Librairie
Rechercher
Accueil / Romance / The Woman in My Seat / Chapter 3

Partager

Chapter 3

Auteur: Little Four
“Put me in touch with the investment bank that’s been trying to headhunt me. I’m ready to make the jump.”

Meanwhile, I started auditing the joint assets under our names.

Since it had all been tainted, I should destroy every bit of it.

…

The company held its biannual team-building dinner at an upscale seafood restaurant.

Kirk was determined to bring Eden along and seated her on his right.

I, the supposed fiancée-to-be, was shoved all the way to the very edge of the seating arrangement.

Throughout dinner, Kirk focused his attention solely on Eden, tending to her every whim with the utmost care.

No one even acknowledged me as if I were just there to fill a seat.

Eden snapped her head up, her gaze falling on one of the restaurant’s signature dishes.

It was a plate of shrimp in citrus glaze.

Using a fork, she speared one from her plate and placed it on mine.

“Ms. Bray, this is the specialty of the house. Do have a taste.”

She smiled innocently, but malice flickered in her eyes.

It was no secret to the office that I was severely allergic to citrus fruit and certain types of shellfish.

Orange was the worst. Even a trace of the fruit could cause my throat to swell up and potentially kill me.

The glaze was orange puree.

There was a time when Kirk never forgot my allergies. Every time we ate out, he'd make sure the staff knew before our food was even ordered.

Yet now, he simply glanced at my plate, his tone nonchalant.

“Eden's being so kind to let you have a taste of her food. Don’t embarrass her in front of everyone.

“You’re so dramatic. Taking a bite won’t kill you.”

Our colleagues egged me on, murmuring I ought to show Kirk some respect.

The noise stabbed into my ears.

To keep the moment from falling apart and to see how far Kirk could push me without a care, I took a tiny bite right there and then.

I could feel a flushing sensation in my throat within three minutes.

A wave of asphyxiation rushed in, and my throat ballooned up, shutting my airway.

Gripping the edge of the table, I tried to get up, but my legs gave out beneath me.

“K-Kirk…”

I could barely squeeze out his name as I sought him for help.

Kirk leaned in close to whisper in Eden’s ear, only to be interrupted. He wasn’t pleased for sure.

“What now? Do you have to be so dramatic over a shrimp?”

Eden shrieked out of the blue and clutched the back of her hand.

“Ow! It hurts! I think I got a bug bite, judging from the red bump.”

As color drained from Kirk’s face, he nervously held Eden’s hand up

“How could you be so careless? Is it an allergic reaction?”

He frantically inspected the barely visible red mark, his eyes reflecting heartache.

“Not to worry. I’ve got a first-aid kit packed with imported treatment cream in the car. I’ll take you to put some on right now.”

He brushed away my reaching hand, not even glancing at me.

Holding Eden close, Kirk hurried out of the restaurant.

I stood there alone, gasping for air like a fish out of water as everybody watched.

My vision started to blur as my consciousness faded away.

It was a passing server who noticed something was wrong and dialed the emergency line for me.

The blinding light in the ER was devastating.

The doctors pushed medication into my IV, and my oxygen was fogged up.

Amid the beeping of the monitors, a strange peace settled over me.

Kirk, the man who vowed to keep me safe, abandoned me when I was seconds from death to tend to a bug bite.

I was discharged from the hospital three days later.

At last, Kirk’s call came in, but all I got from him were complaints.

“Sandra, where have you been in the last few days? I couldn’t reach you on the phone.

“Eden’s stuck on a proposal. You should get into the office soon and fix it for her.

“Honestly, the whole theatrics during our team-building dinner were too much. It ruined the mood for everyone.”

I held the phone, taking in his entitled tone.

My throat was still sore from the intubation tube that had been shoved down my windpipe.

Continuez à lire ce livre gratuitement
Scanner le code pour télécharger l'application
Previous Chapter Next Chapter

Dernier chapitre

  • The Woman in My Seat   Chapter 10

    “Sandra, you are so cruel. You wouldn’t even claim Kirk’s body, even though you had dated him for seven years.” Eden’s accusation was rather absurd to me. “Eden, did you forget who wore his shirt on my bed, trying to rub it in my face? “Who deliberately swapped the data to put me in prison?” I approached Eden step by step. Despite my disdain for the dirt and grime of the place, I managed to push her back just by the sheer weight of my presence. “Since you were practically his true love, why did you drain his bank account and flee when he went bankrupt and lived on the streets?” Eden’s face went white. Her lips parted, but no words came out. She was the type of person who held everyone else to a high moral standard but never saw anything wrong with her own actions. “I have nothing left… The guy hit me and kicked me out…” She hugged herself and wailed out loud, trying to trigger my pity. I looked at her unfazed. Before, I considered Eden the biggest stain on my life

