Hurt

Caroline 

Nate went still, eyes widening in surprise as he stared at me, his gaze clouded. And Serena, still holding unto him. She couldn't even respect the fact that his wife was standing next to him. 

“Caroline.” He stepped forward, gently disentangling himself from Serena's grip. “What are you doing here?”

“I…” my voice came out shaken. I swallowed and looked between him and her. 

“I think I'm just gonna hang around.” Serena announced before she walked away. As her footsteps faded, I took a deep breath. Better. 

“You're supposed to be at home. Are you okay?”

“I know.” I rushed. “I came to see Claudia.” 

His brows squished together. “Why?” His fingers ran over his cuff. 

I braced myself for what I was about to say. “Well, I want to continue working.”

He folded his arm over his stomach, narrowing his eyes. “Caroline, we've talked about this before.”

“I want my job back. Please.” I tried to keep my voice steady. “I don't like staying at home.”

“Are you serious? Come on, anything aside from this job. Why are you so hell-bent on working when your husband is the CEO?”

I paused. True, but I still couldn't get enough of him. “This is the only thing I love doing. That makes me feel happy. It doesn't matter.”

People filtered past the lobby and he closed the gap between us, holding my arms gently and whispered. “Caroline, please. You're my wife. People can't see you like this. It's not a good look.”

My expectations were reduced to zero. I looked down to the floor and his voice raised when he saw some colleagues. I looked up, they were also his university friends with Serena. About four of them.

“Hey, Did Chris bring you here?”

I nodded.

“Just go home, we're going to discuss when I get home. Okay?”

He didn't wait for me to respond. He took his hands off. “Hey, Liam, to the executive lounge!”

That was how he left me standing there to gather with the rest. I took a deep breath and headed into the elevator, regardless of what he said. I still wanted to see Claudia. 

I knocked and pushed her door open. The familiar office with stacks of folders and a well arranged desk made me smile. She looked up when she saw me and her face brightened. She stood up immediately. 

“Caroline?! Oh my gosh!”

I offered a warm smile. “Hello, Claudia. How are you?”

“I'm very fine. I wasn't expecting to see you here.” She opened her arms for a hug and I embraced her. “It's a while, girl.”

“Yeah.” I sighed and took the seat opposite her desk.

“What are you doing here? To visit?”

I laughed. “I would go straight to the point.” My lips pressed together, struggling to get the words out of my mouth. I rubbed my laps together. “I'm thinking about coming back.”

Her face went still. 

“You know, back to my position. I want to work again.”

Her expression softened but something apologetic replaced it. “Caroline, I'd love nothing more than to have you back on the team. You were the best and sharpest analyst.” She said carefully. “But, you're Nate's wife. I'm not sure there's anything I could do without his approval. HR would need to sign off from the top.”

My chest tightened. “I understand.”

She squeezed my hands. “I'm really sorry. And I miss you.”

I managed a little sad smile. 

“But if I may ask, why do you want to come back?”

I chuckled and looked towards the window. “It's complicated. I…I just really want to work again.” Claudia and I were very close. Back then, we used to do things alot. She was the youngest manager we had. We were age mates and still friends from high school. 

“Can you help me with a favor then?”

“What?”

“Any company in need of a strategist analyst, hit me up with information. I know you have connections.”

“Jeez. No problem, I mean you're still Nate's wife, people would—”

“Claudia, you won't understand.” 

She gives me a pouty face. I noticed she was working on some important files. 

“I don't want to keep you distracted. I promise, we'll talk later on the phone, okay?” 

She leaned and hugged me once more. “Alright, darling.”

I told myself I would leave immediately, instead I found myself wandering towards the executive lounge on the fourteenth floor. I used to sneak into this place occasionally when I still worked here. 

The lounge was half full when I stepped in. I heard the low murmurs of familiar voices and clinking of glasses. I spotted Nate by the far windows, surrounded by a cluster of people, the same face I saw earlier when he left me. The same social circle that never had room for me. 

“Nate, I don't understand why you married her.”

Theo began. I slipped behind a pillar to hear more about what they had to say about his marriage life. 

“Nate Cross married to some junior analyst no one's ever heard of. No offense, but it's a little beneath you. Isn't it?”

Laughter followed. I placed a hand on my racing chest.

“She did save the company once. Nate's Savior.” Another voice followed, it was Liam. 

“Once.” Serena repeated, then flipped her hair. “Well, she was good but let's be honest, she's hardly built for this world.” She laughed. “She doesn't even behave like she's married from the Cross family. Her dressing sucks. I don't know what your father was thinking.”

I was waiting for Nate to say something. Stand up for me, at least. 

Liam continued. “Do you really want a family with her? You barely show her off in Gala events.”

“Come on, guys. That's enough.” His voice was low. 

“Oh, don't be sensitive.” Serena laughed and swatted his arms playfully. “We're only teasing and besides…” she leaned so close to him that my breath caught. “I still don't know why you married her when we both know who understands you.”

Nate didn't answer. He just stood there, swirling the ice in his glass, so quiet. As if it wasn't enough, Theo stood up from the chair. 

“Sorry, I can't get her funny walking steps out of my head. She walks like she's so nervous or very shy.” He wrapped his arms around himself and took a few stiff steps. All of them burst into laughter. It was me. He was making a mockery of how I walked.

Tears blurred my vision and I couldn't watch anymore. I took a step back, intending to leave the same way I came in. But then, I knocked my elbow straight into a side table and fell to the floor with a thud. The room went silent and all heads snapped at me. 

Nate's eyes found me instantly, horror and guilt followed as he realized I heard everything.

“Caroline?”

I didn't wait. I bolted from the door and scurried down the hallway, feeling stupid and embarrassed. 

“Caroline, wait!” His footsteps pounded against the floor. 

I didn't stop. I jabbed the elevator door, waiting for the door to open so I could go home and make a stupid decision. 

He grabbed my wrist before I could walk inside the elevator. “Caroline, I can explain.”

I turned to him and looked into his eyes. 

Those eyes that I could never read. “Explain what?” My voice cracked. “That your friends hate me and you couldn't stand up for me?”

He opened his mouth but nothing came out. 

I nodded, accepting the pain. “That's what I thought.”

“Wait. I thought you went home already.” He pulled my hands and I struggled to break free but he wouldn't let go. “I'm sorry. I…I promise to make it up to—”

“No.” I cut him off and broke my hand free. “Enough.”

He didn't say anything. We were both silent. I stepped into the elevator and he didn't try to stop me again. I got out of the building and hurried back into the car. I ordered Chris to drive back home and the car turned around.

I continued to scroll through my phone, through the job listings I had bookmarked some days ago, companies that weren't his. 

If he wouldn't let me go back to the life that I used to have, I would build an entirely new one that he had no part in at all.