Down Goes The Devil

Chapter 3

Back when Ethan was alive, he remembered making an error while typing a long e-mail to one of the clients who have requested their money to be refunded immediately, which was not convenient as the mistake would probably ignite their fury and cause more problems to the company. He was already nonchalant about his "trash of a job", however, he could not risk getting fired and lose his only source of income, so he decided to head to the manager's office rather than consulting Samantha. The manager was slightly less irritating, with a passive aggressive behavior that would amplify your anxiety through the roof if you were an over thinker or a people pleaser. He was almost as indifferent as Ethan was, did not give a damn about the job but still administered the company as he should have. 

As he was about to knock on the door and ask for permission to come into the office, the door was pushed open, and there was Samantha: Her blouse slightly unbuttoned, her chignon even messier than it used to be, and her lipstick smeared across her face. Right behind her, Kevin, the company's manager, had his hands placed onto her waist, which he immediately pulled away as soon as his eyes fell on Ethan. Samantha's cheeks reddened and she fumbled with her blouse trying to button it, and Kevin simply went back to his desk, no words uttered, no reaction shown on that poker face of his.

"What the hell are you doing here!" Samantha blurted those words out in such hostility that Ethan was taken aback, still trying to process what he had just witnessed.

"I was going to consult Kevin about –"

"I'm the one who should be consulted about any work-related matters! Anyway, let's cut to the chase, if you tell anyone about what you've seen today, you'll never hear the end of it from me. Understood?" The expression on her face seemed to darken the more she fretted about the situation, which, to be honest, was not as blood-curdling as she wanted her speech to be, but it was rather a desperate request in order for her to cover-up whatever scandal she thought he would spread in the workplace. He would not really give two shits about her love affair with a married man, after all, her personal life was none of his concerns, no matter how foul it turned out to be. To cut it short, two days later, Samantha filed a complaint against him, stating that he was not courteous to the clients who called, and he was immediately fired.

Samantha walked around the office with her head held high as if she owned the company, and as the devil, it was his responsibility to humble her to the point of destruction. He walked up behind her, put a hand on her shoulder, and he was immediately aware of her deepest desires and her most concealed secrets. The strength she had displayed was only a veil covering up a handful of insecurities, and he was definitely going to strike her most fragile chords until they finally snap. Samantha's love affair with Kevin was not merely sexual. She had burning feelings for this man, and she was waiting for him to fulfill his promise, leave his wife and finally propose to her. The devil knows better. Kevin will eventually break that promise, and her hankering for a life full of joy and bliss with that man is never going to be fulfilled. 

As a former manipulative man, he would know better. Kevin was just using her to satisfy his luscious, sensual desires. He was going to fiddle with that sensitive chord of hers until it can no longer handle anymore picking, and it was his god given responsibility to fiddle even more with that chord and bring her to her downfall. As she was standing there, daydreaming about a life that will never happen, he decided to whisper in her ear, so she can get a taste of her initial disappointment: "Go and pay Kevin a sweet little visit.". 

As if she was suddenly hypnotized, Samantha felt compelled to head towards Kevin's office. Her footsteps were steady, and her gaze was directed towards his office, with no thoughts or reasoning behind her eyes. She stopped midway, as if her reasoning voice suddenly whispered in her ear, prohibiting her from listening to the devil, but he whispered once again: "He probably misses you, go ahead and talk to him". Samantha went on and opened the door ajar, checking if there were any guests accompanying Kevin, but he was all alone, speaking on the phone.