Perfect disguise by Elizabeth A (best books to read for teens .txt) 📖

Diana's POV.

Throughout the meeting my mind focused on Liam's weird message.

 Why had he messaged me after a year since we broke up? 

Was he trying to play with my feelings? 

What did he want?

 Did he want to get back together?

Did he regret breaking up with me?

Gosh, I sighed—I was hopeless— I didn't need this kind of distraction. I kept on staring at my iPhone. 

Should I reply to his message? 

And what should I say?

 I miss you too? 

Even if it was strangely possible that I missed him, should I still tell him?

I raised my head in time to see the creative director's secretary, Amanda, distributing some colourful flyers across the long table which was surrounded with over twenty tall chairs. The flyers were about the upcoming spring collection we were going to launch in late may.  We were to provide our best design and the winner will have his/her design on the company's 16th spring collection magazine.

Last year, my design won the cover picture of the 15th spring collection magazine. I knew most of the designers were working unrelentingly hard to replace me. It was the reason why I had to do a better design this year. My design had to win as the cover picture at all cost, it was one of the goals I had listed down. The spring collection will be launched in just a few months and I don't even have any outstanding designs. I picked the flyer from the table and checked it. I really had to create a design soon. The thought of some other design being perfect than mine irritated me.

The deadline to submit our designs was getting close. I rubbed my face and dropped the piece of paper. Gosh, I need to hasten up unless I won't be the top designer for the latest spring collection.

Mr Calvin folded his hands and rested his chin on his folded hands. He was the creative director of Modern Mode.

"This year's spring collection is coming up and I don't want our fashion stock to fall behind the other fashion industries," Mr Calvin said.

Sasha, one of the senior designers, shook her head with extreme pride and confidence. She rapped her pen on the table. "Our fashion stocks have always been the best, I don't think it will go down any time."

"We have to produce the best designs for this spring collection to remain at the top." Emily suggested.

Mr Calvin nodded his head, thoughtfully. ``You are right."

"I suggest we use rare materials for this spring collection, it will make our product stand out among our rivals." A senior designer added.

There was no doubt that Modern Mode was one of the best fashion industries in L.A. So, if we failed to produce stunning designs for our new spring and summer collection, we might fall behind our rivals.

After the meeting, I went back to my personal office. The pleasant fragrance of lavender, proudly standing upright on my desk, wafted through my nostril and from across my desk there was a wooden shiny polished brown shelf filled with various vogues of multiple fashion trends and collections. I brushed my slender fingers along the hardcover of the vogues, my mind wandering away like a homeless vagabond.

I slumped onto the curvy chair. 

Do Liam really miss me?

My thoughts spinned. I sat up and gulped down a bottle of water. It's been a few months, one month, two week and four days since he broke up with me. It had hurt so bad to realize that all my undying love and affection towards him meant nothing to him. 

That night at the restaurant loft, I had cried my heart out as I watched him walk away, his two hands tucked deep into his pocket and his back looking in my direction. He left me alone like I always was. He was my world to me, so, when he left the world ceased to exist. I felt broken inside and outside like a cracked egg shell who can't even fix or rebuild itself.

I had tried everything I could to make our relationship worth it. I brought him luxurious things, paid his sister's tuition fees, took his own family on luxurious tours to Greece and many other countries, took care of him when he was sick and many more. 

Still, he had told me he no longer liked me because I was too perfect.

Too perfect?

How is that ever a reason to break up with someone? Although it's been a year, the memory of the tragic break up stayed alive in my mind.

"Let's break up." He had said. 

I gaped at him like I misheard his statement. "What?"

He had sighed like he didn't expect me to ask that question, like it was normal that he was breaking up with me during valentine day. 

"You heard what I said." He'd said coldly.

I blinked my eyes severely trying to understand what he was saying. This was a day of love. We were meant to be celebrating our love, but instead he was suggesting we break up.

"Why? Are we breaking up because of what we talked about?"

He dropped the glass of wine on the ornate dining table and looked at me. His brown eyes darkened like a dry desert. 

He looked at the dishes before him, toying with the cutlery in a bored manner. " I'm trying to be perfect for you, but…" He inhaled deeply and tightened his hands around the spoon.

"You make me feel like I'm nothing, like you are better than me." He had said slowly in a hushed voice.

Finally, I was moving on, getting my life back in order and letting go of the past until he has to appear at a point when I'm still trying to get over him.

I read the text message again.

Hello Diana. I miss you.

He must have thought I was totally hooked on him. After all the pains I had felt because of him. Does he seriously think just a simple 'I miss you' will make me run back to him with open hands.

My door creaked and Emily walked in. She slumped into a chair and uttered. "Gosh, I'm exhausted."

I dropped my phone on the desk and picked up my HD pencil.

Bury yourself into your work and you won't have time to think about him.