Chapter 113 Confronting Tabitha

Chapter 113 Confronting Tabitha
Daylan's POV

I ended up staying at the apartment after checking up on the renovations in my building. There wasn't anything to do for me there, so I decided to just continue with research on the laptop and my project on the kitchen counter. Brie had texted me ten minutes ago that Mark wanted to work with her, and I was over the moon for her. The front door opened, and I furrowed my brows as I stood up from the bar stool and as I was about to approach the front door, that is when Brie walked into our apartment, I could tell something was off. Her shoulders were tense, her usual bright eyes dimmed with frustration. She set her bag down on the recliner and let out a long sigh, as if she had been holding her breath all day.

"Hey," I said, walking towards her. "What happened?" I was curious to know. Was she feeling unwell?

She glanced at me, her lips pressed into a thin line, and I knew something big had gone down. We had been through so much recently between dealing with Tim and all the drama. I thought maybe things were starting to settle, but judging by the look on her face, I was wrong.

"I quit," she blurted out, her voice trembling slightly.

I blinked, unsure if I had heard her right. "What?"

She took a deep breath, shaking her head as if she still couldn't believe it herself. "I quit. I couldn’t take it anymore. Tabitha… she threatened to fire me after accusing me of trying to steal Natalie for my own publishing company. It was ridiculous! I’m not trying to ruin her career or take over her life, I just want to do my own thing."

Hearing this lit a fire inside me. My fists clenched involuntarily as the anger built up. How could Tabitha treat her like that? Brie had been nothing but hardworking and dedicated to that company, and now, Tabitha was attacking her just because she felt threatened? That was low, even for her.

"You don’t deserve that," I said, trying to keep my voice calm, but the anger was seeping through. "You have given so much to that place, and for her to treat you like this? No way. I’m not letting her get away with it."

She nodded, her expression softening as she leaned into me. "I know. It just hurt, you know? She has always been tough, yet polite...motherly, but this time it felt personal, like she couldn’t stand to see me succeed."

I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her close. I could feel the tension leaving her body as she relaxed against me. "She is not going to win. You have already proven yourself, and Mark wants to work with you. That is huge. Tabitha is just bitter because she’s not where she wants to be, but that is not your problem."

"I had to at least text you in the cab on my way back here about the good news as much as the situation with Tabitha hurts. I just wanted the good news out of the way first," she said.

"You should've called me to get you." I kissed the top of her head, feeling the steady beat of my own anger building beneath the surface. I can’t just sit here and let this slide. Tabitha needed to be held accountable for what she had done, not just to me in the past, but to Brie now. “I’m going to talk to her,” I said quietly, pulling back to look at her. Her eyes widened.

“Daylan, no… it’s fine. I don’t want to make things worse.”

But it wasn’t fine. I couldn’t just sit by while the woman I love was being treated this way. “You shouldn’t have had to quit. And Tabitha needs to understand that. She owes you an apology, at the very least.”

She looked conflicted, but after a moment, she nodded. “Just… don’t do anything crazy, okay?”

“I won’t,” I promised, but the fire in my chest was already burning hot.



I walked into Tabitha's office, not bothering to knock on the open door. I was too angry for formalities. She was seated behind her desk and looked up from her laptop as I now stood in front of her desk. She was clearly surprised to see me. Her usually composed expression faltered, just for a second, before she regained her steely demeanor.

“Daylan,” she said, her voice tight. “What are you doing here?”

I didn’t waste any time. “I’m here because you treated Brie like dirt, and I won’t stand for it.” I hissed at her, trying my best to keep my anger at bay and not to cause a huge scene, grabbing everyone else's attention on the floor.

Her face hardened. “This isn’t your business. Brie made her choices, and so did I.”

“Don’t give me that,” I snapped. “She didn’t make you lash out at her just because you are bitter about your life. You can’t keep blaming other people for what has gone wrong in your world.”

Her eyes flashed with anger. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. You don’t understand what it’s like to be in my shoes.”

“Oh, I understand perfectly,” I said, my voice rising. “You are miserable because things didn’t go the way you wanted, and instead of moving on, you are lashing out at everyone around you. Including Brie. She didn’t deserve that, and you know it.” I pointed a finger at her.

She stood up from her chair, her hands trembling slightly. For a moment, I thought she was going to yell at me, but then, unexpectedly, her shoulders sagged, and something in her expression broke.

“You think I don’t know that?” she whispered, her voice cracking. “I know I shouldn’t be like this, but I can’t help it. It’s been years, Daylan. I tried to move on after what happened between us, but it’s like… it’s like the universe keeps throwing things in my face. You, Brie, Mark…” Her voice faltered as she mentioned his name.

I furrowed my brow. “Mark? So, you are still on about Mark and that he rejected you.”

She let out a hollow laugh. “Yes, Mark. I thought maybe… I don’t know, I thought maybe something could happen between us. But even he found happiness, and now Brie comes along with her big plans, and she’s taking everything I’ve worked for. And Natalie too?”

I exhaled, the pieces starting to fall into place. She wasn’t just angry, she was hurt. She was bitter because her life wasn’t going the way she wanted, and she didn’t know how to stop the downward spiral.

“Tabitha,” I said softly, “you can’t keep holding onto the past. What happened between us, that was years ago. We both made mistakes, but you can’t use that as an excuse to push everyone away. Brie isn’t trying to take anything from you. She is just trying to build something for herself.”

She closed her eyes, rubbing her temples. “I know. I know that. But I can’t help feeling like everyone around me is moving forward, and I’m stuck.”

I hesitated for a moment before saying the next thing. “Then maybe it’s time to stop looking at everyone else and start focusing on yourself. Find something that makes you happy. Someone who is right for you.”

She shook her head, laughing bitterly. “And who would that be, Daylan? Because it’s clearly not you, and it’s not Mark either.”

I met her gaze steadily. “No, it’s not me. And it’s not Mark. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t someone out there for you. You just have to stop holding onto people who aren’t the right fit. Allow Natalie to work for whoever she wants. I also know you were trying to control Brie and what she achieved through your help while she dated Rick. She was the daughter you never had and now Natalie comes along, and you are trying to do the same. Let these women be and do what they want.”

She looked away, her lips pressed tightly together. I could tell she didn’t want to hear it, but it was the truth. She needed to let go and let them be.

“Look, I get it,” I said, softening my tone. “Life hasn’t turned out the way you planned, but you can’t keep tearing other people down because of it. You owe Brie an apology. She didn’t deserve the way you treated her.”

She stared at me, her expression unreadable, but then she slowly nodded. “You’re right,” she said quietly. “I will… I will apologize to her. I don’t want to be that person anymore.”

I gave a curt nod, knowing that was the first step for her. But I still couldn’t let go of the anger that simmered beneath the surface.

“Good,” I said, turning toward the door. “But remember, if you try to hurt her again, I won’t be so forgiving next time.”

And with that, I walked out, leaving her alone in the office with her regrets. I hope that warning Tabitha about this situation will make her back off. These two girls deserve better than for Tabitha to control them. I am not going to allow her to do this again.