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CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTEEN: SHADOWS OF LONGING.
Last Updated:
2025-02-27 00:34:53
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BEHIND OFFICE DOORS CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTEEN: A NIGHT OF SECOND CHANCES.
After a long drive, Fred's car arrived at a noisy stop. So much screeching stopped the car, on which he had loosened his hold of the steering wheel. And with his hand motions, he turned, as he smiled at Laura in a calm way. "I'm sorry it's so far”. “You're okay?" He asked, peering carefully at her countenance as with concern he saw deep-set weariness that had crept into it. Laura returned his smile while reaching out her hand to his, lightly gripping it. "I'm fine”. “Are we... there yet?" she inquired, stretching her neck to sight more brightly down the window. The string of bright streetlights seemed to make the atmosphere more interesting."Yes, we are”. “Hang on," Fred assured her as he walked down, and hurried to the passenger side to open the door for Laura. He stretched forth his hand and offered to help her get down. "You are so charming," Laura whispered as she reached for his hand, raised her foot, and stepped down. Fred playfully shrugged, and she giggled. "Come, let’s go
Last Updated : 2025-02-28BEHIND OFFICE DOORS CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTEEN: THE FIRE BETWEEN US.
Fred navigated down Academy Street, a surge of anticipation coursing through him. His hopes and vivid daydreams revolved around Laura, compelling him to steal glances in her direction as they approached her home, unable to look away.Laura, on the other hand, felt her emotions spiraling. The drinks they had shared, combined with the undeniable tension between them, created a battle within her, a fierce, uncontrollable force like a wild bull ready to charge. Every stolen glance at Fred only made it worse, fueling the fire that burned between them.While Laura's heart thudded in her chest as Fred's vehicle stopped in front of her home, it suddenly became heavy with silence when both opened the door to step outside without uttering a word, but their gazes were still fixed on each other. It was more powerful than mere lips, laced with unvoiced words, a kind of intricate conversation beyond what either could express.They were side by side, walking into the house, the heavy air full of ten
Last Updated : 2025-02-28BEHIND OFFICE DOORS CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND NINETEEN: SECRETS BENEATH THE SHEETS.
Her memories enveloped her mind, still moments of stolen intimacy, with the warmth of his touch barely sliding off her skin. They made a pool of emotions rush through her, almost stealing her breath away while anticipation was mounting inside her. But water splashing in the bathroom jolted her from the bliss of memories. Seconds later, Fred stepped out, water droplets glistening down from his wet hair onto the floor as he passed his hand through the strands and shook them dry, his eyes glistening on her. His lips danced with a small smile as he advanced toward the bed, still bare of clothing. With the utmost tenderness, he knelt down and placed both his hands on her legs while saying, "Come here, beautiful" with a voice that sounded steady but was thrown in with tenderness.Laura hesitated for a moment but let him pull her closer. Known warmth trickled through her and chilled her deep heart. She inhaled strongly, as if the atmosphere were electrified by the pulsating moment. Fred's
Last Updated : 2025-03-02BEHIND OFFICE DOORS CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY: THE TRUTH HE CANNOT HANDLE.
Jerry paced restlessly before the doorstep of Laura’s apartment, fixated on Fred’s car parked close to the building. He tried to fit pieces together of the dark thoughts surging through his mind regarding what Fred could be doing in Laura’s place for the entire night. Slowly, his jaw stiffened, and his hands curled into fists. He really got angry at the thought of Fred choosing this instead of returning home; him being there for Laura filled Jerry with fury. Jealousy coursed down his veins, giving him a tense posture. After a deep breath inward, Jerry turned back to the door and knocked loudly, the impatience building within him slowly with each moment of unresolved silence.Inside, Laura and Fred rushed toward the door while tightly holding each other's hands. “Open the door, really, come on!” Fred exclaimed urgently. His gaze passed over the door's glass panel, then managed to catch Jerry’s silhouette standing outside.“No”. “You open the door,” Laura insisted, wildly adjusting he
Last Updated : 2025-03-02BEHIND OFFICE DOORS CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-ONE: GILDED LIES.
