LET'S GET MARRIED

Chapter Five - A Chance Encounter

Could it had been a coincidence bumping into him? I wondered as I clenched my fists, the past flooding back.

"How's the family" I asked in curiosity.

"Not yet married, you?" He responded.

"Same...but tho, thought you would have cooked up a tricky lie for one chick to had gotten married to by now" I carelessly said.

"It's been five years now Britney, I'm a changed person. I'm sorry for whatever happened between us in the past"

My laughter was cold, calculated "Sorry?, I don't need your petty apologies. I'm good without it" I said confidently.

The tension between us was palpable. Our argument escalated, drawing a little bit of attention from nearby guests.

The sudden power outage had brought us face to face, but the elephant between us was our unresolved past.

In the chaos, our room keys got mixed up.

Walked straight to my room door after the argument and noticed I had the wrong key.

"You've got to be kidding me!" I exclaimed, holding up Dustin's key.

Dustin sneered, waving mine two doors away from mine.

"I think your key got mixed up with mine, looks like fate wants us to reconnect." He said with a loud annoying voice.

I seethed, storming off to Dustin's front door to collect my key.

This chance encounter had shattered my tranquility.

Walking grumpily back to my room, I couldn't shake off Dustin's words. "A changed person"? I scoffed as I entered my room.

My phone buzzed. Alexander Thompson's text was a welcome distraction, but Dustin's presence still lingered in my mind, leaving a bitter taste.

"𝐻𝑒𝑦, 𝑀𝑖𝑠𝑠 𝐶𝑜𝑢𝑝𝑒𝑟, 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑐𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑢𝑝 𝑜𝑛 𝑦𝑜𝑢. 𝐶𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑏 𝑏𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑘𝑓𝑎𝑠𝑡 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑚𝑒 𝑡𝑜𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑤 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑔?"Alexender stated in the text.

I hesitated, unsure how to respond.

"𝑌𝑒𝑎ℎ 𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒, 𝑠𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑠 𝑛𝑖𝑐𝑒!" I texted back

Taking a deep breath, flashbacks of memories between Dustin and I creeping in.

"No matter what happens today, tomorrow, forever, it's always gonna be you and I against the world." He whispered low.
As he holds my hands, his fingers traced the curves of my face,
Sending shivers down my spine, a tender embrace.

Our lips met, a gentle, sweet caress,

As the world around us melted into bliss.

The waves crashed, a soothing serenade,

As our love became the only truth displayed.

In his arms, I felt the rush of desire,

A flame that burned, a love that never tired.

Our bodies swayed, a sensual, slow dance,

Lost in the passion, our love's sweet trance.

As he whispered into my ears

"I love you Brittney Couper".

Now, as I stood in my room, memories flooded back,
Dustin's words echoed, a bittersweet attack.

"A changed person"? I scoffed once more in reality,

As I stepped into the bathroom stall, I couldn't help but feel a surge of anger towards Dustin. The memories of our past flooded my mind, but they were tainted with bitterness and resentment.

I thought about how he had broken my heart, how he had lied to me and betrayed my trust which ultimately had destroyed our relationship.

I felt a wave of nausea wash over me as I thought about Dustin's smug face and his condescending attitude. I hated him for what he had done to me, and I hated him for still having the power to affect me.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. I couldn't let Dustin get to me, not now, not after all these years. I splashed some water on my face, trying to wash away the anger and hatred that threatened to consume me.

As I looked at myself in the mirror, I saw a strong, determined woman staring back at me. I was Britney Couper, CEO of Couper Industries, and I wouldn't let Dustin or anyone else bring me down.

I took another deep breath, feeling a sense of resolve wash over me. I would face Dustin, and I would make sure he knew that I was not the same vulnerable girl he had hurt all those years ago.

As I walked out of the bathroom stall, I felt a sense of calm all over me. I grabbed a few pieces of fruit from the complimentary platter and took a bite, savoring the sweet taste.

I pulled out my phone and dialed Rachel's number, needing to catch up on work.

"Rachel, this is Britney. I hope I'm not catching you at a bad time," I said, my tone professional.

"No, ma'am. Not at all," Rachel replied, her voice alert. "I was just about to turn in for the night, but I'm happy to give you an update."

"Good. What's the latest on the Johnson account?" I asked, my eyes scanning the room as I waited for her response.

"We've secured the deal, ma'am. The marketing team has done an excellent job, and we're expecting a significant boost in sales," Rachel reported.

I nodded, impressed. "Excellent work, Rachel. Please pass along my congratulations to the team."

"Yes, ma'am. I'll do that right away," Rachel replied.

"Anything else I should be aware of?" I asked, my tone crisp.

"No, ma'am. Everything is under control here," Rachel assured me.

"Good. Keep me updated, Rachel. And get some rest," I instructed.

"Yes, ma'am. Thank you," Rachel replied before ending the call.

TO BE CONTINUED...