LIANA“Since I was so blind before,” I added, “I had decided to loan out some to James. I hope that clears everything out.” Zaylen stayed quiet for a few seconds after my confession. Then he asked, “Then why are you working in this company? That too, at such an ordinary post?” I had anticipated this question. "I want to be independent," I confessed, the words spilling forth in a rush of honesty, "to prove to myself and to my dad that I'm capable of standing on my own two feet. I want to gain experience, to learn from the ground up, before I even think about stepping into his business." There was a soft hum on the other end of the line, a sound that carried with it a depth of understanding I hadn't expected. "You're admirable, Liana," Zaylen said, his voice tinged with genuine respect, "I just joined the company as the CEO right after graduating. But you, you're choosing to carve your own path, to forge your own destiny. That takes real courage." His words washed over me like a s
LIANAAs I stepped into the familiar hustle and bustle of the office, my thoughts still lingered on the conversation with Zaylen. But before I could fully immerse myself in the day's tasks, a voice sliced through the chatter, sending a shiver down my spine. "Liana," James called out, his tone a sickening blend of remorse and desperation, "did you get my flowers?" I turned to face him, my expression impassive despite the tumult of emotions churning within me — mostly rage. "Yes, I did," I replied curtly, my voice tinged with a cold edge, "and I threw them into the trash where they belong." His face fell, a mask of hurt and disbelief. "Liana, please," he pleaded, reaching out to touch my arm, "can we talk? Just for a few minutes?" I sighed, relenting to his request with a begrudging nod. Leading him to a secluded corner of the office, I turned to face him, my arms crossed tightly over my chest. "What do you want, James?" I asked, my voice clipped. He swallowed hard, his eyes dartin
LIANA As I made my way through the bustling office during lunchtime, the events of the morning still weighed heavily on my mind. I noticed that James took a half-day leave after my ultimatum. Serves him right! Let him struggle now. As I approached the break room, Lara intercepted me with a bright smile. "Hey, Liana! Want to grab lunch together?" she chirped, her voice filled with warmth. If I was the previous Liana, I would have never guessed that it was all fake. But now I know. "Thanks, Lara, but I'm going to eat with Sara and Kiara today," I replied, my tone polite but distant. Lara's smile faltered slightly. "Oh, okay. Then maybe next time." With a nod of farewell, I made my way to the table where Sara and Kiara were already seated. “Why are you still talking politely to that Lara?” Sara grumbled. “I hate her, ugh.” “I know, right? She deserves to rot in hell,” Kiara added. I smiled at their words. Is that how actual friends behave? Combinedly hate one person even t
LIANA “Why? What's on the office page? And why is our boss on the office page in the first place?” I furrowed my eyebrows. Zaylen twitched his lips. “Jordan showed me.” “Jordan needs to be kicked out of the page then. He's a spy, spilling all the tea to our boss,” I retorted as I took out my phone to check the forum. He chuckled. “He will find a way to creep his way back in. He is extremely resourceful.” “I expect no less. He's our scary boss's assistant—” I paused the moment I saw the latest post about a cheating story about two colleagues from the marketing department from an anonymous person. A gasp escaped my lips as I read the post. It cleared up everything that Lara used to spread lies about me too. Although names were not explicitly mentioned, everyone guessed the people involved anyway, and it was the latest tea of the office. Oh, my God. Who made it public? Sara and Kiara! Of course! “It must have those two,” I grumbled, feeling steam coming out of my ears. “W
LIANAI couldn't help but shake my head in disbelief as Sara, Kiara, and I sat down for lunch, the events of the previous day still fresh in my mind. "You guys are crazy," I chuckled, shaking my head incredulously, "I can't believe you went and aired everything out on the office page like that. Talk about exposing Lara and clearing my name in one fell swoop." Sara grinned mischievously, her eyes dancing with amusement. "Well, desperate times call for desperate measures," she replied, her tone light with satisfaction, "and Lara had it coming." Kiara nodded in agreement, a smirk playing at the corners of her lips. "Yeah, she can't just go around spreading lies about you without consequences," she added, her voice tinged with satisfaction. But our laughter was short-lived, as the atmosphere suddenly shifted with Lara's sudden arrival. She stormed over to our table, her face flushed with anger as she launched into a tirade. "How could you do this, Liana?" she yelled, her voice echoin
LIANA As I was getting ready for the day ahead, my phone buzzed with a text message from Zaylen. Curiosity piqued, I opened the message to find an unexpected invitation. Zaylen: Hey, Liana. Do you want to meet for breakfast? I want to talk to you about Lara's background and what James has been up to. A surge of intrigue coursed through me at his words, curiosity mingling with apprehension as I considered his proposition. He said he was going to investigate Lara since her background was unknown, but what did he find about James that needs to be urgently discussed? After a moment of hesitation, I quickly typed out a reply. Liana: Sure, Zaylen. Zaylen: Great. See you at the café. I read his text again with a smile, forgetting about my worries for the moment. He was so caring and considerate. The thought of spending time with him outside of office filled me with a sense of anticipation that I couldn't quite shake. I couldn't help but wonder if there was something more to Zayle
LIANA “He bought his current apartment and car,” Zaylen stated. I buried my face in my hands as I bit my bottom lip, unable to digest the words. My entire body was boiling with anger. “Not only was he cheating on me, he was using me for money too?” “I am so sorry, Liana. You deserved so much better,” he mumbled, his tone laced with sympathy. “I thought I was going to take my time making James suffer throughout the month as he struggled to put together the money before the deadline, but now,” I put down my hands from my face as a look of determination and conviction took over my expressions, “I am going to give him a serious blow that he will be unable to recover from.” Zaylen couldn't help but smile, a look of pride on his face. “I am glad you are not breaking down over this.” “Gone are the days that I will have a breakdown because of that asshole,” I spat out. “The only thing he deserves is my wrath. At first, I was just going to make him suffer with the loan, but now, I am goin
LIANA Just as I was about to walk away, someone grabbed my wrist, stopping me. My heart pounded in my chest as James's grip tightened around my wrist, his words laced with venom as he spat them out in a tirade of anger and resentment. "Who the fuck do you think you are?" he snarled, his voice rising with each word, "just because you have money, do you think you can talk to me like that?” “I knew it. You always looked down on me because you have got your rich daddy's money in your bank account, don't you?” he spat out, his eyes a little psychotic. I winced as his fingers dug into my skin, pain shooting through me with each harsh tug. "Let go of me, James," I demanded, my voice trembling with defiance. “You think you can talk to me like this just because you gave me some money and I made a mistake? I am not your servant who will just take down whatever you say to me.” “What you did was not a mistake.” I glared at him. “And I am only asking you to return what I rightfully deserve to