Chapter 12 His Word, My Wound

After calming my thoughts, I went out and started walking to my office, only to be cornered by a man who is also one of my colleagues.

“Hey, how far? Since you can sleep with the CEO for a job, you should also be able to sleep with me to have a smooth life here at the office.” The man said in a flirtatious voice and brushed his finger on my cheek.

Which I flung away. I am angry right now. What nonsense is this?

The man’s fingers brushed my cheek again and something inside me snapped, but before I could say anything, a strange hush fell over the hallway, like the air itself tensed. My skin prickled. Someone was watching.

I didn’t turn immediately, but the weight of the stare was too heavy, too sharp, to ignore. When I finally looked up, Marcus was standing at the end of the hallway. His jaw wasn’t just tightened it was clenched like he was trying to hold something in. His eyes were dark, unreadable, but burning in a way I’d never seen before.

For a moment, he didn’t move. He just stared at the man’s hand on me. Then at me.

My breath caught.

He took one step forward then stopped suddenly, as if he forced himself to freeze. His fingers curled into fists at his sides. His chest rose and fell too fast, like he was fighting with himself.

He looked furious.

But then he turned away sharply, like he couldn’t afford to take another step closer. And he walked off without looking back.

I wanted to slap the man, but somehow strength rushed through me and I yanked him away from me, making him stumble and fall down. I walked away without looking back, heading to my office.

As I walked into my office, I collapsed on the couch, shaking and embarrassed. Right now, I don't want to see Marcus, not after how he saw me being harassed by that man.

Then the phone rang. I stood up and picked it up. “Hello, this is Selena speaking. What can I do for you?” I said. “Come to my office. Now.” Marcus said and cut the phone.

I stood up and walked to his office. I didn't even think of why he called me because I couldn't process anything right now.

“Good morning, sir. I know you asked me to stay away from you and not to come to work. But sir, I promise not to bother you and the kiss was a mistake. I need this job, it’s my means for survival. We can pretend that nothing happened. I promise not to bring it up after this.” I said, rambling as I entered without allowing him to speak, I think that was the reason why he called me here.

“Miss Isolde?” he said softly, and the sound of my name from his mouth slid right under my skin.

“Yes, sir?” I replied, my voice smaller than I meant it to be. “Are you done?” he asked in a cold voice. “Yes,” I whispered. “Good. Now listen to me and listen well.” He said.

“First, I didn’t mean that you should not come to work. Forget all that happened yesterday afternoon and last night.” He said.

Did he regret the kiss? I knew it.

“Now the second one. I want you to concentrate on what you are here for, which is to work for me and collect your salary, not to flirt and seduce men up and down. This is a company, not a brothel.” He said.

He didn’t mean that, right? Did I misunderstand him? Did he just call me cheap and say I seduce men?

“You can go. Out of my office now.” He said. I subconsciously walked out and headed towards my office. I entered my office. 

The moment the door clicked shut behind me, everything I’d been holding in crashed down at once. My throat tightened painfully, and I pressed a shaking hand over my mouth to stop the sound that almost escaped.

How could he say that to me?

Flirting? Seducing men?

My stomach twisted. I felt dirty. Humiliated. Like no matter what I did, no matter how hard I tried, people would always think the worst of me.

A hot tear slipped down my cheek. I wiped it quickly, angry at myself for crying. But the more I tried to swallow the ache, the harder it pushed back.

I pulled my knees to my chest and held them tightly. My chest felt too full. My breathing is too fast. My skin is too warm.

Why was everything happening at once? Why couldn’t anything just stop?

The silence pressed in around me until I felt like I would burst.

I stood up and went to the restroom attached to my office. Halfway there, I froze when a sound, so faint it shouldn’t have been possible,brushed past my ear.

A heartbeat. Not mine. Someone’s heartbeat from the hallway. Slow. Heavy. I blinked rapidly. That wasn’t normal. Maybe I was too stressed.

Then a weird scent flashed through the air, burnt wood or heated metal, gone in a second.

My fingers trembled.

Something was happening to me.

I splashed a handful of cold water on my face, immediately I entered the restroom, hoping it would settle the strange tightening in my chest. It didn’t. If anything, the sensation only sharpened, like something inside me was waking up, stretching, pushing against me from the inside.

I lifted my head slowly, meeting my own reflection. My eyes looked different. Maybe it was the lighting. Maybe it was the stress. But there was a faint brightness in them that I didn’t recognize, like a thin ring of gold trying to bleed through my normal color.

I leaned closer to the mirror. “What is happening to me?” I whispered, but my voice sounded too loud, echoing faintly in the tiled bathroom even though I’d barely spoken.

I swallowed hard and tilted my head. My hearing had been strange for days, but now it was like I could hear everything, water dripping from the far stall, someone’s bracelets jingling outside the door, footsteps two hallways away. All too clear. Too sharp.

A sudden scent drifted through the room, soft but unmistakably out of place. Warm. Sweet. Almost earthy.

It took me a second to realize it wasn’t coming from outside.

It was coming from me.

I lifted my wrist and sniffed uncertainly. The scent deepened, richer, like warm amber mixed with something wilder.

“What the hell…” My heart thudded. I’d changed deodorants last month, but never like this. This was different. Natural. Alive. And somehow stronger than anything I’d ever smelled on my own skin.

I touched my chest lightly, right over where that warmth seemed to pulse. A tiny tremor ran through me, a mix of fear and something else I didn’t want to name.

None of this made sense.

Enhanced hearing.

A new scent.

A strange heat under my skin.

Eyes that weren’t the same as yesterday.

I pressed my palms against the sink, struggling to steady my breath.

Maybe I was overthinking. Stress could do weird things. Panic could twist reality. Or maybe I was tired. Maybe

A soft throb passed through my body, quick and sudden, like a warning.

My head jerked up.

I wasn’t imagining it this time.

Something was happening.

And whatever it was it felt like it wasn’t done with me yet.

I can’t stay here any longer. I need to go home. I walked out of the restroom and my office to go to Marcus' office and ask for permission to refresh my brain. 

When I stepped out of my office, a senior employee who was passing by paused mid-step. His nose lifted slightly.

He frowned, confused, scanning the hallway. His eyes landed on me. He blinked hard, like something didn’t make sense. Two more people walked by and subtly sniffed the air, confused.

Was it me? I wrapped my arms around myself and hurried to Marcus' door.

But as I was about to enter, I heard his voice.

“Her scent is different now, noticeable to everyone. That girl is so frustrating. I need her to stay away from me. I don't want her near.”

And I walked away. He hates me. I knew it.

I don't need to ask for his permission. I'm going home. We will sort anything else tomorrow.

Today I walked home. I think I needed it to see the surroundings, people.

And I felt someone following me, watching. I could feel the intense gaze. I looked around and found no one. I hope I'm imagining things.

I took another step, slowly. The street looked empty, but the air behind me felt occupied. Heavy. Like someone was close, too close.

A soft scrape echoed behind me. I spun around again. Nothing. But the pressure didn’t fade. It only grew. My heartbeat raced. The presence matched my pace, silent and steady. Like a warm breath at my neck. I walked faster. And it followed.

I really hope nothing more dramatic won't happen to me again because all this problem is already enough. I can’t deal with any other things. I don’t have the strength.