As Hazel walked slowly into the office, her eyes swollen in red. People were asking her what was wrong but she couldn't speak. She headed straight into her office, dropped her bag on her desk and collapsed into the couch at one side of her office. Tears welled down slowly as she remembered everything single thing that had happened. It was so difficult for her to keep up the act but she knew that her friend was always right. She picked up her phone and dialed Clara's number. It rang and rang but there was no response. Hazel tried it severally and when there was no answer she dropped her phone and sank back into the couch. Just then, the door to her office opened. She looked up and saw the receptionist walking over to her. "Good morning Ms. Willoughby." Hazel stood up gently, trying to feign a welcoming smile but she failed. "Good morning ma'am." She responded, her voice hoarse and cracking. "Are you okay?" The receptionist hurried to her and held her by her shoulder.
Gerald held Hazel's hands and walked into the reception together. He looked around but there was no one except the secretary. "Can you call everyone's attention here? I have a very important information to give." Gerald told the receptionist and she nodded in comprehension. "Gerald, what are you planning to do? You are making me really nervous." Hazel whispered into Gerald's ear. "It's just a matter of few minutes. You will understand very soon. Let those guys come in first then, you see what I have in stock for you." Gerald said, smiling brightly. "You can at least give me a hint. You kept holding my wrist. What's going on? My heart can't handle the suspense for long." Hazel said, shaking her head. "I told you already. Just calm down." Gerald said and faced the receptionist again. "Have you notified them all?" He asked. "Yes sir. They should be here anytime soon." She nodded and buried her face into the screen again. "Your attention is needed here too. So, move closer to hear th
"How dare you call me? What gave you the audacity to call? You think I will fall for that scene you and Gerald created?" Arin yelled when she realized whose call it was. "Calm down Arin. I want us to solve this amicably. I didn't even know Gerald was going to do that. I am really sorry if I hurt you, can we talk about this?" Hazel asked, her voice barely above whisper. "What do you want us to talk about? I am coming over there right away and you will regret everything you have done." Arin said and hung up immediately. As the call ended, Hazel tried to quickly gather her things and make a hasty exit, but before she could leave, Arin burst into her office. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Arin spat, her eyes blazing with anger. "I'm not sure what you mean," Hazel replied, trying to keep her voice even. "You know exactly what I mean," Arin snapped. "You're trying to steal Gerald away from me." "Why would you accuse me of such? Isn't that rude? I did
"Good morning Gerald." Arin greeted as she entered the office, her voice laced with obvious irritation. Gerald looked up, his his blazing with anger as well but he didn't say anything. He looked around, moved closer to his desk and put his laptop aside. "You called for me." She said again. "Yes I did." Gerald nodded, standing up from his chair. "I called you. So move closer." "And why did you call me? I don't we have anything to do together at least for now. So, why must I come to your office everytime. It isn't that I have the face of the most beautiful girl with the first letter of her name H. So, why is it that you must see my face every morning. Or, have I started to look beautiful than before?" Arin blab, playing with her hair now and then. "Will you keep quiet? Where do you think you are? And in front of who did you think you are saying all of that? Have you lost it completely?" Gerald slammed angrily. "Oh common boss. You should know I was only kidding.
Hazel stormed into her office, locking the door behind her. She sat on her chair and buried her face in her hands, letting out sobs that wracked her body. She didn't want anyone to see her like this. She didn't want anyone to come and talk to her. Hazel sat at her desk, staring blankly at her computer screen. Tears streamed down her face as she tried to comprehend what had just happened. She had always been paranoid about her secret being revealed to her colleagues at work. Arin had threatened her to tell everyone if she continued a relationship with Gerald and she knew she could do as she said but still, she wasn't expecting her to do it. It was not only embarrassing but unprofessional. Being a kleptomaniac has always been something that she had been ashamed of. It was a disorder that she couldn't control and she had been trying hard to get rid of it. Hazel couldn't believe it. She felt incredibly exposed, vulnerable, and embarrassed. Unfortunately, her peace was soon disr
Hazel had gone to change her dress real quick and Gerald had promised to come pick her up. She looked stunning in a tight red dress and high heels. Her long blonde hair was curled and her blue eyes sparkled. She smiled when she saw him and kissed him on the cheek. "Hey, handsome. You look great," she said, admiring his black suit and white shirt. "Thanks, babe. You look amazing," he said, wrapping his arm around her waist. "Are you ready to have some fun?" "Absolutely. I've been looking forward to this all week," she said, getting into his car. They drove to the club, which was one of the hottest spots in town. The music was loud, the lights were flashing, and the crowd was energetic. They showed their IDs at the door and walked in. As Gerald and Hazel walked into the club, they could feel the energy pulsing through the air. The bass of the music reverberated through their bodies, and the flashing lights illuminated the dance floor in a dazzling display of color. They
The champagne glasses clinked as the employees of Fraser's Gemonds Jewelry Inc. toasted to the company's fifth anniversary. The elegant ballroom was filled with laughter and applause as Gerald took the stage to deliver his speech. "Thank you, thank you, thank you all for being here tonight. You can't understand how this meant to me. But truth to be told, I am so so overwhelmed. You are not just my colleagues, you are my family. And I'm so proud of what we have achieved together in these five years. We started from nothing, and now we are one of the leading firms in the country. We have faced many challenges, but we have overcome them with hard work, innovation and teamwork. And I couldn't have done it without you. Especially without my loyal and efficient personal assistant, Arin. Arin, please stand up and take a bow." The crowd cheered as Arin, stood up from her seat near the stage. She smiled nervously and waved her hand, feeling a surge of pride and gratitude. She had been
It was a sunny Wednesday and the board of directors had gathered in Gerald's office. They were all sitting in front of his desk, waiting for him to arrive. Gerald had been informed of the meeting earlier in the day, but he had not shown up yet, causing some anxiety among the board members. "Why is Gerald behaving like this? I am sure he is doing this intentionally because he knows why we are here." A woman complained, glancing at her wrist watch now and then. "Remember that Gerald is the top senior executive over the management. Even if we have to handle this with force, you know that Gerald has built this name for himself. We can't just say what we want to say and expect him to do it the way we want him to do it. He is a billionaire, he has several connections with the government of most countries." Another said, trying to sound cool. "Why are you speaking like this Paul?" "Just wait and watch. When Gerald's comes in we know what to do." After a few minutes, the door opened, and