Ditching Me for His 'Soulmate'? His Loss. Next Stop: My New Life novel Chapter 103

Chapter 6

By the time evening rolled around, Nate had brought Zoe along to a formal dinner hosted by one of their company’s key partners. The grand banquet hall was softly lit, the air filled with low murmurs of conversation and the clinking of glasses. Nate hadn’t seen me all day, and now, standing with a glass of wine in hand, his mind was clearly elsewhere, lost in a swirl of restless thoughts.

Had I been too harsh this time? The question struck him suddenly, without warning, gnawing at the edges of his focus.

He pressed his lips together tightly, then downed the entire glass in one swift motion, hoping to steady his nerves. Pulling out his phone, he was about to send me a message—maybe an apology, maybe just a simple check-in—when a senior executive from the hosting firm approached, wearing a practiced smile.

“Nate, about that proposal from last week…” the man began.

Nate blinked, shaking off the haze of his thoughts, and immediately slipped into professional mode. His posture straightened, eyes sharp, fully engaged in the discussion. The room seemed to fade around him as he focused on the business at hand.

Then, cutting through the serious atmosphere, a bright, cheerful voice interrupted.

“Nate, this cupcake is sooo good!”

Zoe appeared beside him, clutching a frosted chocolate cupcake, her eyes wide and sparkling with innocent excitement, like a child at a birthday party. The conversation ground to an abrupt halt. The men around them exchanged looks of discomfort, their smiles faltering.

Oblivious to the shift in mood, Zoe edged closer to Nate, holding the cupcake up near his face.

“You have to try this—”

Before he could react, Zoe leaned in and smeared the chocolate and whipped cream frosting all over his cheek and chin. The unexpected mess caught Nate completely off guard.

Zoe gasped, immediately reaching out to wipe the frosting away. But Nate recoiled sharply, as if she’d just crossed a line he never expected.

“Enough!” he snapped, voice sharp and cold.

Zoe froze, her eyes instantly filling with tears, hurt and confusion flashing across her face.

“Nate… what’s wrong with you?” she whispered, voice trembling.

“You never used to act like this,” she added, her words laced with disbelief.

Nate took a slow, steadying breath, preparing to respond, but then he caught the awkward glances exchanged by the executives nearby. Mr. Shaw offered him a tight, uncomfortable smile.

“Nate, it’s alright,” he said quickly. “We’ll follow up on the proposal later.”

Others chimed in, eager to ease the tension.

“Yeah, no rush.”

Back in the banquet hall, Nate’s anger simmered as he glared at Zoe, his chest rising and falling with each heated breath.

“Zoe, look what you just did!” he said through gritted teeth.

Zoe’s eyes were red and glossy, as if she were the one who’d been wronged.

“What did I do?” she asked softly, voice cracking. “I was just trying to share something sweet with you. Is that a crime now?”

Tears spilled down her cheeks as she began to sob quietly. Nearby guests glanced over, their expressions a mix of curiosity and judgment.

Nate clenched his jaw, fighting the urge to lose control in front of everyone. He swallowed the frustration, forcing himself to stay composed.

“No, you didn’t do anything wrong. It’s my fault,” he said quietly, closing his eyes and gripping his wine glass so tightly it threatened to shatter.

Zoe blinked, momentarily confused, then smiled, believing he had forgiven her. She wiped her tears away and wrapped her arms around him.

“Nate, you’re the best,” she whispered.

But Nate’s gaze drifted into the distance, his mind racing with regret. He couldn’t stop berating himself for ever choosing someone so clueless just to prove a point.