Chapter 0043
A chill went down my spine at Elena’s words. Some people say things like that but don’t actually mean it.
Elena Sheffield, however, was a woman of her word. I’ve seen her seek vengeance on others for far less. I suddenly felt very nauseous.
Elena strutted away and I booked it to the bathroom. I locked myself in the first stall and took several deep breaths. I looked at the toilet. Was there anything grosser than throwing up in a public restroom? I could barely bring myself to even sit on a toilet, much less put my face that close to where others‘ rear ends have been.
Oh, I had to stop that train of thought. That was making the nausea worse. I closed my eyes and actively turned the voice in my brain off until the feeling subsided. I breathed a sigh of relief.
“Thank God,” I muttered.
“Hazel?” Theard Maria’s voice from outside my stall.
“Oh, Maria!” The sound of her voice made the dam burst. Tears and snot that had been pent up for days just immediately began flowing down my face.
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“I saw you running in here…what’s wrong? What happened?”
I opened the stall door and threw my arms around her neck. She held me until the tears finally subsided.
“Okay, you need a break. This weekend I’m taking you to get a massage and a manicure and we’re going to drink wine until we become blathering idiots like Brunch Peter,” Maria said, wiping tears from my cheeks with her thumbs.
I laughed. “Will you marry me?” I asked.
Maria smiled. “Not with those snot bubbles coming out of your nose like that.”
I covered my nose and frowned. “Oh my god.” I ran over to the paper towel dispenser and grabbed one. I blew my nose into it.
“Beautiful,” Manq said.
I pretended to throw the paper towel at her. She let out a small scream and jumped backwards before. realizing I hadn’t actually released it. She gave me the middle finger. I laughed and threw it in the trash. “I’m sorry you got stuck with clean–up duty after brunch” I said, turning the faucet on to wash my hands. “Trust me, I preferred that to being called into the CEO’s office. What did he say to
you?”
I turned the sink off and dried my hands. “He thinks I was working with Peter on this.” I shook my head.” That is the part that hurts me the most, that he could actually think I would betray him like that, even after all that I’ve done for him.
Maybe I was seeing Logan and I’s work relationship all wrong. I had felt over the past several weeks that we were creating some sort of bond. Is that my issue with relationships in general? Do I get so attached so fast that I ignore how things really are?
“I’m sure he’s been surrounded by fake people that have eventually betrayed him his whole life, as rich
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and handsome as he is,” Maria said. “I bet this whole mess will blow over as soon as Peter’s been given the pink slip. Logan will see that you’re loyal to him.”
I sure hoped so.
After work I sat on my bed in the rest area. I just felt so…drained. I had exhausted what little energy I had left and I could not bring myself to do anything except sit on the edge of the bed and stare at the wall
across the room.
After my post–brunch meeting with Logan earlier that day, I had waited in eager anticipation for him to call me back into his office so I could explain my side of things, but he never did. He didn’t say anything to me, actually, even when I told him when and where his dinner reservation would be. He just nodded at me, without so much as a glance in my direction.
Add that to the daggers Elena shot my direction every time she passed me, and you have one helluva way to end the work week.
Although, seeing a disheveled Peter escorted out by security once he was sober enough to walk was pretty satisfying. Still, I thanked God that it was Friday.
1 looked around at the rest area. This particular room had four beds. Luckily, no one else had been using the room since I started staying there, so I was able to use one of the beds to hold my clothes and make- up and things. Still…it was a depressing sight. Everything was a stark white color the walls, the sheets, the floor tiles. The only thing that wasn’t was the thin comforters. Those were a lovely shade of puke green. My guess was the higher–ups that approved the design did not want people to get comfy and stay there long–term.
What I really needed, I realized, was a change of scenery.
I sat up. Since Natalie had dumped Chance, maybe being at home wouldn’t be so bad. It hadn’t been all that great before those two started sticking their relationship in my face every chance they got, but at least my room had a locking door and soft carpet and more than two depressing colors.
I stuffed all my belongings into the totes I had brought them in.
“Well,” I said once I had everything packed up. “Here goes nothing.”
As I held my keys out to unlock my parents‘ front door minutes later, it flew open before I could stick the key in the lock. An equally stunned Natalie and I stared at each other for a moment
“Oh! Hello Hazel,” she finally broke the silence.
“Nat,” I said, looking down at her outfit. She always looked knock–out gorgeous, but it was clear she had put even more effort than usual into her appearance. She was wearing a long, black gown, lots of sparkling diamond jewelry, and had put her long locks into a fancy updo. “Where are you going?” I had seen her dress to the nines for award ceremonies before, but this outfit beat even those.
“Uh…I’m meeting someone for dinner,” she said. “At Chez Frederick, ever heard of it?”
I was taken aback. I had, actually. That was where I had set up dinner for Logan plus two tonight. “Um, yeah, I have ”
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“Well I have to be there in twenty minutes, so…” she waved, indicating for me to move out of her way.
1 stepped to the side. Of course she would have a date so soon after Chance. And, of course he would take her to the most expensive, exclusive restaurant within a thirty mile radius. I should have stayed at work. The two–toned rest area was less depressing than this.
“Natalie, honey,” my mom suddenly appeared at the door. “I wish you would let your father take you. It’s not safe for you to go alone.”
Natalie rolled her eyes. “Mom, I cannot show up to a date with my father. It’s a nice part of town, I’ll be fine.”
I furrowed my brow in confusion. Mom and dad had never been the type to hover this much. Even when we were teenagers and first had our licenses. They were more than happy to let us leave the house without their supervision.
Mom must’ve noticed my confused look, because she looked over at me and said, “Your sister has a stalker.
