Chapter FifttenMarianne walked down the hallway toward Mr. Thompson's office, her mind racing with thoughts about her conversation with Anna. She couldn't deny the feelings that Anna had also helped her when she needs her. But, she doesn't want to leave the job because of Marianne though she introduced and help her, but Marianne felt like that was an opportunity she should not loose, especially when she has been promoted to a secretary.As she gets to Thompson's office. She took a deep breath and hesitated first before entering. She knocked.“Come in” She heard Thompson's voice from his office.Marianne opened the door and entered, she closed it gently behind her.Thompson was seated at his desk. He lifted his eyes from the document he was going through, in front of him as she entered.He offered her a warm smile, which instantly put her at ease."Good morning, Marianne," he greeted, setting his pen down. "I was wondering when you would come to see me, you left home early""Good morn
Chapter Sixteen As Thompson and Marianne walked side by side to the conference room, they met all the staff and the managers already seated in the conference room.Everyone glanced at them as they walked into the conference room."Good morning, everyone," Thompson greeted, his voice firm yet cordial as he took his place at the head of the table. Marianne quickly took the seat beside him, her posture straightening as she placed the documents she carried on the table."Good morning, Mr. Thompson," the staff echoed in unison, their attention now fully on him.Thompson's eyes scanned the room, taking in the faces of his employees. "I trust everyone is ready for today’s meeting. We have a lot to cover, especially regarding the recent developments with our competitors." He motioned for Marianne to begin the presentation.Marianne stood, her nerves briefly threatening to get the better of her as she faced the room. With a deep breath, she started, "As some of you may know, our main compet
Chapter Seventeen “I can't stand and watch anyone threaten you, not even her! Not Anna, my staff” he nodded.Thompson said firmly, his voice leaving no room for doubt. He nodded as if to reaffirm his words, his gaze locked on Marianne.Marianne felt a surge of emotions at his declaration. She appreciated his support, but it also added a layer of complexity to their professional relationship. “I don’t want to cause any trouble, Mr. Thompson,” she replied softly. “But I can handle Anna. I don’t want you to feel like you need to intervene on my behalf.”“I won't stand and watch anyone threaten anybody in my company, it's not acceptable, and not even the woman I love…” The words slipped out before Thompson could stop them. His eyes widened in shock as he realized what he had just said “The woman… The…”Marianna's eyes widened, “Love? The woman you love? she echoed, her voice barely above a whisper. “Love?”The both of them stared at each other as there was a very between them. Mariann
Chapter Eighteen Marianne was happy that her friend had turned a new leaf. It was closing time and the driver was waiting for her and she wanted them to celebrate the union.She promised her that they would celebrate it later, and that she needed to go home. As Marianne approached the waiting car, she couldn’t help but glance back at the building, her thoughts still lingering on her friend's newfound resolve. It wasn’t just a small change; it felt like the beginning of something bigger, and Marianne wanted to be there to support her every step of the way.Sliding into the back seat, she greeted the driver with a nod and a tired smile. "Thank you for waiting," she said, her voice soft with exhaustion.The driver, an older gentleman with kind eyes, gave her a reassuring smile in return. "No problem, Miss Marianne”The driver drove home, and when she got home she was surprised that Thompson, which she left at the office, had arrived before him. Before she knew it, Kane had come to mee
Chapter Nineteen “Why is Blake doing this for me? Won't you allow me to hear my son's voice? Atleast just to hear how he's doing” she took the coffee and drank it at once, “Oh! It's well”She went to the bed and lay down, she was feeling very cold, and she covered herself with a duvet, yet…Blake had always been controlling, but this...this was too much. Not allowing her to speak to her son, to know how he's doing and know what's going on with him, is very cruel.Everytime she thought about his son, she felt sad, and she wished she was always there for him, at least for now.She turned to the wall, she's feeling very cold. The bed felt too big, too cold, and she pulled the duvet tighter, wishing it could shield her from more than just the physical cold. Her mind wandered to Thompson’s confession earlier. His words had been sincere, but they only added to her confusion. Was he really the answer to the void she felt? Could he fill the space in her heart that had been empty for so lo
Chapter TwentyMarianne woke up the next morning and noticed that Thompson still wrapped his hands on her, embracing her.For a moment, she lay still. It has been a long time since she felt that way. It's been a long time since someone has married her . She felt safe and wanted beside him.Last night had been different from anything she'd ever experienced. Blake had never made him feel the way before. He only just way her to satisfy his desire, then she disappeared. Now, she saw someone who made her feel wanted and someone who she matters to. For the first time in a while, she felt safe. She felt like she really mattered. She felt like everything is weighing her down as it has always been As she shifted, Thompson move closer to her, he warped his arm and tightened it around her, she doesn't want her to go She smiled softly, her heart swelling with a warmth that she hadn't felt in years."Good morning," he murmured, his voice husky with sleep as he nuzzled her neck.“Good Morning dar
