Chapter 4 THE STING OF REJECTION

The morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a warm glow on Tonia's face. She woke up to the sound of Owen's alarm blaring in her ear. Groggily, she reached over to turn it off, only to realize that he was no longer in bed beside her. She sat up, rubbing her eyes, trying to shake off the sleep.

As she looked around the room, she saw Owen standing in the doorway, fully dressed, a cup of coffee in his hand. His expression was bland, detached, and devoid of emotion. The passion, the intensity, the connection they had shared the night before seemed to have vanished.

"Hey," he said, his voice neutral. "Morning."

Tonia felt a pang of confusion and disconnection. What had happened to the man she had shared a night of passion with? The man who had held her, kissed her, made love to her?

"Hey," she replied, trying to sound casual, hiding her confusion. "Morning."

Owen walked into the room, set the coffee cup on the bedside table, and began to gather his things. "I've got a busy day ahead," he said, still sounding detached. "I should get going."

Tonia watched him, feeling a sense of unease, rejection, and hurt. What was going on? Had she misread the situation entirely? Had they meant nothing to each other?

"Okay," she said, trying to sound nonchalant, hiding her hurt. "I should probably get going too."

Owen nodded, avoiding her eyes. "Yeah, that's probably a good idea."

As Tonia got out of bed, Owen was already heading out the door. "Thanks for last night," he said, his voice cold, detached.

Tonia felt a sting, a surge of anger and hurt. Was that all it was? A casual encounter? A one-night stand? She smiled, trying to maintain her dignity, hiding her true emotions. "No problem," she said, her voice light, her heart heavy.

The door closed behind Owen, leaving Tonia alone in his apartment, feeling confused, used, and lost.

Tonia walked out of Owen's apartment, feeling like she'd been punched in the gut. The cool morning air hit her like a slap in the face, but she didn't feel it. She was too numb, too hurt. What had happened? Had she misread the situation entirely? Had they meant nothing to each other?

She hailed a taxi and headed home, her mind reeling with thoughts of Owen. She couldn't shake the feeling of rejection, of being used. She felt like she was nothing more than a one-night stand to him.

As she arrived at her apartment, she tried to push the thoughts aside and focus on her work. She had a wedding to plan, and she couldn't let her personal life get in the way. But as she sat down at her desk, she found herself staring blankly at the papers in front of her.

The wedding was for a lovely couple, Emma and Mike, and Tonia had been working with them for months. But as she tried to finalize the details, she found herself making mistake after mistake. She booked the wrong florist, ordered the wrong cake, and even scheduled the wedding for the wrong date. It wasn't like her to be so careless, but she couldn't seem to focus. Her mind kept wandering back to Owen, and the way he had treated her.

As the day went on, the mistakes piled up. The caterer called to say that they had cancelled, the photographer was running late, and the wedding venue had been double-booked. Tonia was in a panic, trying to fix everything at the last minute. But no matter what she did, things just seemed to get worse. The wedding was turning into a disaster, and Tonia was at her wit's end.

She felt like she was losing control, like everything was falling apart. And through it all, she couldn't shake the feeling of rejection, of being used. She felt like she was nothing more than a fool, a fool who had fallen for a man who didn't care about her.

As the day drew to a close, Tonia sat at her desk, her head in her hands. She had never felt so defeated, so lost. She didn't know how she was going to fix the mess she had made, or how she was going to get over the sting of Owen's rejection.

But as she sat there, something inside of her began to stir. A spark of anger, a spark of determination. She was not going to let Owen get the best of her. She was not going to let him ruin her life.

She took a deep breath, and began to make a plan. She was going to fix this wedding, and she was going to make it perfect. And she was going to do it without Owen's help.

With renewed determination, Tonia poured her heart and soul into salvaging the wedding. She worked tirelessly to fix the errors, and with the help of her team, they managed to pull off a beautiful and memorable ceremony.

The wedding was a fairytale-like celebration, with Emma and Mike exchanging vows in a picturesque garden surrounded by their friends and family. The sun was shining, the music was playing, and the atmosphere was filled with love and joy.

As the reception got underway, Tonia took a moment to step back and survey the scene. The decorations were stunning, the food was delicious, and the music was perfect. She felt a sense of pride and accomplishment, knowing that she had played a big role in making the day so special for the happy couple.

As she was checking on the cake, she noticed a guy standing across the room, watching her with a smile on his face. He was tall, with dark hair and piercing blue eyes, and he looked familiar, but she couldn't quite place him.

As she made her way over to the bar to grab a glass of water, the guy approached her. "Hey, you're the wedding planner, right?" he asked, his voice smooth and confident.

Tonia nodded, feeling a bit of irritation. "That's me," she replied, trying to sound casual.

"I'm Max," he said, holding out his hand. "I'm a friend of the groom's. You're doing an amazing job. This wedding is incredible."

Tonia smiled, feeling a sense of gratitude. "Thanks," she said. "I've been working hard to make sure everything is perfect."

As they chatted, Tonia found herself feeling more and more at ease. Max was easy to talk to, and he had a great sense of humor. They laughed and joked together, and before she knew it, they had been talking for over an hour.

As the wedding came to a close, Max walked her out to the parking lot. "I had an amazing time tonight," he said, looking into her eyes. "Would you like to hang out with me sometime this week?"

Tonia smiled, feeling a spark of hope. "I'd love to," she replied.

They exchanged contacts, and as she drove home, she felt a sense of peace wash over her. She knew that she still had a long way to go, but for the first time in a while, she felt like everything was going to be okay.