Laura
I stood there in the restroom, still staring at my phone, feeling like the wind had been knocked out of me. The headlines, the photos, the rumors, it all played over and over in my mind. Jake had a family. He had a fiancée, maybe a daughter, and possibly even a wife. And here I was, standing in a restroom, heartbroken over a man who never even thought twice about me.
What was I expecting? That Jake Robbins, the billionaire heir and playboy, would fall in love with me, his poor assistant? It's even hard to believe he was committed enough to a lady to marry her.
Believing he would harbor feelings for me was plain stupid. The thought was laughable now. I had been delusional, letting myself get swept up in the idea that there was something more between us. The moments we shared, the tension, the glances, the stolen kisses, the sex… they all seemed like lies now. I felt like a fool. A stupid, lovesick fool.
I leaned against the sink, staring into the mirror, my reflection looking back at me with a mixture of pity and disgust. How could I have let this happen? How could I have let myself believe, even for a second, that Jake would ever choose me?
I took a deep breath, forcing the tears back down. No more crying. No more feeling sorry for myself. I had to get it together. I had to be stronger than this. Jake doesn't deserve my tears.
The reality hit me hard. I was nothing more than a fling to him, someone to pass the time with when he was bored. He had treated me like an option, and I had let him. But not anymore. I was done playing the fool.
I made a pact with myself right there in that restroom. I was going to bury all my feelings for Jake. I would shut it down, lock it away, and never let him or anyone else treat me that way again. From now on, it was all about work. I would focus on my job and be the best damn assistant this company had ever seen. But I wouldn't stay here forever. No. I would start applying for other jobs. I would find something better, something far away from Jake Robbins. And when the time came, I would vanish from his life without a trace. He wouldn't even notice I was gone, but that was fine. I didn't need him to notice. I just needed to get out.
With that firm resolution in place, I wiped my face clean, reapplying my makeup with a shaky hand. I stared in the mirror afterward, admiring the new woman in front of me. She was glfifm and looked like she could take on the whole world at once…
I stayed in the restroom until it was late, long after I was sure everyone had left the office, especially Jake. The last thing I wanted was to run into him. I wasn't ready for that yet. I didn't want him to see me now, it would be more satisfying taking him by a storm. He wouldn't even know what hit him.
Once I was certain the building was mostly empty, I slipped out of the restroom and made my way to the exit. The office was eerily quiet, the only sound the soft hum of the air conditioning. I moved quickly, avoiding eye contact with the few remaining stragglers, and practically ran out of the building.
The bus ride home was a blur. I sat at the back and stared out the window, lost in my thoughts, replaying everything that had happened over the last few weeks. How could I have been so naive? How could I have let myself get caught up in this mess? I was nothing more than a pawn in Jake's game, and it made me sick to think about it.
As the bus rumbled along, I heard a cute voice behind me. It caught my attention and I immediately looked in the direction, it was a young girl of five or six and her voice was so sweet.
Our eyes met and she smiled back at me. It was so cute and it made me feel at ease, and for a moment there, I forget my worries.
As I was turning back. I caught a glimpse of someone standing on the street corner. For a split second, I thought it was Jackson, my ex-husband. My heart lurched in my chest, and I felt a wave of panic wash over me.
What the hell? I hadn't seen Jackson in years, hadn't even thought about him since I got back from the trip. Why would he be here? Why would he be in this city, near my bus route?
I turned my head, squinting to get a better look, but when I blinked again, the figure was gone. Just a random guy, I told myself, taking a shaky breath. It wasn't Jackson. I was overreacting. There was no way it was him.
Still, the sight of someone who even vaguely resembled my ex had shaken me. I couldn't help but feel unsettled, my thoughts spiraling as I tried to calm myself down. It wasn't him. It couldn't have been him. He had no reason to be here in California.
When I finally got home, I felt drained. My emotions were all over the place, and the encounter on the bus had left me feeling even more on edge. Arlene was sitting on the couch when I walked in, flipping through a fashion magazine. She looked up as soon as I entered, her face softening with concern.
"Hey, you okay?" she asked, setting the magazine down. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
I dropped my bag by the door and sighed, plopping down beside her on the couch.
"I don't know, maybe I did see a ghost." I let out slowly while she quickly sat up.
"I thought I saw Jackson today." I revealed and her eyes immediately widened.
"Same Jackson that I know, Your ex-husband?"
I nodded, running a hand through my hair. "Yeah, but it wasn't him. It just… looked like him for a second, and I freaked out."
Arlene reached over, giving my hand a reassuring squeeze. "It's probably just a coincidence. You know how our minds play tricks on us when we're stressed. Jackson is back in California and he probably thinks you're dead for all we know. There's no way it was him you saw." She said reassuringly.
I nodded, though I wasn't entirely convinced. "Yeah, I guess."
She frowned, studying my face for a moment before speaking again. "Laura, are you sure you're okay? You seem off."
I hesitated, wondering if I should tell her everything. Part of me wanted to keep it all bottled up, to deal with it on my own. But another part of me knew that I needed to talk to someone about it, and Arlene had always been there for me. She is the one person I could trust with anything.
Taking a deep breath, I decided to open up. "I walked in on Jake today," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "He was with another woman. She was sitting on his lap, and… they were kissing."
Arlene's eyes widened. "Oh, Laura… I'm so sorry. But why am I not surprised?"
I laughed bitterly, wiping a tear from my cheek.
"Come on, Laura, you shouldn't be crying over that silly ass of a playboy. He doesn't deserve it. No man is worth your tears. God hasn't created the one that does, and he's not going to." Arlene said, dabbing on my undereyes and cheeks.
I knew that was what she would say, and she was right. Jake isn't worth it and after the pact I made, I shouldn't be feeling sad or crying over him. It's just not easy. It was easy to tell that to myself in the front of the mirror when no one else was there.
"I just feel so stupid," I admitted, wiping my nose with the back of my hand. "I really thought there was something between us, but clearly, I was wrong."
Arlene shook her head, her expression filled with sympathy. "You're not stupid, Laura. You were misled. Jake is the one who should feel like an asshole for stringing you along."
I shrugged, feeling exhausted. "It doesn't matter anymore. I'm done with him. I've made up my mind, I'm going to bury all my feelings for him and focus on work. I'll start applying for other jobs, and once I find something better, I'm leaving."
Arlene smiled, giving me a supportive nod. "That's the spirit. You deserve so much better than him."
I smiled weakly, grateful for her support but still feeling the weight of everything on my shoulders. "Yeah. I just need to get through this."
"You will," she said confidently. "And I'll be here to help you every step of the way."
Her words brought me some comfort, and for the first time since everything had happened, I felt a glimmer of hope. Maybe things would get better. Maybe I could move on from this and find something, someone, better. But for now, all I could do was take it one step at a time…