CHAPTER 43
LILY’S POV
“What?…” My eardrums slammed and my mind literally blew up from what he just said.
“I’m sorry, Lily,” he said, looking away with a tight jaw and heavy heart. “You left me without a choice. I’m only following protocols. I don’t want anyone else especially in this company to find out about this. Not only will it affect the way the public and our clients see us, but it will also create a rift amongst our members. They’ll have every reason to believe I’m being biased and not following standard protocols.”
The silence in the room stretched, thick and tense.
The weight of his words hit me like a bullet from nowhere. For a moment, my body system stopped functioning from the impact of the shock. He can’t fire me like this. This can’t be happening to me again. I never expected it much less from someone like him. I thought he liked me. I know he was being professional, protecting the interest of his company but this wasn’t the way to go about this. He can’t fire me after commending my efforts and granting me that promotion just a week ago. I need this job to take care of myself and my kids. I need this job as a proof of reminder that I can survive without Robert hawking around me.
“Noah please…” I begged the tears I had fought hard to hold back stinging my eyes and sneakily creeping down my cheeks. “It hasn’t come to this. With my years of experience and excellent performance, you can’t deny you need me in this company. I need this job. I have nothing else to sustain me and my family. I didn’t do this. I’m not capable of murder. Some very bad people who wanted me dead did this and framed me for it. That’s the reason I left New York after I was released from prison for the safety of my kids and me, to start my life afresh. Don’t turn your back on me. Please, you’ve got to believe me…”
“I don’t know what to believe anymore, Lily. Please leave. I’m only doing this for my own good and that of the company.” He was avoiding looking at me in the eyes.
From his expression, I could tell there was a part of him that believed me, even if it was little and wanted to reconsider firing me but for some reason, obviously because of the company protocols and how the public and clients will perceive the company, he held back, making it seem his mind was made up.
If only I could find a way to prove my innocence to him and thereafter, we destroy that document, then everything would get back to how they were before. But the problem was I didn’t know how. There wasn’t even a way to prove I wasn’t the one who committed the murder. The identity of the strange woman who looked like me from nine years ago-the one caught on camera fleeing the scene right after committing the murder was never uncovered. The mysteries surrounding how my kitchen knife became the murder weapon have remained unsolved all these years. Whoever that woman was, she was careful, clever enough not to leave a single clue that could expose her.
No doubt she didn’t act alone. She couldn’t have pulled all that off by herself especially since we hadn’t met before and she knew nothing about me or the Wilsons. Someone from the inside, someone who knew me and the Wilsons well helped her carry out this gruesome act or better still, hired her. I couldn’t think of any person other than Scarlett. That bitch.
The two of them ruined my life. Because of them, people now see me as a murderer. If I ever get my hands on them now, they’ll pay severely for what they’ve done to me. I’ll expose them in front of everyone. Robert should know the true colours of the woman he left me for. I just pray he realizes that sooner.
“Noah please…” I wanted to beg some more with hopes of clearing those thoughts he had of me as a murderer and liar but he brought his hand up to stop me.
“Lily just stop!” He said with a face wrinkling in irritation. “You brought this upon yourself so don’t make it any difficult. Please leave and don’t come back for your own good and mine. If you don’t, I’ll be forced to call security. And I know you don’t want the rest of the staff seeing you thrown out so please use the door,” he gestured his hand towards the door.
Pain and misery overcame my control. Accepting my fate, accepting there was no chance he was going to change his mind, I lowered my head in despair and left his office.
As I headed to the elevator, I saw Miley stepping out of her office. She was humming a song and carrying a handful of files. I didn’t want her to see me. Not in this state. But she did anyway. I wanted to hide my face and pass her swiftly but curious and observant Miley saw everything.
“Hey…what happened?” she asked in concern. “Are you okay?”
Ignoring her, I quickened my steps to the elevator. I repeatedly jammed my fingers into the buttons for it to open, hot tears burning at the back of my eyes but it was taking longer than usual to open, making me more frustrated.
“Hey,” I could feel Miley’s hands resting on my shoulder. “If you won’t tell me what’s happening at least let me drive you home. You can’t be driving on the busy roads of LA in this state.”
“I’m not driving. My car is in the mechanic. I’ll board a taxi.” I said as the elevator dinged and slid open.
I didn’t wait to hear what else she had to say as I quickly got into the elevator. Hiding my face from her view in embarrassment, I pushed the close door button hurriedly to close the doors faster.
“Lily…” she said and took a step closer to enter when doors closed, stopping her intended move and drowning her voice.
I know she’s caring and empathetic towards people but like Noah said, no one in the company should know about this. I can’t even imagine her expression when she found out I was an ex-convict, convicted of first-degree murder. I don’t want that happening. I don’t want anyone else to find out about my past. They should know I wasn’t fired for that. I just hoped she wouldn’t take the stairs and chase after me.
Outside, the weather seemed to share in my pain and misery as it was bleak and heavy with dark clouds, looking like it’d rain anytime soon.
My throat ached badly. Swallowing the sobs that rose to it, I looked up and managed to flag down a taxi.
“Bus stop of Redemption Estate,” I said as I got in and the driver a middle-aged man in a baseball hat who looked to be in his late thirties nodded firmly.
Leaning back against the seat, I sighed and kept my gaze out the window as the car started moving. The old, curious me would have been intrigued by the eye-catching sights and beautiful faces of LA as the vehicle zoomed past them, but this time, I wasn’t.
“Had a bad day?” The driver asked, grabbing my attention. He was occasionally staring at me from the rearview mirror as he drove.
“Yeah,” I replied, trying but unsuccessfully not to sob and remember it.
“Mind sharing?” He asked with a friendly tone and smile. “I can be a very good listener.”
“It’s just… I lost my job,” I let out a deep sigh like I pushed out a heavy load from inside of me but then chuckled bitterly, wishing I could tell him I was actually fired by my boss who I thought liked me and promoted me to the highest position of the company all because of something that happened nine years ago which I had no hand in.
“I’m so sorry,” he said with a note of empathy.
“It’s alright, thanks for your concern. I’ll be fine.” I said as my sad tear soaked eyes returned to looking out the window.
If Robert or Scarlett knew me and my kids were in this city, that meant there were many more dangers ahead. I don’t know what next either one of them has planned out for me. I can’t subject my kids to any form of danger. I can’t let them find out about Robert either or for him to come take them away from me. I can’t afford to lose them. Which is why we must move again. As soon as I get back home, I’m packing our bags and we’re leaving LA as quickly as possible. It will be difficult moving out and starting all over again, but it will be worth the safety it provides.