The Man She Betrayed

13. The Mystery Called Clara

Aaron

It's all just a facade. The innocence, the simplicity, the righteousness, a pathetic attempt to hide her true self from coming out. And I wanted to pull her mask off so desperately. I want to show everyone her true colors, hidden beneath her pretence. I wanted to push her to the point where she would just embrace her shitty nature in front of everyone.

"Oh come on, you're drinking again?" Crystal asked when she entered my room and found me slumped against the wall, right under the window of my room.

"Geez, mom." I rolled my eyes and attempted to pour another glass of vodka when she snatched it from my hands.

"What happened?" she put her hands on her waist and asked with creased brows.

"Clara happened." I emitted wearily, hiding my face in between my hands.

"Aren't you being too obsessed with that girl?" she asked and when I sent a glare at her, she raised her hands defensively and muttered, "Sorry, wrong question."

"I hate how easily she can act like someone she is not. I hate how nobody can see who she really is." I sighed heavily.

"And who she really is?" she kneeled before me and asked.

"A shallow, selfish, arrogant, materialistic-"

"Five years is a long period Aaron. What if she really had changed?" she whispered, pulling the half-filled glass from my hands and taking a sip of it.

"You saw her with that man in the restaurant. Does she look like she had changed?" I seethe in fury and she stared at me with pity written all over her face.

She gave up at last and changed the direction of our conversation. "Come on, it's time to sleep pretty boy." she said, standing up and pulling me up with my hand. It was a difficult dask considering her petite built but she somehow managed at last.

Once she pushed me on my bed, I threw my head back and closed my eyes, feeling warm all of sudden when she enveloped me in a cozy blanket.

...

Like every other day, I entered in the elevator only to find Clara already standing there, lost in the file in her hand. She raised her head when she noticed me and a wave of indifference coated her face. Either she was really good at hiding her emotions or probably she didn't have one, the latter sounded more like the Clara I used to know.

Once we reached our floor, she exited first and after she left, something shiny on the marbled floor caught my attention. I bent down and picked up what appeared to be a flash drive. Deciding to give it back to her later, I made my way towards my office.

I had a meeting first so after leaving my suit case on the desk, I made my way towards the conference room where Amber and our British clients were already waiting for me. The meeting went for almost two hour and after it ended, I made my way back to my office.

As soon as I entered inside, a horrified gasp reached my ears, followed by the sight of Clara with her mouth hanging low. She looked like she was searching for something inside the office and I caught her in between.

"What are you doing here?" I fumed, stepping towards her.

Her face paled in response. "Give it back." she whispered, her voice barely audible.

"What?" I asked, drawing my eyebrows closer.

"Give the flash drive back, please." she sounded almost desperate.

"What flash drive?" I feigned ignorance.

"The one you stole." she said in a nervous voice. I took a step towards her and she took one back but stopped when her back collided with my desk. My eyes flickered to her chest which was heaving up and down at a rapid speed.

The fear in her eyes, although fake, amused me and I rested both arms on the desk beside her, caging her in between. Even though it was just meant to baffle her, something tugged inside my chest when I watched her lips tremble under my gaze.

I retreated back when I realised that her proximity could mess with my mind. Slipping my hand inside my coat pocket, I pulled out her flash drive and handed it to her.

"If it was really important, you should have thought before carelessly dropping it inside the elevator." I muttered angrily and her mouth formed an 'o', realising that it was her own fault.

After she left, I sat back on my desk and leaned my head backwards. Her presence was giving me a headache. I don't believe people like her could change, then why was she doing this? Why was she trying to be someone she was not? I never understood her before and after years of practice, I still failed to understand the mystery that is Clara Avery.

The door to my office was open and so was hers. She was sitting inside with her side towards me, her head bent down as she scribbled something on a piece of paper. Her long wavy hair was falling on her back, her eyes focused on her work. And her lips, the one that I had kissed just once before and they left me longing for much more, were pursed in a pout.

She had always wanted to be a fashion designer. I wondered what made her shift towards business, when she clearly didn't like it before. There can't be money issue, because she surely had men after her who would throw money for her at one motion of her delicate finger and she wasn't someone who'd hesitate before doing that. Then what changed?

"Ehm." A cough jerked me up from my position and after watching the smirk on Amber's face, I had realised how I had been staring at Clara for so long now.

"Y.. Yeah." I said, feeling flushed all of sudden under her scrutinizing gaze.

"Looks like someone has a liking for my secretary." she teased and my blank face contorted in anger at her words.

"It's not like that." I kept my voice as calm as possible. Even the idea of liking her was enough to make my blood boil in anger.

"Really? I think she is a really likable person." she smiled knowingly and sat down on the seat in front of mine.

"Well, I don't think so." I grunted in irritation. She eyes me suspiciously when she observed the way I reacted. "She is not my type." I cleared.

She smirked before standing up. "Hard working, beautiful and respectable, of course. How can she be your type?" she added sarcastically and walked out of my office, leaving me burning in hot, red anger.

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