One could feel the energy in the cafe buzzing about tenfold, the thick scent of coffee, sharply contrasted by the sweetness of baking, and then made a loud, annoying harmony of swishing voices and clinking mugs, one that seemed to focus on absolute nothingness for Laura. Her world had shrunk to nothing else except for the awkward broken silence between her and Jerry.Laura stood at the counter, making herself stiff, aware of his nearness beside her, and he had been waiting, waiting for answers, for just one explanation that could somehow justify the change in her behavior. His patience was wearing thin, evidenced by the way his knuckles pressed down against the polished counter, his legs were drawn tense and his expression unreadable.Jerry did not want to prolong the silence any further and, after a few moments, reached behind him for a rag and began cleaning the counter, pretending that he was busy. His own eyes remained glued on Laura, watching, searching.Before he finally spoke,
Last Updated : 2025-03-03BEHIND OFFICE DOORS CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-TWO: A LOVE WRAPPED IN LIES.
Laura narrowed her eyes at the cashier; her suspicion was falling into the deep abyss of mistrust as the sharp, jarring laughter had escaped the lips of the woman standing before her. There was something, obviously, wrong about this, which made an awkward little tingle run throughout Laura’s neck. "I asked…”. “Why are you laughing?" She rephrased the question, forcefully subduing her feelings, but unmistakably the heat laced her voice. For a split second, the cashier's gaze held that of Laura's and seemed for a moment as though she might remember. But the idea dissipated quickly; her smile turned into a frown for a second and shook Laura off, saying, "Oh, it's nothing," now a voice suddenly too casual to be comfortable while sliding Laura's phone across the counter.“The payment has been successfully processed. You’re all set to go.”Laura hesitated, her fingers tightening slightly around the receipt. That laughter, it had felt pointed, like there was a hidden joke, one she wasn’t in
Last Updated : 2025-03-04BEHIND OFFICE DOORS CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-THREE: UNSPOKEN FEARS.
Laura stood in Fred's office with her arms crossed in front of her and inspected him closely as though his face was some complicated puzzle. The atmosphere between them was tightly strung with an electric hotness, as hundreds of different thoughts raced through her mind, all forming around the same question that had been torturing her painfully for the last few days. She wanted answers, real answers, no comforting platitudes or charming words thrown out there in reply to her discomfort. Dropping one foot after placing it gently in front, then lowering it into a whisper to bring him in. Laura began as she stared into his eyes softly, "Fred," “I don’t get it”. “If we are together, why should we hide it?”. “What are you afraid of?" She paused for a beat. "Why does it have to be a secret?".Fred did not answer right away. He remained still, an inscrutable expression on his face. The charismatic man she fell for now appeared far away, his gaze averted from hers while he tapped his finger
Last Updated : 2025-03-05BEHIND OFFICE DOORS CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FOUR: A CROSSROAD OF CONSEQUENCES.
There was an awful silence in the house, the deadlier with the slight rubbing of leaves against each other outside, while on the edge of the couch Mrs. Charlotte excitedly tapped her fingers against her right knee. Her mind had, for a time, fought against her growing unease, but the suspicion would not yield any further. There's something really wrong with Laura.Over the past couple of days, the girl had been acting really weird, pale, weak, and a shadow of her usual energetic self. Initially, Mrs. Charlotte was convincing enough to persuade herself that her daughter was simply wearing herself out, probably getting over a passing illness. But the signs got hard to ignore eventually. That feeling of concern transformed into sheer determination. Steeling her breath, she stood up and made her way again toward the hallway that led to Laura's room. This time, she would not simply let a vague conversation fade away on easy reassurances. Her feet settled against the floor beneath the doo
Last Updated : 2025-03-06
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BEHIND OFFICE DOORS CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-THREE: THE RUIN OF MAGGIE.
