Céline was in utmost joy. She could finally see the big bright silver lining at the end of her tunnel of problems. She will soon have no reason to feel the guilt if she ever saw the news about the crimes John, her ex-boyfriend committed because he wouldn’t be doing them anymore.
He had become so focused on finding her parents’ killers, he hadn’t been involved in any murder lately. Pregnant women were starting to roam the streets again. Céline’s conscience was getting cleaner with every passing day. Only the need to avenge her parents remained.
That too, made her happy because she could feel her hands on the money already; and that meant she would be dealing with them as soon as John found them.
She heaved a sigh as she dropped her pencil on her table. She relaxed her back on her seat and closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of success. She could smell it already. She would finally be happy and satisfied, not just with the marvel she would get from dealing with those murderers but the peace of mind she would have with her husband, Damien.
Who would have thought she would fall in love with him like this? No one. Not even she herself, everything just happened like God himself wanted it to turn out like it did, simply perfect.
She was so lucky. The luckiest even, she thought as she smiled.
The scent of Damien’s body spray reached her nostrils, pulling her gently out of the relaxing position she was in. She fluttered her eyes open and found him, packing up his bag. There was an unrecognizable frown on his face.
Her heart did a stop over and she immediately got up from her seat and walked towards him.
“Baby, is there a problem?” She asked gently.
Five minutes ago, he was having a hard on and he had left her with silent erotic promises. Now he was back with a frown so deep, Céline could not understand.
“Is it the man from Barbados?” Céline asked, remembering what got him to leave the office in the first place.
But Damien, remained quiet as he packed dozens of files into his briefcase. His hands trembled with anger and Céline found herself getting even more worried.
“Baby, what’s the matter?”
It almost felt like the more she opened her mouth to talk, the more anger consumed him. He completely ignored her and continued with what he was doing. When he finished, he placed his laptop in the case and closed it.
Céline’s eyes went from his moving hands to his face. She was trying to read him, to understand him, yet she got nothing.
“Baby, is it something bad?”
He stopped moving and her breathe seized. He stared long and hard at her as if contemplating whether she was worth an answer or not.
Céline unconsciously took a step back. This was not Damien. It looked like an evil spirit had taken control of his body. She could not recognize him.
What could have made him so angry that he refused to talk her?
He closed his eyes briefly as if struggling internally, then grabbed his briefcase and started to leave.
Céline started panicking. She couldn’t let him just leave like that. She raised her hands trying to stop him.
“Baby-”
“Don’t you dare place those hands on me!” Damien barked. His voice was cold and it vibrated with so much anger it caused goosebumps on Céline’s skin.
He paused right in front of her, breathing so hard and fast like he could commit murder. He wanted to talk and in that brief moment Céline recognized an emotion his anger was trying hard to hide, pain.
Céline’s blood drained from her body and she remained frozen in the spot. Her hands hung from their place still intending to touch him, her blue eyes were wide in shock and her heart was thundering so loud, they were the only thing her ears could pick out, aside Damien’s sharp breathing.
Time stopped and Céline was suspended in between shock and confusion.
He opened his mouth as if to say something but only kissed his teeth in frustration before briskly walking out of the office, leaving Céline in total disarray.
Her head started spinning.
He literally shouted at her…
Damien just shouted at her, she thought over and over as she started feeling like the office was also spinning along with her head.
The anger in his brown eyes as he starred at her, she had never seen him like that before. Was it just a mood swing? Did he lose money? Was it a thing he did often?
She was losing balance as the world itself started spinning.
She caught herself and sat on the chair, trying to make sense of everything. They were in good terms five minutes ago. He was happy five minutes ago. What could have happened?
“Maybe, it was a major business deal he lost,” she said out loud trying to convince herself but deep down, she knew his outburst was directed to her.
Maybe she should call him, she thought.
She tried dialing his phone lines but none went through.
Céline was starting to get desperate. Why was he that mad at her?
The way his brown eyes had looked at her, she knew she had to be the reason for his anger. But what did she do?
Wait- why was she over thinking this? Tiana would definitely know what had happened. Céline got up from the chair and stepped out of the office, in search of Tiana.
It was almost lunch time, so she hurried her steps hoping to find Tiana.
Thankfully, Tiana was still on her seat.
“Hey Céline,” Tiana greeted cheerfully as she saw her approaching; But as her bleary eyes focused on Céline’s face, she noticed the worry in Céline’s sea blue eyes.
“Are you alright?”
“Yeah, I am.” Céline answered.
“Ermmm, do you perhaps know if Damien- if something happened to Damien?” Céline tried not to give away the pain her heart of going through, but her wobbly voice betrayed her.
Tiana’s brows met as she thought about Céline’s question. She saw Damien leave the office, alone a while ago. He seemed very furious so she didn’t bother to ask him what was wrong or where he was going in such a hurry, she had pretended to concentrate on her work as he passed her desk. She had thought his attitude was due to a love fight between them, but now that Céline was asking her, she didn’t know what to think anymore.
“I- I really don’t know Céline…” Tiana trailed.
“… I did see him but I thought you would know why he was angry. Did you say something to him?” Tiana asked with concern.
Damien was an intimidating boss, but she had never seen him that furious before. The only reasonable explanation was that he had a fight with Céline. Love made people over react sometimes.
Céline looked like she wanted to cry. Her blue eyes were getting tinted with red as tears formed in them.
“I didn’t say anything to him… I thought it had something to do with what you called him for…”
“Please try to think Tiana, did something not happen?”
Her heart raced. She didn’t want to believe she had hurt him.
And if she did, how?
They were fine when he left the office, so how could she have offended him in anyway within a blink of an eye?
Tiana furrowed her brows again as she tried to think harder. Damien was disappointed about the fact that they weren’t able to secure the hotel room he had wanted for Céline; but that was something she wasn’t suppose to share with Céline because she would be spoiling the surprise if she did. Plus, he couldn’t have been that annoyed if it was about the honeymoon.
“Céline, when he left here, he was fine. Maybe you should call him and ask…”
Tiana suggested seeing the worry on Céline’s face. Their wedding was in a week, a sudden change like this was never good.
Her suggestion only made Céline’s face fall further. “I have already tried calling him but his phones are not reachable…”
Fear was slowly starting to eat up Céline but she didn’t want to succumb to it.
“I am sure it’s just a mood swing.” She said with a tight lipped smile.
Tiana was not convinced but decided to let it slide, beside, she wasn’t in the right position to understand Damien, Céline was. So, if Céline thought it was just a minor thing, then that was definitely what it was- a minor issue.
“Alright then…” Tiana breathed.
Her eyes fell on her small silver wristwatch briefly before looking back up to Céline. “It’s time for lunch, do you wish to join me?”
“No no, its fine. You go ahead, I am almost done with work anyway. I will just round up and head on home early.” Céline said forcing a smile while her heart was in shambles.
“Ah, of course, you need it. You need to start taking lots of beauty sleep so your skin can glow on your big day!” Tiana chirped happily.
Céline smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes for her heart was still in a dilemma. What could have come over her dear Damien so suddenly?
“I have to go now. Stay safe!” She told Tiana before returning to her office.