CHAPTER 28

There are times I really hated Stephen, and this time was one of those times. I’m guessing he and Emilia didn’t get the memo yesterday, because while I was trying to get work done at the office, Jared walked in, telling me I could go. I was very confused by very confused because I didn’t remember me saying I needed to go somewhere, but at that moment I got some notification from my bank and a text message from Stephen.

“I realize that I didn’t get to pay you for Saturday night,”

The text message read. I checked the bank notification immediately, to see the sum of five hundred thousand dollars looking back at me. The money and message, I understood, but what the hell was Jared talking about?

“I don’t understand,” I let him know.

“You’ve been working nonstop, which is a good thing, but I was feeling a bit bad because you’ve been like this because of what I said to you,” He added. I didn’t have the time to argue, I just nodded my head instead, and of course it was his words that made me diligent about my work.

“So, I know it’s a Tuesday, and there aren’t a lot of things you can do today, but take the day off, you’re done with all the serious work anyway,” Jared smiled. I scoffed and nodded my head. I couldn’t believe it. On cue, I got another message from Stephen.

“So, I want to believe you’re free now, hurry outside, I’m waiting,”

So, Stephen had a hand in it then? I smiled at Jared, packed my stuff, and walked out of the building, exaggerating the sway of my hips, just to give the very less busy and incompetent gossipers something to talk about.

“What is this about?” I had asked Stephen, he had been leaning on my car like a shirtless model would, smiling stupidly as I made my way to him.

“Well, we’re going shopping, get into your car, let’s go,” Stephen’s smile widened.

“Are you insane? I mean I like the idea but why this right now?” I asked him, letting my eyes roam over his body. He looked as usual, but he looked more like you-know-who in the black suit he had on. Who goes for shopping looking that serious? I know Stephen never did, well except for today.

“Let’s be real right now, you are happy, but you’ve not gone out to spend money in a while, and that’s so unlike you. You shop for everything—when you’re feeling good, when you’re not feeling good, when you’re angry, even when you’re tired. I don’t want to lose my materialistic friend,” Stephen ended.

“And you won’t. I haven’t gone shopping because I wanted to finish two months’ worth of work, so I can do whatever I want, without my boss holding it against me,” that wasn’t a lie. I really had plans of working so much that when I decided not to show, it wouldn’t be a problem.

“Get in,” Stephen pointed at my car, I smiled and got in, ready to go and spend money the way it should be spent.

On getting to the store though, I saw a very familiar looking figurine waiting by the entrance for Stephen and me, it was Emilia. So, this was their plan, to make me bond with Emilia against my will. Maybe they hadn’t noticed it yet, I have a very strong heart, and when I say I’ll do or won’t do something, there’s nothing that can stop me.

“Nice try you guys, but it’s not going to work,” I flashed them a smile and began my shopping, practically ignoring their existence. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to have female friends, but this female in question—Emilia—wasn’t it for me. I despised her too much to want to be friends with her.

“You know you could pretend to care and even throw in a few fake smiles, so she won’t feel like shit, right,” Stephen crawled up behind me with his daddy tone. I mean an actual father with nine kids.

“I did throw in a fake smile,” I replied without looking at him, as the brown leather bag I held in my arm looked more interesting to look at than Stephen’s face.

“And I don’t see the use of pretending to like her to make her feel better about herself. I don’t want her having false hopes,” I added. I wasn’t doing it because I had nothing better to do with myself, I just wanted to remind her what crossing me felt like. I took all her insults and the stupid rumors she spread about me to other students in school and even Stephens’s mother. Emilia was nothing short from the wicked stepsister and stepmother combined, and to think she looked like a pure saint, an angel even. So, the first time she feels guilty about her actions, I should suck up to her because she’s so perfect? No, it could never be me.

“That’s rich, coming from you,” Stephen retorted. Okay, I know how horrible of a person I must seem to people, and how I demand for things to always go my way, and I know he was only looking out for his girlfriend, but Stephen had no right to say that to me.

“Excuse me?” I asked. I was in pure shock at those words, and even in more shock at the person who said it, so much that it felt like I didn’t hear it at all.

“Look Mel, I’m sorry—” Stephen took a deep breath.

“You know, you don’t need to apologize. It’s what you warned me and tried to stop me from doing, but I did it anyway, and it’s quite obvious I couldn’t do it for a long time, and that is why I failed at it, and I got caught before it could even become more serious than it was getting.” I pressed my lips together as I realized that my words were very true. I didn’t like to inconvenience myself to make other people feel better, I always kept it real with everyone encountered, except Reeves, and he had caught on earlier than I would like to admit. I only let people think what they wanted to think, and I never bothered to correct them. That’s how I lived, and that’s how got men falling and giving me access to their belongings.

Stephen still looked very sorry and awkward, but this demeanor changed when he looked behind me. I guess his girlfriend was back to thinking I wanted to take her boyfriend from her. I couldn’t blame her though; old habits are hard to die.

I took in a deep breath, preparing myself for the second wave of venom she’d spew this time, putting keeping it in mind that she might get slapped if she talked dirty. I turned around to see that it wasn’t Emilia in any shape or form…it was Reeves.