5.

EMILIA

It’s been two weeks since I started the job, and I had settled into a routine.

Despite the routine, I hadn’t stopped bothering about that text from that unknown number. I went to the café as instructed and waited the whole day, scanning the faces of every single person who walked in for a sign they were the one who I was waiting for, but no one came.

I had been so frustrated, but when I tried to call the number, I was blocked. I even tried calling with Sunny’s number a few days later, but the phone number was out of service.

I wondered if it was a prank call or if the person had backed out at the last minute. I haven’t been able to get it out of my head since then.

The only thing that could take my mind off it was focusing on my work. I always arrived early before the cleaning crew finished and left late, making sure my work was perfectly done.

I didn’t want to give anybody a reason to tell me I didn’t deserve the job I had been given. Perfection was the only armour I could afford to protect myself.

If I concentrated on my work, maybe no one would notice the way my hands trembled whenever Steven walked past without even a glance towards me or how my stomach twisted whenever Bianca would visit and parade around the office like it was her home.

Steven barely talked to me despite me being his secretary. I could count the number of words he had said to me since I started working, and I would be the biggest liar if I said it didn’t hurt me.

Was it so easy for him to pretend we were strangers after sharing our most intimate moments together for five years?

While Steven had made it his sole purpose to treat me like I didn’t exist, Bianca had made it hers to visit every day even when she wasn’t needed. She would sweep into the office, treat me like trash and hover over Steven like someone would snatch him away if she didn’t stay close.

Maybe her fears were valid. Maybe I would have tried again if he gave me a chance. Or even looked at me once while he gave me those orders with his robotic voice that I have come to hate.

I was in the records room on the executive floor, filing the latest round of audit requests. I liked being here more than at my table sometimes because it was quiet. There was no view of Steven or Bianca.

I was sliding a folder into place when I heard voices through the thin walls that separated the records room from the small conference room next door.

“I thought no one was going to be having meetings today?” I muttered as curiosity got the best of me, and I slipped out of the records room towards the conference room.

The door was slightly ajar, and I froze when I recognised the voices. The first one was Bianca, and the second was Cassandra Riorson, Steven’s mother.

I didn’t know much about the woman except that she was a heavy drinker, was absent from Steven’s life as a child and they didn’t like each other much.

“I thought she was out of the country? When did she come back? And what is she doing here? Does Steven know she is here?” A million questions went through my head.

I should have left, but something made me stay.

“You did well,” Cassandra slurred. She was already drunk when the day wasn’t even half gone. Steven was going to be angry if he found out she was drunk in his office. “The company collapse was perfect. Now he has no choice but to accept your father’s help.”

My blood turned to ice, and my hand flew to my mouth to stifle the gasp that threatened to expose me.

Bianca laughed. “It was easier than I thought. Tommy helped with everything we needed to do it. Steven never saw it coming”

Tommy. I didn’t know anyone in Steven’s circle with that name, so I couldn’t attach a face to the name, but he had to be someone Steven would trust if he didn’t see the betrayal coming.

“Once Daddy fixes the situation, Steven will be in our debt,” Bianca continued. “He will have to marry me. It’s the easiest way to get what we both want. He won’t be able to say no,” she said confidently.

Cassandra made a low, approving noise. “He has always been so stubborn. If only he listened to me, we wouldn’t have had to resort to drastic measures like this,” she said. “He has to see reason that he needs someone from our world, not some pet he kept at the side,” she sneered, her face scrunching up in disgust at the word pet.

Pet.

The word sliced through me, and my eyes began to sting immediately because I knew she was talking about me. She had always hated me. The few times she had run into me at Steven’s place were not pleasant. She always had something hostile to say.

I bit my lips until I tasted blood.

“The engagement announcement is set to happen. I want it to be done at the Children’s hospital charity gala Steven is hosting next month. That way everyone will see and know that he finally made the right choice”

Cassandra chuckled and patted Bianca’s cheeks gently with approval. “Good job, Bianca.  I’ll drink to that. God knows I need another one after dealing with Steven.”

I had been so lost in thoughts that I didn’t realise they were done until footsteps started heading in my direction. Panic flooded me, and I backed away slowly, careful not to make a sound until I was at the nearest bathroom. If I shut the door to the records room, they would hear.

I locked myself inside a stall and pressed my forehead against the door. My knees were shaking so badly while my heart was beating so loudly in my chest.

“Oh my god.” My voice trembled. “They had done it on purpose. I can’t believe Bianca would do something like that. And Cassandra? How could she do that to her own son?” My body trembled with the revelation.

And someone named Tommy had helped them.

They had destroyed everything Steven had built just so they could trap him in a marriage? Who does that?

And Steven had no idea that he was falling into their trap because he had already agreed to the engagement.

I stayed in the stall until the nausea passed. When I came out, I splashed water on my face, fixed my makeup and walked to my desk as though nothing had happened.

Twenty minutes later, Cassandra exited Steven’s office with a smug expression. She paused at my desk and eyed me with a disgusted look before she walked away.

I sat there, my heart and my head fighting about the right thing to do.

I should tell him.

Right now, I should walk into his office and tell him that the crisis the company was facing was as a result of his mother and Bianca’s plan.

But the cold expression he always used when he saw me flashed in my mind. What if he thought I was lying? What if he thought I was just a jealous ex trying to sabotage his relationship with Bianca and I wanted to claw my way back into his life because I couldn’t bear to let go?

The thought of him seeing me as something so pathetic made me sick.

I stared at his office, paralysed by indecision.

I didn’t realise that it had gotten so late and that the office was empty until Steven’s door opened and he stopped in front of my desk.

“It’s late. You should go home” He said.

“What?” I gasped softly, looking up as though I had imagined the words.

It was the first personal thing he had said to me since I started.

“It’s late. Everyone else has gone” It was then that I looked around and saw that the office was empty.

“Oh. I didn’t realize” I muttered and stood up. Steven watched me as I shut my computer and gathered my things. My heart kept hammering the entire time because his gaze never left me.

This was my moment.

I opened my mouth and the words were right there. I should tell him what they did but nothing came out.

What if he thought I was lying? Or he knew already? Then it would be useless.

“Goodnight, Mr Riorson” I said instead, my voice sounding small.

He studied me for a moment and something flickered in his eyes. Maybe concern or curiosity?

He opened his mouth like he was about to ask me something but his phone buzzed, snatching his attention.

He stared at the screen and his expression turned cold. “Goodnight, Ms Jones” he said and walked past me to the elevator.

I waited until the doors closed after him before I let out the breath I had been holding.

The subway ride to Sunny’s apartment was quiet. I had moved out of the house Steven had given me and moved in with Sunny until I could afford to rent a place of my own.

 I leaned my head against the window and watched the tunnel lights. The secret sat heavy in my chest, burning inside me like acid.

They had destroyed him on purpose to trap him inside a marriage that he didn’t want.

But it wasn’t just disbelief that was gnawing at me. There was something else that I didn’t expect to feel. Anger.

Anger at Cassandra and Bianca for being so cruel. Anger at Steven for being so blind and letting them close. Anger for throwing me away like I was nothing when I would have done anything to remain by his side for nothing in return.

And then I was angry at myself.

For still protecting him. For still swallowing the truth because I was terrified of what would happen if he chose her after everything.