OUSTED

   

   "You are nothing but a thief." I could remember how he whispered to my ears seductively. His voice made my heart flutter with pleasure but I was more nervous at the moment to concentrate on how I felt.

   I snapped out of the stupefaction I had been into, to look into his bright blue eyes as I quietly took my bag from him. "I am sorry," I had to apologize and I did and that too, in a shameful way. I had again ridiculed myself and I knew that if Clara had seen us then, that would be the end of our friendship.

   He chuckled amusedly when he handed over my bag to me and about faced to move away from the garden. I thought that was all, until he suddenly turned back around and grabbed my arms again. This time, he was holding it very tightly that I could feel the blood not flowing in my veins. 

  "What are you doing to me Gerald. You have found you watch now, let go of me. I promise to never see your face again. Just let go of me." I said, struggling to release my arm from his hard grip, but to no avail. He was fuming.

 “I was able to find my watch only because I had installed a tracker in it. If I hadn't, you wouldn't have admitted that you took it, which is really bad." He said, making different expressions with his face.

  "What are you trying to say?"

  "Erm... something else is missing and I have no doubt that the thing is with you. I know you now, you don't need to lie to me. Just return all what you stole and I will let you go without telling anyone about you." He said, lowering his head as he gripped my chin. This guy was going to crush my jaw, I was doomed. Didn't he just tell me he liked me? Why then was he treating me so badly?

   "What are you talking about now? What else is missing? You have checked my bag and you found your watch, what else do you want? You can't accuse me for everything. If something apart from your watch is missing then... you will have to look for it somewhere else." I told him confidently. He couldn't just accuse me of everything. "And if you think I stole it, you can search anywhere for it."

    "Are you really sure you want me to do this? I know you stole it, you just don't want to admit it. What should I do to you if I find it on you?" He asked me, maintaining that smirk on his lips while his blue eyes glow brighter under the stars. He looked more cute when angry but I wouldn't want to get him angry to see this face. It was awesome but awkward.

    "What exactly are you looking for this time? There is possibility I have the same thing with me and I wouldn't want you to embarrass me like that. Just name it, if I don't have it, it's fine." I said crossing my arms. He had released my chin and moved backwards. This time, his eyes were boring into mine.

   "This is something you can't afford, so if I find it on you, it's definitely stolen. Your family's salary in three years can't afford it, so don't dream of it." He said, his expression changing into disgust as soon as he said that. 

   How dare he mention my family like that! 

  "Just tell me what it is!" I yelled. "Is this how you treat someone you like? Why did you lie to me?"

  "I did regret telling you about how I feel and that too at first meet. It's one of my biggest mistake ever. Anyways, it's not even my fault."

   "And whose it is?" I asked, raising my brows. He seemed to be more serious this time. He hung his head down for a while as if he was thinking of what to say, then looked up at once.

   “You must be very intelligent... you were able to steal a watch from my wrist, steal a golden pen from my pocket and you stole my heart from my chest as well." He said but wasn't smiling. He was damn serious and I could see the trace of tear in his eyes. This left me stupefied.

    Did I really hurt him that much? I did not even know how to respond to what he just said. My confidence and embarrassment suddenly disappeared and were replaced by pity and guilt. He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand and turned to leave.

   "And one... more... thing." He paused in his track. “I don't want to ever see your face again, never in my life. I loved you some minutes ago but now, I hate you with my whole heart and if I ever come across you again, you will be behind the bars for the rest of your life." He told me and walked out immediately.

    It wasn't my first time being caught and embarrassed publicly for stealing something but none of it was as painful as this one was. I fell to the ground and cried my whole eyes out. I hid behind the fountain and cried for several hours and when I was done crying. I took my bag and went out of the garden. Without informing Clara, I went home to finish what I had started.

     _______

  This was not as easy as I thought it would be. Tears couldn't stop trickling from my eyes. I had to take a week off work, knowing I would be better before then. I didn't know why I found it so difficult to forget. Each time I remembered the whole thing, I I would just go into my room and cry over again. I had been through several difficulties like this, but none ever weighed me down the way this one did. I couldn't even share it with anyone, not even Clara who would visit me to see if I was fine. Everyone knew something was wrong with me but I didn't tell anyone about what happened.

