chapter 6

~Abigail~

I watched my dad walk toward the plane, the tarmac beneath his feet gleaming in the late afternoon sun. The harsh roar of the engines in the distance drowned out everything else. He had his suitcase in hand, his expression focused but calm, the usual air of authority about him. I could tell he was trying to hide it, but I could see the faintest trace of unease in his eyes as he glanced back toward me.

“Be good, Abby,” he called over his shoulder, his voice carrying despite the noise.

I tried to smile, but the knot in my throat wouldn’t let me. Instead, I simply nodded, hoping I didn’t look as miserable as I felt. Dad didn’t like to show emotions, and I could already tell this trip was going to be harder for both of us than he let on.

It wasn’t just that he was leaving for two months; it was the fact that his business trips meant no communication for the most part.

“Daddy, I’ll miss you,” I whispered to myself, but of course, he was already inside the plane, heading toward his seat.

I could feel the tears start to sting my eyes, but I bit down on my lip, willing them to stay back. But it didn’t work. I turned away, swallowing hard, but the tears broke through anyway. Hot, unstoppable.

The driver, one of Dad’s bodyguards, watched me in the rearview mirror as we pulled away from the runway. His face was neutral, but there was a hint of sympathy there, something I didn’t want to see. I turned my face toward the window, not wanting to look at him, not wanting to be consoled.

The tears didn’t stop. I tried to choke them back, but it wasn’t working.

It wasn’t until the car had pulled up to our driveway that I managed to regain some control. I hadn’t even realized we’d made it home until the vehicle came to a stop in front of the large, cold house I called my own. The house felt emptier already, even though Dad hadn’t left for more than an hour. I could already hear the silence creeping in.

“Thanks,” I muttered to the driver, my voice hoarse as I opened the car door and climbed out.

He nodded silently before pulling away, and I was left alone with my thoughts.

I went inside, walking straight to my room without a second glance at the rest of the house. My phone buzzed on the nightstand, breaking the silence. I reached over and saw Taylor’s name flashing across the screen. Relief flooded me at the sight of her name, she always knew how to cheer me up. I swiped to answer.

“Abby! What’s with all the sad face emojis?” Taylor’s voice rang out, light and teasing. “You know, you’re supposed to be the strong one.”

I snorted softly. “I’m not crying,” I lied, wiping my cheeks as if she could see me.

“Uh-huh,” Taylor said with clear disbelief. “You know, I’ve known you long enough to recognize a crying face when I hear one. Has your dad left?”

“Yeah,” I muttered, my voice wobbling despite my efforts to sound normal. “He’s gone for two months this time. And I can’t…” I broke off, trying to get a hold of myself. “

“Aww, Abby.” Taylor’s voice softened for a second. “I get it. You miss him, and it sucks. But you know it’s not like he’s doing this on purpose, right? You’re his kid. He loves you.”

“I know he does,” I said quickly.

“Now go get some sleep, drama queen.”

“Okay, okay. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Bye, Abby,” she said with a laugh, and the call ended.

I set my phone down and stood up, walking to my desk to gather the things I needed for work tomorrow.

*

The morning light streamed through the blinds as I scrambled to finish my breakfast. I had barely enough time to shove a spoonful of cereal into my mouth before the clock blinked at 8:15.

I grabbed my bag, slung it over my shoulder, and rushed out of the house. The sound of my heels clacking against the marble floor echoed as I quickly checked my watch.

By the time I reached the office, the usual morning energy was already in full swing, with phones ringing, and employees hustling to meet deadlines. But none of that could drown out the familiar, icy feeling that I got when I saw Lucas standing near the entrance.

As soon as I walked through the door, his gaze fell on me. There it was… the grumpy scowl, the constant judgment in his eyes. It was like a permanent feature of his face. M

Great.

I made my way to my cubicle, hoping to at least get settled in and pretend like the looming threat of dealing with him wasn’t hanging over my head. I was just about to open my laptop when I heard Ray’s familiar voice calling me from across the room.

“Abby! I need you to sort through these files, and I need them on Lucas’s desk today,” Ray said, walking over with a towering stack of paperwork. He was holding them in both hands, and they seemed to multiply the closer he got.

I glanced at the files, already stressed out just by the sight of them.

“Make sure everything is in order. He’ll want them submitted by the end of the day. And, Abby,” he added with a pointed look, “you need to submit these yourself.”

“Got it,” I said flatly, trying to mask the irritation in my voice.

Ray gave me a small smile, probably trying to ease the tension, but it didn’t really help. As he walked away, I looked at the mound of paperwork and sighed. Another day, another battle.

The hours dragged by, and I found myself completely absorbed in the files. The stack didn’t seem to shrink, and every time I thought I was close to finishing, another file seemed to appear out of nowhere.

By the time I finally finished sorting everything, it was past lunch, and I knew I had only a small window to submit the files to Lucas. I stood up from my desk, adjusting my blouse, and took a deep breath. This wasn’t going to be fun, but I could at least get it over with.

I knocked once, then pushed the door open without waiting for an answer. Inside, Lucas was sitting at his desk, flicking through papers with his usual detached air.

“Abby,” he said flatly, not even looking up. “You’ve got the files?”

“Yes,” I said, walking up to his desk and placing the files carefully in front of him. “I’ve sorted them all out. Here you go.”

He didn’t even glance at the pile. “Redo it.”

I blinked, the words catching me off guard. “What?”

“I said, redo it,” Lucas repeated, his voice dripping with the usual condescension. He didn’t look up from his paperwork, still scribbling something with a pen.

I stared at him for a moment, feeling the heat rise in my chest. “At least look at the files before you tell me to redo them,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

Lucas didn’t flinch. “I don’t need to look at your work if it’s not neat enough.”

My heart started pounding in my chest, and I could feel the anger bubbling up inside me. He was just making things up now. I had done everything perfectly, I knew I had. But of course, he wouldn’t see it that way.

“You’re saying my work isn’t neat enough?” I asked, struggling to keep my voice calm. “How would you know if you don’t even look at it?”

He looked up at me finally, his eyes narrowing. “I know because this,” he gestured vaguely at the stack, “looks like a mess. Now, go back, redo it, and come back when you’ve done it right. Neat enough for me, Abby.”

I felt a flash of heat rise in my face. My fists clenched involuntarily. I wanted to scream, to let him know exactly what I thought of his petty little power plays, but I didn’t. Instead, I took a step back, my mouth dry and my hands trembling with the urge to throw something at him.

“Fine,” I bit out, barely able to control my anger. “I’ll redo it.”

I turned on my heel, my heart pounding as I stomped out of his office. I slammed the door shut with a force that echoed down the hallway.

Once I was outside, I stood there for a second, gripping the files so tightly I thought the paper might tear. I could feel my face burning, my chest heaving with frustration. My mind raced with all the things I wanted to say to him…things that I knew would probably get me fired…but I didn’t.

Not yet.

Instead, I closed my eyes for a brief moment, trying to center myself. Breathe, Abby. Just breathe.