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CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX: UNSPOKEN TRUTHS.
Last Updated:
2024-12-10 07:51:50
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BEHIND OFFICE DOORS CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN: THREADS OF SUSPICION.
The sound of heavy footsteps approached the door, each one echoed ominously in the quiet hall. Laura’s heart pounded as she found herself face to face with Fred, his piercing blue eyes glinting with a hint of arrogance. She instinctively tightened her grip on the door.“I asked you, what do you want?!” She snapped, her voice was sharp and sliced through the tension like a blade. Her tone rose with a defensive edge, each word fortified by a mix of anger and exasperation. Her movements were deliberate, a subtle declaration of power and control, though her hands trembled slightly at her sides, betraying the storm raging within her.Fred stood his ground, his tall frame blocking out the light from the hallway behind him. “Laura… wait,” he said, lifting his hands as if to calm her. “I’m here for peace. Just listen to what I have to say.” His voice carried a hint of desperation, though his expression remained as smug as ever.Laura didn’t move. She wasn’t one to let herself be swayed by Fr
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Laura, who buried her head in her hands and trembled with silent sobs, lived through an agonizingly long moment in the room heavy with tension. Jerry, always around to help her, sat beside her with a gentle hand resting on her shoulder. “We’ll figure it out,” he promised, his voice steady but strained. He wanted to believe his own words but really couldn't help the gnawing uncertainty. How could they possibly make things right? How could he bring justice to Laura without plunging her further into despair?.Jerry stood, pacing the cramped room as helplessness washed over him. The walls seemed to close in, reflecting his frustration. Justice wasn’t just an option, it was a necessity. The consequences of Mary’s actions had to be faced by her. Her move of destruction was more than an act of vandalism. It had been an invasion of Laura's dignity, her sanctuary, and peace of mind.Laura's weeping became quieter across the room, and she shook her shoulders in grief.The echo of Mr. Tim’s s
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Jerry realized he wasn’t feeling Laura’s hand against his anymore. At that time, as he responded sharply, awareness jolted through him like a rising pulse. His darted gaze searched through the room beyond him and his breath seized when he sighted her.At that moment, she was not where she should be, which was next to him. Instead, she was crouched on the floor with Fred, their hands overlapping on her phone as if frozen in time, their gazes locked in an inexplicable connection.The sight unsettled him; it was completely unexpected.“Laura, what are you doing?” Jerry’s voice, low and steady, carried a sharp edge, jealousy unmistakably woven into his tone. He strode toward them, his movements brisk, as if compelled by something primal.His voice sliced through the quiet like a knife, breaking into a strange stillness. Laura blinked, surprised, as though just awakening from a dream.Her cheeks flushed, and she instinctively pulled her hand away, snatching her phone from the floor with tr
Last Updated : 2024-12-10BEHIND OFFICE DOORS CHAPTER THIRTY: THE BURDEN OF KNOWING.
Jerry stood frozen, feeling the wall dimly lit at the end of the hallway as his hand gripped the door frame for support as he tried to wrestle with what he had just seen. Helen had been sneaking away from Fred's room in the dead of night, it was Helen who had been with him.His breath stuttered in his throat as a pain in his chest shot up, flaring a gut-wrenching response of mixed emotions of shock and disbelief. For Fred, this wouldn't be out of the ordinary as he had typically behaved so carelessly, unrepentantly carrying a string of brief affairs. Jerry had lost count, really, of how many times he had covered for his cousin, Fred, or listened to him boast about some conquest. But this? This was different. This wasn’t some random woman Fred had charmed at a bar. This was Helen, modest, reserved Helen, the woman Jerry had thought was above such entanglements.Jerry leaned back against the wall and his thoughts raced. How could Helen, of all people, be involved with someone like Fred
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Jerry's entire body was tense, vibrating with an undercurrent of furious energy, a shadow of emotions that threatened to explode forth. His jaw was tightly held while looking at Fred. Every molecule in Jerry's body cried to be liberated, for his fist to smash down on Fred's smug face, but he held back and breathed through the blazing, molten anger that surged hot and rough within him.Jerry stepped closer to Fred, his voice low but sharp, each word slicing through the tense air like a blade. "Stick to our deal, and we won't have a problem," he said, his tone carrying an edge that left no room for argument. His piercing gaze bore into Fred's, making it clear he wasn't bluffing.As he turned to leave, Jerry's shoulder deliberately collided with Fred's in a move that was part warning, part challenge. The contact was firm and intentional, a physical punctuation to his words.Without a glance back, Jerry strode towards the door, purposeful and heavy with anger. He stormed out of the room
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As they curved into Hoover Street, the car began to slow, tires crunching softly over loose gravel. The neighborhood around was heavy with silence, an unsettling feel in contrast to the throbbing tension inside the vehicle.Jerry leaned forward, his sharp eyes scanning the identical facades of the apartments that lined the street like silent patrols.“There,” he said, his voice low and firm, as his finger pointed to a weathered brick building, ivy creeping stubbornly up its walls. “Here it is," Jerry added once again, quieter now, as if he was trying to keep it from waking the shadows behind the curtains of the apartment.The driver drove to a slow stop, the humming of the motor fading into the street's stillness. No one moved for a second. The air was heavy with silence inside the car, wrapped with a blanket of apprehension, as if every soul present was braced for what lay ahead."Everybody out! Now!" barked the sheriff, his voice sharp and commanding, slicing through the taut silenc
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Mary’s hand moved slowly, a quick flick of her fingers behind her back, a silent command for the two women lingering in the doorway to run back. Her movements were smooth but deliberate, an act born out of instinct rather than conscious thought. Her mind raced as she locked eyes with the young officer standing before her, his stance firm, his gaze locked on her. She knew she was caught. The sinking feeling in her stomach confirmed it, a lead weight dragging her down. This wasn’t the first time Mary had flirted with trouble, but this… this felt different. She could sense the walls closing in. Her two friends, Rose and Sarah, hovered behind her, their faces a mix of confusion and concern. They didn’t yet understand the gravity of the situation. Mary could see it in their casual postures, in the way Sarah absently chewed her gum, and how Rose's arms were crossed as if this were some minor inconvenience. They don’t get it, Mary thought bitterly. But I do. “Go,” Mary mouthed silentl
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The air was thick with an unspoken tension, the faint hum of passing traffic punctuating the moment. Laura froze, her heart skipping a beat as her eyes met the gaze of Jack standing a few steps behind them. His presence was both startling and surreal, like a ghost from a dream she hadn’t expected to revisit.Her eyes remained glued to him.Jack stood a few paces behind them, his figure small yet impossibly striking against the muted backdrop of the city. His wide eyes held a strange intensity, their depths filled with recognition and something else, something unnameable. The faint smile on his lips was disarming, but it carried an undercurrent of vulnerability, as if he, too, was unsure of his place in this reunion.His presence was startling, almost surreal, like a phantom stepping out of her past. The memory of that chaotic day at the cafe resurfaced with vivid clarity: the angry mob, the boy’s terrified cries, and her own instinctive leap to shield him. Seeing Jack now, standing w
Last Updated : 2024-12-13
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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
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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
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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
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
