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CHAPTER SIXTY-EIGHT: SCARS FROM THE PAST.
Last Updated:
2025-01-09 17:06:38
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With a sense of urgency, Fred grabbed his phone out of Maggie's hand and quickly glanced at the screen as a notification commanded his attention. "An email?" Leaning closer to see the details, he whispered to himself. When he realized who sent it, it was Laura, his heart skipped a beat. Excitement, curiosity, and something like remorse were among the many sensations that swept over him. He straightened his collar, trying to gather himself, and then he turned to Maggie and smiled mischievously. "What is that?" Maggie's brows narrowed suspiciously as she asked. "Oh, the message?” Fred answered, his voice straining under the weight of his unconvincing lie, "Just… an email from work."Maggie kept her eyes fixed on his face while crossing her arms. "An email from the office?" "At this hour?"."Yes, exactly," he answered, speaking a bit too hastily. "I have to make the payment now and return to the office”. “I can’t be gone for too long”. Fred's tone betrayed him, Maggie's keen intuit
Last Updated : 2025-01-10BEHIND OFFICE DOORS CHAPTER SEVENTY: THREADS OF CONTEMPT.
The woman stood with her hands firmly on her waist, glaring at Fred with a look of complete contempt, and her shrill, taunting laughter reverberated throughout the room. "You mean Laura?" Her voice brimmed with derision as she scoffed. “Is she the one? Your new catch”. Her smirk widened as she leaned closer and her dark eyes met his. "I wonder what your company has in store for her”. “Maybe I will share the secret with her”. “Fred scowled at her, his rage barely controlled, and his jaw hardened. "Rose, it's none of your business!" he said, his voice shaking with rage.Fred felt the atmosphere tightening, his carefully constructed facade starting to crumble under the weight of her evil grin. Rose didn't flinch, though; she thrived on the chaos she caused. Fred's heart sank as the threat hung in the air. She knew too much, about the email, about his plans, and if she told Laura or, worse, Linda, everything would fall apart.Fred's mind was filled with vivid, unnerving memories of Rose
Last Updated : 2025-01-11BEHIND OFFICE DOORS CHAPTER SEVENTY-ONE: THE PRICE OF PASSION.
Fred stood staring at the screen while his phone shook in his hands. Rose was the one. With an eerie text attached, she had emailed him a selfie of herself standing assuredly outside his company door. "I'll come up myself, or you can meet me downstairs." As Fred read the message, his rage surged up like a wave, and his jaw tightened. His voice reverberated in the deserted office as he screamed, "What do these women want from me?". As he struggled to settle his thoughts, he threw the phone onto the desk and furiously ran his fingers through his hair.Fred paced back and forth, trying to think of what to do next. He couldn't afford the scandal or his employees suspecting anything, so he said to himself in a resigned sigh, "I'll go, I just have to." He straightened his shirt, brushed away invisible dust particles, and picked up his phone before going downstairs. At the entrance, he paused, and closed his eyes for a moment to gather himself, then curled his fingers around the doorknob
Last Updated : 2025-01-12BEHIND OFFICE DOORS CHAPTER SEVENTY-TWO: A REKINDLED LOVE.
