I groaned as I rolled off the bed; my stomach hurt so badly that I didn't even feel like moving.
Fuck! My period was here. I wasn't in the mood to deal with this, but to be fair, I don't think I'd ever be in the mood to deal with this, I quickly hopped into the shower and ran myself a warm bath. It felt good and relaxing, and I wished I could stay here all day, but I had a job. After I got dressed and made my way to work, I took a few pain relief tablets. They never worked, but I still took them, hoping that they would magically work at some point. By the time I arrived, I felt like the pain was radiating from my body. The only thing I didn't do was cry. I trudged up to the office and began doing my work for the day. We had such a busy schedule today especially since we had a meeting with the shareholders. I hadn’t seen Michael all morning. That’s good because I wasn’t in the mood for his bullshit. Before lunch time I was already doubled over from the pain. I knew it was usually bad but this was the worse it has ever been. I didn’t want to eat or drink anything. I just wanted to curl into a ball and not exist for a bit. Was that too much to ask? “Babe I think you should go home,” Yasmeen said. She looked concerned. She knew how bad it got and how it made me feel. “Nope I can’t do that, I have to attend the meeting with the shareholders today,” I sighed. “Arya you look pale,” she touched my forehead. “It’s okay I just need to drink some water. I’ll be fine. I promise,” I flashed her a smile even though she didn’t look convinced. “Okay, drink this for some energy,” she gave me a Gatorade which I gladly accepted. “Thanks for always having my back Yas.” “Anytime girl. I’m heading back to work now,” She said and I nodded. Some minutes later I decided to head to the meeting that was about to start before I could reach the door my body collapsed. The pain was too much and the light was hurting my eyes. I took a deep breath as I tried to get up from the floor but I couldn’t. My body was tired. Too tired to function. “Arya, I need you to get up. We have a meeting soon. Please get ready.” “I can’t,” I mumbled. “What? If this is one of your stupid games, I am not playing.” He reached out and grabbed my hand causing me to scream in pain. It was unfortunate that I got cramps right at that moment. I felt it rip through my body. “Please stop, I can’t do anything right now,” Tears cascaded down my cheeks. “What’s wrong?” He asked. “It fucking hurts. It’s that time of the month,” I grunted. “You did always get really bad cramps but this is the worst I’ve seen it,” He said as he stooped to my level. “Come on let me help you,” he scooped me into his arms very easily. I wrapped my arms around his neck as I buried my face in his chest. This was a moment of weakness. “What about the meeting?” I whimpered. Right one cue two of the shareholders came outside of the room. “Mr. Stone, what kind of unprofessional behavior is this. We are inside waiting on you and you haven’t even started now you’re out here frolicking with an employee! That woman was lying on the ground when I came in, breasts spilling over her shirt. What is this, a whore house or a company?” The man yelled. The other shareholders and workers gathered as soon as they heard the commotion. “Firstly, Mr. Reece, this is my company and I call the shots here. If you don’t like it you are free to leave. This woman is not just an employee to me and I’d appreciate if you could stay out of my personal life. Now if you dare raise your voice like that and disrespect me again, I promise you things wouldn’t end well. I don’t give a single damn about how many shares you own, I will personally kick your ass out. And one more thing, I think you owe Miss Sterling an apology especially since she’s unwell. Michael said coldly. “I am very sorry I didn’t mean any disrespect Mr Stone. Miss Sterling I’m sorry to you as well for my disrespect. I hope you feel better soon.” Michael walked past the crowd that had formed and they scurried back to work. “That was pretty badass,” I mumbled. He didn’t reply but there was a smile on his face. “Where are you taking me?” I asked. “Don’t worry about it.”I left Michael and by that time I was on my way home. It was evening time. I wasn’t far from my apartment when I felt it—a presence behind me. My pace quickened instinctively, but the footsteps behind me matched mine, steady and deliberate. I glanced over my shoulder, and my heart sank. Tony. He stepped out from the shadows, his eyes cold and predatory. My pulse quickened, and a wave of fear washed over me. "Tony," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "What are you doing here?" He smirked, a sinister glint in his eyes. "I heard you've been running your mouth about me, Arya. Getting Yasmeen’s family involved... Not a smart move." I took a step back, my mind racing. "Stay away from me." "Now, now," he said, closing the distance between us. "You should've stayed quiet. But you didn’t, did you? You had to ruin everything." Before I could react, he grabbed my arm, his grip bruising. I struggled, trying to pull away, but he was too strong. "Let me go!" I shouted, my vo
