The Suite Where She Left Me To Die

Chapter 2

I turned and walked to the elevator, pressing the button for the first-floor banquet hall.

The elevator doors opened, and I came face to face with Grace, our department head.

"Katherine, where did you run off to?"

Grace frowned, half a glass of red wine still in her hand.

"Everyone's been looking everywhere for you."

I rubbed my stomach and pretended to be weak.

"Sorry, Grace. I ate something bad earlier. I was in the bathroom for a long time."

Grace looked me up and down.

"All right, all right, hurry back to the hall. By the way, have you seen Hannah? You two are usually such good friends. Why isn't she with you?"

I shook my head.

"She said the banquet hall was too stuffy earlier and went upstairs for some air. She'll probably be down in a bit."

Grace muttered under her breath, "Who knows where she's off slacking all day."

I followed behind Grace back into the brightly lit banquet hall.

I picked up a glass of juice and walked over to my coworkers.

"Katherine, are you okay? You look awful."

Thomas, a colleague sitting across from me, asked with concern.

I smiled.

"I'm fine, just a little stomach trouble. By the way, Thomas, when Robert was speaking just now, did he mention the targets for next quarter?"

I deliberately steered the conversation toward work to make sure every coworker present would remember my presence.

That night, I stayed in the banquet hall and went nowhere else.

Hannah never showed up, not even when the department team-building ended.

The next day, Hannah didn't come to work.

Grace was furious in the office.

"Where is Hannah? She won't even answer her phone. Does she think she owns the company?"

I kept typing at my keyboard without looking up.

"Grace, I called this morning. Her phone was off."

With a thwack, Grace slammed her folder down on the desk.

"When she gets here, tell her to come see me right away."

In the afternoon, a black Maybach stopped downstairs in front of the company building.

Hannah walked into the office wearing dark sunglasses and a high-neck long-sleeve sweater.

Her walk was strange, and she took very small steps.

Grace walked over to her.

"Hannah, where were you this morning?"

Hannah took off her sunglasses and flipped her hair.

"Sorry, Grace. Mr. Pierce wore me out last night, so I got up late today."

The office went silent, and Grace froze.

"M... Mr. Pierce?"

Hannah smiled smugly.

"Yes. Mr. Pierce insisted on driving me here himself. I told him he didn't have to."

She walked over to my desk and tapped on my table.

"Katherine, step outside."

I followed her to the bathroom.

Hannah impatiently pulled down her high collar, revealing shocking purple and blue bruises around her neck.

"See this?"

I pretended to be shocked.

"Oh my god, what happened to you? Did someone mug you?"

Hannah rolled her eyes.

"You don't understand. These are marks of love."

I looked at the crisscrossing whip marks.

"Love? Who beats someone like this?"

Hannah covered her face and laughed.

"Mr. Pierce. He's just too possessive. He likes that domineering, forceful style."

I looked at the swelling that hadn't gone down at the corner of her eye.

"Are you sure this is love and not abuse?"

Hannah's face darkened.

"Katherine, are you jealous of me?"

I backed away and leaned against the sink.

"Jealous that you got beaten?"

Hannah snorted coldly.

"You're just sour grapes. Mr. Pierce is a CEO worth billions. It's my blessing that he likes me."

I nodded.

"If this is such a blessing, why don't you go to the hospital to see if any bones are broken?"

Hannah pulled her collar back up to cover the marks.

"Just a few whip marks, no need. By the way, Mr. Pierce gave me a black card. I can spend as much as I want. A poor person like you could never understand this kind of happiness."

I played along, my voice loaded with meaning.

"Then you'd better hold on tight. Don't let that blessing get away."

"You're just jealous of me and trying to make me leave Mr. Pierce with a few words. Since we used to be good friends, I'll give you a chance to serve Mr. Pierce with me. It depends on whether you can climb up."

Hannah walked away smugly in her high heels.

I looked at myself in the mirror, twitched the corner of my mouth, washed my hands, and turned back to the office.

Hannah was standing in the break room, handing out expensive afternoon coffee and snacks to our coworkers.

Thomas held his coffee.

"Hannah, did you come into money?"

Hannah laughed so hard she shook.

"A little something from Mr. Pierce. Everyone, help yourselves."

I sat back down at my desk. Hannah walked over to me with a cup of coffee.

"Katherine, this is for you."