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CHAPTER SEVEN: THREADS OF TENSION.
Last Updated:
2024-11-30 16:16:30
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BEHIND OFFICE DOORS CHAPTER EIGHT: A DANGEROUS WELCOME.
As much as she would like to shake off the persistence of the terrible feeling of fear she felt, Laura assuredly looked calm on the outside. Determined, she gritted her teeth, looked up at Fred, and equally bore the gaze of Fred’s eyes at her, refusing to be intimidated. She would not let him see how scared he made her.Fred broke the silence, his tone casual but his smile unsettling. “At least you could be polite enough to say hi, my lady.” He said as he tilted his head and studied her as though waiting for her to respond with something more than silence.Laura clenched her jaw, pushing down the urge to recoil. She forced herself to respond, her voice tinged with disgust. “What do you want from me, Fred? And how did you even know I was here?”.Fred’s smile deepened a glint of mischief in his eyes. “Walls have ears, darling,” he replied smoothly. “A little bird told me.”His gaze swept over her, lingering as though assessing every detail. “The dress suits you, though,” he added, r
Last Updated : 2024-12-01BEHIND OFFICE DOORS CHAPTER NINE: A CRY IN THE CROWD.
Laura and Jerry ran outside the cafe and looked for the cause of turmoil that had broken loose minutes ago.Pandemonium reigned in the street with a rise of voices, and even in that frenzy, Laura fixated on something across the road that was distressing.Across the street, within the mob stood a victim, no older than she predicted to be sixteen years. He looked beaten and helpless, he was their captive.This boy’s oppositional face was both dirty and frightened; Laura winced at the pure horror reflected in his eyes.“Do you see this?” Laura gasped, her voice tight with horror. She turned to Jerry, the disbelief and disgust clear on her face. Violence had never been something she could tolerate, no matter the circumstances. She felt her pulse quicken with an urge to intervene.“I’m going to stop them,” she said firmly, her gaze locked on the boy, empathy welling in her eyes. She took a step forward.“No, hold on. Don’t rush in,” Jerry cautioned, catching her by the hand. His grip was
Last Updated : 2024-12-02BEHIND OFFICE DOORS CHAPTER TEN: UNSEEN BONDS.
“Is Jack safe?” Laura’s voice was barely a whisper, the question slipped from her lips as if voicing it could ease the tightness in her chest. Her heart beat a frenzied rhythm.She took a deep breath and cast one last glance toward the street as she forced herself to step back into the cozy, softly lit cafe.Her mind raced as she approached the counter, her thoughts tangled and pressed. She needed answers.“Fred took the child away in his vehicle,” she finally said, her voice quivering as she locked eyes with Jerry. “Why would he do that?” The question lingered in the air, carrying an undertone of desperation that she couldn’t hide.Jerry’s brows shot up, his surprise evident as he turned to look at her. “Fred? When?” He asked, blinking away his shock. He glanced at the line of customers but didn’t seem in any hurry to attend to them; something about Laura’s expression held him in place.Laura clenched her hands, willing herself to stay calm, though unease gnawed at her like a rele
Last Updated : 2024-12-03BEHIND OFFICE DOORS CHAPTER ELEVEN: A DANGEROUS GAME BEGINS.
Maggie quickly fixed her outfit and hair, glanced in the mirror, and checked her looks for the last time. She had to make sure that she looked perfect. No one should suspect anything.Her heart still beat with the lingering thrill, but she forced herself into a calm expression as she quietly slipped out of the office, casting a final, playful look back at Fred. “I’ll be right back,” she whispered, her gaze suggestive, a silent reminder of the taste they’d just shared.Fred hurriedly buttoned his shirt and ran a hand through his hair, breathing deeply to steady himself. He adjusted his collar and settled into his chair, but the persistent knocking made his heart hammer even harder. Who could be at his door, pounding with such urgency? Fred thought to himself.Maggie’s heels clicked against the polished floor as she moved toward the entrance. She thrust the door open, only to have her expression hang. "Oh...it’s just you,” she said, clearly annoyed.The cleaner stood there, looking
Last Updated : 2024-12-05BEHIND OFFICE DOORS CHAPTER TWELVE: THE TRAP.
