The Call from Mark

Chapter Four:

The phone buzzed in my hand as I made my way down the steps of Vanguard Enterprises. I had just left Richard’s office, my heart still racing from the conversation we’d had. The excitement of the opportunity I was about to step into—my fresh start—was being overshadowed by an unsettling feeling. I didn’t know what to expect from this new chapter of my life, but I couldn’t let the past hold me back.

Then my phone buzzed again.

The name on the screen made my blood run cold.

Mark.

I stopped in my tracks, my heart thundering in my chest. Mark. He was the one who had broken things off between us. He was the one who left, who told me that it was over. Why was he contacting me now?

I hesitated for a moment, standing there on the busy sidewalk, staring at the phone in my hand. I knew I shouldn’t answer, but somehow, I couldn’t bring myself to ignore him. After everything he’d put me through, he still had a way of making me feel like I owed him something. I swiped the screen and pressed the phone to my ear.

“Lily,” Mark’s voice came through the phone, low and calm, but there was a subtle edge to it. “I see you’ve made your choice.”

My heart skipped a beat. “What do you want, Mark?”

He laughed, the sound cold and dismissive. “You really think you can just walk into my world ? You think this is how it works?”

I felt the familiar rush of anger building in my chest. “You broke up with me, remember? You told me it was over. Don’t turn this around.”

Mark’s voice dropped, growing sharper. “and I meant what I said . it was over for good. You just can’t bear the fact that I moved on, can you? You can’t stand the idea that I ended things and you were left with nothing.”

I took a deep breath, trying to keep my cool. “I’m not stalking you, Mark. I’m not following you anywhere. I’m doing this for myself.”

“Is that what you tell yourself?” Mark shot back, his tone dripping with venom. “That’s why you’ve decided to work at Vanguard, right? You thought you could just follow me into the company I work at, because you couldn’t bear the thought of being without me. It’s pathetic, Lily. You’ll never get over me. You’ll always be trying to find your way back to me.”

The words stung. I thought I was over him.

But the truth was, part of me still felt that pull. It was hard to just erase everything we had. The idea that he saw me as nothing more than a pathetic stalker, trying to insert myself into his world—it twisted something deep inside me.

“I’m not following you,” I said through clenched teeth. “I didn’t even know it would affect you when I accepted the offer. I’m doing this for me, Mark. I’m moving on, whether you like it or not.”

“Good luck with that,” he said, his voice laced with mockery. “But don’t kid yourself, Lily. You’ll never escape me. You think you can have this shiny new life? This job? This new ‘CEO’ in your life? You don’t belong in his world. And you don’t belong in Vanguard, either. You’ll never be good enough for any of them.”

I felt my blood boil. Good enough? I was done letting him dictate my worth.

“You don’t get to decide that anymore, Mark,” I said, my voice steady despite the whirlwind of emotions crashing inside me. “I’m done with you. And I’m done letting you have control over my life.”

I didn’t wait for a response. I hung up before he could say another word, and for a brief moment, I felt free. I was done. Done with his manipulation, done with the guilt trips. I was choosing myself now.

But as I stared at my phone in my hand, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Mark wasn’t finished with me yet. He wasn’t someone who let go easily.

The next few hours felt like a blur. I drove around the city, trying to clear my mind. The noise of the world outside seemed so loud, so overwhelming. I wanted to focus on what came next—the opportunity with Vanguard and the chance to finally build something for myself. But Mark’s words kept circling in my mind.

You’ll never be good enough for any of them. You’re mine.

No matter how hard I tried to push him out of my thoughts, the weight of his manipulation lingered.

I needed to stop thinking about him. I needed to focus on the future.

Later that evening, as I sat on my couch, I tried to refocus on the job ahead. I opened my laptop to look over the details of the offer from Vanguard, but I found my mind wandering. I needed to talk to Mia. She would help me make sense of everything.

I pulled out my phone and sent a quick message to Mia.

“Can we talk lily? I need to get some things off my chest.”

Her reply came almost instantly.

“Of course! I’ll be over in 20 minutes. Don’t worry, we’ll figure this out together.”

I sighed in relief. Mia always knew how to make me feel better, how to help me see things clearly. I needed that right now. I was starting to question myself again, questioning my decisions.

As I put my phone down, I heard the familiar buzz of an incoming message.

I checked and it was from Richard. I read the message.

" lily, you can start off on Monday. there is a project at hand ."

that was fast, I mean, I just met him for the first time and he want me to resume work already? I thought to myself. soon, I heard a knock on my door. it was Mia.

"Lily, is everything alright? you sounded worried in your message."

"Oh! Mia, are you sure I'm taking the right decision?"

"what are you talking about Lily?"