Chapter 147 A Mistake
June
I push the door open quietly, feeling my shoulders sag the moment I step inside.
Today drained every last drop of energy out of me — thanks to Natalya and her never-ending list of "urgent" tasks that magically only apply to me.
I’m exhausted in a way that feels personal.
Everything is spiraling. I’m being blackmailed, cornered, manipulated… and I can’t fight back. I’m too scared. Scared of being judged, of being dragged through the mud, of watching my entire career get destroyed because I made the mistake of falling in love with the one man I shouldn’t have.
I can’t even quit.
I’m stuck.
My phone buzzes, and my heart nearly jumps out of my chest. I grab it immediately, checking the workers’ forum to see if she posted it — the video. The sword dangling over my head.
This is my life now: flinching every time my phone lights up.
God… what am I supposed to do?
How do I breathe under this?
The thought is ridiculous and dramatic and absolutely something my panicking brain would conjure, but it flashes anyway before I can stop it:
What if I just— kill myself. That sounds easier.
I squeeze my eyes shut. No.
I’m not going anywhere. I’m just scared, overwhelmed, and so damn tired.
"Are you going to keep standing there?"
Leila’s voice slices right through my thoughts.
I flinch and my keys almost falls from my hand. I completely forgot she’d be home.
"I—I didn’t…" The words trail off as I rub the back of my neck, feeling stupid and exposed.
She’d comforted me this morning, held my hand while I swore up and down that today was the day — I was finally going to quit.
And now?
Now I don’t even know how to explain what happened. How do you tell your best friend you were blackmailed by the fiancée of the man you stupidly fell in love with? Or that you folded instantly, like a starving stray desperate for scraps?
Leila walks closer, soft smile trying to be supportive.
"Did you do it?"
I exhale a long, defeated sigh and drag myself into the living room.
"I tried, but I couldn’t. My resignation request was denied," I say quietly as I sink onto the couch.
"What?" Leila’s voice jumps an octave. "Denied? Did he stop you?"
I let out a sharp, humorless scoff.
"Stop me? Leila, he’s the one who suggested I resign in the first place. His fiancée is the one who said I wasn’t going anywhere. She has a video of Hermes and me leaving a hotel, and she's basically blackmailing us."
Leila’s hands fly to her mouth like I just confessed to murder.
"You went to a hotel with him?!"
I flare immediately, rolling my eyes so hard it hurts.
"Where else was I supposed to go to talk about everything? His family house — the one he shares with his fiancée? Or here, where you and the entire apartment can overhear every damn thing?"
Leila doesn’t say anything. Nothing. Just silence.
And somehow, that makes everything inside me snap.
"Yes, I slept with him," I blurt, voice cracking. "Many times. At that same hotel. And yes, it was unprofessional and reckless and stupid. But I did it. And now I’m dealing with the consequences alone."
The words burn on the way out.
I bury my face in my palms, shoulders trembling as I finally break. The sob hits me before I can swallow it down.
Leila moves without a word, sitting beside me and sliding her arms around my shoulders. She holds me tight, rubbing slow circles on my back silent and steady. And that makes me cry harder.
I sniff and lift my head, vision blurry.
"What do I do, La?" My voice whispers. "I’m going crazy. I might lose everything I’ve worked for because of one stupid mistake."
Leila exhales softly.
"What did Hermes— I mean… Mr. Grande — say?"
I shake my head immediately, wiping my eyes with the back of my hand.
"I don’t want to talk about him. Not right now. I’ve… handled things already with him."
It’s not true. I've handled nothing. But saying the lie out loud makes the whole storm feel a little less heavy.
Leila squeezes my hand, still wordless, still trying to absorb everything I’ve dropped on her.
Then — suddenly — something drop in my mind.
Leila’s pregnancy and Tobias. Her still-untold truth.
The thing I promised myself I’d help with this morning before Natalya turned my whole world into smoke.
I gasp a little, sitting upright.
"Have you contacted Tobias again?" I ask, urgency tightening my voice.
Leila bites her lip, anxiety tightening her features.
"Same response. The line still isn’t going through. Are you sure he didn’t ghost me?"
I shake my head so fast my hair brushes my cheeks.
"No. No way. Tobias isn’t like that. You haven’t even told him anything yet — why would he disappear now?"
I wipe my face with my palm and reach for my phone. "I wanted to ask Lia — remember her? Tobias’s sister?"
Leila squints.
"The girl who made your life a living hell after the Chris incident?"
"Yep. That one," I mutter, scrolling through my contacts. "We reconciled, though. So I wanted to ask if there’s another way to reach Toby, but Hermes’s fiancée didn’t give me room to even breathe, much less remember."
Leila’s lips tremble.
"Do you think it’s a good idea… involving the sister?"
I shrug lightly.
"We’re not telling her you’re pregnant. Right now, she still thinks I’m dating her brother, so she won’t question why I’m asking after him."
Leila sighs. "Alright, but—"
The call connects. Sharp and sudden.
I raise a finger to silence her.
"Hello? Lia — it’s June. I wanted to ask—"
I stop.
Her voice hits me in pieces — fast, panicked, trembling.
My stomach drops.
"What… what did you say?" I whisper. "A drunk driver hit Tobias’s car? When he was coming back from camping… this evening?"