption class='\"wp-caption-text\"'>For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ll do it!\u201d\n</p><p>\u201cLaura, are you sure?\u201d my mom whispered.\n</p><p>But I already stumbled up to the stage, the crowd\u2019s eyes on me. I grabbed the microphone, intending to say something light and fun, but as soon as I started speaking, everything came pouring out.\n</p><p>\u201cI thought&hellip; I thought tonight would be the happiest night of my life,\u201d I began, my voice shaky.\n</p><p>\u201cBut instead, I found out that the man I loved, the man I thought was going to propose to me, is engaged&hellip; to someone else.\u201d\n</p><p>The crowd, which had been noisy and cheerful, grew silent.\n</p><p>\u201cI\u2019ve never felt so lonely,\u201d I continued. \u201cI don\u2019t know why I\u2019m telling you all this.\u201d\n</p><p>I suddenly felt unsteady. I took a step back but tripped over a cord on the stage. I would have fallen flat on my face if Greg hadn\u2019t appeared out of nowhere and caught me.\n</p><p>\u201cWhoa there, easy,\u201d Greg said, quickly pulling me into a spin as if we were dancing.\n</p><p>\u201cGreg?\u201d\n</p><p>\u201cJust go with it,\u201d he whispered, twirling me around.\n<figure style='\"width:' class='\"wp-caption' aligncenter><img loading='\"lazy\"' decoding='\"async\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/7cb22bcf08afc295263aa3f68b6181a38380b7909943617305363f28bf411b5f.png%5C%22" alt='\"For' illustration purposes only source: midjourney width='\"1024\"' height='\"1024\"' title='\"\"'><figcaption class='\"wp-caption-text\"'>For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney\n<p>The crowd, thinking it was all part of some planned act, started clapping and laughing, their earlier tension dissolving. When the dance ended, Greg led me off the stage.\n</p><p>\u201cThanks, Greg,\u201d I said softly, squeezing his hand. \u201cI really needed that.\u201d\n</p><p>\u201cAnytime, Laura,\u201d he replied with understanding. \u201cAnyti&hellip;\u201d\n</p><p>But before he could finish, I turned and vomited right onto his neatly polished shoes.\n</p><p>***\n</p><p>After the unexpected &ldquo;performance,&rdquo; all I wanted was to melt into the ground, and never face anyone again. But Greg just smiled and reassured me without a hint of disgust or annoyance.\n</p><p>\u201cIt\u2019s okay, Laura. Let\u2019s get you out of here.\u201d\n</p><p>Before we left, Greg quietly approached my mom.\n</p><p>\u201cDon\u2019t worry, Mrs. Stevens,\u201d he said softly, giving her a reassuring nod. \u201cI\u2019ll take care of Laura. She needs to relax. We&rsquo;ll spend some time by the lake.\u201d\n</p><p><img decoding='\"async\"' class='\"aligncenter\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/872aa83fc8f745c45042e2a01292f90ee9e99660e9e45fdba44d9aa91911d73b.jpg%5C%22" alt='\"For' illustration purposes only source: pexels title='\"\"'>\n</p><p>My mom hesitated for a moment.\n</p><p>\u201cAre you sure, Greg?\u201d Her voice filled with motherly worry.\n</p><p>\u201cAbsolutely. I\u2019ve got her.\u201d\n</p><p>With that, Greg led me to his car, helping me into the passenger seat with a gentle touch. The drive to his house by the lake was quiet.\n</p><p>I was too embarrassed to speak, still reeling from everything that had happened.\n</p><p>When we arrived, Greg wrapped me in a warm blanket and handed me a steaming cup of tea.\n</p><p>\u201cHere, this should help,\u201d Greg said, sitting beside me on the bench by the lake.\n</p><p>The water was calm, reflecting the soft glow of the setting sun, and the gentle lapping of the waves against the shore had a soothing effect.\n</p><p>\u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d I finally whispered, breaking the silence. \u201cFor everything.\u201d\n</p><p>\u201cYou don\u2019t need to apologize, Laura. You\u2019ve been through a lot.\u201d\n</p><p>His words opened a floodgate inside me, and before I knew it, I was spilling out everything\u2014the heartbreak of the last few days. Greg listened without saying a word, just letting me talk.\n</p><p>As the stars began to appear overhead, I felt the exhaustion of it all catching up with me. I leaned back against the bench and drifted off to sleep.\n<figure style='\"width:' class='\"wp-caption' aligncenter><img loading='\"lazy\"' decoding='\"async\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/1076408a75926255b2ef63c236be8451b0c312878277c8931acbe32f79307047.png%5C%22" alt='\"For' illustration purposes only source: midjourney width='\"1024\"' height='\"1024\"' title='\"\"'><figcaption class='\"wp-caption-text\"'>For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney\n<p>***\n</p><p>The next morning, Greg was nearby, smiling warmly as he handed me a cup of coffee.\n</p><p>\u201cMorning. How are you feeling?\u201d\n</p><p>&ldquo;Better.&rdquo; I finally smiled.\n</p><p>We were sipping our coffee and laughing about the previous night\u2014about my disastrous toast, the awkward dance, and, of course, the unfortunate incident with his shoes. For the first time, I found myself genuinely laughing.\n</p><p>As we enjoyed the quiet morning, Greg said:\n</p><p>\u201cYou know, life throws us curve balls all the time. It\u2019s not about how we fall. It\u2019s about how we get back up. Don\u2019t waste your time and energy on someone who doesn\u2019t value you.&rdquo;\n</p><p>That&rsquo;s when I realized that I had been so caught up in chasing a fantasy that I overlooked the real, genuine love right in front of me.\n</p><p>That day, Greg and I spent time together walking along the lakeshore, talking about life, and sharing our dreams. In those simple moments, I found the love I had been searching for.\n</p><p><strong>Tell us what you think about this story, and share it with your friends. It might inspire them and brighten their day.\n<p><em><strong>This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only.\n<p>Source: Amomama\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"</p><p>I had been eagerly anticipating this birthday. I was sure my boss would not only reveal our relationship but also propose to me. And he did propose\u2014but not to me. Afterward, as I tried to escape, I fell into the cake, and everyone started laughing. But that was just the beginning. I stood in front &hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":79867,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[657],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-79866","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-love-and-relationships"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79866","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=79866"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79866\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":79868,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79866\/revisions\/79868"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/79867"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=79866"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=79866"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=79866"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}</p></strong></em></p></strong></p></figcaption></figure></p></figcaption></figure></p></figcaption></figure></p></figcaption></figure></p></figcaption></figure></p></figcaption></figure></p></figcaption></figure></p></figcaption></figure></p></figcaption></figure></p></figcaption></figure></p></figcaption></figure></p>