All Chapters of It Started With A Lie, And Ended With Us.: Chapter 21 - Chapter 29

I quickly cleaned up the office, tidying up every stray piece of paper, aligning pens, and ensuring the files were perfectly organized. A soft smile tugged at my lips, the satisfaction of a job well done warming me from the inside. I knew he would appreciate the effort, or at least I hoped he would.I carried myself over to my small desk, the familiar click of my shoes against the polished floor accompanying my thoughts. Settling down, I checked through the files, ensuring everything was in order before I glanced up—waiting for him.The door creaked open.Justin walked in.I stood up without thinking, my body reacting before my mind could fully process."Good morning, sir!" I greeted, my voice brighter than I intended, my eyes sparkling with the eagerness that always stirred within me whenever he entered the room.But, to my surprise, he didn’t respond. His eyes didn’t even meet mine. He simply walked over to his desk, pulled his laptop out, and began turning it on.A slight frown cre

Lately, I've found myself making more mistakes than usual, and it's starting to terrify me. I can’t help but wonder if I’ve already ruined my chances—whatever they were. I don’t know what’s happening to me. I used to be focused, sharp, reliable. But now? It's like everything crumbles the moment he walks into the room.Every task, every little responsibility turns into a disaster with just a glance from him. It’s not like he does it on purpose. He’s not even aware of the kind of chaos his presence causes me. But still, it’s hard to breathe, let alone think straight, when he’s near.“Brian?”His voice broke through my thoughts, sharp and commanding, making me jolt upright from where I sat. I stood faster than I should have, the chair scraping loudly against the tiled floor. My heartbeat stuttered, and I hated how reactive I’d become around him.These past few days, it feels like my name’s been called more times than it ever has in my entire life. If names could wear out from being spoke

"Mr. Zach," I called out, struggling to keep myself awake.But the harder I tried, the more impossible it became. My eyelids grew heavier by the second, and my body felt like it was slipping into a void I couldn’t crawl out of."Mr. Zach," I called again, my voice thinner now, barely holding on. This time, I heard the soft click of the door unlocking, and then his voice."Yes?" came his calm response.I forced my eyes open. Every fiber in my body felt numb, lifeless. Even moving a single finger felt like trying to lift the entire world. My muscles wouldn’t cooperate. My chest ached with panic, but even that was dulled—muted by whatever had been in that drink."I-I feel dizzy," I whispered, forcing the words out as I fought the growing urge to just let go and fall into unconsciousness."I know," he said.His voice—his words—sounded too normal. Too indifferent. And that sent a shiver crawling up my spine like ice.How could he sound so calm seeing the way I was? The way my body barely r

A long silence followed after his mom left. The air was still, heavy with all the things I wanted to say but didn’t know how to. My throat tightened, my chest constricted—I had so much to say, but nothing came out.I watched him with a heavy heart. It wasn’t pity. No. It was something deeper, something that tugged painfully inside me. Something I didn’t have a name for.“Thank you,” I whispered. That was the only word I could think of. The only one that made sense in the chaos I felt.He said nothing at first. Instead, he grabbed the food he had bought for me, adjusted the table before me with calm precision, then dug into the food and offered me a spoonful.I hesitated.My fingers trembled slightly as I stared at the food. I wasn’t sure if this was right. After everything that had just happened, it didn’t feel like I deserved kindness. I still felt guilty. I still felt responsible for their fight.“I can feed myself,” I muttered, reaching for the spoon in his hand. But when I tried t

I was anxious—scared somehow. This was going to be my second night in Justin’s place. But unlike the first, this one felt different… heavier. Too suffocating. Too choking, as though the walls themselves had moved closer overnight.I felt too seen, too taken care of—almost caged. Every single thing I did, he wanted to be part of it. He followed me around like a shadow, his eyes never straying too far from me. Every movement, every shift of my hand seemed to pull his attention.In my mind, a question gnawed at me.Will he follow me to the bath too?No… he wouldn’t. Right? That would be an invasion of privacy. Surely, even Justin had limits.But the more I sat there under the weight of his presence, the more I felt the invisible strings holding me down. I wanted to be free—at least for a moment. To breathe without the awareness of him watching me. To move without feeling like I was constantly being read. But with him here, that was impossible."I-I…" I bit my lower lip, searching for wor