Helen’s sudden entrance into the living room sent fear spiraling through the air, for her presence suffocated them like a noose tightening around their throats. The tension that had ignited just a while ago with Fred furious and Maggie quaking in fear, now turned into this isolated silence that filled every corner of the room with the promise of a terror. Helen’s wide eyes were shifting between Fred, Thomas, and Maggie, her breath hitching while she soaked in the unspoken truths that hung between them.Maggie remained paralyzed with fear, her body rigid. Fred's fists were loosening, but the breath he took was not as even as it should have been, as though he had to hold on to something like control. Thomas jumped on his feet like he was about to say something with lips parting, but no sound came from his mouth. Not one of them was prepared for this.Not only did Helen's hands tremble on the doorframe, but her face became pale as well. “I…” Her voice was shaky at this point. “What… who,
BEHIND OFFICE DOORS CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-TWO: WHEN THE PAST STRIKES.
Maggie froze at the entrance of Fred’s living room, clutching her breath, and became stunned as her eyes found the two men sitting, looking straight at her. This space is large, yet it seemed to be suffocating, with its very walls pressing against it. Shadows foreboding in the dim light extended the shapes of Fred and Thomas almost to the point of monstrosity. Her eyes darted between them and Maggie could hear her heart thumping in her ears as she tried to gauge the nature of the trap she had unknowingly walked into. Amusedly, Fred reclined in his chair, a devilish grin on his lips. His sharp eyes gleamed with something sinister, his posture exuding dangerous confidence. "What's the matter, Maggie?" He said, dripping with falsehood and mockery. "Cat got your tongue? Come in. Don't be shy Maggie. Join us."Maggie's breath caught in her throat, and she had to barely swallow to force her quaking legs forward. Each step was like marching toward the inevitable. She could feel Fred's steel
BEHIND OFFICE DOORS CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-ONE: BETRAYAL UNVEILED.
The next morning. Fred Walker lay motionless in bed, staring at the ceiling while the tempestuous thoughts of fury and regret further entangled his mind. The betrayal burned within him, raw and relentless, deeply sank into pride like a jagged knife. It tortured him now as Maggie would deceive him for years through an intricate web of lies, convincing enough for him to see nothing till now. And now that he had seen it, he was going to make sure she faced the consequences. Not yet, however. Not until Thomas was there.Fred required Maggie to see him standing before her, feeling undeniable and suffocating weight pressing down upon her by her own deception. He wanted her to know what she had done and see it reflected in his eyes, knowing there was no escape.Shame clawed at his chest, a little bitter and unwelcome companion. He hadn’t even had the courage to tell Jerry everything that had happened. Not yet ready to confess the truth about him and Laura, but Jack’s situation was one thing
BEHIND OFFICE DOORS CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY: THE TRUTH THAT BURNS.
The weight of betrayal felt like a stone upon Laura's chest; Laura had held on to the letter with trembling fingers that grazed over its frayed edges. A thick choking lump was rising from her throat, one that the harsh truth of what she had just read was now finding its way into. Her heart was behaving erratically, each blast sounding against her ribs with a warning sound she could no longer ignore. She thought she had broken a heart and hurt someone enough to last a lifetime. Yet nothing compared to the raging storm that now engulfed her from inside. Jack was not Fred's son. Maggie had kept deceiving him for over ten years, making him believe he had fathered the child when the truth was far darker. The revelation burned like acid in Laura's gut, as each thought seared through her mind while she forced herself to breathe. Fred had the right to know. With that conviction, Laura stuffed the letter into her bag and held on tightly to it, imagining that it might be able to disappear if
BEHIND OFFICE DOORS CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-NINE: BITTER REVELATIONS.
Laura gasped, retreating from shock as Jack suddenly threw himself between her and Maggie, his small body shaking with an odd frenzy of fear and urgent determination. His large brown eyes, usually so innocent and childlike, expressed something more desperate, aimed at accusations against his mother."Mom, no!" Jack shouted in a cracking voice. "You put something in her food! I saw you!". Silence crashed over the dining room like a suffocating wave. Maggie went even paler, instantly losing her color. For a second, she had opened a window into her soul, revealing something genuine and unguarded behind her mask. The napkin rested in her lap and was now twirling and twisting between her fingers and around her clenched fists. Then the placid, practiced expression came back onto her face again, the one she had worn so many times before and which froze every heart with its innocence."Jack," she said, her voice sharp, even venomous. "That is enough." But Laura was not there yet; she had n
BEHIND OFFICE DOORS CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-EIGHT: FATAL INVITATION.
