Weeks passed, and Rachel tried her best to move on. She threw herself into her work, staying late and coming in early to make sure everything was perfect. And it worked, to an extent. She was getting noticed more around the office, and even Emma was beginning to acknowledge her abilities.
But no matter how successful she was, Rachel still couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. She noticed Emma becoming increasingly distant with Marcus, and his once-confident demeanor was replaced with a palpable tension.
One day, Rachel arrived early to work, as usual. She was surprised to find Marcus already in his office, staring out the window with a far-off look in his eyes.
"Good morning," she said, trying to sound cheerful. "What brings you in so early?"
Marcus turned to her, his eyes dark and troubled. "I can't do it, Rachel. I can't go through with this marriage."
Rachel felt her heart skip a beat. It was the moment she had been dreaming of, but now that it was here, she didn't know what to do.
"I don't want to hurt Emma," Marcus continued, his voice strained. "But I can't keep pretending that everything is okay. I'm just so... lonely."
Rachel felt a pang of sympathy for him. She knew all too well what it was like to feel alone in a crowded room.
"What are you going to do?" she asked, her voice low.
"I don't know," Marcus admitted, his shoulders slumping. "I just know that I can't keep living like this."
Rachel felt a surge of adrenaline. This was her chance, maybe her only chance, to tell Marcus how she felt.
"Marcus, I know that this might be inappropriate," she said, her voice steady. "But I want you to know that I care about you. And if there's anything I can do to help, anything at all, please let me know."
Marcus looked at her, his eyes blazing with a mix of emotions. "Rachel, you have no idea how much that means to me."
They talked for hours, working out a plan for how to break things off with Emma and come clean about their feelings. Rachel felt like she was walking on air as she left Marcus's office, knowing that they were going to be together.
But as the day went on, Rachel's sense of euphoria began to fade. Emma was growing increasingly suspicious, and even though Marcus was doing his best to keep up appearances, Rachel knew that he was struggling.
As she sat at her desk, she felt a tap on her shoulder. It was Ethan Stone, Marcus's best friend and business partner.
"Hey, Rachel," he said, slipping into the seat next to her. "I need to talk to you about something."
Rachel felt a knot form in her stomach. Ethan was always suspicious of her, and she knew that he had been warning Marcus about the dangers of getting involved with an intern.
"What's going on?" she asked, trying to keep her voice even.
"I know that you and Marcus have grown close," Ethan said, his voice low. "But you need to know that this could be a huge mistake. Marcus is engaged, and even though I don't agree with it, he's made a commitment to Emma. And if he breaks that commitment, it could ruin his career and his reputation."
Rachel felt tears welling up in her eyes. She knew Ethan was right, but she couldn't help how she felt.
"I know that," she said, her voice breaking. "But I can't just stand by and watch him be miserable. I care about him, Ethan. I really do."
Ethan looked at her for a long moment, and Rachel could see the doubt in his eyes. But he didn't say anything, just patted her on the shoulder and left the room.
As Rachel watched him go, she felt a pang of fear. She knew that Ethan was right, but she couldn't help the way she felt. She was in love with Marcus Harrington, and nothing could change that.
