His Woman (18+)

Chapter XV

THE OFFICE, PT. 2

If he can't see your worth, don't waste time looking for his, love.

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CHAPTER XV

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“I DON'T KNOW.”

He snapped his eyes up to meet mine in that instance, narrowing them at me as I gluped my saliva down.

He had caught me in my lie and I didn't even know how. It seemed like a completely logical response.

I looked away from him, feeling intimidated from his gaze alone. Soon, I heard the rustling of paper again and I breathed easy once I realised that he had decided not to push for the truth and instead go back to his work.

“Sit. This will take long,” he said, not even casting me a second glance.

There were many places where one could have sat. I could've sat on the black sofa in the lobby in front of the elevator. Or sat on the black sofa in his office right in front of him. Or sat on  the black sofa in any of the other offices surrounding me.

Not wanting to embarrass myself, I made my way to the black sofa in the middle of the lobby. I could just imagine myself making my way over to his office only for him to tell me to get out.

“Sit there and don't be surprised when Miguel's counterpart comes over to finish what he started.”

I snapped my eyes to him and just stared in complete shock.

That's how he knew I was lying, but how did he know this? Who told him? How did he know?

Without a word of protest, I began making my way over to his office. I walked in through the open door and took a seat as he continued to work, not giving me any attention anymore. At least he acknowledged me this time.

I sat in silence for a while, letting my thoughts roam free before they suddenly came to a standstill at the mention of one name.

Vincent.

I couldn't get him out of my head. Every time I thought I finally had a moment of peace to just be with myself, I would go back and think about the horrible things I did to that man.

Trying to justify my actions with the fact that he attempted to force me to be with him stopped working weeks ago and in my head, I was the only monster in that situation.

“You think rape is worse than what you've done? I'm going to lose my life.”

I could still hear his panicked words in my head; still feel his blue eyes on me; and still hear his pained screams everytime I closed my eyes.

It was like I was being teleported back to that moment, with the rubber gloves still over my shaky hands and the empty bucket that held the acid beside my feet. The image was still so clear in my mind and, if I stopped and listened hard enough, I could her his loud, laboured breathing. But when I opened my eyes again, I would be back in my normal position and the deep breathing would be my own.

I was still yet to learn to live with my immense guilt.

I let out a breath and opened my eyes, letting the light from the room burn them as I focused in on Daniel who was sorting through his files as if I wasn't there.

“Can I tell the priest about Vincent in my confession?” I asked, breaking the silence as he looked away from his papers and up at me instead.

“Do you want the priest to die?” he asked me back as I got up and walked closer to him. Even though he was sorting his papers, his desk was an absolute mess with all kinds of stationary littered all over it. It was starting to irritate me.