Contract Marriage with My Secret Partner in Crime
Chapter 111: Operation Honeymoon Truth

Chapter 111: Operation Honeymoon Truth

[135 Days Left to Live]

After what felt like an eternity away, Zephany finally stepped back into the office. The familiar hum of computers, the rustle of papers, and the low murmur of conversations greeted her. It should have felt comforting, grounding even, but instead, all she wanted to do was turn around and go back home. Her steps slowed the moment she reached the hallway that led to her desk.

Because there, perched like a waiting cat, was Pia.

Pia was sitting sideways on the desk just beside hers, sipping from a takeaway coffee cup and scrolling casually through her phone. Her body faced away, but something about her stillness told Zephany it was already too late. She had been spotted.

Zephany had half a second to consider her options. Maybe she could fake a phone call. Maybe she could pretend to have forgotten something and disappear to the bathroom for twenty minutes. But before she could move, Pia turned, her face lighting up with an all-too-familiar mischievous smile.

"Oh, girl! You are finally back!" Pia exclaimed, hopping off the desk with an energy that only spelled danger. "So? How was it?"

Zephany froze in place. Her heart did a weird skip, and she swore her cheeks went crimson in a matter of seconds. The words she’d been dreading were now standing in the air between them, echoing far too loudly in her ears.

She opened her mouth to say something, anything, but all that came out was a squeaky, "Uh."

Pia leaned in, eyes sparkling with interest. "Come on! You can’t just vanish for a whole week, not reply to my messages, and then come back acting all innocent. Spill. The. Tea."

Zephany could feel the color climbing all the way up to her ears. If she could unzip her skin and crawl into a hole, she would have. She pressed her lips together, clutching her bag strap as if it were a shield.

"Pia," she said quietly, eyes pleading. "Can you... spare me this once? Please?"

Pia gave a dramatic gasp, placing a hand over her chest. "Spare you? Do you have any idea how much I’ve been suffering not knowing if my best friend is out there having the time of her life or being held hostage in a romantic comedy?"

Zephany looked around, desperate for someone to save her. But the office was too busy. People came and went, heads down, oblivious to her silent plea for help.

Pia narrowed her eyes. "You owe me. Come on. I need those juicy details. What happened? And how’s Kendrick? Is he, you know... good? Satisfying?"

Zephany practically jumped out of her skin. "Pia!"

She stared at her friend in horror. "Can you not say stuff like that?" she hissed, eyes darting around to make sure no one overheard. "This is a workplace! And... can you spare me some privacy? Seriously."

Pia laughed but raised her hands in surrender. "Okay, okay! I’ll stop. Only because it’s you. And you look way too cute when you’re panicking. But still, you do look dazzling today. Glowing, even. That’s usually a sign."

Zephany rolled her eyes and sighed, choosing not to respond. Instead, she finally made her way to her desk and plopped down on her chair. She placed her bag by her side and booted up her computer, trying to distract herself with the mundane tasks she had missed.

At least Pia had stopped asking questions. That was something.

But even as she tried to focus, her thoughts betrayed her.

They hadn’t done anything remotely close to what Pia was implying. In fact, the most physical contact she had with Kendrick was holding his hand that one time during their fake date for the mission. She had completely forgotten the feel of it until now. Had she hugged him? Maybe? She couldn’t even remember. Kendrick had always been respectful, always kept a good distance, like a proper gentleman.

They hadn’t even kissed yet.

Wait.

Yet?

Why did she think "yet"? Her face turned red again, this time from her own thoughts.

No, no. What was she thinking? Was she actually wanting to kiss him now? That’s ridiculous. They were just pretending. It was all fake. Nothing had changed. Right?

Zephany shook her head slightly, trying to force the thoughts out. She focused on the loading screen of her computer, as if staring hard enough would reboot her brain too.

She sneaked a glance toward Pia, hoping she hadn’t noticed her inner mental crisis playing out in real-time.

Thankfully, Pia was now occupied with her phone again, giggling at something on her screen. Zephany let out a sigh of relief and leaned back in her chair.

But Pia wasn’t as distracted as she seemed. She had noticed the blush, the way Zephany nervously avoided eye contact, how she chewed on her bottom lip when flustered. She knew her friend too well. Still, she decided to spare her.

Zephany was soft-spoken and shy, especially in this version of herself she now had to live in. She had her moments of strength, but Pia could tell that she was still adjusting. It was tempting to tease her more, but she held back. Zephany looked too cute trying to hide.

Pia smiled to herself. She’d wait. Sooner or later, Zephany would tell her everything. And when that day came, she’d be ready—with snacks, wine, and a notebook titled "Operation Honeymoon Truth."

For now, she let her be.

Zephany, unaware that Pia was plotting a future interrogation session, tried to lose herself in her tasks. She scrolled through the backlog of emails, replying to the urgent ones first. It helped keep her grounded, pulled her back into a space where she didn’t have to think about Kendrick’s voice, or the way he had looked at her the night they returned.

She caught herself smiling, then quickly stopped.

Get a grip, Zeph. You’re just recovering from a stressful week. That’s all.

Still, as she reached for her pen, her fingers brushed against the side of her laptop where a folded sticky note peeked out.

It was from Kendrick.

Just before they parted ways that morning, he had scribbled it and tucked it beside her things.

"Take it easy today. Call me if you get too overwhelmed. –K"

Her heart fluttered again.

She looked at it for a long second, then gently folded it back and placed it into her drawer.

Outside, the office noise carried on. Phones rang, people laughed, keyboards clicked.

Inside, Zephany sat quietly with her thoughts.

Still recovering, still adjusting, and slowly, so slowly, beginning to realize that what was meant to be fake... was getting harder to pretend.