Two

The walls of my throat burned and I forced saliva down my throat. My chest constricted, squeezing my heart as I watched the duo make a mockery of me and Cole that they had tagged as poppy love.

Tears welled up in my eyes, threatening to burn a path down my cheeks.

How could Sheldon?

My colleague let go of my waist and gripped my shoulder, asking, "Are you okay?"

"Yes," I managed to say, unable to take my gaze off the couple who had an uncanny resemblance.

"I thought you were different," Cole said with a brittle voice and I noticed the veins that appeared on his forehead. "I loved you with the whole of me, Lola."

"Oh, please. Stop lying to yourself, Cole." Lola rolled her eyes and encircled her arms around the neck of Sheldon. I shut my eyes, taking in shaky breaths as I felt a pang of jealousy in my heart. "This is the only man I love."

I opened my eyes and caught sight of the two sharing a kiss. My jaw ticked.

Cole walked out of the house, but I was unable to move because shock had gotten a chokehold on me.

When they kissed again, I averted my gaze to the table beside me and saw a crystal lamp on it. As if pushed by phantom hands, my hands picked up the lamp and I rushed towards them with adrenaline pumping into my veins.

"Vanessa!" Shelly who had held me earlier screamed as I dashed towards them.

Sheldon's eyes widened and the first thing he did was push Lola behind him.

Swinging my hand back with all the anger and strength in me, I jumped in the air and bared my teeth as I hit Sheldon on the head, screaming, "You fucking bastard!"

Screams erupted in the air and my chest heaved as realization hit me and I let the lamp slip from my hands. My eyes enlarged at the blood that trickled down his head. My hands shook and so did my entire body.

Sheldon staggered and fell on the chair, holding his head.

"Look what you did!" Lola howled, casting a scowl with misty eyes at me as she pressed a hand to Sheldon's head.

I took two steps back; heart pounding against my chest.

"He-he cheated on-on us," Was all I could stammer.

"Take her out of here!" Lola screamed and two hefty men curled their fingers around my arms and dragged me out of the house.

****

I sat behind my desk with my heart in my throat as I drummed my fingers on the table and tapped my feet on the ground.

After I was thrown out of my boss's house yesterday, I walked back home and didn't show my face in the office until this morning.

Was she going to fire me?

I raked my fingers through my midnight black hair that ran down my back like the ink of a writer's pen, waiting for a call, text, or for her to arrive at the office. My eyes raced up the clock and the hand that ran in seconds moved like a slug.

My door opened with a loud creak and I snapped my head up to meet the brown orbs of Shelly.

"Lola is here." She announced and my heart skipped a beat as I sprang up from my chair.

"Did she send for me?" I rubbed my clammy palms against my black knee-length skirt.

"No," Shelly said and then added, "I hope she overlooks it."

"Me too." I plopped down on my chair and massaged My temples.

Shelly strode into my office and sat one butt on my desk, hanging that leg in the air, while the other was on the floor. "How do you feel?"

I met her gaze and my lips trembled as tears clouded my vision.

"Bad, very bad. I can't believe I was a fool for three years... We were supposed to be four next month." The words left a bitter aftertaste in my mouth.

"I'm so sorry." Shelly took my hand and gave it a light squeeze. "Men are scum."

"They are." I nodded in agreement as I held my tears back in.

The door to my office burst open and Shelly jumped off my desk. I rose to my feet with a thumping heart.

"You!" Lola stormed into the room with fire and brimstone burning in her eyes. "You're fired, pack your things and get the fuck out of my office."

"Please, I-"

"Shut your mouth hole and get out. Do you know what you did to my fiance?" She cut me short, pointing her manicured nails at me.

"Ma'am-"

"Security!" Lola exclaimed.

"He cheated on the both of us, don't you get it?!" I yelled breathlessly but it didn't stop her from calling security.

Lola folded her arms over her chest while I packed my box in total shame with sagged shoulders.

"Do you want to be next?" Lola asked Shelly.

Shelly shook her head and slid out of the office after flashing a sorry look at me.

*****

I was back to minus zero. I wrapped myself in a blanket and blew my nose into a piece of tissue paper. My eyes burned from crying too much and a throbbing pain kept pricking at my head.

My doorbell went off and I dropped from the couch to the floor.

I crawled to the door and got my miserable self up, I opened the door only to meet a set of familiar blue eyes. My heart sank.

My face was whipped of all its colors as these words rolled off his tongue, "We need to talk."

The sides of my lips slowly twitched into a snarl as I felt hatred seeping into my pores.

"How dare you?" I asked through gritted teeth.

"Mama... It isn't what you think, believe me." His gruff voice broke and his eyes watered as he cast a pleading gaze at me.