"Di-Diana?" Jerry stumbled, his face going white, his lips quivering, like he might pass out right there. Although he was overjoyed to see her again, the moment wasn't perfect. His relationship with Laura was at last beginning to improve. "Yes, Jerry! It's me!” Diana sobbed as she rushed directly to him, sweeping past Laura. She flung herself into his arms, clutching him as if she were terrified he might disappear if she released him. Laura tried to take in what was happening while standing motionless with her mouth slightly wide. Her chest tightened with uneasiness at the sudden drama playing out in front of her. "Diana?" Laura's mind raced, she raised her hand slightly, almost as if to point, then let it fall by her side and muttered. "I - I looked all over for you!”. "What made you leave like that?". "Diana, I missed you!" Jerry closed his eyes and gave her a hug in return, his voice brimming with emotion. "What's happening?" Laura put her hands on her waist and mov
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Laura's hasty footsteps reverberated around the cafe, becoming more audible as she hurried to the bathroom. Her thinking was as rapid as her legs, and every breath made her chest tighten. She was desperate to get out because she felt suffocated. It was intolerable to be around Jerry. This was not what she had anticipated happening. Jerry followed hard behind her, his right arm outstretched in a fruitless effort to halt her. His lips were shaking, and he was unable to speak clearly, but his eyes were on her, silently begging. "Laura, hold on!" he said, his voice cracking with urgency. "Please!” Allow me to explain. He accelerated in the hopes of catching her before she vanished into the bathroom.She said, "Leave me alone!" in a piercing, agonized voice. She quickly locked the bathroom door after pushing it open and slamming it behind her. Jerry froze, staring at the door in helplessness. No matter how serious the situation appeared to be, he was unable to pursue her because it was
Last Updated : 2025-01-14BEHIND OFFICE DOORS CHAPTER SEVENTY-FOUR: WHAT THE HEART WANTS.
Jerry stumbled, his voice cutting through the heavy tension in the room, "I - I… um, Laura, I'm sorry." He quickly retreated from Laura's hold while averting his eyes. Not just yet. He couldn't look into her sharp eyes. They were in charge of him and constantly made him feel insignificant, exposed, and unprepared. Laura struggled to maintain her composure while she stumbled over her words. With a voice full of feelings she was unable to control, she asked, "Um, what are you doing here?"."Please give me a chance, Laura”. Jerry murmured, "Let's talk," in an imploring tone as he gingerly extended his hand to take hers. He could sense her anger radiating from her, and he proceeded cautiously, caught between his need to make amends and his dread of being rejected. Laura noted the twitch of his hand as their gazes locked. She paused, uncertain whether to draw away or remain motionless. Something deep inside her was awakened by that brief interaction. Her determination softened as the r
Last Updated : 2025-01-15BEHIND OFFICE DOORS CHAPTER SEVENTY-FIVE: A COLLISION OF EMOTIONS.
However, the moment was short. Their intimacy was cut short by the sound of approaching footsteps, and then the delicate mood between them was broken by a playful laugh. The warmth of their shared moment dissipated into anxiety as they automatically separated in surprise. A playful voice chimed from the doorway, piercing the tension like a dagger, "Dinner's ready, lovebirds." Their assumption that they had been overheard was confirmed when the lighthearted comment landed heavily. Once brimming with unsaid emotions and vulnerability, the space now brimmed with awkwardness. Laura and Jerry exchanged a quick, agitated look and then turned their heads away, both fighting the flush that was starting to appear on their cheeks. Words failed them, and the weight of what had just happened hung heavy in the air.Helen laughed once again. Evidently, she had overheard enough of their talk to put the pieces together. Jerry and Laura were unaware that their voices had penetrated farther than th
Last Updated : 2025-01-16BEHIND OFFICE DOORS CHAPTER SEVENTY-SIX: THE RECKONING AT NASSAU STATION.
Laura wanted desperately to stifle Fred's inflated ego, even only once. She had grown weary of losing every argument to his uncivilized haughtiness. She inhaled deeply, braced herself, and clenched her hands before answering calmly and purposefully. Fred, nobody is envious. Could we just have dinner and head to bed?.Jerry's eyes got bigger. He knew Laura who usually stormed off in tears, defeated, but this was not her. Her calm answer confused him. Laura resisted the need to cry or become angry for the first time. Even though Fred had previously made fun of him and Diana, Jerry couldn't help but respect her newfound fortitude.Laura's eyes changed to Jerry's, showing something fresh, acceptance, instead of rage or surrender. She had no more energy for pointless disputes as she started to understand the tension dynamics of Fred Walker's household. As they ate in reluctant silence, a thick hush fell over the room. Helen whispered softly from the door of the dining room, "Goodnight,
Last Updated : 2025-01-17
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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
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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
BEHIND 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
BEHIND 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
BEHIND 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
BEHIND 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,
BEHIND 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