Fred's vehicle sped into the yard, the ground beneath it scattering gravel in all directions and he made a swift halt.Not because he was scared, but because he was happy with how things were going according to his elaborate plan, his heart was thumping.He looked at the time on his watch and oh well, it was still early. In one hour, Jerry would be back home, which was just the amount of time Fred required to complete his mission.There was a pause in the car as he looked around to check if anyone was looking. The compound was utterly quiet with the only sound being leaves swaying in the wind.Pleased with his environment, Fred's hand sneaked into the vehicle's glove compartment from which he retrieved a worn-out paper. It was Laura’s resume, detailed, precise, and the perfect bait for his plan.Fred placed the document on the passenger seat, smoothing out its creases with a sly smile. “Desperate women are the easiest to manipulate,” he muttered, recalling Laura’s helplessness and he
Last Updated : 2024-12-06BEHIND OFFICE DOORS CHAPTER THIRTEEN: A DELICATE TRUTH.
“Jerry… Jerry, wait!” Fred’s voice rang out in the dim hallway as he jogged after his cousin. His tone was desperate, edged with panic, but Jerry didn’t slow down. His broad shoulders were tense, his pace brisk, and in his hand, he clutched Laura’s resume, the damning evidence of Fred’s manipulation.Fred caught up and grabbed Jerry’s arm, spinning him around. “Jerry, come on, bro! Let’s talk about this. You can’t tell her!” Fred pleaded.Jerry’s face contorted in anger. “Fred, what is it now? Haven’t you done enough?” His voice rose, echoing off the walls. “You flirt with every woman in this town like it’s some kind of game, and you’re still not satisfied?”.Fred shifted nervously, his usual cocky demeanor faltering. “Jerry, listen, she was too stubborn. I just wanted to get her attention. That’s all!” His voice cracked, betraying his unease.“Too stubborn?” Jerry’s laugh was bitter, humorless. “Fred, not Laura! She’s been through enough already. She doesn’t need you messing with
Last Updated : 2024-12-07BEHIND OFFICE DOORS CHAPTER FOURTEEN: A DEBT TOO HEAVY.
Laura was overwhelmed. Her head was plagued with conflicts, insecurities, and a pain that wouldn’t go away. Waves of emotion had struck her, and as her body sank against the sink in the restroom, tears began to flow freely from the corners of her eyes like drops of rain falling from the eaves of a house.Laura faced the mirror in front of her as if trying to find something. In that state, however, she didn't want to be seen and wished to stay like that for hours.A loud bang on the restroom’s door brought her to a sudden halt.“Is anyone there?” An impatient woman’s voice reached her, followed by more banging.Laura hastily dried her face with the sleeve of the uniform and coughed to mask her voice. ‘Um… Yes, yes, I’ll be out in a minute!’ she said, making sure her voice sounded as calm as possible.She gave her reflection one last glance and opened the door.The customer stood there with an annoyed expression but greeted her nonetheless. “Hello there.”“Good morning, ma’am,” Laura
Last Updated : 2024-12-08BEHIND OFFICE DOORS CHAPTER FIFTEEN: A FRAGILE CONNECTION.
“Uh - um, I - I’m sorry” Laura broke the silence and awkward situation as her voice trembled and she gently pulled away from Jerry’s firm grip. Her cheeks burned red, she avoided his gaze and fumbled to straighten her dress and regain composure.Jerry hesitated, feeling the heat rise to his own face.He could feel the quickening of his heart in ways that he could almost hear it pound in his ears with every heartbeat. He coughed, averting his gaze from her. “Um - yeah, didn’t notice the floor was slippery too,” he mumbled, his voice unnaturally high.The air between them felt charged, heavy with unspoken words and emotions neither was ready to confront. The faint sound of the cafe’s clock ticking was the only noise cutting through the tense silence.“We, sorry, I - I think we should close right away, it's getting late” Jerry stammered as he stylishly took out his phone from his pocket to distract himself from the uncomfortable stares Laura gave him while she readjusted herself too.“O
Last Updated : 2024-12-09
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BEHIND OFFICE DOORS CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-FOUR: A SECOND CHANCE.
Maggie sprinted through the empty, desolate streets, blind with tears, while the obstruction of her sobs was gently lifted off by the biting air. The city lights played before her consciousness, glimmering on her front and sending shadows flickering behind as she strayed about. Every step was torture; every single stride stabbed through the aching muscles of her legs. Yet she would not lessen her pace. She could not. The agony was becoming unbearable; a thing alive, gnawing at her, threatening to take her whole. She wished to escape the pain, to run into darkness, where he would be lost to anyone capable of finding him, where the memories and betrayals of her past could not even touch her.But then she heard them, footsteps. Fast. Determined. Chasing her.Her heart raced at the sound. She bit her teeth deep into her cheek, her lungs gasping now, yet the claiming presence grew. “Maggie, stop!”.It was the voice of Thomas, it cut through the night; authoritative and desperate.With a
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
