Chapter 1

~Megan

The relentless buzz of my alarm clock pierced through the early morning silence at 6 a.m. With a heavy sigh, I begrudgingly reached for the snooze button for the third time. The night before had been a relentless marathon of work, leaving me with a mere three hours of restless sleep.

Having invested so much effort in securing a journalist position at "Daily Headlines" after numerous rejections from other media houses, I agreed with my boss to handle multiple projects in exchange for a promised pay increase. Juggling these tasks simultaneously, the weight of deadlines pressed on me like an insurmountable burden.

As I thought about the new day ahead, a sense of reluctance washed over me. It would be a busy day at the office, with a meeting with my boss looming over my head.

I finally rolled out of bed, and noticed my phone beeped with a message from my best friend, Jenny.

"Can't wait to see you tonight. It's going to be a girls' night to remember!" 

I smiled, grateful for the reminder that I had something to look forward to after the long workday.

As I got ready for work, my mind was filled with thoughts about my relationship with Steve. I could feel the strain caused by my new job and the limited time I had for him.

Balancing work and my relationship felt challenging, as I couldn't imagine giving up either. While I deeply loved Steve, losing my job was not an option.

Amidst the chaos, Jenny's support became a source of comfort. Her genuine concern for my well-being provided a light in the midst of this stressful situation.

Suddenly, my upcoming meeting with my boss popped into my mind, interrupting my train of thought. I refocused on the present, put on my game face and left, ready to tackle whatever the day had in store.

I arrived at the office, and was greeted by my assistant, who informed me that my boss wanted to see me right away. 

With a sense of dread, I made my way to his office. 

I knocked on the door and heard a gruff "Come in." 

I entered, and noticed my boss fixed me with a stern gaze.

"Take a seat," he said. 

I sat down, trying to keep my composure. 

"I need to talk to you about your performance lately," he began. "You've been slacking off, and it's not acceptable. I need you to step up your game or I'll have to let you go."

My heart sank. I’ve been working so hard, but apparently it wasn't enough. 

I tried to protest, but he cut me off. "I don't want to hear any excuses," he said. "Just shape up or ship out."

Defeated, I slunk back to my desk. "I Couldn't believe this was happening". "I’ve always been a hard worker", and now I was being threatened with termination. I felt my world crashing down around me.

The memories of my sleepless nights and the endless cups of coffee I consumed to stay awake and manage multiple projects just to please Mr. Walter flooded my mind. Tears welled up in my eyes, but then Joshua, my colleague, approached my desk.

"Hey Megan."

"Hey Joshua," I replied, attempting to conceal the tears.

Joshua came closer and enveloped me in a warm hug.

"It's okay, darling. We all recognize how hardworking you are. I believe Mr. Walter is only doing this because you resisted his advances. Just keep doing what you need to do, and I believe everything will be fine, okay?"

I looked up at him, thankful for the support. "Okay. Thanks for this," I said to him.

As the day dragged on, my thoughts kept drifting back to my boyfriend, Steve. I decided to text him: "Hey, I'm having a rough day. Can we talk?"

To my surprise, Steve didn't respond right away like he used to. 

Hours passed, and I still hadn't heard from him. I began to worry that something was wrong. Maybe he was busy, or maybe he was ignoring me. 

"Could he still be angry about our little argument yesterday"? I thought to myself.

I rose from my desk, feeling overwhelmed. I opted for a break from the office to check if everything was alright with Steve.

As I walked to Steve's apartment which was just a stone’s throw from my office, I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach. I tried to push the thought away, but it kept coming back: What if Steve was cheating on me? 

I pushed the thought away again, but as I opened the door to Steve's apartment, I heard a noise from the bedroom.

My heart sank as I walked towards the bedroom door. 

When I opened it, I saw a sight that I never could have imagined. There, in the bed, was Steve, with my best friend, Anna. 

They were having sex, completely unaware of my presence.

I stood frozen in shock, unable to move or speak. The sound of my heart pounding filled my ears. I felt a wave of emotions wash over me: anger, hurt, and betrayal. 

How could this be happening? How could the two people I trusted the most in the world betray me like this?

Suddenly, Steve and Anna both looked up, and their faces turned pale when they saw me. 

Anna started to stammer an apology, but I couldn't hear her over the roar of my thoughts. 

I turned and ran out of the apartment, with tears streaming down my face, not sure where I was going. All I knew was that I needed to get away from the two people who had just shattered my world. 

I ran until I was out of breath, and then I found myself in front of a familiar bar. It was the bar where I often went with my friends. Maybe they would be here now, I thought.

I pushed open the door and walked into the dimly lit bar. It was crowded and noisy, and I quickly spotted my friends at a table in the corner. 

As I approached them, they all looked up at me, their faces filled with concern.

"What's wrong, Megan?" "You look like you've seen a ghost."

I sat down, my head spinning. 

"You're not going to believe what just happened," I said. 

I narrated the whole story to them, from walking in on Steve and Anna to running out of the apartment. 

When I finished, I found myself crying again. While my friends sat in stunned silence.

"As I awaited their response, a tall, dark-haired man walked into the bar. He was dressed in a sharp suit, and he had a confident air about him. 

He walked up to the bar and ordered a drink, and as he turned to face the room, his eyes met mine.