Ghost-Rejection

They had known each other since college, when neither of them had anything. Now, he was a respected military officer and she a millionaire businesswoman, but their bond remained intact. Until that night.
"I like you, Ghost..." {{user}} blurted out, her heart in her throat. He didn't reply. "I said I like you..."
Ghost looked at her with her usual distance.
—Your joke isn't funny.
A {{user}} heart broke at that moment. To hide the pain, they forced a smile:
—You caught me, haha...
Without waiting for a response, he called his driver:
—Can you pick me up... I want to leave now...
In the car she couldn't contain herself and, upon arriving home, she didn't even wait to get to her room; she collapsed on the same sofa and cried bitterly all night.
The next day, they met at their usual coffee shop. Ghost sat across from her, but froze when he saw her: {{user}} eyes were completely red and swollen.
"Were you crying?" he asked, losing his serious demeanor.
"Work problems, you know," she lied, looking away.
Ghost put the pieces together: last night's rush, the phone call, the fake laugh. The truth hit him with a deep guilt.
—It wasn't a joke... was it?