THE OTHER WOMAN

“Why did you do it, Derek?” Leah’s voice trembled; her eyes heavy with disappointment.

Derek didn’t even bother looking at her. Instead, he scoffed, brushing off her words as if they meant nothing. “What are you talking about, Leah?”

“You know exactly what I’m talking about, Derek!” Leah snapped, her frustration boiling over, and stepped closer,

“The Sales Manager position. You promised me, Derek. You told me I’d get the job.”

“I don’t want to talk about it, Leah,” Derek replied with a cold air of dismissal, grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, and started walking away.

“Don’t try to walk away from this Derek,” Leah’s voice cracked, heavy with emotions, “Why did you give Chantelle the job? We both know I earned that position. I deserved it! I’ve worked harder for this than anyone else Derek, harder than her! I closed some of the company’s biggest deals while you took all the credit, and supported you when no one else would!” Leah paused and drew a deep breath, trying to calm herself.

“I gave up everything for you– my dreams, ambitions, goals, all because you asked me to help you, and promised you’d help me get a job at the company.” Her voice broke as she spoke,

“I helped your career become what it is today, but you just toss me aside, and hand her everything you made me patiently wait for? How could you?”

Derek suddenly stopped at the door. He turned toward her, disbelief and anger laced on his face, but then his lips curled into a bitter smirk, “Did you just say you helped my career?” He asked, glaring at her.

Leah froze, confused by his question. She didn’t know what to say, or if she should say anything at all. What Derek didn’t know was that she had secretly met with every client his company assigned to him, and used her charm and influence to convince them to work with him and stay loyal to the company. If it wasn’t for her, Derek wouldn’t even be in the position he was now.

Derek let out a low chuckle, shoved his hands into his pockets, and stared at her disdainfully,

“You really want to know why I offered Chantelle the job?”

Leah stood deadpan, staring at him with a slight frown.

Derek heaved an exhaustive sigh, and stared directly at her with no regret or remorse in his eyes,

“She is the first heir of the Jackson family,” he paused, his eyes narrowing with more irritation,

“Do you know what that means?” He asked and without waiting for any response, continued, “It means her family name will easily help us close deals, secure partnerships and grow the company in ways you never could.”

“So you’re just using her then?” Leah interjected calmly, despite her voice still laced with annoyance. She knew something Derek never wanted to admit and saw it too well today at the company. If this was someone else, maybe she wouldn’t feel the way she did now, but with Chantelle, it wasn’t just business. She was his first love. The woman he’d never truly let go of.

Her chest tightened as memories flooded her mind. Even after they’d gotten married, she noticed how Derek’s eyes lingered on her photos, she could still see he was hung up on her, even though he’d always insist that it was nothing and Chantelle was just his past.

Still, it didn’t change the way it made her feel, and now seeing Chantelle return not just into their lives but into her rightful position at the company, Leah’s fears were confirmed and it hurt more that Derek would not even regard her feelings.

Her heart ached painfully as the moment replayed in her head. Derek may not have admitted it, but she could see the excitement on his face when Chantelle was elected the new Sales Manager. She’d never seen him smile so widely, at least not towards her.

When she saw Chantelle for the first time again today, she tried to hide the shock on her face and just play it cool to not cause a scene or do anything that might affect Derek.

She wanted to trust her husband and believe that nothing would happen between them, but her heart stung when she saw how happy Derek seemed around Chantelle today.

“When did she come back, Derek?” Leah suddenly asked.

“Why’s that important?” Derek retorted, his frustration beginning to show.

Leah felt a gallop in her heart, and gave him a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes, “When did she return to the country?” She repeated.

Derek shrugged, hiding behind his indifference, “A couple of months.”

Leah stood quietly for a moment, not sure how to respond. The more this conversation dragged on, the more her fears became pronounced. Chantelle’s appointment at the company was not just random, she could tell there was more reason to it than what Derek tried to sell her.

In every relationship, there is always someone who loves the most, and between the two of them, Leah knew she was the unfortunate one, but even when she knew Derek’s love was not as deep as hers, she was consoled by the fact that he hadn’t cheated on her all these years, and hoped that someday he’d love her as much as she loved him.

“And you didn’t think to tell me she’s back?” She asked softly.

“I didn’t see the need to.” Derek shrugged.

“Didn’t see the need to,” Leah chuckled painfully,

“Your best friend and ex-girlfriend who you’d been hung up on for years returns to town and you didn’t see the need to let me know that you’ve been meeting with her?”

Derek’s frustration boiled over. He could not understand why Leah was making a big deal out of this. Despite whatever shared past he had with Chantelle, it didn’t matter, or at least he kept telling himself.

“I’m done with this conversation.” He replied harshly and turned to walk away, but Leah’s words suddenly stopped him mid-strife,

“Do you still have feelings for her, Derek?” Her voice wavered, not sure if she wanted to know the answer. When he didn’t answer, she continued, her voice laced with pain,

“I saw the way you looked at her today. How come you’ve never looked at me that way?”

Derek froze, his heart thumping heavily with guilt and confusion. He couldn’t deny the truth any longer. As much as he tried to fight it, Chantelle’s return had stirred feelings in him he thought he’d completely let go of, and his heart was torn.

For three years he’d try to love Leah as much as he loved Chantelle. She was a good partner and deserved a committed love, but he never felt that way with her, and with her poor family background and the fact that even after these years they still couldn’t have a child, he was left even more confused with a lot to think about.

He could feel it coming. Their relationship was beginning to fail, and it would only be a matter of time before she gave up on him.

He thought Leah could change him, could heal his past traumas, but he knew sooner or later he was going to break her heart.

Slowly, he turned towards her, his voice low and dejected, “I don’t know.”

Leah gulped heavily, swallowing the sting of his response, but despite the pain, she needed to know where she stood with him, “Do you still love me, Derek?”

Derek remained quiet for a while, thinking deeply about his response, and with every second that passed, Leah’s heart tore more, but then his eyes turned cold. He stared directly at her and his words were even colder, “I don’t know.”