Encounters With Abigail

Chapter Thirteen

   I feel weightless as I wander into the office but when someone slams into my shoulder sending me staggering to the side, my buzz dies. Turning back to find Matthew there "What the hell dude" he looks livid like he could actually commit a murder, he advances toward me and I instinctively take a step back. "What is your problem?" I keep my voice forceful and our eyes level even although he's always creeped me the hell out.

"How dare you" he screams, catching me so off guard I miss his fist barrelling toward my face. Only giving time to move my head to the side preventing my nose from taking the brunt of this psycho's anger. I stumble back hitting the reception desk sending pens and paper flying.

   Fully alert now, raising my fists ready to fight back this asshole has been asking for this for weeks. He charges toward me again and I steady my breathing but Tim from security sprints in tackling him to the ground.

  He is screaming trying to wriggle out of Tim's grip to get to me but he does MMA in his spare time, -Edward and I went to a few of his fights and he is a monster in that octagon- Matthew has no hope of escape.

  I can't help showing a smug smile but as a horrified Edward rounds the reception desk taking in the sight before him, I make sure to hide it. Matthew keeps his black voids on me as he screams but his rage has made him so incoherent, I can't make a single word out so I just hold his glare instead.

  "Why are you still here Matthew? You no longer work for us!" Edward looks my way, and his sucker punch mustn't be pretty as pure rage fills the little man "And you are assaulting my good fucking staff!"I stare at him stunned, you almost never hear this man swear. I've pissed him off plenty over the years and he has never once raised his voice to me -even when I deserved it- never mind swore at me.

  The sight of blue lights catches my attention, someone in the office must have called them.  Fearing that Edward might have an aneurysm, I make my way over to him while the police enter through the door. "How bad does it look?" I keep my tone playful but he glares at me like he might give me a matching one on the other side if I don't shut it. Instead, we stand in silence watching Matthew being hauled into the back of the car.

  Curiosity is niggling at me if he was fired, I need to know why, we have never had any problems in the office before and I can't recall anyone being let go since I joined. "You said he was fired, what did he do?"

  He glares at me, "well if you must know he threatened Vera and scared the poor woman half to death. I spent hours on the phone with her last night and she is still terrified to come in, even after I told her that Mathew would be fired first thing this morning." I shake my head not sure how to respond.

   Vera wouldn't hurt a fly and knowing he has intimidated her fills me with almost as much rage as it has Edward. He lets out a huge sigh, "that man has some serious anger issues and I have been made aware that he has been giving you a hard time too" he sighs again and mutters "now of all the times."

  I push my hair back dragging my hand through it trying to ignore the end of that "It is nothing I couldn't deal with Sir, but I agree he has some serious anger problems."

  By the time the police are finished taking statements it's nearly lunch –so much for getting an early start- I decide to just eat instead and after ordering some flowers for Vera I send Abigail a text.

 Alex: No idea when I will be back tonight my HR manager lost his mind and the police just left so I haven't even started yet, sorry.

  I put the phone down and take a bite out of my sandwich but my jaw throbs with pain, so I give quickly up. Matthew must have been wearing rings or something because combined with the fresh bruise from cheekbone to jaw I also am sporting a pretty gash through the centre.