When Love Finds You

Next Day.

The office hummed with its usual energy—keyboards clicking, phones ringing, and muffled conversations echoing from glass-walled meeting rooms. Rebecca’s heels clacked softly on the polished floor as she walked toward the marketing wing, her thoughts scattered. She’d spent the morning reviewing campaign proposals, but her focus wavered since Irin’s words from the grocery store had taken root in her mind. 

*"My friend said he’s been showing up wherever she goes. You never know what people are capable of, Rebecca. Stay alert."* 

She rounded the corner and froze. Her eyes widened, heart hammering against her ribs.

Standing a few feet away was *him*. 

The man from the grocery store. 

Her breath hitched, and she clutched the file in her hand as if it could shield her. *What is he doing here?* The question rattled in her head. For a moment, she thought she must be imagining things. Maybe it wasn’t him—maybe it was someone who only *looked* like him. But then their eyes met, and her stomach twisted. It was unmistakably him. 

Rebecca’s mind raced. *Did he follow me here? Is he really stalking me?* Irin’s casual warning replayed in her head. Her pulse quickened, and the file slipped from her trembling hands, scattering papers across the floor. 

The man—Freen—looked startled as the papers fluttered to his feet. Without hesitation, he crouched down to help. 

"Here, let me get that," he said in a steady, calm voice, scooping up the pages. 

Rebecca’s panic only grew. She took a step back, her hands clenched tightly at her sides. 

"No, it’s fine," she blurted, her voice shaky, but Freen was already gathering the papers. 

As he stood and handed her the stack, Rebecca avoided his gaze, clutching the papers so tightly her knuckles turned white. "Thank you," she mumbled under her breath, barely audible. Without waiting for a response, she turned and walked away briskly, her head down. 

Freen watched her go, puzzled. He’d only been trying to help, but her reaction was… odd. She hadn’t even looked at him properly. 

"Well, that was rude," he muttered, brushing off his hands before heading to the HR office. 

---

At her desk, Rebecca’s hands trembled as she placed the file down. Her coworker, Riya, noticed her unusually pale face and raised an eyebrow. 

"Hey, Rebecca, you okay?" Riya asked, spinning her chair toward her. 

Rebecca hesitated, still shaken. "Yeah, I’m fine. Just… a little tired," she lied, forcing a weak smile. 

"You sure?" Riya pressed. "You look like you’ve seen a ghost." 

Before Rebecca could respond, Yay walked up, holding a coffee cup. "What’s going on?" she asked, setting the cup down on Rebecca’s desk. 

"Nothing," Rebecca said quickly, hoping to deflect the conversation. "I’m just—" 

"She’s lying," Riya interrupted, smirking. "She looks like someone scared the life out of her." 

Rebecca sighed, realizing they weren’t going to let it go. "It’s nothing. I just… saw someone who looked familiar, that’s all." 

"Familiar how?" Yay asked, narrowing her eyes. 

Rebecca hesitated, debating whether to tell them about the man from the grocery store. "It’s probably nothing," she said finally. "Just my mind playing tricks on me."