   I actually spent the whole off week to weep and starve myself and now that off had ended... I better get back to work. I guess I was fine now. That was a bad time and I hoped it never repeated itself. I just didn't want to see his face anymore. He actually humiliated me and he didn't care to know about how I feel. He said he liked me but he couldn't accept me for who I was. He was just an ass... I shouldn't waste my time thinking about him.

    New dawn, new week, new style. I dressed up in the morning, glowing and happy. I had again regained myself and my family were happy to see me back to my real state. I was in my corporate wear, set to leave for my office and when I was done with breakfast, I rode off.

     "Good morning Ms. Hazel." My colleagues greeted me here and there and I waved in response as I headed to my office, bright and happy to be back to my cabin. My cabin was just the way I left it. How cool. No one came here. I smiled, going to sit on the swivel chair at my desk and just then I sighted an envelope on my desk. This wasn't here before I left, was it?

   I reached to it immediately because I was so curious and I didn't have an idea of what could have been there. I opened the seal and just as I was about to pull out the sheet in it, the door to my office opened and the secretary came in.

    "I am sorry for the disturbance Ms. Hazel, may I come in?" She asked, bowing slightly.

   Something was off. I had been working for this company for the past three months and... wait, the secretary. She could have just called, why did she walk up here and that too, herself? I stood up gently and curiously, my eyes fixed on the expressionless face of the secretary.

   "How may I help you Mrs. Wilmer?"

  “The manager wants to see you in his office right away." She said abruptly and left the room immediately without waiting for my response. I rolled my eyes and shrugged, wondering why that was. I straightened my shirt and skirt and left my office immediately.

   "Good morni...." I greeted but I was cut short by the manager's hand suspended in air. That was a red flag. That was rude.

    "You must have seen the termination letter on your table. Pack your things and leave immediately."

    "Pardon? I... I..." I stuttered, absolutely confused. What did I do? “Sir, I did got the permission to take a week off. In fact, I had your signature on the letter, you're perhaps mistaking." 

     "Go read your letter." He told me and gestured me to get out of his office. I couldn't complain. I read the whole thing in the letter but I couldn't understand the major concept so I went directly to the secretary who should know the reason I was being terminated.

    “A piece of advice for you darling. Everyone knows already that you're obsessed with stealing things just the way you stole an emerald stone and a ruby. If you don't want to be embarrassed publicly, you better pack your things and go away from here immediately This is HLC jewelry, Inc., we don't want to see your face ever again." She told me mockingly and I was left with no choice. I hurried out quickly knowing that my secret was out.

    I tried so hard to hide the pain, and embarrassment I had faced but I couldn't. I got home completely down and depressed. What was I supposed to tell my family? They did asked me what happened but I didn't reveal to them until Clara came. I told her and she told my family about it. I expected the disappointment, this had always been me and I still couldn't control it.

    “What is your next plan now?" Mum asked me one day while we were eating in the dinning. “Are you going to look for a new job?"

   "Yes mum... I'll try to look for a job but it must be far away from home. I can't get job anywhere close." I told her sincerely. Mum and was supportive but my brother, Alex and Dad... I didn't even want to talk about 'em. They were both mad at me.

   "Don't worry my darling, you will be fine." Mum said and patted my cheek. “Just try to be a good girl this time. Once you secure a better job, everything will be fine."

   "Only if she stops stealing. Like, I don't know... Must you take everything you see? If you want to get a better job, you have to get rid of this obsession of yours." Alex said and walked away from the dinning with a hard face.

    "Hazel, if you don't get a job within two days, I don't want to see you in my home anymore. You are a disgrace. We kept immigrating just because of you but you never stopped causing us the same shame you've always caused us." Dad said and left the dinning too. 

    "What are you planning to do now?" Mum asked me, her face etched with concern.

    ""I will figure it out." I thought remembering him again.