OLIVIA
“Ma’am, I apologize for telling Adrian about it and I want to assure you that he was the only person I told. I can’t possibly lie to you. You just gotta believe me,” Kate confessed.
“And you expect me to believe that? If you are so sure about this, why did It take you ages to respond? Were you processing the lies you were going to say to me?” I sparked outrageously.
Regardless of how honest she sounded, her body language suggests otherwise. It made it difficult to understand her.
It’s been nearly a decade working with Kate, and not for once has she been found wanting. If she stopped working for me today, I don’t think I would ever find someone like her again. She makes the job of a personal assistant look so easy. But today, she stunned me. I saw a different side of her that hadn’t been witnessed before. It makes me wonder if I’ve been working with her clone over the past few years.
“I couldn’t respond immediately because I was stunned. I didn’t know what to say to you. You needed a quick response, and I was lost for words. Please, believe me. I understand that telling Adrian was a big mistake that shouldn’t have happened, and I regretted it wholeheartedly,” Kate apologized in a low tone. Her eyes were teary and sore. She got a bucket of tears stored on her eyelids. It’s just a matter of time before they start dripping down her cheeks.
I won’t want to see her getting humiliated, especially in the presence of Adrian. This may shatter her heart into pieces. I also considered those times that Kate has come through for me when I needed her the most. It won’t be ideal for me to throw away her heroics because of a slight mistake.
“It’s fine.
I believe you now,”
I finally forgive Kate
Presently, Rene has been involved; I’ll be needing more of Kate. Getting into a fight with her isn’t something I think I require at this point In my life.
“Thank you so much, ma’am. Believe me when I say this won’t repeat itself next time. I would do everything in my power to please you now. You won’t have any reason to doubt me anymore,” she assured me, after a warm embrace.
“That’s it.” I pulled her away to avoid getting too attached.
“I bet you will stick to your promise this time. If it repeats itself, trust me, you won’t like my next move, and it’s not even a joke,” I warned her while maintaining a straight face.
Kate has gotten used to my good side that she nearly lost it when I threatened to have her sacked. The last few minutes proved to her that I can’t be predicted, and I’m glad she got to witness that side of me.
“You know where Rene lives, don’t you?” I asked Kate.
“Rene?” She rolled her eyes.
“Yes, Rene.
I believe you heard me correctly didn’t you?” I spoke in a harsh tone. Lately, I’ve discovered that being harsh to Kate for a couple of minutes helps set the boundaries between a boss and her assistant.
“Yes, I did.
I was just confused why you asked me such a question,” she protested and appeared confused.
“Kate?” I got closer to her and looked straight Into her eyes to mount the fear in her. I narrowed my eyes down and realized how shaky her legs were. They could barely stand firmly on the ground.
I haven’t started yet, and she’s already panicking. I enjoyed being tough. I oftentimes wonder where this tough personality was all along. Sadly, it only took Cyril’s accident to fully unlock this hidden rage.
“Do you still want to keep your job?” I asked Kate. To me, it wasn’t just a question. If Kate were smart enough, she would know that I was indirectly saying that her job isn’t safer anymore.
“More than anything In the world right now,” she nodded.
“I don’t think so,” I chuckled and went away from her.
I returned a few moments later to pick up where I had left off. “Don’t make me regret giving you a second chance. If you want to play dirty, I would be willing to teach you how this game is played,” I warned her.
“I apologize for questioning your orders. How do I serve you better?” Kate bowed to pressure.
“Awesome! That’s the shit I’m talking about. What took you so long to come to your senses? I was worried that you had lost it completely,” I mocked Kate.
“I need to reach out to Rene immediately. Can you make that possible?” I requested.
“No,” she answered.
“I mean, yes,” she quickly rephrased her response after spotting the fire in my eyes.
“I don’t know her exact residence, but I’ve spotted her a couple of times at some lounge,” Kate disclosed.
The mention of a lounge rang a bell in my ears and gave me the urge to know more.
“Those times you saw her at the lounge, was she alone?” I asked.
“No, she wasn’t,” Kate replied. She had no idea where I was driving at.
“Whom did you see her with?” I popped the question that got her startled.
“I doubt if that matters to you, ma’am,” She objected.
“Are you going to do this again?” I scared her.
“No. It wasn’t my intention to disagree with you. I just don’t want to get on your nerves with my response. You’ve been through a lot lately. Tie the last thing you want for yourself right now is some bad news,” she replied.
“Try me,” I forced a smile.
Kate sighed. She wanted to speak, yet was confused. She couldn’t find the right words to disseminate her information.
“I’m not going to do this all day with you. Speak!” I charged Kate. Her silence was starting to bore me. I needed her to speak immediately and save me from the suspense.
“Cyril.
That’s the man I usually see her with at the lounge,” Kate finally explained. It broke me into pieces.
I knew what was coming, yet I forced Kate to speak. Now, I’m regretting it. I couldn’t handle the pain that comes from the truth anymore.
I bent my head in silence to imagine the numerous times Cyril and Kate visited the lounge while I was in the office working my ass off.
“Is everything okay?” Kate got closer to me and wrapped her hands around my shoulder to comfort me.
“We shouldn’t have done this. I had my fears, hence my refusal to speak,” Kate spoke. She made it seem like I forced her to speak.
“Meet me in the car.
I need to speak with Rene immediately,” I told Kate and I walked away.
I love the fact that Adrian never said a word even though I wanted him to speak, so I would unleash my anger on him. Fortunately for him, he understood the assignment and dodged my missile.