EMILY'S POV.
I sprang to my feet, staring at the smashed laptop in disbelief. What had just happened? Was it really John's laptop that had been smashed to the floor?
Why would she do that!?
"Why would you do that?" I asked hotly, turning to her, but the only thing she did was glare at me, like I was the one who had done something wrong.
I was confused.
"If you answer my question, then I'll answer yours." She replied haughtily, "Why would you do such a thing?" She asked, leaving me in more confusion than I had been.
"Why would I do what?" I asked, my brows knitting together.
"How could you even think in all your lowliness to raise your voice on John? I mean… each time I hear how it all played out, I get mad. I boil with so much rage that it feels like I'll go crazy if I don't do something drastic." She spat out, using her hand gestures to show how she felt.
"And what is so bad about that? People raise their voices when they get mad, they…"
"Not you! Not to John. He's a freaking Alpha, and someone like you raised your voice disrespectfully on him, making him feel less of himself. Over what? Over a little, flimsy affair."
"Little? Flimsy?" I asked, horrified at her adjectives.
"Yes, all men do it, so what's the fuss? You've got to let them go free, okay? You can't just bind them to you forever, no. They will get attracted to another."
"Mandy. Let's leave." Katie intoned, but the secretary named Mandy didn't look like she was willing to leave.
"If I slept with your man, would you call that little and flimsy?" I shot at her, and she seemed like she was willing to tear me apart. Instead, she took a deep breath.
"Not you. Even if my man were to cheat, it can't be with the likes of you." She spat, poking me in the chest, and that single poke sparked a flame of anger in me—a flame I tried hard to stop from spreading.
When would people stop discriminating? Would they ever stop?
"This is for John. You lowly idiot who can't even respect rank. Disrespect my boss one more time, and I will have it in for you." She threatened, and continued to glare at me. "Don't look like the victim here. Why don't you try denying that you've also slept with someone else while you were still with John?" She asked, and that was like a blow to me.
I knew I couldn't deny it. Even if it was an unfortunate accident, it didn't change the fact that I slept with someone else while I was still with John.
As at that time, I was yet to break up with John.
Due to my inability to reply, I turned back to the broken laptop, and began to pick up the pieces.
I'd die of guilt first if I tried to lie that I had never slept with someone else while dating John.
"Damn, she infuriates me!" Mandy shrieked, turning away, and I could hear Katie trying to pacify her.
Both of them were John's puppets. Secretaries he had slept with. Secretaries who were allowed to look down on me because they had been intimate with him.
I sighed, and attempted to assemble the laptop in the best way I could.
I picked it up, and placed it on the table, staring at it. My forty thousand word count. Would they be retrievable? I didn't recall signing in, and I hadn't plugged in any external device.
I plopped down on my chair, and laid my head on the little space on the desk. What was their business with whoever humiliated John? They were secretaries, not bodyguards.
Due to their stupid outburst, and feelings of unfairness, they had cost me the work of a day. Where was I to start from? It was obvious that John would never let me off the hook simply because I wasn't the one who destroyed the laptop.
I sighed, and tried being optimistic about starting again, but it was so hard. Trying to smile made me feel like crying, so I didn't.
I simply sat there with my head on the desk, taking in deep breaths.
That night, Dahlia called, and I was so happy to hear her voice. I could not comprehend the rushing feeling in my chest that made me want to keep giggling, instead of talking.
"So how are things over there, sugar plum? Bearable? Is it as bad as we thought it would be?" She asked, and I didn't even hesitate to answer her questions.
"It's just fine for me." I replied, and more lies came tumbling down my lips. "John rarely has time to bully me, as he's busy with work, and getting a new sculpture ready to replace the one I broke. Then I think he'll be away for a while after that, so it's really bearable."
"Oh, that's much better. I've been so worried about you here. I keep wondering if you're okay, and if you aren't being pressured by John." She said, sounding truly relieved.
It was the main reason I had lied. I didn't want her worrying about me.
"Very soon, I'll pay you a visit, and I'll need my favorite snacks prepared. I'm really missing home." I said, sweetly, and she laughed.
"Don't you worry, dear. I'll have all your beloved munchies awaiting you."
That night, I wondered about Dahlia, and the lie I had told her. I felt guilty, but what more could I do? I didn't want her worrying about me, or feeling terrible.
"Don't worry. You won't have cause to lie to Dahlia again." I told myself, and tried to go to sleep.
The next day, I was awoken by a terrified maid, who said John was calling for me. I wondered what could make her as scared as that, but had my questions answered when I went down the stairs.
John was in the dining room, and on the table was the broken laptop. Katie, and Mandy stood in front of him, hands held in front of them, and heads turned low.
I didn't like the way the atmosphere felt like.
"Good morning, Mr. Granger." I greeted, and wished I had been given time to change into something better; instead of the peach satin nightshirt, and pants I was putting on.
"What the hell have you done to my laptop?" He asked, and I raised a brow confused.
"I wasn't the one who destroyed it. It was her. She smashed it." I said, pointing to the Blondie. She looked at me with something resembling shock, and I suddenly had a bad feeling.
It felt like an old bullying technique that had been alive for years was about to be used against me.
"Explain. Mandy here, says you got annoyed when she corrected you, and you smashed it. Explain yourself." He said, pointing to the laptop.
I knew it. Same old trick; never gets old.
"Do you think I would smash a laptop I can't afford?" I asked.
"I don't know. You're not the lady I used to know, so how the hell am I to answer that question?" He asked, fuming. "My question is why did you smash the laptop?"
"I didn't smash the laptop!" I defended, strongly.
"Damn you!" He spat, getting off the chair, and coming to stand in front of me—really close.
He was using his height to try to intimidate me.
"You know very well that I did not do that." I said, in a fierce tone he alone could hear, trying to let him know I wasn't scared of him.
"I trust my secretary more than I'll ever trust you." He replied, and pushed me backwards. "Before tomorrow, I need my laptop. You must provide it." He snapped menacingly, and walked past me, hitting my shoulder hard with his.
If I had no money, I'd have happily done my best, without stressing myself, but I knew where I could get the money, and it hurt me to go there.
~
Later that day, I went to the bank to withdraw the money in my savings.
It was money I had saved for a whole year, through the bits I had gotten from my fashion designing job. It had been so challenging to save, and each time I looked at the amount, I always felt a sense of pride welling through me.
Well, it turned out John's laptop was worth the entire amount I had saved for a year.
Withdrawing it nearly made me cry. I wasn't even using it for myself, I was using it to cover someone's mistakes. The fault wasn't mine, but I was the one suffering for it.
Tears pricked my eyes, as I ordered the laptop online, and they were so difficult to contain.
"A new dawn… I mean, The darkest hour of night is just before dawn. This… this is nothing. I'll earn all this in a month when I'm better." I sniffed, and tilted my head backwards, so whatever tears were finding their way to my eyes would go back in.
Luckily, there was a discount on the app, so I got just a small amount for myself. I bought some drinks, and drank one of them, gobbling it down immediately.
There were varieties of drinks in the house, but I wanted to console myself that a little out of my hard-earned money was spent on myself.
I got into the house with the new laptop in my hand, and on my way to drop it in John's office, I spotted Katie sitting on the window. She stared out the window for a while, then looked at her hands.
Something was definitely wrong with her.
Either she had a lot of problems, or she had caused a lot of problems.
It felt like her eyes were alive with gloom.
Depression.