Aiden's expression darkened as he turned to Tatum, frustration seeping through his words. What is wrong with her and why is she acting like this?
"What's your problem, Mrs. Joy? Vivienne did something good for once, and you're just going to dismiss it? You should be grateful!"
Tatum's eyes traced his face at his words, a wave of disappointment washing over her. She had thought they were a team, but here he was, throwing her under the bus. Kyle's eyes widened in shock, and he quickly covered his mouth, realizing how harsh Aiden's words were.
"Whoa, Mr. Aiden..."
"What?" Aiden shot back, looking at Kyle with confusion. "You think I'm wrong? She acts like she's above it all, but what has she actually done to help?"
Each word felt like a stab to Tatum's chest, and she could feel the heat rising in her cheeks. She had worked hard, not for recognition but out of a desire to protect Aiden and the firm as well.Vivienne, sensing the shift in the atmosphere, leaned forward with a smirk.
"Maybe Mrs. Joy is just mad because she knows she can't measure up. It must be hard to accept that someone else is actually getting things done."
Tatum clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms as anger coursed through her.
"Is that what you think, Vivienne? That I'm bitter because you've played this game so well?"
Aiden crossed his arms, nodding at Vivienne.
"Exactly! You could learn a thing or two from her. Instead, you just sit back and complain. You're all talk today, what is going on?"
Kyle, still shocked, tried to intervene.
"Guys, this isn't helping. Can we just take a moment to—"
"I'm done for today." Her voice was steady, but inside she was a whirlwind of frustration. She shot a glance at Vivienne, and she added with a scary grin her tone laced with full seriosity. "Congrats, Mrs. Vivienne! Remember that every fucking action has consequences."
With that, Tatum turned on her boots and stormed out, slamming the door behind her, her heart pounding with anger. She was so furious that she couldn't stop shaking. The image of her boss calling her ungrateful made her sigh loudly.Tatum stepped outside the building, the cool air jolting her back to reality. With a trembling hand, she fished a cigarette from her pack and lit it, the brief flame illuminating the tension on her face. She took a deep drag, letting the smoke curl around her. As she inhaled deeply, Tatum could have sworn her emerald green eyes darkened, mirroring the storm brewing inside her.
Karma's gonna track you down one day, reddie. She's gonna fuck you up so bad, that you will beg for mercy.
Unknown: Still hearing their screams, Tatum? I do. Every night.
She gritted her teeth, willing herself to breathe as another message popped up:
Unknown: Maybe I'll help you join them.
She stomped on the cigarette and went to her car. Turned on the engine and vanished.
------------------------------
"There will be times when you will lose everything. Including your mind. But if you lost your mind, well... at some point you will realize that you are left with the one who actually controls everything: the soul. That's when everything feels invincible, indestructible. Because a person's soul is incredibly demanding."
She analyzes the words of the woman in the armchair next to the sofa where she's sprawled out.
The woman is right, but how can she know if her soul can still hold on? There are moments when she feels like she doesn't have one, others when she feels it's too tense, but often it trembles. Is she too complicated or does she simply not understand?
"Why does my soul tremble, Martha?" she asks with her eyes closed. She doesn't want to open them because she's hit a sensitive chord.
"Because it longs for something, it searches for something" Martha replies.
She opens her eyes and looks at her neutrally. It's true. Her soul is full of pain, bitterness, discomfort, and unreciprocated love; it's filled with longing and sadness. Longing drains her of strength.
"How do I make it stop?" she asks, getting up. She rests her elbows on her knees and messes up her hair.
"First, you have to truly want it," Martha says, looking her in the eyes.
"Not the longing, Martha..." she adds, distracted by the branches of the trees fluttering their leaves in the breeze. "The illusions."
"Your illusions are created because of your lack, my dear." Martha gets up and walks slowly to her desk. "Lacks that need to be filled as quickly as possible." She leaves some papers on the smooth surface of the desk. "Become the missing piece."
She sighs loudly. To heal her soul, she has to want to banish the longing. To become the missing piece. Great! Martha is really helpful right now.
"You're talking nonsense..." she says, pouting.
Martha smiles playfully and looks into her eyes. "Try to be happy."
She makes a nasty face and gets up. But I am happy! Okay... I fake my happiness pretty well. Isn't that good enough?
"I'm happy!" she exclaims, exasperated.
"Truly, Tate. You can find happiness in anything, even in yourself. Stop complicating things unnecessarily and do what your heart tells you!"
Do what her heart tells her? Her heart often tells her to leave, to go out into a field and scream her sorrow. Her heart tells her to be herself, but her mind says no one deserves to know her for who she really is. Her heart tells her to be more serious, but she does the complete opposite. She finds masks every day just to hide her true self from the world. Not that she cares, but as she said: no one deserves to know her for who she really is.
Happiness is something insignificant to her, yet she still shows it wherever she goes. She smiles falsely, laughs falsely, and makes jokes, and surprisingly, people actually believe that she's okay.
"I haven't tried a threesome yet..." she says thoughtfully.
"Tatum!" Martha exclaims.
Oh God, her name shouted from Martha's lips sounds terrifying as hell. She loves it.