I sat frozen, staring at the door long after it closed behind him. My heart felt like it had been ripped from my chest, left beating somewhere on the other side. The silence in the kitchen was deafening, broken only by the faint hum of the refrigerator and the soft ticking of the clock on the wall.Tears welled in my eyes, blurring my vision as I hugged myself, trying to hold in the sobs threatening to break free. But I couldn’t. The pain was too much, too raw. My shoulders shook as I cried, each tear falling like a piece of the life we had built together.Why did I wait so long to tell him?Why did I let fear control me?The questions circled in my mind, each one cutting deeper than the last.I stood up abruptly, the chair scraping loudly against the floor. I couldn’t just sit here and drown in my own misery. I had to do something. I had to find him.Grabbing my coat from the back of the chair, I wiped my face hastily, though the tears continued to fall. My hands trembled as I fumble
"You seem distant," Michael said, his eyes searching mine as we sat together in the quiet of his kitchen, sipping our morning coffee. His voice was gentle but laced with concern.I looked down at the steam rising from my cup, avoiding his gaze. "I’m just... tired," I replied, forcing a small smile that didn’t reach my eyes. "Work’s been a lot lately."Michael frowned, clearly unconvinced. "Arya, I know you better than that. It’s not just work." He reached across the table, his hand warm as it covered mine. "What’s going on?"I hesitated, the words on the tip of my tongue, ready to spill out. Tell him. Be honest. But my mind flashed back to the elevator, to Damon’s kiss, and my chest tightened with guilt and confusion."I..." I started, then shook my head. "It’s nothing, really." I pulled my hand away, gripping the edge of the table as if it could anchor me. "Maybe I just need a little space to clear my head."Michael's eyes darkened slightly, a flicker of something—disappointment, may
I practically ran out of the elevator the second the doors opened, putting as much distance between me and Damon as possible. My heart was still racing, my lips still tingling from his kiss. Why did I kiss him back? The question replayed in my mind over and over as I forced myself to focus on the client meeting.I managed to get through it, delivering the pitch and discussing terms like nothing had happened, but I was on autopilot the entire time. The second it was over, I grabbed my things and headed home, needing to talk to someone—someone who wouldn’t judge me but would help me sort through this emotional chaos.Yasmeen was already lounging on the couch when I got home, a bowl of popcorn in her lap and a reality show playing on TV. She took one look at me and immediately knew something was up.“Oh no,” she said, setting the bowl aside. “What happened?”I dropped my bag and collapsed onto the couch beside her, burying my face in my hands. “You’re not going to believe this.”“Try me,
I pushed his hand off my waist, my breath quick and unsteady. “Get away from me, Damon,” I snapped, my voice trembling with barely contained anger.He didn’t move immediately, just stood there with that same infuriating smirk. “Why are you so worked up, Arya? I’m just—”“Just what?” I cut him off, my voice rising. “Just trying to manipulate me? Just playing your stupid mind games? You waltz back into my life like nothing happened, like you didn’t hurt me, like you didn’t laugh in my face when I told you how I felt!”Damon’s smirk vanished. I took a shaky step back, my fists clenched at my sides, every word pouring out like I had been holding it in for far too long. “You think you can just show up, say a few words, and I’ll fall at your feet again? Well, I won’t. I’m not that girl anymore.”“Arya—” he started, but I didn’t let him finish.“You broke me, Damon!” My voice cracked, and before I could stop myself, tears spilled down my cheeks. “Do you have any idea how hard it was to put
The day started off as ordinary as any other.I adjusted my blazer and smoothed down my skirt as I entered the sleek, glass-walled building just a few blocks from Michael’s company. The client meeting was supposed to be quick—discuss the details, finalize a proposal, and be out in no time. But life had a twisted sense of humor.As I stepped into the lobby, the soft hum of classical music playing through the speakers did little to calm my nerves. I pressed the button for the elevator, checking my phone for any last-minute updates from the client. Nothing. Good. One less thing to stress about.The elevator doors slid open with a soft ding, and I stepped inside, pressing the button for the 18th floor. Just as the doors were about to close, a hand slipped between them, forcing them back open.Of course. Life just couldn’t resist.Damon.My breath hitched as he stepped inside, looking as infuriatingly confident as ever in a perfectly tailored suit, his dark eyes locking onto mine the momen