The Next Day
CAILY GALILEO
I was staring at my screen blankly. I had been doing so for the past half an hour. No matter how much I willed my fingers and my brain to work in unison, they just would not work so I had pretty much given up on my attempt to work. I would go on with it after a while.
But for now, my head was constantly filled with several things. Most of it stemming from last night. Just a week ago, I had been behind this desk and my worry had been all about money.
But now, that worry had been cleared but had been replaced by several other worries.
I had been unable to sleep last night until Pietro came back and he had returned very late. It was around 3am when I heard cars driving in and I had waited in bed, thinking he would return to his room where he had left me.
Perhaps he would think I was asleep and he would… He would say some things… Things that would ease my heart a little from this tightness. And then he would kiss my forehead and leave or even stay in bed with me all night but none of that had happened.
He didn’t come to see me at all and I had waited till around half past 4pm before nature eventually did its thing and I grabbed a little bit of sleep.
This morning too? I had not seen him at all. Not even a glimpse of his shadow. It was like he was avoiding me… Like?
He really was avoiding me! Last night wasn’t the first time I would be saying no to him, right? Last night was also certainly not the first time I would be calling him a monster but he had never avoided me before.
But I should also like this situation, right? I had just five days before the expiration of the contract and if he could avoid me till the end of the five days, I would be able to leave him without him messing around with me any further.
I should love this situation! This situation should be the perfect situation for me but yet, I… I couldn’t deal with this ache in my heart.
“This is really driving me crazy.” I ruffled my hair badly and huffed out air.
I sighed softly and picked up a hairband from my desk, pulling my hair into a messy ponytail.
“It’s alright. I am fine.” I whispered to myself.
‘None’ His voice suddenly popped in my head and I felt the small control I had just pulled together immediately slip away.
Had be really been telling the truth? Pietro had really not been with anyone before? He had not dated or had sex with anyone before?
“Are you really this dumb now?” I asked myself with a tight chuckle.
How could that have been the truth? How could Pietro not have had sex with anyone before? He… He was for sure experienced in the way he touched me. A… A man without experience could not be that way, right? Right?
But Pietro had never stopped to amaze me with his craziness so why would this be unbelievable? Yet, it was unbelievable! Pietro GIACOMETTI was hot and handsome. For just his looks, there would be thousands of girls willing to have sex with him. And for his money? There would be millions of girls!
He had it all so how would that be believable! Even if he had wanted to do so, he would definitely have been tempted years back and would have surely had sex several times.
With my lips pressed into a thin line, I grabbed my phone, looked around me and when I affirmed no one was paying much attention to me, I clicked on my search bar and searched for the topic that was killing me.
My fingers scrolled through quickly. His relationship status was single but with a little bit more searching, I saw that there had been a rumour about him being in a relationship with a model, Daisy Browns.
I frowned deeply and clicked on the article.
“How could they publish this? It is clearly false. Pietro is not in a relationship with this lady.”
“Caily…” Annie’s voice made me jump slightly.
“Yeah?” I quickly dropped my phone like I had been doing something hideous. I looked to Annie with my signature smile and she responded with a small smile too.
“How are you doing?” She asked.
“Oh, quite well.” I reached for the tip of my ponytail and played with it.
“Sure?” She asked and I nodded, the smile still glued to my face.
“Oh, I am glad. I have been worried that something was up with you. You have been quite distant these past few days” she pointed out and my heart felt a little bit of warmth. In the midst of all these heart ache, it felt good to have been noticed and worried about.
“Thank you, Annie. I am really fine now.” I maintained the smile.
“Glad that you are. And now…” Her smile lifted a little bit more.
“That I am sure you are fine, I can table my request to you.” She said and I felt my smile vanish.
“Your… Your request?” I couldn’t put the faux smile back on.
“Yes, Caily. My future mother in law is going to be around in an hour and I have to pick her up from the airport. I already met with the boss but he wouldn’t give me an off unless I find someone to take over my tasks. I have a few things to get done and submitted in an hour or two.”
“I… Annie, I am not really sure I will be able to take over.” I mumbled.
“Oh, c’mon don’t be like that. I have to make a good impression on my future mother in law, that’s why. And you know you are really fast. It would take you no more than an hour to get done with my job and submit it for me.”
