The contract we signed in hate

Chapter 8

Darian walked into the parking lot. Before he could notice the two people talking, Jea had already gotten in her car. She reversed and drove away.

Darian was only left with a picture of the guy who had been there.

He got in his car and drove home.

_____

Mira drove into a dark alley. Her car sputtered as it went down the unpaved road.

She came to a halt in front of an old, shabby house, picked up the box beside her, and stepped out of the car, leaving the headlights on.

The door creaked open. Stacks of old boxes filled the room. Cobwebs hung everywhere.

She dumped the box she held onto the stacks and walked to the mirror. Her reflection was dark in the poorly lit room. She took out a photo of Jea from the side of the mirror and glared at it, her palms slowly crushing the edge of the photo.

She slammed her fist hard on the wooden cupboard. Then she picked up an old cutter and began tearing the photo into pieces.

She gathered the pieces together, packed them, and folded them in her hands.

Turning to her reflection in the mirror, she smiled.

"I could have just gotten rid of you, Jea"

"But no"

"That’s not what I want for you"

"Even in death you’d still spit on me and hurl insults"

"That’s not what I want either"

"I want to see your tears"

"I want to see you cry"

"Plead"

"And beg for anything"

"On your knees"

"Before me"

"That will be easier for both of us"

"Not your dad. Not the company. Nothing can make you do that"

"And I’ll wait until that reason comes"

"I promise"

She slammed her hand on the table. Then she looked around the room, kicking the boxes in different directions like they were pieces of Jea. She left, slamming the door hard behind her. It almost gave way.

_____

Jea walked into the penthouse. Everything was pitch black, then her eyes caught a painting that glowed even in the darkness.

A girl falling from an invisible height. She slowly looked away and walked upstairs, exhausted.

After freshening up, she lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Her eyes were heavy, but she barely closed them. Then finally, they closed, and she pulled the sheets up to her chest.

.

Her mind suddenly went blank. A hallway appeared. Students gathered, taking out their books and bags from their lockers. She watched them from the doorway. Then, as she started approaching the students, the hall suddenly became empty. But she kept going. Just then, a girl appeared in front of her, scared. Her steps quickened toward her.

Everything suddenly turned pitch black. She could only hear screams. Then the spotlight came on. Bethel hung on the tightrope, staring at her. Then she suddenly slipped, and the painting she saw earlier appeared.

.

Jea jolted up from bed, breathing heavily. Her hair was messy. Her eyes were wide in the dark room, breath uneven.

______

Darian sat at the desk in his room. The marriage contract lay in front of him. To the left was an old file — one he had written and addressed, but it ended up in his cupboard. Then he stared at the envelope. Its contents were empty by now.

He recalled being handed the money, the threat, and the lie.

He shut his eyes hard, then opened them. "They didn’t realize. They funded their enemy"

He muttered.

_____

The roar of a fleet could be heard even in the farthest part of Santonio City.

The fleet lined up in front of the Donnis Group, creating an uproar among the staff.

Men in black suits, white shirts, and black ties stepped out of the cars in unison. Only one door didn’t open. The driver hurried to open it, and Darian stepped out. He adjusted his suit and moved in front of the others.

The bodyguards quickly took their positions as they kept moving.

The double entrance doors were pushed open by the doorman, and he walked in.

Staff gasped. The low whispers couldn’t be ignored.

"Gosh, he’s so hot"

"He’s so handsome"

"I’ve never gotten to see him this close"

"It’s such a privilege to see him in person"

"I’m the luckiest person for working here"

"Does this mean we get to see him more often?"

The whispers continued.

Jea paused and turned to look at the scene downstairs. She was taken aback. She glanced from one worker to another.

"Ms. Jea is here"

"I think we should get going"

One of the workers told her colleague on seeing Jea

In a blink, the entire crowd dispersed.

"I hope she doesn’t fire us"

One muttered beneath her breath.

Without a single expression on her face, Jea turned to leave. Near the conference room, she spotted Mira standing on the balcony, looking at the empty entrance that had just been full a moment ago.

"Are you also an admirer?"

Jea asked, one brow lifted.

Mira snapped back and turned to her

"Who wouldn’t?"

She replied honestly.

Jea’s brow rose at her response, then Mira scoffed.

"He’s already creating a scene like we’re at some celebrity party"

She said, smug.

"That’s the power of wealth"

Jea smirked, then walked past her into the conference room.

Everyone rose once she stepped in. When she was seated, Mira walked in too.

"I’m sorry for being late"

She bowed before taking her seat.

The room went quiet. No one spoke. Then Jea tapped the screen of her phone three times and the door flew open.

Darian walked in like he owned the room. He walked straight to the seat beside Jea and sat, ignoring the wandering eyes.

The room suddenly felt hot. Mira’s stomach twisted. Manson lowered his head.

"He also has a board seat"

He muttered to himself, bitterly.

_____

Bethel rode her wheelchair to the main ward. She saw people gathered around someone. She tried peeking through the crowd to find out who was at the center, but couldn’t get through. Then she slowly turned her wheels toward the crowd. When she got to the back, she could barely catch a glimpse.

"I think he’s new"

A girl said beside her.

"He just got transferred"

"He’s so handsome"

Her friend blushed

Bethel turned to them.

"What’s going on?"

She asked.

"You don’t know?"

The first girl asked, surprised.

"It’s the new doctor"

"We got a new doctor transferred yesterday"

She explained.

"Oh!"

Bethel nodded.

"A new doctor"

She repeated, disappointed. Then she turned her wheelchair to go where she was headed.

"Wait"

A voice came from behind her

The crowd gasped, turning to see who it was

Bethel turned too, and their gazes met. She stared at him as he started walking toward her. Her heart raced. Her cheeks turned pink.

"Is he coming toward me?"

She muttered, swallowing hard.