Plan to deal with a play boy

Rain lashed against the office building windows, blurring the cityscape into an impressionist painting. Inside her office, Vanessa gripped the phone tighter, her knuckles white against the purple and white plastic pouch as she lamented to her best friend, Carolyn. 

Three years. Three years of dating Emmy. Yet, every year, Emmy seems to work with a calendar that conspires against their relationship, also swallowing their anniversary whole. 

"I will visit him at his office today", Vanessa told Carolyn over the phone. "I will have to remind him myself..... Like I do every year" she added as sadness laced in her voice.

"Are you sure about this, Vanessa?" Carolyn's voice, a familiar blend of concern and worry, crackled through the receiver. "Just popping in unannounced? Emmy might be in a meeting."

Vanessa winced. Meetings. That was Emmy's default excuse. Meetings that stretched late, demanded his undivided attention, and conveniently erased every memory of dates, champagne toasts and whispered "I love you."

"He always has meetings," Vanessa muttered, her voice laced with a bitterness she tried hard to mask. 

"Maybe if I remind him in person..." The sentence trailed off. Even to her own ears, it sounded flimsy, a desperate attempt to save a day that already felt lost. 

Carolyn sighed, a sound heavy with understanding. "Look," she said, her voice gentling, "why not call him first? A heads-up, like a casual 'thinking about you' kind of thing? Then, if he reacts weirdly, you'll know what you're dealing with, right?"

"Fine, I will call him first," she replied, sounding unconvinced.

As Vanessa considered this, a flicker of hope ignited in her chest. A casual call could be a subtle reminder. Maybe this year will be different.

"I will keep you updated when I'm done talking to Emmy," she told Carolyn. 

"Bye for now. I hope things work fine for you." Carolyn encouraged her before ending the call. 

With a newfound resolve as she disconnected the call, she scrolled through her phone's contacts.

Her finger hovered over Emmy's name, a familiar pang of nervousness twisting in her gut.

Today, she would find out the truth, and whatever it may be, it would come out. Taking a deep breath, she pressed the call button, the sound echoing in her ear as it connected.

Unfortunately, no answer. She tried the same method three times, expecting different results, but nothing changed. After the third attempt, she considered sending a text to him.

"Hey, I'm coming over to your office. Hope you are not busy?" She sent the short text, omitting the important part which was their anniversary.

Minutes passed into minutes as she waited for him to text back, but he didn't reply. What can he be doing? Is he in a meeting? These questions flooded her mind as doubt began to swell in her heart. 

She had noticed Emmy's strange behavior, but she had been ignoring those signs. For three years, she had been committed to the relationship, hoping her boyfriend would change his nonchalant attitude towards dates, anniversaries, champagne toast and other couple-stuff.

After a stretched time, she got no response from Emmy. Changing her mind, she decided to visit Emmy at his office. She needs to see him in person so they can talk things out before it gets out of her hands.

Frustration simmered alongside the rain outside as Vanessa stormed out of the office building.

The once gentle drizzle had morphed into a steady downpour, the wind whipping the rain into sheets that blurred the city landscape.