Walking back to my desk, my mind raced with a storm of thoughts.
Maybe I shouldn’t have gone in. Maybe I should’ve just waited, but the file couldn’t wait. I had to submit it...
I tried to brush off the unsettling feeling creeping up my spine, but Monica’s face wouldn’t leave my mind.
The way she looked at me, with that icy, calculating gaze, like she was sizing me up... it sent chills down my spine.
And the way she was stroking his hair so comfortably?..
Was she his girlfriend? The thought twisted in my gut, making it hard to breathe.
Focus, Sam, I told myself as I neared my desk. Just get through the day.
Lost in my thoughts, I almost didn’t notice Nelly sitting at her desk, her head bent low over her phone. But something about the way she stiffened when she saw me approaching caught my attention. Her fingers stopped moving, the faint sound of rapid typing cut off abruptly.
Huh?
For a split second, she looked guilty.. like a kid caught stealing from the cookie jar.
Then, just as quickly, she put on that same old smile and shoved her phone into her drawer, the movement almost too quick to catch.
What’s with her? I wondered, but I pushed the thought aside. I was already dealing with too much. Caleb, Monica, and now this strange unease... I didn’t need another thing to worry about.
I forced a smile at Nelly, trying to act normal, but my heart wasn’t in it.
“Hey,” I mumbled as I slid into my chair.
“You okay?” Nelly asked, her tone casual, but her eyes were sharp, observing every detail.
“Yeah, fine,” I lied, avoiding her gaze as I powered up my system. The screen flickered to life, but my mind was miles away, still stuck in Caleb’s office, replaying the scene over and over in my head.
I could feel the weight of eyes on me.
People were definitely staring, maybe wondering what the hell just happened between me, Caleb, and Monica.
But I didn’t care. I just wanted to disappear into my work, to bury the confusion and jealousy bubbling up inside me.
Just as I was about to dive into the task at hand, Nelly’s voice cut through the tension, jolting me out of my thoughts.
“So, Sam..” She started. “Tell me more about the Tyler guy.. we didn't finish our conversation the last time”
Her question was casual, but it hit me like a ton of bricks.
My fingers hovered over the keyboard, my heart skipping a beat.
Tyler? Why was she asking about him now? It felt too random, too... pointed.
I looked at her, trying to gauge her expression, but she was all smiles, like she was just making small talk. Still, something about it didn’t sit right with me.
Why the sudden interest in my ex-husband?
I turned to look at her, my eyebrows furrowing in confusion. “Tyler?” I repeated, my voice tinged with disbelief. “Why are you asking about him?”
Nelly shrugged, feigning nonchalance. “I don’t know. You never really talk about him, and I’m curious. I mean, it’s not every day you meet someone who’s been married before, right?”
I felt my chest tighten.
She was trying to play it off as harmless curiosity, but something about the way she asked rubbed me the wrong way. Like she was fishing for something.
“There’s nothing to tell,” I said flatly, hoping to shut down the conversation before it could go any further. “Tyler’s in the past.”
“Oh, come on,” Nelly pressed, leaning in slightly. “There has to be more to it than that. You were married to the guy.”
“There’s not much to tell,” I said, keeping my voice steady, though my heart was racing. “We had our differences. It didn’t work out.”
Nelly nodded, but she didn’t drop it. “Yeah, but come on. There must have been something that kept you together for as long as you were. Wasn’t he, like, super successful? I heard he’s some big shot entrepreneur now.”
Her words sent a chill down my spine.
How did she know that?
“Yeah, he’s doing well,” I replied, my voice betraying nothing. “But that’s all in the past now. We’ve both moved on.”
Nelly didn’t push further, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to her sudden interest. The way she had been texting earlier, the quick shift in conversation.. it was all too coincidental.
But I couldn’t afford to let my suspicions show. Not yet.
I turned back to my computer, pretending to be engrossed in my work, but my mind was still spinning.
What was Nelly up to?
As I typed away, I could feel her eyes on me again, watching, waiting.
“Anyway,” Nelly said suddenly, her voice snapping me out of my thoughts. “If you ever feel like talking about it, I’m here. Sometimes it helps, you know?”
I nodded absentmindedly, my thoughts still lingering on the strange undercurrent in her words. “Yeah. Thanks.”
She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. And for the first time, I wondered if I could really trust her.
I turned back to my computer, trying to focus, but my mind was spiraling.
I shook my head, trying to clear the fog of suspicion clouding my thoughts. Well, I might just be overthinking again, I told myself, trying to push away the unease gnawing at me. I should fucking do something about this overthinking disorder I probably have. I overthink everything!
I glanced over at Nelly, who had turned back to her work, her fingers tapping rhythmically on her keyboard.
She looked so normal, so innocent. See me now, already having negative thoughts about innocent Nelly, I mentally scolded myself.
She’s been a friend to me since my first day here. She might just care about me or want some girlie gossip.
How could I read meaning into a harmless question?
Besides, I’d told her myself that I was formerly married, hadn’t I? It wasn’t like it was some big secret I was keeping under wraps.
If anything, Nelly was probably just curious, like any friend would be. And here I was, jumping to conclusions, spinning wild theories in my head.
I sighed, leaning back in my chair. I really need to get a grip.
Maybe I’m just tired, I reasoned. Maybe that’s why everything feels so off. I have been under a lot of stress lately, between work and everything else going on in my life. Maybe that's why my mind's playing tricks on me.
As I tried to shake it off, my phone buzzed signaling a text message.
I reached for my phone, expecting some routine notification or maybe a message from a colleague, but when I saw the screen, my breath hitched.
Unknown Sender.
My heart thudded in my chest as I opened the message, my fingers suddenly feeling clumsy and cold.
"You're being watched. Stay in your lane, Samantha. Be careful."
I stared at the words, my mind scrambling to make sense of them. My pulse pounded in my ears, drowning out the sounds of the office around me.
Watched? The word echoed in my head, sending a chill down my spine. Who? Why?
I quickly glanced around, half expecting to see someone staring at me, but everything looked normal. Too normal
"Wait, what?" I whispered to myself, confusion and fear swirling in my chest.