4

Chapter Four

Abby Hale

~•~

Shame clung to me like a second skin. I didn’t even know what to say or do. I just stood there frozen, hoping that the ground would open and swallow me.

Maybe he didn’t see my face clearly because we met at night. That was just a lame excuse, but I needed to say whatever I could think of just to make myself feel better.

Or he didn’t want to do anything with me in the office. Some people didn’t like mixing pleasure and business.

I should’ve just walked out with the rest of my colleagues earlier.

“What’s your name?” He finally asked after a long beat of awkward silence.

My lips parted but I couldn’t form any words. I was upset that he asked me what my name was for a second, but then, I remembered that I hadn’t told him the previous night.

“I’m talking to you,” he added, taking a step closer and lifting my chin so I would look at him.

His touch made heat creep up my neck. I hated how my body reacted to him—like it remembered him even if he didn't seem to remember me.

Or pretended not to remember me.

I exhaled sharply. “Abby… Abby Hale.”

“Abby Hale…” he repeated slowly, my name sounding dangerous and intimate all at once on his tongue.

I nodded. “Yeah.”

A part of me wanted to stand up for myself and confront him about the whole situation, but another part was too embarrassed to even speak up.

Without thinking further, I turned around. But just as I was about to run out of the office, he held my arm and dragged me back.

His grip was firm and I couldn’t even break free if I tried. I let out a breath as I turned around slowly to look at him.

“What?” I muttered under my breath, unable to meet his gaze.

He let out a light chuckle as he let go of my arm. “Why did you kiss me? Were you trying to get fired or what?”

“I—I… no, uhm…” I stuttered as I struggled to come up with words.

“Was this how you behaved with my father when he was the boss? Did you have an affair with him?” He asked, leaning against the desk.

I shook my head. “No…”

Why would he even ask me that sort of question?

He tilted his head. “So why did you try to kiss me?”

Why was he playing games with me?

“Nothing, it was a mistake,” I lied.

He was just teasing me and I didn’t want to give him that satisfaction. Just as he opened his mouth to say something else, I turned around and ran out of his office.

I didn’t go back to my desk, I went to the female bathroom. At least he wouldn’t be able to find me there.

What was wrong with me? Why did I embarrass myself? Why did I even have to make the first move today? I felt so humiliated.

I shouldn’t have even gone to the bar.

Why did I sleep with a stranger?

Why did he turn out to be my boss?

My mind raced with different questions that nobody else had the answers to.

As I stood in front of the mirror inside the bathroom, I stared at myself for a long second. I couldn’t even recognize myself anymore.

What was I turning into?

Michael had ruined me and I was making choices that didn’t even feel like mine. My chest tightened as I gripped the edge of the sink.

“Get it together, Abby,” I whispered to myself. “You just have to get through today, and quit right after…”

The words sounded hollow even to my own ears. I couldn’t afford to quit my job and that wasn’t even an option.

My heart skipped a beat when a thought crossed my mind. What if he ends up firing me?

No, no. He couldn’t do something like that.

I shoved that nasty thought away from my mind.

I didn’t know how I would face him anymore.

Hopefully, he’ll be like his father who barely showed up at the company. My impression of him was actually true — a spoiled kid who lived off their father’s wealth. But I had no idea he was a bigger asshole.

I needed to talk to someone about what had happened or I was going to lose my mind.

I couldn’t even call the one person I would normally call.

So I had no choice but to call my sister instead.

Mia answered on the first ring. “Abby… hey, I was even about to call you. How are you?”

“About to call me, why?” I asked curiously.

“Michael called me earlier, he said you asked him to leave the house. He wanted me to talk to you.”

“Talk to me?” I asked with a scoff. “Did he say why I asked him to leave the house?” I added, my voice rising with anger.

“No, he just said that both of you had a misunderstanding and you asked him to leave the house.”

I took multiple deep breaths to calm myself down. “Misunderstanding? He cheated on me with Cora and dared to tag it as a misu—.”

Mia didn’t let me finish my sentence. “Cheated on you with who?” She asked with a hint of surprise in her voice. “Cora!”

I nodded. “Yes. Cora.”

“Oh my goodness, I’m going down there right now with the cops to chase him out of the house if he refuses to leave.”

Mia was so upset and I wasn’t even surprised. I loved my sister so much and would do anything for her, and she felt the same way towards me too.

“Thank you, Mia,” I swallowed hard.

“And as for Cora, she shouldn’t even come close to us anymore,” she added, her voice filled with rage.

“They’re the least of my problems right now,” I continued, my voice cracked. “I accidentally slept with my new boss yesterday.”

Mia gasped. “That’s an unexpected plot twist,” she whispered dramatically, her tone softer. “Please tell me you’re joking.”

“I wish I were,” I muttered, pressing my hand against my forehead. “I really wish I were.”

“What do you mean by accidentally sleeping with your boss?” She asked curiously.

“I didn’t know he was going to be my boss. The same man from the bar showed up as my boss this morning.”

“Wow.”

“I’ll explain everything to you after work. I just wanted to get it off my chest,” I replied softly.

“Okay, I’ll take care of Michael for you and I can’t wait to hear about your juicy office affair.”

After the call ended, I stayed back for a few more minutes before going back to my work desk.

I couldn’t even focus on my work. My fingers trembled whenever I tried typing on my computer.

Every sound in the office made me flinch like he’d just appear in front of me any second.

Just when I was still lost in my thoughts, a shadow fell over my desk.

“Abby?”

I jerked so hard I almost fell out of my chair. My coworker raised a brow. “Relax, why are you jumpy? You’ve been acting weird since morning.”

My heart raced as I forced out a small smile. “Just stressed. Nothing to worry about,” I replied, trying to sound convincing.

She stared at me like she could get the truth out of me if she looked a little bit harder. “Why did you stay back at his office when everyone left?”

Her question caught me off guard.

I didn’t think anybody had noticed.

I chuckled nervously. “Nothing… I just wanted to show him some ideas,” I lied through my teeth.

“Oh, okay.”

After she left, my boss came out of his office and my eyes were instantly glued to my computer as I pretended I was really busy.

Just then, my phone buzzed with a text from an unknown number.

[ You disappeared this morning, was the sex that terrible? Did you get home safely?]

My eyes darted between the phone and my boss who was having a conversation with someone. He wasn’t holding a phone and definitely didn’t just text me.

I drew in a shaky breath.

If my boss wasn’t the man from last night, then who the hell did I sleep with?