Maggie had her phone clasped tightly while sitting stiffly on the couch. It glowed faintly on her face but burned hotter deep within her mind as Laura's message went into her through each excruciating word. The words blurred as Maggie's eyes became obscured with fury. A sharp breath ripped from her lungs, and she expelled it slowly as the strangling pressure inside her chest felt like it could crush her from within.Laura was pregnant with Fred's child. Maggie still could not believe her eyes.A cold hollow ache lodged deep inside Maggie’s gut, swiftly engulfed by an almost furious tide so powerful that her hands began to shake. Her jaw was clenched, grinding her teeth as she reread the message, every single word fueling the fire that ravaged her."Fred's child..." that thought slumped into her mind like a deadly toxin, curling around her heart. She could see it happening: Laura, radiant with the beauty of motherhood, next to Fred, her palm on her distended belly, whispering his nam
BEHIND OFFICE DOORS CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SEVEN: LOST AND FOUND.
It was weirdly still in that office, amplifying the noise of Laura's own heartbeat in it. She stood frozen, taking shallow breaths, trembling fingers clutching the photograph in place and eyes skimming over the glossy image, disbelief tightening around her like a vice. Her late father was in the picture, standing alongside Maggie. That crash over her mind was the very realization that it knocked the air out of her lungs. "No..." she whispered softly, her voice trailing off. Her hand shot into her mouth as if trying to prevent a sudden gasp from rushing out.But the truth was right there and undeniable. Her father, whom she had loved and dreamed of since his passing, was smiling in the photograph with his arm around Maggie. They looked happy. They looked like family. Like they belonged together.Memories surged through Laura’s mind, swift and relentless. The warmth of her childhood, the love she had once known, before it all shattered.The arguments. The bitter accusations. The pain
BEHIND OFFICE DOORS CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SIX: THE MOMENT THAT BROKE HER.
The small white piece of paper trembled in Fred's hands, the two bold lines staring into him like a silent accusation. The very well-structured life that he had lived stood on the verge of being devastated-nothing else but the evidence that dangled in front of him forfeit. Gingerly, he tightened his grip around the paper; his knuckles turned white as sharp bursts of breath followed. Underneath his skin, anger simmered so closely to boiling; but, it was just a matter of time for it to explode. "What the… what is this?" He said in an intrusive, icy voice.Laura winced under the venom in his tone. This was not how she was expecting the moment to turn out. She hadn't really envisioned it at all. Still, if she had, surely it would have and should have been different. Different from this. "Fred?" Her voice became soft; she paused. “Why are you looking at me like that, Fred?”. Fred gave a bitter laugh, a short one without warmth. He shook his head, disbelief in evidence by the way his eye
BEHIND OFFICE DOORS CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIVE: THE PRICE OF ONE NIGHT.
As the doctor's words vibrated in her ears, she found herself stuck when she sat staring into blank air.“The test came back positive”. The doctor revealed. A sharp pang shot through her chest. The world blurred around her; her vision swam. "What? No”. Her voice trembled like a whisper. "How? It was only one night. That's impossible."Her cold, unsteady hands reached forward to grab the paper resting on the table. And she grabbed it without care, wrinkling the edges with her fingers and quickly scanning through the results. With her tear-stained vision, she barely saw the words, but she understood their meaning beyond doubt. A heavy surge of emotions inundated her, guilt twisting her insides, shame scorching her heart, and anger bubbling just beneath her skin as images of her mother flashed through her thoughts, the tenderness of her voice erasing into utter disappointment in memory.She lied to her mother, to Jerry, to herself. The truth lay buried within Fred, believing that one
