CHAPTER 3

BREE

I woke up feeling like I'd been punched in the gut. Pulling the duvet off me, I hurried to the bathroom, clutching my stomach tightly as I puked. Another wave of nausea hit me just as I splashed water on my face.

I felt sick to my soul, almost like I pulled an all-nighter or something. After the third round of vomiting like there's no tomorrow, I headed back to the room with a throbbing headache and sore body.

I was never drinking again. Even though I had a high alcohol tolerance, the feeling after a night of drinking was never pleasant. It literally felt like my whole body was on fire; my legs were literally wobbling.

As I sank into the bed, I let out a huge sigh before resting my temple on my palm. That was when I saw the image of my boss and me. Flashes of last night came rushing over. The way we had kissed in that bar, how we left the bar and wouldn't stop kissing and touching in the elevator and when we finally staggered into our room.

Oh God! A gasp escaped from my lips. I slept with my boss. I had sex with my boss, not once or twice. I wasn't even sure of the number of times we did it. We had only stopped in the early morning.

My eyes widened for a second. I flung my gaze towards the other side, but there was no sign of Damon. Not even his bags.

Did he bail out on me? Did he realize his mistakes? When did he leave? Different thoughts raced through my head until I caught sight of the little note by my nightstand. I hope this wasn't the usual cliché.

You're excellent in bed

Damon

A smile tugged at the corner of my lips. Even though it was just a simple one-liner, it warmed my heart. At least, he didn't just disappear without a word. But where the hell was he? Did he leave with the investors or what?

My phone buzzed on the table at that moment, and just like he knew I was looking for him, his message popped up.

Bloodsucker: I left early. Had to handle some things in the office.

My stomach twisted as I read the message. Did he just leave without me? Like, he really took an early flight? What would it have taken him to wake me up?

Not like I was expecting him to suddenly become nice just because we slept together, I mean, that would have been weird too. I'm not even sure of how I'll face him, especially after embarrassing myself, but at least he could have just tapped me or something instead of disappearing.

Letting out a sigh, I scrolled through my phone expecting a message from Ron, maybe he would realise he made a mistake, or he had been under some influence, but nothing came. Not even a good morning or apology message. With a heavy heart, I dumped my phone and made my way to the bathroom.

"Bree," Riley screamed as I walked into the house a couple of hours later. I hadn't even dropped my back when she jumped on me.

"What's happening?" I questioned with furrowed brows. It was unlike her to act that way. She never really gets excited about something, and she only ever welcomes me with a small smile on her face.

"Damon proposed," she announced with a broad smile while waving her ring finger across my face. My eyes settled on the six-carat heart diamond ring, and my eyes widened.

My eyes darted between her and the ring. Riley had been single for over a year. Where the ring came from was something I was still trying to process. She hasn't told me about any guy; this was... shocking.

"Where did you get the ring from?" The words left my mouth before I could think it through. I sounded just as ridiculous as the idea of Riley suddenly getting a ring.

She wiggled her body. "Damon proposed to me this morning."

My brows creased.

"Damon? Who is Damon?"

I was already feeling something at the back of my head, but I didn't want to dwell on it too much. I mean, it was meaningless, and there was no way that would happen, right?

"Damon Kings. Your boss," Riley revealed in excitement as she played with the ring.

I froze. I almost thought I misheard. Riley was engaged to my boss. He left me after those rounds of sex to propose to my best friend? How? I wasn't even sure of how to feel about this whole thing. It was just too hard for me to believe I slept with my best friend's fiancé. Did he cheat on her with me?

"Bree!" She nudged my side. I raised my head, forcing a tight-lipped smile.

"Umm...when did you guys start dating? How come you didn't tell me?"

She smiled. "It just happened."

"Just like that?" I didn't realise how high my voice was until she furrowed her brows at me.

"Are you not happy for me?"

I shook my head, trying to force a smile.

"Of course not. I'm happy. It just came as a surprise," I replied, my throat closing up.

Rather than feel happy, guilt was eating me deep. Yeah, I had no idea they were together, as Damon has never given the impression that he was in a relationship. Since I started working with him, he never never given any girl attention. Anyone who visited trying to seduce him was always thrown out like trash. At one point, we all thought he wasn't interested in women.

But Riley...Yeah, they were a good fit. Both are from the same background. Wealthy families. Good jobs and more compatible, but then...Oh God! What have I done?

The vibration from my pocket broke into my thoughts, and I flashed Riley a small smile before removing my phone.

Damon's name flashed on the screen, and I almost turned my phone away. The way Riley looked at me, it felt like I'd been caught cheating or something. Maybe it was paranoia, but I hated this feeling.

All night, I'd been in Paradise. Even though I was terribly hungover this morning, I still couldn't stop smiling while thinking about our sex and how good he made me feel, only for everything to turn out shitty in just a matter of hours, and now, I couldn't stop regretting my decisions.

"Is that Damon?" Riley questioned, and I bobbed my head.

"Yeah, I think he wants me to do something for him. You know how demanding he can be," I replied with a forced smile.

She shrugged. "He's just a workaholic. He might be a terrible boss, but I'm sure he's a good man outside of work," she said with a wide grin.

To think Riley would suddenly switch now. She had always been the one complaining about how heartless he was, and now...How did they even get together? When did it happen? Why did she even keep it from me all this time?

Bloodsucker: I need you to bring me some files from the archive. It's urgent! I need it in the next forty minutes. Don't be late.

I sighed. Of course, he was still the same. There was no way I would enjoy a weekend while working with him. I haven't even changed yet, and he wants me to go to the office to get some files and bring them home to him. Why can't he just rest for once?

"What's wrong?" Riley asked in a cursory tone.

"I need to go to the office." I hurried into my room, pulled out the first dress I saw and changed into it before rushing out of the house.

When I arrived at Damon's house exactly forty minutes later, I was already expecting to meet him waiting for me in his living room, but he wasn't there. I couldn't even find him in his study.

It wasn't until I walked out of the building that I saw him by the poolside. He had his back turned to me, and his left hand was in his shorts, almost like he was tugging it. I shouldn't be admiring my best friend's fiancé's back view, but Damon has always been incredibly attractive until...

"That? Just blowing off steam. She's convenient, that's all. She's just like every other girl. A gold-digger. I wouldn't acknowledge anyone beneath my status."

My legs stopped in my tracks. A knot twisted in my guts. Was he...it definitely wasn't about me, right?

"Another notch in my belt, isn't it?" He let out a mocking chuckle, and my chest tightened.

"Hope she doesn't think it means anything. It changes nothing. I was just being nice. It's charity work. Trying to stop her from acting all pathetic and miserable. She needed the confidence boost, I only did her a favour and..."

I couldn't take it anymore. Any more of those words and I'd break down there. So, I did the best thing.

I ran off.