Episode4
1407 Words
Queeneth couldn't sleep that night.
She fidgeted throughout the night, with Denise words ringing on her head, and the thought of George’s gentle concern giving her butterflies. Morning came too quickly, and her body felt so weak, like it carried the weight of the past ten years all over again.
She stood in front of the mirror, covering her puffy under-eye with light makeup, her face was dull due to lack of quality sleep from last night. Rejoice was still fast asleep with her favorite teddy lying close to her.
Queeneth went close and leaned on her”I love you my most precious gift” she whispered, giving her a gentle kiss on the forehead.
The moment she stepped into the office, her mood changed. The only thing on her mind was how to protect her job and stay focused like she has always been before Denise came into the picture.
The air felt tighter. The whispers around the hallway louder, Her eyes caught Denise's own, and she quickly took her face. Denise was standing close to a printer while talking with Emelda, but his focus was all channeled to Queeneth as she walked in.
Queeneth didn't care, she walked past like he didn't exist. Like he wasn't the man who stole her heart, the man who abandoned her and the ghost who appeared from nowhere to shatter the peace she has built for years.
A few minutes later, Emelda rushed down to her desk
“How are you?” she asked, gazing on how mean her face is.
“I'm alive,” Queeneth said, eyes on her screen.
Emelda bit her lips “when are you telling George”
Queeneth blinked.” About what, please?” acting surprised
“ About Denise, About everything, girlfriend, he deserves to know, he has been kind to you. Don't you think?”.
Queeneth took a deep breath” I don't even know what I'm doing yet. I can't afford to lose this job, George can be very… unpredictable.“
“But he's not wicked, Emelda added gently. You saw how he looked at you yesterday. That man cares can't you see?”
“I will give it a thought, but for now I want to be left alone “
After a short while, Queeneth was summoned to George's office, and her heart skipped.
She adjusted her blouse, knocked gently, and walked in. George was seated by his desk, scrolling through some documents. He looked up at her and gave a soft smile.
“Queeneth, come in.”
She quietly stepped in and closed the door behind her. “You asked to see me, Sir.”
“Yes, you can have a sit” he said” I wanted to review the progress of our new project with you, but I have noticed you haven't been your best lately, and I want to be sure everything is on track.”
“It is, sir. I have corrected the last document you sent to me and scheduled the next client appointment to be next week “
He gazed at her face for sometime and then placed his pen down.
“Queeneth…”he called in a calm tone “are you okay?”
“I'm managing. Sir” she replied, her eyes filled with tears, but she held them back.
“That's not the answer… you know, you can talk to me right?”
Queeneth looked up navigating within herself, if she should let the cat outta the bag, emotions spiral up. But George's gaze wasn't forceful. It was sincere. It was… safe.
“It just… something from my past resurfaced,” she said softly .”someone I thought I would never set my eyes on again”
George leaned forward a bit. “Is it Denise?”
Her heart skipped.”you knew?”
“Common on Queeneth, I'm not a child. I know it's more than high school memories, you have not been yourself ever since the day I did that introduction”
“So what is this about?” he asked calmly, not wanting to pressurize her.
“ He was my teenage boyfriend, he promised me love but after I got pregnant, he abandoned me and never looked back… I had my child alone. Only for him to resurface from nowhere now” she said, tears rolling down uncontrollably from her eyes.
George took a deep breath, Sighing. “ I expected this, I saw the pain in your eyes all this while. You hide it well, but I have worked with you for so long to know when everything doesn't seem right with you.”
She faced her head down, ashamed.”It wasn't my intention to cause trouble, I swear I didn't know he was your friend or that he would show up here.”
George was quiet for a while. “ Does he know everything now?”
Queeneth nodded. “ He does now, and he is insisting he wants to be part of Rejoice's life.”
“And what do you want?” George asked.
“I don't know” she said calmly,” I don't want my daughter to get hurt, and I don't want to get hurt again, too”
George stood and walked towards her. He sat at the edge of the desk beside her, and calmly placed his hands on her shoulder.
“I can't preach to you what to do, Queeneth. But you should just know that you're not alone on this, no matter how difficult it gets, you will definitely come out of it.
She looked at him, with her eyes filled with tears. “Why are you so kind to me? George.”
George gave a faint smile. “Because…I think I have fallen for you.”
Queeneth gasped quietly.
She opened her mouth, but words failed her. She just stared at him, stunned, confused and her heart beating heavily.
George stood up immediately and cleared his throat “This is rather inappropriate, sorry I said that”
He stood. Just about to return to his seat and Queeneth stood immediately.
“No”, she said, voice shaking.” Don't walk away. Not when you have said something like that “
George stopped and turned his face, looking straight into her eyes.
Queeneth stepped forward “ I don't know what I feel right now, George. My life feels like a mess, but hearing this come from you… doesn't scare me, it surprises me”
George smiled.”You honestly do not need to say anything right now, I just need you to know”
The door suddenly opened.
They both turned.
It was Denise.
He looked overwhelmed and surprised, like he would walk into something he wasn't meant to see.
“I'm sorry,” he said. Stepping back “ I didn't know you were with someone” he said gazing at Queeneth.
George sat upright “do you need anything Denise?”
“I just came to drop this file”he said, handing the file to George “sorry to interrupt.”
Queeneth heart beats faster.
Denise's eyes locked in hers and she saw something flicker there… confusion? Betrayal? Regret?
He turned quickly and walked away.
George sighed.”well… that complicates things”
Queeneth stood immediately “I should leave now”
He nodded “Take everything slowly. No pressure. Just… be honest with yourself“
She quietly left the office.
As she walked down the hallway, her heart was in confusion. George just confessed feelings to her, Denise was back and pleading for a second chance, At this point she doesn't know what she wants.
She needed air.
She left the office building, went down the car park and sat under the tree, pulled out her phone and stared at a blank note. She's used to writing down her pain mostly in difficult situations.
She started typing…
“ Who do you choose between a man who hurt you and wants to fix you… and a man who saw you broken and chose to stay anyway?”
Tears rolled down her cheeks in confusion.
She wiped it.
A message from a private number.
“What a beautiful daughter you have. Too bad you're hiding her from the world.”
Her heart skipped.
Then another message dropped.
“How do you think George would feel if this reaches the press?”
Who could that be?.
- Writer
