Chapter 7

 

 

My colleagues ratted me out, all looking my way and giving Ronnie a flashing red arrow in my direction. I’m not going to lie, I actually considered hiding underneath my desk.

The exit was too far away to make a run for it.

Her six-inch stiletto-clad feet stomped all the way to my desk. Her face was red, her eyes red-ringed. If looks could kill she would have withered me down to a pile of dust instantly.

“You like stealing what belongs to other people?” she demanded.

You could have heard a pin drop in the office. I was more popular than a new funny cat video on YouTube.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I replied. I had two options, the truth or a lie. Apparently I was going with lying.

I was going to hell.

She rolled her eyes and puffed, barely able to control her anger. A stab of guilt went right through me for causing her this distress. Nobody deserved it, not even spoiled bitches.

“You know exactly what I’m talking about. You fucked my boyfriend,” she screamed at me, losing any semblance of control she once had.

I stole a glance around the office. Every single set of eyes was on me. I had never been so humiliated. Where was Theo and why wasn’t he stopping this? He was the one who was caught in the middle of the entire mess. I shouldn’t be doing this alone.

“I think you should be talking to Theo, not me.”

This seemed to only make her angrier. “Don’t you dare even say his name.”

“Why? He was my boyfriend too.”

It was the wrong thing to say. I knew it even before I finished speaking but I couldn’t take the words back. It was an admission of guilt, enough to make all my colleagues gasp.

Ronnie clenched her hands into fists and relaxed them again. “I’m going to ruin you. I am going to take everything you have. Your job, your friends, everything.”

“You might be able to scare Theo but not me,” I replied. I have known girls like her my whole life; I wasn’t going to be intimidated by her. Yes, I felt bad for my part in the whole thing, but all’s fair in love and war.

There was no more talking.

Ronnie lunged at me over the desk, taking me completely by surprise. She was able to grab a handful of hair before I jerked back out of her grasp.

I was on my feet in no time as those closest to me started to step in to intervene. Grace pulled Ronnie away from me, pushing her toward the doors.

My hands were shaking as everyone started asking me if I was okay. Honestly, I was surprised they had come to my rescue. They didn’t know the full story, but they still stopped me from getting attacked.

Toby was suddenly standing at my desk. How long had he been there? There was no amusement on his face, everything was deadly serious. “I think you should take a personal day. It seems there are some… issues you need to take care of.”

I didn’t need to be told twice. I shot him a grateful look, relieved to have an excuse to get away from all those eyes staring at me. “Thank you, sir.”

Grabbing my handbag, I was out of there faster than I had ever moved before.

My fear was running into her outside. I didn’t put it past the scheming woman to be lurking for another opportunity to take a shot at me. There was nothing to do except creep down to my car and pray I didn’t encounter her again.

She wasn’t there when the elevator doors opened, nor was she in the parking lot. By the time I was on the road, my nerves were starting to settle down a little. Hopefully she didn’t know where I lived.

My hands were still shaking when I arrived at my apartment. All the shock of the encounter was running through me, making me nauseous. I desperately wanted to talk to Theo but it felt awkward calling him since we hadn’t spoken for two weeks.

I wanted to know the real story about what had happened between them. Did he get caught and have to come clean? Or did he choose to break up with her so we could finally be together? I don’t know why, but it seemed vitally important to know.

Was he choosing me?

Or was he unable to come up with a believable excuse when confronted about it?

My hand hovered over his number in my cell phone. All I had to do was tap it and I could be speaking with him. He could explain everything – whether I wanted to hear the truth or not.

My truth was I still loved Theo. He consumed my mind and I still thought about him when I considered the future. We had both given up a lot to be together and I didn’t want that to be for nothing.

I wanted to fight for him.

If he was no longer with her, then what was stopping us being together? But if that were true, why hadn’t he contacted me when it all came out? So many questions twisted my insides into a knot. And there was only one person who could unravel it by giving me answers.

My thumb was just about to tap his number when a knock on the door interrupted me. I briefly considered ignoring whoever was there. I was too emotionally fragile to deal with anything else today.

But they knocked again and I found myself heading toward the door before I could just ignore them and hide. Swinging the door open, Theo was standing there.

Speak of the devil.