Stay With Me Always

Five

Ashley's POV

I woke up completely exhausted. I couldn't get enough sleep as I kept tossing and turning. My thoughts were so puzzled and scattered because of last night that it made it impossible to fall asleep.

As I drove home from my parent's house to my apartment to get ready for office I kept thinking about the decision I took last night. I wasn't sure if it was the best professional decision but it still felt right. It was something I had to do.

I called my assistant and got the papers ready for the said decision as soon as reached home. I didn't want to change my mind and back off.

The first thing I did as I reached office was sign off the papers and make it official. Once it is on paper, it can't influence me to change my mind.

After an hour or so, David walked into my cabin. He knocked my desk to gain attention. I looked up to see his smug arrogant smile.

"You were supposed to knock on the door." I said

"The door was opened, I figured why knock."

"Always knock. Anyway, didn't you get the call? Why are you here?" I asked

He frowned looking completely confused. He looked adorable, dare I think. I mentally slapped myself for even considering the thought.

"What call? I didn't get any call"

"You didn't? Let me clarify, I'll call my stupid assistant right now" I reached for my landline to call her when he held my hand. I immediately snatched it back. He raised his hand in defeat "What are you doing?"

"I got the call. I just came in to confirm. I thought you were pissed and messing with me."

"Do you think I'm someone who messes around like that? I meant that."

"You can't just fire me. What is your big reason? Because the last I remember, you were very impressed by my work." He was angry, I could tell. I know angry but it wasn't the anger I was familiar with, it was something different.

"You've no sense of boundary. You piss me off all the time. Yes, I appreciated your work but your arrogance trumps it all." I took a little step closer, just to make a point "And your constant need to get close to me is infuriating me. I can't work with someone like that."

He narrowed his eyes. I struck a nerve with my words.

"Could you please grow up? I'm not professional, right. You're firing me because you don't like me. I don't know the dictionary meaning but that ain't professional either. You're just scared that someone might figure you out and realize you're not the scary person you pretend to be."

"You shut the hell up" I shouted at the top of my lungs. I could see some of employees looking at us. No one has ever stood in my cabin and said these many insulting words. "Do you've any idea what I could do to your career? The best thing right now for you is to get your shit together and leave before I do something that can't be undone."

"You're unbelievable. You're so fucking unbelievable" he started walking towards the door. He stopped and turned around to say the last thing he could possibly say to hurt me. "I figured out why your husband left you. If I were him, I would've left you too." And he walked out without even realizing the impact of his stupid words on me.

He didn't stop but all of sudden I felt the world stop. No one has mentioned my marriage in a long time and they had a good reason not to. I don't want to remember that life but as soon as I heard those words, everything flashed infront of my eyes. It was every memory I had ever blocked out of my life.