Chapter 43 CHAPTER 43
Evelyn’s POV
Tamara and Rosaleen were gone and I stood alone in front of Alpha Michael. I felt twice as stupid. How could this repeat itself again?
“I swear, that is my project. I don’t know how she was able to convince Tamara to lie on her behalf--” I stopped, lacking the words to say. Alpha Michael didn’t look pleased.
He didn't even look at me. He just stared at the piles of documents on his desk.
“Michael, please believe me,” I whispered. “She stole my work. I swear she did.” My voice cracked and my eyes burnt with hurt.
“Enough,” he said, gently. Yet it still caused all my bones to freeze.
“There’s no way you expect me to believe you in the face of overwhelming evidence, Evelyn.One of you is lying and from all indications it’s you.”
I parted my lips to speak.
“This will be investigated,” he continued, pocketing his hand. “Until then, you are not to talk about it with me. I advise you to get all your proofs ready. You should have learnt a lesson from last time, shouldn’t you?”
I swallowed. “Can’t you really see it, Michael? She likes you and she’s trying to frustrate me, to kick me out of the company so she can take my place.”
He raised his hand. “I don’t want to hear about this case anymore. It will be investigated and there will be serious repercussions this time."
He glanced at the desk briefly, then walked towards the door. “You can leave. It’s closing hours.”
I turned around and walked past him and out of the office.
I marched down the corridor to Rosaleen’s office. I wanted to challenge her even though it wouldn’t do me any good. I was filled with rage. Her door was locked. She had left for the day. Tamara had left too.
So, I transferred my anger to walking. I walked out of the building and abandoned my car. I walked until I got to the bus station. Then I sat down there, undecided about whether I wanted to take the bus or not. When the bus arrived, I took it and found a seat at the back. I leaned on the window and watched the city until it got to the last bus station.
I alighted and walked for another hour. It was threatening to rain but I didn't care. I found my father’s cemetery and for a few seconds, I just stood there looking at the grey headstone with his name on it.
“I miss you, dad,” I finally said, my voice hoarse and my throat parched. “I don’t know if you are mad at me for all the decisions I've made up to this point, but I'm really trying, dad. So hard.”
I knelt in the grass and swept the dry leaves that had rested on the grave. The tears in my eyes fell fast and I let it go until my body shook in grief. “I’m trying to make ..something out of my life, dad. But.. I try and someone keeps pulling the ground off my feet.”
I leaned against the cold headstone and hugged it. “I don’t know what wrong I could have done to deserve this, dad. What can I do?” My breath shook. “I need a break. I need… a fucking break.”
When I left, the graveyard was still as silent as I met it.
I walked a little bit more, and found a bar. I walked in and inhaled the repulsive smell of cigarettes. The bartender didn’t look at me twice in my grey suit and slick bun. Perhaps he had seen a lot of corporate people with broken hearts at his bar.
I pointed at the drink in his hand. “Something strong?”
He nodded. It wasn't something I had taken before, but then, none of what I was going through was familiar.
I drank slowly, watching the couples paired in booths, the groups of friends in three or fours and a couple of lonely people like myself. My phone buzzed. It was Michael. He had been calling me since the past one hour. I flipped the phone down and turned to my drink.
“If it isn’t the queen of gold diggers.”
I turned to my side and Roman was there. He had a nasty smile on his face that I was really tempted to wipe off with a slap. Instead I turned away and said nothing to him.
He pushed his stool closer to me. “Trouble in the kingdom? You look quite stoned.”
I ignored him.
He brushed a strand of my hair and it grated my nerves. “Things didn’t work out?”
I glared at him and said nothing.
“Huh?’ he continued, his finger sliding to my shoulder.
I threw them off and continued with my drink. He was really pushing it and I wasn't in a really patient mood that day. I was totally impressed by how long it took me before I snapped.
“Alpha cut your tongue? Or has he finally put you in your place?”
His drink arrived and he poured some. I deliberated on moving to another spot. The bar was already quite filled up and the only free spot I could find was next to the guys who were smoking.
“How does it feel to have everything taken away from you, huh?” he continued. “But I'm not done yet.”
My breath shook and my vision blurred. I slammed the glass cup on the table with a loud thud, but not enough to attract the attention of more than a table. “Stay the fuck away from me.”
I rose up and he rose up too. He had a smile on his face. “Or what?”
Before I could stop myself, my hand rolled into a fist and I struck him. He responded immediately, grabbing my wrists behind me and pinning me against the table.
“Let go of me,” I spat. He tightened his grip. He was enjoying it. I was already in pain. “You are nothing,” he said, leaning close.
“Take your hands off her!”
We both turned. Alpha Michael stood there, his eyes burning with rage.