Chapter Twenty One“So you mean you can't describe your house for me? You can't tell me the address of your house” Anna asked, shockingly.“I really don't know the place, you know it's my friend's driver that used to take me to office and pick me up at the closing hour”“So you don't know the address of where you stay? Is that what you are trying to tell me…” Before Anna could finish, the door was knocked.“Come in” Marianne said, and it was Thompson who came in.“Good Morning Mr. Thompson” Anna said, “I came to discuss about the dedication in price of our competitors”“The mood here doesn't look like that's what the two of you are discussing. Anyways, I want to put a warning for the two of you and for everyone in the company, you can extend this to them. They should never discuss personal issues at work…”“We aren't discussing personal issues…” Anna interrupted.“Are you interrupting me?” He asked, “Personal matters should be outside of the office. Not even now, when we have a lot of
Chapter Twenty TwoAs Mr. Francis left Marianne's office, Marianne had to drop everything she was doing, “Why should they hate me? What do I not deserve such treatment? I have only decided to work diligently and I don't know how I find myself as the topic of the gossip's mouth” she breathes in and out deeply.“I am going to keep this from Mr. Thompson though, I don't want him to know about this, I don't want to be the reason there's chaos in office, now even now and not even because of me”She straightened up, pushing the negativity aside. She had a job to do, and she wasn’t about to let petty office gossip stand in her way. As she focused back on her tasks, a steely determination settled in her heart.She was reading a file, when someone knocked her door again, “Come in” she said.It was the man after her heart, Mr. Thompson who came in.“Have you seen the promotion team, sir?” Marianne asked.“That? I will see them tomorrow” she said, moving closer to her.“Why tomorrow? There's sti
You'll be dead when I return. And when I'm back, you wouldn't like how your story would end!" He let out, as I heard him walking away. The police arrived almost immediately he walked off."Hello, Avia." I said, trying to keep my voice from shaking. "He might come for you, just like he did me. He even had a bunch of spare keys! Luckily for me, I guess the key didn't fit!" I exclaimed."Oh my goodness, I think you should move in with us till everything is settled, till he's handed over to the police. You can't play gamble with your life. Because if he kills you, the worst that could happen is him being executed.""But you'll be long dead and gone before then. So you need to try to be as logical as possible." She adviced. "I know. But I also know that staying at your place, that's a different level of inconvenience. I don't want to put you through that." I said."Not in this life or another, would you ever inconvenience me. Please never say that again, you are a sister to me and you prov
"Do you feel better now?" I heard her mother ask her. "Better, mother." She said, weakly, looking around, as if still feeling like they were still being watched or followed."I'll be on my way now, Avia. Please get well soon." I said, getting up to leave. I knew I had overstayed and my job might be paying for that soon. "That's... That's... Okay, I'm grateful! Thanks you so much for staying around!" She said, her voice now shaky."Oh come off it, stop now or you're gonna make me tear up too." I said, getting emotional already. "I have to say what's on my mind. I didn't see it coming at all. How you were there for me. Fought and defended me." She said."That's just how I am, and you're not an enemy of course." I said, "What would you have rather had me do? Stay there and watch you die?" I joked, "now come over here!" I said, as we embraced each other.We held each other tightly for the following seconds, soaking in our emotions and just being grateful that she was alive."Thank you." S
"Is there really anything good about the afternoon?." He replied, not bothering that someone else was now in the room. "How may I help you?" I asked, spiting him, "oh you!" He said, in composed excitement. "What a small world." He said, under his breath, not knowing that I heard him."She?" I asked, pointing in her direction, "yeah. If I get what you mean." He answered, a pale countenance sweeping through his face. "Okay?" I asked, "why are you here?" I asked, looking squarely at him."Is there a rule that says I can't?" He asked, goofingly. "I expect you to know that." I said coldly, "you have overstayed your welcome. You can now use the door." I said."You're in no position to order me around," he said. "But I am, this is a health facility. I'm in charge, and I now inform you, you have overstayed your welcome." The doctor said from behind us.He turned slowly, walking out in a cold manner. "How did he even get in here in the first place?" The doctor asked, turning to face me. "I don