  • The Woman in My Seat   Chapter 9

    I bought a minimalist beachfront home. Floor-to-ceiling windows filled the space with light. The walls were pure white, without the unnecessary ornament. I still couldn’t tolerate filth, but I had learned to make peace with myself. One day, I was sketching out concepts for my new collection in my studio. My phone rang with an unknown contact. The caller claimed to be calling from a local precinct in the suburbs. “Am I speaking to Ms. Sandra Bray? We have an unclaimed body here, and we managed to pull your contact information from among his personal effects.” My hand paused, and the paintbrush blotted a trail of ink across the paper. “Who is it?” “His name is Kirk Church. He died of multiple organ failure brought on by a severe pulmonary infection.” The police officer’s voice was somewhat distorted over the line. “Before he passed, he clutched a photograph of you, along with a rusted band…” I fell silent. Scenes of the past flashed before my eyes before pausing

  • The Woman in My Seat   Chapter 8

    Creditors and outraged internet vigilantes pelted his doorway with trash and dumped sewage outside Kirk’s rented space every day without fail. Kirk took cover in his moldy basement apartment, too terrified to pick his head up. Late one night, a private message popped up on my phone. “Sandra, would you forgive me if I died right in front of you?” I scoffed while reading the text.Kirk thought that his worthless life could stir a shred of emotion within me. My fingers tapped across the screen as I typed, “Don’t stain the floor.” Even dying, the likes of him wanted to be dramatic about it. Too bad I had no desire to even take a look at him. … Kirk didn’t have the courage to take the plunge. A narcissist like him valued his life more than anyone. However, living for him was worse than dying. Thanks to the clips going viral, Kirk became the laughingstock of the city. No firm would hire him. Kirk was reduced to manual labor, either breaking his back working in con

  • The Woman in My Seat   Chapter 7

    As I stood from this elevated position, the resentment I’d carried for so long faded without a trace. “Kirk, do you realize the smell on you is worse than your damp passenger seat?” I didn’t raise my voice, but my words were cutting. “I cannot tolerate filth. “It doesn’t just apply to things. When a person is dirty inside and out, even looking at them is beneath me.”I gestured to security to drag Kirk out. While being hauled away, Kirk kept calling out my name. My new partner asked tenderly, “Shall we go someplace else for a breath of fresh air?” I smiled and nodded. He had a point. The air outside was much cleaner than this place. … Even after being thrown out, Kirk didn’t quiet down.He set up an online account and began posting a serialized version of our seven years together. In these videos, Kirk sold a sob story and painted himself as a heartbroken man who lost his love due to a brief lapse of judgment. He accused me of being ruthless for taking the tal

  • The Woman in My Seat   Chapter 6

    All Kirk had to do was put his signature on the document, and he could play the part of a glamorous CEO in the public eye. Now, sitting behind my desk, Eden stared at the reports in utter confusion. “Kirk, what do these numbers even mean? I can’t make sense of them…” For the first time, Kirk found Eden’s sweet voice grating in his ears.… Six months was enough for an arrogant man to fall from grace. Between the tax audit and the loss of key talents, Kirk’s firm had become nothing but an empty shell. With investors pulling their funding one after another, creditors were eager to collect. To cover the tax bill, Kirk sold the business, the manor, and eventually even pawned his million-dollar watch.He now rented a dark, damp basement apartment on the rough side of town. The place reeked of mildew, and cockroaches crawled across the walls. For a man who had once been spoiled by luxury, it was nothing short of hell. Eden, who had promised to stand by him while he star

  • The Woman in My Seat   Chapter 5

    I hurled the blood-stained evidence at his hypocritical face. Kirk’s eyes widened, and his face turned pale. Not bothered to check on him, I swallowed the pain and walked out of the conference room. Despite the immense agony, I went straight to the precinct and submitted the evidence. After giving my statement, I left the station for the hospital to get treatment for my injuries. The physician told me that the nerves in my hand would have been severed had the cut been slightly deeper. Even with the damage repaired, my days of lifting anything substantial or sketching detailed designs were effectively over.While I looked at layers of gauze over my hand, a rush of liberation washed over me. Meanwhile, Kirk blew up my phone with calls. I shut the phone off and dumped it in the trash can. Kirk assumed that I was just acting up like before. In his mind, it wouldn’t be long before I came crawling back to him. After all, there was a time I lost myself in my feelings for

Plus de chapitres

Vous vous intéresseriez aussi à

Découvrez et lisez de bons romans gratuitement
Accédez gratuitement à un grand nombre de bons romans sur GoodNovel. Téléchargez les livres que vous aimez et lisez où et quand vous voulez.
Lisez des livres gratuitement sur l'APP
Scanner le code pour lire sur l'application
DMCA.com Protection Status