The Art of Not Missing You - Chapter 1

Ethan Foster had two concert tickets hidden in his suit pocket. I thought it was a surprise for me.

I couldn’t wait for the concert day, but when it came, I found out he had taken those tickets with him on a business trip instead.

Determined, I managed to snag overpriced tickets for myself. As the concert started, I was in for the worst kind of surprise. There, on the big screen, I saw Ethan kissing another girl passionately.

Their tearful kiss played in front of thousands of people, and I could hear the gasps from the crowd around me.

Afterward, I went straight to Twitter. The girl had posted:

“Kissing the love of my life at my idol’s concert, the best birthday gift ever.”

The comments flooded with “Wishing you 99,” but before I could process anything, I heard the screech of tires and felt the jolt of Ethan’s car hitting me.

When I woke up, Ethan was sitting by my hospital bed, his phone in hand, wearing a smile I’d never seen before, so tender it almost hurt.

I asked, “Who is she?”

He glanced up briefly and answered, “I’m your boss. Now that you’re awake, focus on getting better.”

Then he rushed out as if he couldn’t get away fast enough.

I turned my head, still in shock, and dialed my uncle.

“Uncle Jack,” I said quietly. “About that arranged marriage you mentioned… I’ll do it.”

…

Uncle Jack froze for a moment, then his face lit up with relief.

“Sophia, you’ve finally come to your senses! A man who kept you in the shadows for five years doesn’t deserve to see the light of day, ever!”

“When can you come back? I just sent a message, and they’re already pushing to set a wedding date.”

I had loved Ethan Foster for five years, yet I was always the one hidden away. He made it clear he didn’t want to be seen with me, so I didn’t expect any pushback when I resigned.

“The sooner, the better. My resignation shouldn’t take long to process.”

Just then, Ethan came back into the hospital room to grab his car keys.

“Resignation? Is someone at our company resigning?” he asked, his eyes glued to his phone.

I saw no reason to hide it, especially since he’d eventually have to approve it. But he didn’t even glance up, too absorbed in whatever was on his screen.

Grabbing the keys, he said, “The doctor mentioned you might lose your memory from the hit. For a second, I thought you really had.”

I stiffened.

So that’s why he hadn’t said anything earlier, why he acted like a stranger in this empty room.

His cool detachment earlier, when he said he was just my boss, felt like a slap in the face. No guilt. Just professionalism.

Before the accident, I’d seen the car clearly, Ethan in the passenger seat, the girl driving, kissing him. He hadn’t given me a chance to confront him, instead rushing off to “take care of work,” leaving me with nothing but questions.

I thought maybe he was just avoiding me out of guilt.

How pathetic. He just didn’t care.

“My head’s still fuzzy. Didn’t recognize you at first, Boss,” I said, my voice colder than usual.

If he wanted to play it distant, I’d play along.

He frowned slightly at the change in my tone.

The girl who once demanded hugs and kisses for every little thing was suddenly cold. After checking the room to make sure no one was around, he lowered his voice.

“Sophia, hospitals are full of gossips. It’s better if we don’t make a scene. Rest up. When you’re discharged, I’ll make it up to you.”

I forced a polite smile.

“Of course. Thank you, Boss.”

In private, I used to tease him by calling him “Boss” playfully. But today, the word felt sharp, distant. And I could see the twitch of his brow.

Just as he opened his mouth to say something, the doctor entered for rounds, and Ethan’s expression went back to its usual icy professionalism.

Before leaving, he shot me one last look.

“Follow the rules. No special treatment just because of your position at the company. Everyone’s held to the same standards.”

The doctor chuckled as I gave him a forced smile.

“Your boss is gone. No need to keep up the act. Though I’ll admit, he’s all bark and no bite. He did cover your medical bills, though.”

My smile turned bitter.

Ethan was too good at this game.

Aside from a handful of close friends, no one knew we’d been together for five years. I’d asked him countless times when we’d finally go public. His answer was always the same: “Not yet.”

Until today.

When he thought I’d lost my memory, his immediate response to everything, I’m your boss, was the truth.