Rosalyn looked at Amanda, trying to understand the sudden change in her personality. She had never been this brazen before.
They might have been friends for well over a year, but it was mostly because they both had a close relationship with Mark.
Rosalyn and Amanda didn't really have a lot in common to talk about, and they would usually just exchange pleasantries whenever they met. Talking about light and happy topics.
Listening to Amanda going on and on about every minor difference in their upbringing seemed more like sabotage than help. Or maybe she was helping herself?
Looking closely at Amanda, who was still talking mainly towards Mark, she noticed the bracelet on Amanda's wrist. Wasn't that the one she had been going on and on about for the last months? The one she complained was way too expensive for her secretary salary?
"Amanda," Rosalyn interrupted, as Amanda was spouting even more differences between her and Mark that were 'just truly unavoidable'.
Amanda looked over at Rosalyn, finally quieting down.
"Is that a new bracelet? It looks like the one you have been having your eye on for quite a while?"
At first glance, the bracelet looked quite delicate and understated. But its slender band was studded with small diamonds and elegantly wrapped around her thin wrist. The design was such that it could elegantly be used with either a casual outfit for a subtle statement, or in a more formal attire together with other jewellery.
Amanda had been talking at lengths about the bracelet whenever they met, so Rosalyn had quite an impression of it.
Amanda, hearing this, quickly lowered her head, blushing a little, while her eyes flitted towards Mark before hurriedly looking away from him.
She looked like a shy, young maiden in love, before she hurriedly fixed her expression to a neutral one.
Rosalyn, sighting, looked to Mark, only to see that he was looking anywhere but at Amanda.
"So, you got it as a gift from Mark," she concluded. "What was the occasion?" Rosalyn inquired, feeling her energy was rapidly depleting. There might have been more to the rumours than she had originally thought. The pieces were slowly falling into place.
Just like Mark said earlier, they had always been close...
Mark, looking clearly uncomfortable, looked towards Rosalyn. "Well, it wasn't really any special occasion… Amanda has been working really hard lately, and since she has been wanting this bracelet for quite some time, it thought it would be an appropriate gift..." He stumbled a bit over his words, clearly uneasy.
"A gift worth several hundred thousand dollars doesn't really seem like an appropriate gift for a subordinate…"
It was more like a gift given to a lover or partner…
"Rosalyn! You can't just say things like that!" Amanda exclaimed. Holding tightly around her bracelet, her eyes were slowly filling with tears. She truly looked quite heartbroken. 'How pitiful', Rosalyn scoffed to herself.
"Can't you see that Mark is just a really great boss? That he cares about those below him? Why do you have to make such a big deal out of it?!" she looked over at Mark, "right, Mark? It really isn't that big a thing. She is obviously still angry at us for the rumour, trying to find fault with us!"
Mark, seeing that Amanda was about to start crying, was getting increasingly annoyed. Things were getting out of hand.
"Rosalyn, really? Are you still going on about the rumour? Don't you trust us? Don't you trust me?" he sighed heavily. "There really is nothing going on between Amanda and me. Me gifting my subordinates for their hard work is only right and proper. And the fact that Amanda's gift was slightly more expensive… Well, can't you just ignore it?"
He went over to Amanda, awkwardly stroking her back as he soothed her.
"I told you it was too expensive Mark," Amanda looked up at Mark, the tears now slowly trailing down her cheek. "See, I told you Rosalyn would misunderstand," she gently wiped her tears before continuing, "I don't want to be the reason why there is a rift between you two."
"Do you see this, Rosalyn? How could you blame Amanda like this? He is such a considerate woman. Are you happy now that she is crying? She hasn't done anything wrong; she simply accepted a gift from me. If you are going to be angry, you should aim it at me and leave her out of it."
Mark was now glaring at Rosalyn, once again agitated.
Rosalyn, feeling that the conversation was getting increasingly absurd, truly didn't understand how they could just build on each other's assumptions.
On the other hand, Mark was furiously cussing in his mind. If Amanda decided to spill the beans, he would be done for. It was better to take care of Amanda for now and deal with her quietly later. Maybe have her fired or threaten her family? He wasn't yet sure.
Either way, as soon as Amanda was out of the picture, things would naturally go back to the way they had had before. People couldn't be bothered to gossip about a person who was no longer relevant and then Rosalyn would have no reason to find fault with him.
"Mark, since when have I been angry?" she asked calmly. "I have barely said a few words since I arrived… You two have simply been talking over and over each other, concluding all on your own about my emotions…"
Rosalyn truly felt tired. 'Maybe I should have eaten before coming? Then maybe I would have the energy to keep up with this circus of a conversation…' she thought to herself, while once again sighing deeply.
Ever since she woke up from her coma four years ago, she just didn't have as much energy as she used to. Her emotions as well didn't really fluctuate. Her mood was usually just okay, while neither getting overly happy or too sad about events that happened around her. The strongest feelings she felt were usually a form of serene tranquillity or annoyance. And she was now feeling annoyed.
The doctor had told her that it might be an after-effect of the coma, and that she might try therapy to help her situation. Feeling that her emotions were fine that way they were, she rejected the offer.
When she had first woken up, her family informed her that she had been in a coma for almost two years after a car-accident. She tried to remember how the accident happened, or why she had been out driving that day, but every time she tried her head hurt.
The headaches she would get when tired or annoyed, might have been what she considered the biggest downfall from the coma. And especially situations like these, where the conversation was going nowhere.
Rosalyn, gently massaging her head, looked at Mark and Amanda. Mark was still stroking Amanda's back, while Amanda kept wiping away her tears.
"Rosalyn, I understand that you are angry, and I don't fault you for it," Amanda sniffled, "but you really should let the rumour go, it's not good for any of us if you keep making things difficult."
"Yes, it's time to let it go, Rosalyn," Mark agreed. "Even if you haven't said much since you came in, your attitude has been too hostile. It's not befitting."
Taking a deep breath, Rosalyn looked squarely into Mark's eyes before asking, "are you really not open to talk about this situation calmly? To listen to what I have to say and my side of it? My concerns?" she tried one last time.
"Rosalyn, this thing is already over! It's obvious you came here to cause trouble and look at the situation now," he spread his arms out, as if showing that the situation in the office right now was of her making. "If you only hadn't come looking for trouble, would we have this conflict now? Would Amanda be crying?" 'Would I be stuck between a rock and a hard place?'
Rosalyn, feeling once again that this whole situation was getting too annoying, shock her head lightly before saying in a faint voice, "I've had enough, Mark. We're done. I am breaking up with you. This is getting too absurd."
Catching the look of quiet triumph in Amanda's eyes when she told Mark it was over, Rosalyn simply felt indifferent. She was already over this whole farce.
She then simply left the office, leaving the two behind.
Mark, feeling his panic spread through his body, stood frozen to the ground as cold sweat ran down his back. 'Fuck!', was all he could think as the world was slowly cracking before him. He had to fix this!
Tomorrow at dinner. He would get her back then.