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Chapter 19
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The Games We Play Chapter 1
Prologue Kitty was nervous. She was sitting on one of the long cushioned benches in front of HR. The random sound of keyboards clacking inharmoniously and mouse clicking added to it. Today was her interview at West Enterprises, a relatively new company headed by Alexander West, the owner of a vast five-star hotel and land corporation chain across the country. Kitty didn't know much about him: other than his money, and recently his good looks. Judging from a portrait in HR's waiting area, CEO West is a good-looking late fifty-something-year-old man. Kitty retreated her gawking when she later noticed a CCTV camera refocusing on her. She mused to herself, tucking a black shoulder-length loose strand behind her ear and covering her chest. She thought the older man was there staring back at her behind the lens. A short, forty-something, blond woman poked her head out from behind the open double-door glass frame leading to the work area. "Miss Katherine? Katherine Doe?" "Yes," Kitty sa
The Games We Play Chapter 2
5 Years Later It was 6 am. The alarm's buzzing echoed calmly through the small apartment, but it grew angrier in the bedroom. The inside was still dark; the only light source came from the beeping clock. On the bed, two bodies were under the blankets facing apart from one another. Being nearer to the alarm, Kitty got up first, met the person beside her, brushed his unruly hair from his forehead, and kissed the sleeping person beside her. "Good morning, daddy." "Mommy... Good morning" Ken said-barely awake. Kitty smiled. She got up to stretch, fluffed her pillow, and went into the bathroom to wash the sleep from her eyes. Afterward, she tied her hair, dragged her feet to the living room, and tapped on the hamster's cage. She wasn't pregnant, she wanted to be, but it still hasn't happened yet. They practiced first with a pet. But given that ken's apartment was small, it would be cramped to keep a dog in a small one-bedroom apartment, so they both agreed to have two hamsters they tr
The Games We Play Chapter 3
A Chance Encounter Leah was free, again. It was a weekday; Mr. Cameron's black Charger pulled out from their driveway; he left her there waving with a smile. Leah's husband, Paul, won't be home until six. Margie, their first, and Robin, their last, were later carpooled to elementary school; they won't be in until five. That leaves her alone in a big house. Leah went back inside, locked the doors, and lounged on the sofa while setting an appointment with Keanu. He was free in the afternoon. Satisfied, she then thought of the chores she could accomplish while at home. She stood up, stretched, and turned to the radio. Leah left it on as she cleaned the house, did the laundry, cooked for herself, and planned to whip up a brisket for dinner; she made it a point to finish her routine before eating lunch. Right after her meal, in their stark white marbled kitchen, Her phone buzzed. She looked outside the window, checking if anyone was in close perimeter to the house; there was no one the
The Games We Play Chapter 4
Innocent as a Kitten "What do you mean by that," Kitty asked hesitantly. "Us girls need to stick together in this cruel world," Leah emphasized smiling; Kitty didn't buy it. Her shoulders stiffened, and she crossed her arms, clutching the tote sling on her right arm with her left hand; she felt the older woman's gaze on her. Leah smiled; she felt amused and glanced up and down at the younger woman's profile. She deduced that the young woman was tame. Yes, boringly tame. Leah discreetly judged Kitty's appearance; she wore a dirty white, loose-fitted round collar shirt with the sleeved folded and the hem tucked in a pair of mocha ankle pants. On her feet, she wore a dark blue knitted slip on's with what looked like the top of grey socks sticking out. Under her arm was a black tote bag with what looked like her belongings and the items she bought and stole from the grocery. "Let's say we know each other for a while. Hmmm, let's say we are friends-" "But we just met today." Kitty s
The Games We Play Chapter 5.1
Her Little Secrets "That was your lover!?" Kitty exclaimed. "You're married?" Leah looked around, with her eyes, to see if anyone she knew was around the nearly empty parking lot in front of the store. She sucked in the remaining half of her cig and nodded. "Seventeen years, "She exhaled, smoke exiting her triangular nostrils. She flicked her cigarette butt, scattering the ashes in the wind. Kitty grabbed Leah's forearm; a mix of concern and panic was on her face. She jerked Leah's arm so that the cigarette fell in the cemented lot. She immediately let go of the older woman's arm and took a step back when Leah looked at her offended. "I'm so sorry I did that-but, please. D-don't smoke. It's bad for your health", Kitty said, blushing; the older woman's face softened. "I know it isn't my place to intrude in your life, but what would your family-" Leah smiled, "What they don't know won't hurt them. Besides, it's just a game." "Men aren't the only ones allowed to play, Kitty." Con
The Games We Play Chapter 5.2
Things We Don't Share Amidst the hustle and bustle of city life, among the concrete jungle of establishments and IT companies lie West Enterprises. The towering building that is West Ent. is a dirty-white mass of concrete, glass, and steel. Even though the company is the smallest of its sister companies, it already has a reputable status in other parts of the country. Their office in the tower is divided into G-8 FL, 10-18 FL, and 20-29 FL. The Lobby to the 8th floor or G-8 is where people under HR, Admin, and Customer Relations have their stations. The 10-18th floor or 10-18 FL is for business intelligence, logistics, and supply chain management workers. Near the top, 20-29 FL is where the company inventory or archives and the finance office are. The 9th and 19th floors served as locker rooms, sitting areas, and vast meeting rooms. The 30th floor is off-limits to the regular salary employee. Only the CEO, Keanu West, Ms. Lee, and Mr. Lewis, his secretaries, had business saying on
The Games We Play Chapter 6
The In-Between "Thank God, she answered her damn phone," Leah thought. Kitty just stepped out to answer her phone; Leah suspected that her husband would call at this time. While the young one was outside, she was in signing the civilian logbook at the station. Leah was partly glad the confounded ringing stopped; her head was throbbing. In a minute, Leah had finished writing. Leah checked her watch; it was 4:35 pm. She closed the logbook and handed it to the female officer, who smiled back at her. "Thank you, Mrs. Carlton," the lady cop glanced at her name in the log; Leah smiled. "It worked!" "Officer Miller is in the interrogation room at the moment. Please have a seat over there."She then pointed at one of the vacant metal benches facing each other with the back of her pen. Leah thanked her and sat at the end of the bench, and crossed her legs. With her eyes closed, Leah sat there for a good five minutes. She spent her time tapping her heel on the tiled flooring and rechecked
The Games We Play Chapter 7
Exposure Aftermath"If this feels right, why do I have to leave?" He hauled her a cab. A few seconds later, a yellow Toyota arrived in their direction; the driver clicked open the lock. Kitty looked back, smiling. Her smile met Kai's as he waved her goodbye. She turned around and locked the cab door, and the driver drove off to her apartment. Kitty leaned back on the cab's cream synthetic leather back seat as she hugged the tote on her lap. She looked out the window; the city lights were starting to come alive. Her gaze was locked out the window. The airconditioning was brushing on her forearm; the cab driver was silent as the radio played a random pop song in She had a lot on her mind with what happened today- today was a lot. She stole a red lipstick that wasn't her shade, and she might not open the packaging or used it. On her way home from work, she took a detour when a complete strange tried to blackmail her into being an accomplice. Being used for her turmoil, she let Leah si
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