Chapter Three:Nothing Happened
1039 Words
Emily’s POV
The car ride back home was awkward. Not because Isabelle said something. But because she didn’t.
She acted normal. Completely normal.
She drove with one hand resting on the steering wheel while soft music played.
Why did she look at me that way?
It didn’t feel normal and the more I thought about it, the more uncomfortable I became.
Maybe I was overthinking.
As soon as we got home, Isabelle went upstairs to her room after a quiet goodnight.
Was she upset?
But upset about what exactly?
Nothing happened. At least that’s what I kept telling myself.
I barely slept that night.
The next morning came too quickly.
I dragged myself out of bed, dressed and slowly packed my bag for work.
The moment I stepped out of my room, I heard my mum's voice.
She sounded angry.
I stopped on the stairs.
“But this isn’t what we agreed on”
She was definitely on a call.
“You said this wouldn’t happen again”
Again.
Suddenly my mind replayed Richard's words
‘They can’t find out about this’
Was this connected somehow?
Should I tell Isabelle about the conversation I overheard that night?
I wasn’t even sure what it meant.
Everything got quiet and I continued downstairs to the living room where my mum was sitting, her eyes glued to her phone.
She looked frustrated and tired…like always.
After a few minutes, Isabelle came downstairs dressed and we exchanged a small smile.
That’s normal, right?
“You’re ready?” Isabelle asked while grabbing the keys
“Yeah”
“Okay let’s go”
“Don’t mess things up Emily” my mum said as I reached the door.
Of course, she couldn’t go a day without reminding me I wasn't enough.
I pushed her words out of my mind because I needed to concentrate today.
But they didn’t really leave.
The drive to work felt quieter than usual.
Not uncomfortable.
Just strange. Un-natural.
Like there was sitting in it that no one was touching.
I rested my head lightly against the window, allowing the breeze to hit my face.
Isabelle played music. At least it wasn’t completely silent.
I almost spoke but nothing came out properly. Part of me wanted Isabelle to bring up yesterday so I didn’t have to.
But she didn’t. And that seemed worse.
When she dropped me off I decided to stop thinking about it. Isabelle was acting completely normal, so why would I make a case out of nothing.
I told myself that more than once.
The elevator doors opened and people stepped out talking over each other.
I stepped aside and waited for it to empty before stepping in. The doors were about to close when a hand stopped them.
Liam walked in. He stood beside me.
He looked good. Really good.
“Morning” I greeted
He glanced at me.
“Morning”
Just that. No extra words.
Then his phone rang and his attention shifted immediately.Suddenly the elevator felt smaller, even though there was enough room. Up close, he looked tired. His hair was a bit messy like he’d been running his hand through it.
The elevator doors finally opened and he stepped out first as I followed him toward the office floor.
As we walked, people kept stopping him. He answered each interruption without a halt. He moved with quiet confidence and it was kind of attractive.
The office looked busy. People walked around carrying files while some typed on their computers like their lives depended on it.
Probably.
I sat down and started working.
Someone dropped some files on my table saying Mr Ashford needs them updated before the meeting.
I thought I could handle it.
At least that’s what I thought before I opened the file. There were numbers, tables, and so many terms I should’ve understood, but my brain shut down the second I looked at everything.
Still, I tried.
After almost an hour of going over my work, I finished feeling slightly proud of myself.
But that feeling didn’t last
“Emily”
I looked up immediately.
Liam stood beside my desk holding the file I had just submitted.
And judging by his expression, something was wrong.
“This isn’t what I asked you to do”
Oh
“I did exactly what I was told to do”
“Well you didn’t cross check because if you did, you’d know these numbers are outdated”
His tone stayed calm.
Strict but professional. But gosh, it still felt embarrassing.
“I’m sorry” I managed to get out
“Sorry doesn’t fix careless mistakes”
Oh wow. For a moment his eyes lingered on me, almost like he was trying to figure something out.
“Redo it” he said before walking away.
My mum’s words rang in my head
‘Don’t mess things up’
I stared at the file a little longer. It was my second day here and i was already proving her right.
I got back to work and paid closer attention to every detail. Clearly there was no room for mistakes here.
I finally finished and didn’t realize how long I'd been working until I checked my phone. I handed the corrected file to one of the assistants and fifteen minutes later the file landed back on my desk.
My heart nearly stopped. Then I noticed a small note attached to it.
It said ‘Better’.
That was it. No good or well done.
Somehow I found myself smiling anyway. Which was ridiculous because it was literally just one word.
Today was genuinely exhausting in every possible way.
When I got downstairs, Isabelle was already outside waiting for me in the car. I got in quietly and closed the door behind me.The ride started normally and music played while neither of us spoke for a while.
I kept thinking about yesterday and how unresolved things felt.
Then Isabelle finally spoke.
“Let’s not pretend yesterday didn’t happen”
My chest tightened.
“What do you mean?”
I turned slowly to her.
Isabelle kept her eyes on the road.
“When you saw me and Liam yesterday” she paused
“You didn’t hear anything, did you?”
- Writer