“Annie…”
“Caily.” Mr. Trien called my name. He was my superior at work and worked in another office.
“Yes?” I rose up from my seat.
“Here you go.” he stopped in front of me and dumped a few documents in my hands.
“Get those done with as soon as possible. I need the account reviewed and balanced as fast as you can get it done”
“But… But it’s not my job.” I raised my head from the papers that had been dumped in my hands.
“Caily?” Mr. Trien had a look of surprise on his face and then it dawned on me that I had actually said ‘NO’ to my superior.
“It’s not your job?” The way he said those words sounded intimidating.
“It really isn’t and I have quite a lot to do” My voice was timid but I did say it.
“I don’t care about how much you have to do. I have to get off work early so get to it and get it done as soon as possible, okay?” He said threateningly and turned to leave.
“Such a petty bastard.” I heard Annie seethe beside me.
“I am going to send mine to your email, alright? Mine isn’t even as much as this. Just help me with it, okay? Just a minute, let me send it over…” Annie said softly and began to walk over to her desk while I just stood there in the middle of the office, feeling like the world was crashing down on me.
With each heavy breath I took, I could feel the tension in me rising higher and higher. Pietro, Aunt Mandy, Annie, Mr. Trien, my own self. It was too much. Too much for me to handle.
“Aaaaaaaaaaargh!!!!” I screamed, dumping the papers to the floor.
My actions made the entire office freeze for a second before all eyes turned to me, including Mr. Trien and Annie’s.
“I can’t do this!” I yelled, losing it. I wanted to calm myself, wanted to put a leash on myself and apologise to everyone. Wanted to pick up the papers and quickly get to work. For the peace and happiness of everyone but would it bring me peace? Would it bring me happiness? NO!
“I can’t do it!” I looked at Mr. Trien who seemed totally shocked by my actions.
“It’s not my job. I have my job and I… I do mine so you do yours too, Mr. Trien! I just want my peace so you do your job!” I yelled and stomped my feet on the floor.
“You too, Annie!” I turned to face her.
“Do your job! I… If you want to go out to pick your future mother in law, then plan your time better and manage yourself better. Don’t send me your works! I have my life too! I…” My eyes were already filled with tears and I couldn’t point out the exact reason why. Everything was just overwhelming.
“I can’t do this. I really can’t…” I shook my head, feeling a tear roll down my cheeks.
I brushed it away hastily and as I let my hand down, I saw Mr. Trien approaching me with visible rage on his face. Few seconds later, he stopped in front of me and the next second he hit me hard across the face.
I gasped with shock and pain as the force of the slap hit me. I felt my cheek tremble terribly and I slowly pulled myself to a straight position.
“Who do you suddenly think you are? Ugh?!” Mr. Trien yelled as more tears rolled down my cheeks.
My cheek burned with the sting of his hit but I didn’t feel so weak in this situation, I didn’t feel so helpless. Maybe… Maybe it was because I knew I had Pietro, maybe that was why I didn’t feel so weak even in this humiliated position.
“You come in here everyday wearing new designer clothes and so you feel powerful, right?! Clothes that cost thousands! Heels that cost even more! And you suddenly think that because you are being a whore for some rich old man out there, you can refuse to work?! If you can’t do what you are asked to, then fucking quit work, you whore!” He yelled in my face and as I blinked, more tears rolled down.
“I…” I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came out.
I turned on my heel, grabbed my phone and ran out of the office, brushing my tears away. I had done what they all wanted all these while! I worked for them, even babysat for some a few times, I had filled in for them several times and yet the very first time I said no, I was hit in the face.
The pain, the humiliation, the insult, the feeling of betrayal made me want to bawl my eyes out. My mind was focusing on one person, Pietro. I wanted to see him. Something told me he could ease my pains away but then, he was still avoiding me.
As I stepped outside of the building, my tears blurring my sight, the first thing I saw was a luxurious black car and I felt my heart skip several beats.
I stopped in my tracks as the car door opened and Pietro stepped out, his face a combination of rage and worry.
Looking at him stand there, I did the very first thing that popped in my head.
“Pietro.” I sobbed his name before running into his arms and breaking down completely.
And I was right… I instantly felt better. A whole lot better.