HUSH. Episode 23
1292 Words
The spacious executive office overlooked the city’s skyline through floor-to-ceiling windows.
Neatly arranged files covered Sharon’s desk, but none of them held her attention.
Instead, her laptop screen played a business interview.
Damian Raymond.
Dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit, he stood before a room filled with executives, confidently explaining a major investment strategy. Every answer was concise, every decision delivered with quiet authority.
Sharon watched in silence.
She had seen the interview more than once.
Still, she found herself pressing play again.
The screen shifted to another clip—a charity gala.
Damian politely acknowledged reporters before declining further questions and walking away without a trace of arrogance.
Another video followed.
A business summit.
Another award ceremony.
Another interview.
In every recording, he remained the same.
Calm.
Disciplined.
Reserved.
She smiled faintly.
“You’ve never liked the spotlight…”
She remembered the handful of occasions they had met over the years.
Their conversations had always been brief.
He greeted her courteously.
Asked after her family.
Exchanged a few polite words.
Then quietly excused himself.
Never rude.
Never overly familiar.
Just… distant.
He was a man who drew clear boundaries, even with people who had known him for years.
Sharon rested her chin lightly against her hand.
“I always admired that about you.”
Not just his success.
But his restraint.
The way he never tried to impress anyone.
The way he never chased attention despite being one of the most influential young businessmen in the country.
A soft knock sounded on her office door.
Her assistant stepped inside carrying a folder.
“Miss Sharon.”
“The meeting has been postponed.”
Sharon nodded.
“Thank you.”
The assistant hesitated after noticing the video on the screen.
“Mr. Damian Raymond?”
Sharon smiled, slightly embarrassed.
“I was just reviewing one of his business speeches.”
The assistant smiled knowingly.
“I heard your families had a meeting.”
Sharon’s expression softened.
“So the rumors have already spread.”
“They have.”
The assistant carefully chose her words.
“Is it true… there may be an engagement?”
After a brief silence, Sharon answered honestly.
“Our grandparents discussed the possibility.”
“Nothing has been decided.”
The assistant tilted her head.
“And… what do you think?”
Sharon looked back at the paused image of Damian on her laptop.
His expression remained as unreadable on the screen as it had been in real life.
“I’ve admired him for a long time.”
She spoke quietly, almost to herself.
“But admiration doesn’t mean he feels the same.”
She let out a small, thoughtful sigh.
“Damian has always treated me with respect.”
“But he’s also always made it clear where his boundaries are.”
“There was never any misunderstanding between us.”
The assistant nodded sympathetically.
“Would you accept the engagement if both families agreed?”
Sharon’s eyes lingered on Damian’s image.
“If it became reality…”
She paused before finishing her thought.
“I would accept it.”
Her voice carried neither excitement nor sorrow.
Only calm acceptance.
“Whether love comes later or never…”
“…I would still fulfill my responsibilities.”
The assistant looked at her in surprise.
“You’d marry someone who might never love you?”
Sharon offered a gentle smile.
“Love isn’t something that can be demanded.”
She closed the laptop with a quiet click.
“If fate places me beside him, I’ll respect the life we share.”
She rose from her chair and picked up the meeting folder.
“But I won’t expect Damian to give me feelings he has never promised.”
With that, she walked toward the door, her expression composed, though somewhere deep within her heart lingered a silent hope that perhaps one day, the distance Damian always kept between himself and others might finally disappear.
The late afternoon breeze swept gently across the small veranda of the cottage.
Rebecca sat alone in the wooden rocking chair, a cup of tea growing cold in her hands.
The old lady was inside preparing dinner, while Damian had gone into town to pick up a few supplies.
For the first time all day, there was silence.
Too much silence.
Rebecca stared into the distance, her thoughts drifting back to the night everything changed.
The rooftop charity gala.
The flashing cameras.
The smiling faces.
And Natalie.
Rebecca closed her eyes.
She had never hated Natalie.
They had competed for roles before, but Rebecca had always treated it as part of the industry. There had never been a reason, at least in her mind, to make it personal.
Unfortunately…
Natalie hadn’t felt the same.
Rebecca had become one of the country’s most sought-after A-list actresses. Directors wanted her in their films. Producers trusted her to carry major projects. Her professionalism had earned her respect throughout the industry.
It was the kind of success many dreamed of.
And the kind that bred resentment in others.
Rebecca could still hear Natalie’s voice from that night.
“So this is the famous Rebecca.”
“You act like you’re better than everyone.”
Rebecca had remained calm.
“I’ve never said that.”
Natalie had laughed mockingly.
“You don’t have to.”
“Your face says enough.”
Several guests had begun watching from a distance.
Rebecca remembered trying to end the conversation.
“If there’s a misunderstanding, we can talk another time.”
But Natalie had stepped closer.
“There you go again.”
“Always pretending to be graceful.”
“Do you know what people say about you?”
Rebecca’s brows had furrowed.
“I don’t concern myself with rumors.”
Natalie’s smile had turned cruel.
“They say you climb your way to the top while acting like a saint.”
“They say your image is fake.”
“They say the only reason directors worship you is because you know exactly how to manipulate them.”
The words had cut deeply.
Not because Rebecca believed them…
But because they were spoken loudly enough for nearby guests to hear.
Natalie had dragged her name through the mud in front of influential people.
Even then…
Rebecca hadn’t retaliated.
She had simply looked Natalie in the eye and said,
“I’m sorry you think that way.”
Then she had turned and walked away.
Rebecca slowly opened her eyes, returning to the quiet veranda.
A weary sigh escaped her lips.
“I never hated you, Natalie…”
She whispered to the empty yard.
“I never wished you harm.”
Her fingers tightened slightly around the teacup.
“Yes, we argued.”
“Yes, you insulted me.”
“But I never followed you after I left.”
“I never saw you again that night.”
The memory remained painfully clear.
She had left the gala alone.
Gone straight home.
There had been no chase.
No second confrontation.
No hidden meeting in some dark corner.
Yet somehow…
She had become the prime suspect in Natalie’s death.
Rebecca leaned back in her chair, staring at the orange hues of the setting sun.
“I wish things had ended differently.”
The breeze carried her quiet words away.
Inside the house, the old lady called that dinner would soon be ready.
Rebecca took one last look at the fading sky before standing.
No matter how many times she replayed that night in her mind, the truth never changed.
She had argued with Natalie.
She had endured the insults.
She had walked away.
And whatever happened to Natalie afterward…
Rebecca knew, with every certainty in her heart, that she had not been there to witness it.
- Writer