Almost immediately, the doctor arrived, he was checking Avia with his stethoscope, she was now calm and stabilized. It looked strange that she had begun to convulse, after being confirmed okay by the doctor."She's stabilized now." He let out, heading out, "please hold on, Doctor, what... What if the convulsion starts again?" I asked, my heart racing within me. "She won't, he replied dismissingly.I watched her intently, counting her breathe, hoping the convulsion wouldn't start again. She seemed to be sleeping sweetly, it however got strange and weird when she had been sleeping for the following hours.I was now concerned and had to call the doctor's attention. Her family were still there too. "She's in stable condition," he said, sure."But she's been sleeping for too long now." I asked, concerned, he went on, checking her pulse repeatedly, she still looked like she was asleep. At this point we could already sense everything wasn't okay."Doctor! What's the matter," I asked, frantic
"I can't forget the sweet mother she was to us. She showed us so much love and motherly care. Loosing her was a huge blow to all of us. So I was taken aback when my father seemed happy about her passing." He explained."At rare times, he tried to feign mourning her, which didn't work because he wasn't one to pretend. So it was always crystal clear what he thought or felt." He explained."The scariest part is that I walked in on him, on a phone call, he was talking about a body. I left almost immediately when I noticed he didn't see me walk in and listened on. I didn't want to draw any conclusions based on what I heard, but I feel he was talking about a human body.""My goodness! What human body??" I asked, frantic. "Any chances it could be Nadia's?" I asked, not letting him land. "It just might be. The voice he was speaking with on the phone appeared to be a woman's voice." He added."A woman's voice?" I exclaimed, "how were you close enough to hear this and not close enough for him t
"I apologize sincerely!" I let out, trying to avoid hitting more persons. My eyes met those of the voice I was hearing."Mark!" I exclaimed, "what are you doing here?" I asked, stretching out my hand for a handshake. "Oh, not something I'll want to talk about." He said, as we shook hands, his facial expression changing."You look sad all of a sudden, what's the matter?" I asked, as we slowly moved to a chair close by to sit. "There's no matter." He lied, pointing his nose. "Yeah, go on, you need to do exactly what you're doing now." I said, casting a goofy glance at him."Do what?" He asked, looking intently at me. "Point your nose. You know what happens to Pinocchio huh?" I joked, looking squarely at him. "Oh there you go! Goofy you!" He let out, laughing. "You look better, happy." I said, looking intently at him."Oh.... Yeah, who doesn't?" He said, nervously, adjusting his shirt which wasn't disarranged. "You look bothered, and you know you're not good at hiding things like these."
"You should ask someone else, I know nothing. You have no right whatsoever to hold me hostage, I'm as innocent as the word innocent. Let me go!" She let out.She looked modest, no one would imagine she could have such a wicked heart. She was also soft spoken,so it was very hard to tell she was a goofy lady, who enjoyed seeing others in pain.As we conversed, speaking about some painful scenarios, including the pain Nadia might have undergone, seeing what the autopsy was showing, she seemed to enjoy talking about the pain of others, and that was a very bad sign, a huge indicator that something was wrong somewhere."Of course we'll let you go, after you've answered all needed questions." The officer insisted. "I committed no crime." She said, "What happened to your friend? That's all we want to know." He asked. "She was suicidal." She let out, in an unreal manner."Suicidal? Is that all you knew about your friend?" He asked, we'll be taking you to the station now for further questioning
"My mind was beclouded by the fact that she was in pains, she was suffering from a terminal disease like I told you." I explained, looking queerly at him. "That's just a lead, we need to get to the root of the matter." He added, looking intently at me."I spoke with her bosses, those she worked for, and they said she was very fine the day before." I said, I could see through to the fact that he wasn't satisfied. "I know that Nadia was ill, but I don't know of any complaint from work. She enjoyed her work as much as I knew.Days had now passed and I hadn't seen Mark at the office. His father, now had two offices, his and theirs. I wanted to ask what the problem was but I didn't even know where to start from or how it'll come off to him, so I let it slide.I received a call from a strange number. I was glad and sure it might be Mark, "Hello, May dear, how are you doing?" The voice asked. "I-I am okay, who's on the phone please?""This is Nati, I know you don't know me but I really need t
"Can you kindly let me know why you are in my office?" He asked, I noticed his shirt looked like it was hurriedly arranged, and she looked like she was drawn down from a mountain, just when she was close to it's peak."I would love to speak with you and your brother." I let out, impressed at myself at how easily I was able to cook up something."Hmmm... That's huge, I hope no problems?" He asked, his eyebrows raised, as he adjusted his shirt better. "Not at all. Just family business. I'll want to be speaking with the both of you, alone." I said, with emphasis on the word 'alone', throwing disgusting glances at her."Alright. Honey would you please excuse us for the moment?" He said to her, I watched satisfyingly as she pushed herself out of the office. She didn't want to go, but she had no choice."The floor is yours now, so please go on. I'll send a staff to get my brother, right away." He said, "okay, even better. I'll be waiting." I added, taking a seat.In no time Mark was in the