Chapter 45
Chapter 45
Chapter 45
The silence after her outburst was loud. The only sound that was clear to Megan was the sound of her harsh breathing.
Her chest heaved up and down violently as her already oily face glistened under the light as beads of sweat accumulated.
Her eyes were wide with tears gathering at their corners. Her throat was dry as she swallowed hard in a desperate attempt to quench her thirst.
Her mind was blank and she’s avoided the eyes of everyone in attendance.
To Megan, all he cared about was exposing who Cleo Ainsley was in front of everyone.
What better place to do so than here.
She could feel dozens of eyes on her but they were the gazes of an emotion that she hated.
Pity.
The entire room was silent for a while and Megan could hear her breath beating violently against her chest.
The reality of what she had done dawned upon her but yet, her eyes remained hard.
What’s he hates the most at this very point was the fact that even after her outburst, Cleo looked unfazed and unbothered.
It made Megan feel very small and her hatred to rise even more.
After what seemed to be hours, the publisher finally deemed it fit to break the silence.
He cleared his throat awkwardly, shifting the weight from leg to another as he came in between Megan and Cleo.
However, he faced Cleo almost as if he was trying to block Cleo from making contact with her.
What made her even more angry was the fact that the publisher also had the same look of pity in his eyes.
It was brief but she saw it.
The almighty Cleo Ainsley had a furrow on her forehead.
It may be nothing to others but for a woman who is always perfect all of the time, this was a crack in her compulsive mute and it brought Megan great satisfaction.
Finally!
Finally!
She is worried that I have exposed
Finally she will feel what I have always felt
These were the thoughts that ran through Megan’s mind as she could no longer fight the smirk that formed on her face.
“Megan, that’s enough.” Linda broke through the silence as she reached for her arm.
Her pal felt icy cold against her skin and her voice was sharp.
It sound like Linda was telling off a child for having a tantrum in public and this was what made Megan snap.
“Don’t touch me!”
Megan shouted as she jerked away from her touch.
If others didn’t know any better, they would have beleieved without a shred of a doubt that perhaps Linda hid a bottle of acid underneath her palm.
More gasps and mutters filled the air as her chest heaved up and down violently.
Her eyes were red and her fat cheeks were red as well. Her black hair was now in more of a mess than it was earlier.
Her clothes were rumpled and stained but Megan was now too gone to even notice these things about herself.
The room seemed to tilt, spinning in her vision, as though the chandelier above swayed though no breeze touched it.
“Why don’t you all ask her!” She started again as she turned to stare at the guests present.
“Why don’t you ask your perfect Cleo Ainsley huh?!”
“Ask her if she wrote those books.”
She spat, pointing her finger at Cleo.
“Ask her what she’s ever written on her own. Ask her whose words you’ve all been worshiping!”
Finally, Cleo stood up from her seat, sweeping her brown curls to the side as she let out a deep sigh.
Megan felt her entire body tremble because even still, she was unable to get the reaction thatshe wanted from her.
Even in this situation, Cleo Ainsley was still calm, cool and collected and this made Megan’s rage rile up.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I apologize for my employee causing such a scene at this prestigious event. It is my fault and I take full responsibility.” Cleo started to speak and almost immediately, all heads turn to her, immediately forgetting all about Megan.
“You see, Megan here, is a childhood friend and someone who has no talent for writing but I still took her under my wings with the hope that one day, she could see even her own potential.”
“Every book that she had reviewed never sold and perhaps I have a part to play for her imagining that she wrote my bestsellers, books I wrote before I even employed her, books I have been writing since my college days.”
“I apologize again and I will ensure that such a sight never happens again.”
She said sounding like the perfect angel.
The entire restaurant burst into an applause leaving Megan there standing out like a sore thumb.
“Megan, please you’re unwell. Let Linda take you home.”
She finally said, as she gaze softened towards her.
Unwell
That word struck her hard and fast as it reverberated against the corners of her mind.
“No! I’m not crazy Cleo.”
Megan’s voice croaked as it came out in a hoarse yet sharp tone.
“You may be more successful than I am but don’t make me look crazy in order to make yourself continue to look like the victim.”
“You have always been this way even when we were still kids. You had everything.”
“You were always smarter, had the best friends, prettier and good at everything. Even my parents compared me to you always but don’t take the one thing that I am good at and make it yours.”
She scowled, this time not being able to stop the tears that flowed down the sides of her cheeks.
“Every manuscript you’ve praised her for, every masterpiece you’ve published under her name,it was me! I stayed up in that cubicle until my eyes burned. I bled for those words while she basked in the glory!”
She screamed loudly pulling at the strands of her hair.