Chapter 67 A Lost Puppy
She wasn’t hurt, nor was she in danger.
“What… what are you doing?” I barked, immediately tilting my head away from her as I threw my palm to my face.
My voice sounded harsher than I wanted it to, but I didn’t care. My heart was still racing from the scream.
“I wanted to show you something,” she said calmly.
“Put something on… right now!” I snapped.
“Why?” she asked, her voice still calm.
“It’s nothing new,” she added.
“Why did you scream like that?” I asked, avoiding eye contact with her.
Then I heard her footsteps slowly against the floor.
“I just wanted to show you how hot I am,” she said, her voice seductively soft.
My jaws clenched.
“What! This isn’t funny.”
“Definitely,” she replied.
Before I could process the whole situation, I felt her fingers moving on my chest.
“Don’t,” I warned but she didn’t stop.
Instead, her hand slid up to my tie, and in one fast motion, she pulled me.
I stumbled forward before I could react, the sudden force throwing me off balance as we both went down.
Our weight made the mattress dip underneath us.
For a few seconds, our eyes met and everything around us went still.
She didn’t look shy.
She didn’t look embarrassed.
She looked at me as if she were calculating.
“This time… you ran in here yourself,” she smiled, looking into my eyes as she wrapped her arm around me.
“You screamed,” I replied.
“And you came.”
The way she said that made my stomach turn.
I removed her hands forcefully and pushed myself up immediately, my eyes turning red.
I stepped away from the bed like it was a plague.
“Have you lost your mind?” I demanded, my fist clenched by my side.
She sat up slowly, completely unbothered by the way she was naked.
For a split second… just a split second, I noticed how beautiful and sexy her body was and I hated myself for noticing.
“You are overreacting,” she said, crossing her legs.
“That’s not a joke,” I said through gritted teeth.
“You made me think something happened to you.”
“Something did happen though,” she tilted her head.
My fists became tighter at my sides.
“This isn’t funny, Cassandra.”
“No, it’s not,” she agreed softly.
“I just wanted you to see what you are rejecting,” her lips curved faintly.
“You think this would change anything?” I stared at her, my voice low and my eyes bloodshot.
She didn’t seem to care about the fury in my eyes, or how firm my voice was.
“You think this silly strategy of yours will work on me like it did the first time? You lie,” I said, my voice firm as I pointed my finger at her.
Her expression changed just slightly. She looked as if she wanted to cry, but she didn’t.
“I’m carrying your child. So you don’t get to treat me like a responsibility you have to tolerate,” she said.
I exhaled slowly, trying to balance myself.
“Don’t act like the victim here,” I said, my voice almost high.
“I am… I am the victim,” she said firmly.
I hissed and walked towards the door, then stopped.
And without turning back, I added, “If you ever dream like that again without a reason, I won’t come running.”
That was a lie.
I wouldn’t want to risk it because she was at my house. If anything happened to her, I would be held responsible.
With that, I stepped out and closed the door behind me before adjusting my tie.
By the time I got to work, my mind was still swirling with anger.
Not the loud kind of anger that makes you shout, but the quiet one.
The kind that sits in your chest and wouldn’t cool down unless you vent it out.
I walked past the reception without my usual nod, and I just headed straight to my office section. A few heads turned, but I didn’t care.
Marcus, who was talking to a colleague when I entered, noticed and followed me immediately.
I unlocked the door to my office and sank down into my chair before burying my face in my palms.
He also took a seat and leaned back in the chair, her eyes narrowing as he stared at me.
“Why do you look like you just came back from a war front?” he asked.
I didn’t raise my head immediately.
After a few seconds, I raised it, my eye slightly red.
“You won’t believe what happened this morning,” I started, my jaw tight.
“Oh… what happened?” he asked, leaning forward.
I explained everything that happened before I left home to him and all he could do was laugh.
Not a chuckle.
A full mocking laugh.
“You find that funny?” I said, my voice firm as I stared at him.
He tried to compose himself but he failed.
“Wait, she screamed so you would run in, and then… You turned away like some high school kid?”
I shot him a sharp glare. One that was enough to cut a glass.
His laughter only faded when he saw how serious I was.
Then he cleared his throat and adjusted his tie.
“Sorry. That was insensitive,” he admitted.
I leaned back and stared at the ceiling for a while before looking back at him.
“That sly bitch,” I mumbled under my breath.
“And the thing is, I don’t think she understands boundaries,” I said, loud enough for Marcus to hear.
“Sounds like that,” he nodded.
“You would need to stop reacting to anything she does emotionally. That’s what someone like her feeds on,” he added.
I looked at him and rubbed my temple.
I wasn’t quite sure what he meant.
To shift the topic, he cleared his throat and said casually, “Speaking of feeding on reaction… have you gotten any more anonymous texts?”
“No…. Nothing after the last one,” I replied.
“You see… I told you it was nothing serious. Probably someone bored or they got the wrong number,” he shrugged lightly with a satisfied look.
“I figured,” I sighed.
“Let’s grab a few drinks at my place after work. You in?” I said.
“Sure,” he said and stood.
“I would be in my office,” he added and left, the door closing softly behind him.
I sighed.
I didn’t invite Marcus over for nothing.
I invited him over because I wanted another presence aside from Cassandra’s in that house, even if it was for a short while.
Marcus and I both pulled into my driveway and went into my house.
The house was silent.
No music. No television sound. No movement.
I unlocked the door and entered first.
Marcus followed right after me.
“She’s not home?” Marcus asked, glancing around.
“Seems like it,” I replied and dropped my suitcase and keys on the console table.
“Give me a few minutes. I’m going to change.”
He nodded and sank onto the couch, already loosening his tie.
I walked down into my room and closed the door behind me.
Then I pulled off my jacket and unbuttoned my shirt slowly, breathing out the uneasiness from the day.
When I was done, I walked out.
That was when I heard the front door open, footsteps followed.
When I was close to the living room, I heard her voice.
“Hello, Marcus.”
Did I just hear her call Marcus’s name?
I had never introduced them to each other.
So, how come she knew his name?
When I stepped into the living room, Cassandra was standing near the door, her handbag hanging loosely from her shoulder.
Marcus was already standing too.
“How do you know each other?” I asked, glancing between both of them.
They didn’t answer.
Marcus looked at her.
Cassandra also looked at him.
While I looked at them like a lost puppy.