The Devil Himself

/Annabelle's POV/

"Are you sure you want to do this, Annie?" Diane asked me for the umpteenth time, holding onto my hands and staring at me in the eyes.

It's been weeks since Ethan and I finalised our divorce, and I packed out of the house. Yet I still didn't get as much as a text from him.

I was stupid, right? How was I even thinking of getting a text from him despite all I had been through?

But that was the thing. I was still stupidly in love with Ethan.

I had moved in with Diane and was now insistent on getting a job for myself. However, Diane wasn't convinced it was a good idea as she felt like I was going through a lot, and I needed to take some time to take care of myself.

"I'm positive, Dee," I replied, squeezing her hands reassuringly. "I feel like I'm going to lose my mind if I don't do this, Asides that I need the money. I can't keep depending on you. "

"But I never said I was complaining,"

"Yes, I know that. But I'm not comfortable living like this, so let me do this, please. " I smiled softly.

Diane's expression softened, but I could still see concern lingering in her eyes.

"But are you ready? You have been through so much already, "

"That's exactly why I need this. I need to focus on other things rather than my grief." Diane nodded slowly.

"Okay, Annie. You have to promise me one thing, though. You'll prioritise your well-being. " I smiled.

"Of course, Dee, I promise. I'll be fine. "

"Very well then." She replied as she released my hands and adjusted on the chair, pulling her phone from the coffee table to continue surfing the Internet since she was working from home.

"See you when I get back, and wish me luck," I replied as I headed for the door, but I stopped in my tracks when I suddenly heard Diane scream.

"This stupid bastard! " She exclaimed, staring at her phone like the images on the screen had turned her blood to a boiling point.

I rushed back to Diane, my heart beating with intensity. " This is crazy," she scoffed.

"What's wrong, Dee?

"It's Ethan," she gasped, her eyes venomous as she handed me the phone.

"Wow," I said simply, the image I was looking at bringing tears to my eyes as I desperately tried to blink them back. On the screen was a photo of Ethan and Penelope beaming with happiness.

Penelope's hand was proudly displaying a sparkling diamond engagement ring, while Ethan's hand wrapped around her waist, pulling her close.

Their smiles seemed to scream happiness and love, but all I felt was as if my heart was cut deep by a two-edged sword.

The caption beneath the phone read: She said yes! Which was accompanied by a heart emoji, which made me feel like a knife was twisting in my chest.

" What a heartless bastard! It's barely two weeks after your divorce, and he's already engaged? " Diane spat. " To the same woman he claimed he was constantly tending to because she was sick and dying," she added, her fingers making invisible quotations in the air.

"It's fine, Dee," I said, trying my best to force a smile.

" No, it's not Annie. You deserved better than that piece of trash. Someone who loves and cherishes you, not someone who moves on to the next woman without a second thought, " she responded, still very furious.

"It's fine, Dee. At the end of the day, you can't force love, right? There was no point staying together when his heart wasn't with me, to begin with, " I said more like I was trying to convince myself than her, as I still desperately tried to fight back the tears threatening to come out.

Diane heaved a deep breath after staring at me like she wasn't buying what I was saying. " I know you are still hurting, and it's okay to let it out, okay?" She said reassuringly. " There is no need to bottle out the feeling,"

" I'm fine." I tried to convince her once again as I picked up my bag and started heading out the door.

"Are you sure you still want to do this today, though? You could always check for other interviews, " she shouted behind me.

"It's fine, I got this," I replied, walking out the door.

***************************************

"Ma'am the manager will see you now." The Secretary, a lady who seemed to be in her mid-twenties, said to me as she ushered me towards the managers' office

I stood up from my seat, smoothing out my dress as I took one last glance around the reception room.

It was a small marketing company, but it had a cosy and modern office space. The reception area was tastefully decorated with vibrant colours and sleek furniture.

About a dozen applicants like me sat waiting, each scrolling through their phones or flipping through their resumes.

I took a deep breath, feeling anxious. I had been a stay-at-home wife for too long, and I couldn't help the doubt that came into my head.

What if I wasn't good enough for the job? Would they accept me?

I squared my shoulders and stepped inside. The manager's company was quite impressive, with framed marketing campaigns adjoining the walls.

A middle-aged woman with a kind face sat behind the desk.

"Welcome. Please do have a seat, " she said, and I smiled, fidgeting a little bit.

"Thank you for seeing me today," I said, settling in my chair while trying to appear calm and confident.

"Of course, Miss Davis..." I zoned out a bit, my brain finding it hard that I was once again being addressed as Davis. It felt quite weird, too, since I was already used to being addressed as Mrs Thompson.

However, I shook the thought away, focusing on what she was saying. "I must say your application caught my attention," she said, her eyes scanning my resume

" Tell me, what makes you think you are a good fit for Lumineer Creative?"

I launched into my well-rehearsed speech, highlighting my marketing skills and experience. She listened attentively, nodding along.

When I finished, she looked up from my resume, a look of a smile on her face. "I must say your skills and experience match perfectly with our company's needs,"

She leans forward, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. "Well, on that note, I'm pleased to inform you that....."

"You would do no such thing!" A voice said from behind, stopping her from completing her words.

"Sir?" The manager asked. My eyes practically bulged out, looking at the man in front of me.

"Ethan? What are you doing here?" I inquire, wondering who he thought he was barging into an official meeting like that.

"I'm sorry for interrupting this meeting. However, I couldn't stand and watch you employ incompetent people into my company, " He said, emphasizing "my company "

"Your company? " I repeated, my voice laced with incredulity. I just like I was slapped in the face, like the ground could split open for me to run into it for shelter.

I was married to Ethan for five years, and I never knew he had a marketing company. I knew he was a wealthy businessman and of his major company, Thompson & Co. However, I wasn't quite aware of his other little businesses since he never opened up to me.

The manager's expression suddenly turned uneasy, her voice shaking terribly. "Sir, I'm sorry for the misunderstanding. I wasn't aware you were scheduled to attend this interview. "

"I wasn't..." Ethan said. "But I couldn't let this...hiring decision slide after I saw the list of applicants sent to my email in the early hours of the day."

He turned to the manager. " Ms Johnson, I'm afraid Ms Annabelle Davis isn't suitable for this position."

"Please, Ethan, you can't do this. I promise I'll stay out of your way. " I turned to him, pleading the tears I had been holding back, threatening to fall.

"Oh, I can, and I will trust me," He said firmly. "Annabelle's lack of recent experience and her...emotional instability will make her a liability. How can one who can't even take care of her family work in my company? " He continued, staring at me in disgust like he was daring me to do my worst.

"Please, Ethan. This is a place of business, not a personal vendetta, " I added, trying my best to reason with him, as my heart pounded rather furiously.

His smile was cold."I don't think you have the right to tell me how to run my business. I'm just protecting my company's interests." He snarled.

"So you'd do yourself the honour and head out of here honourably before I get the security to do that. And we both know you don't want that." He finished, heading out of the office.

I trailed behind him, trying to reason with him. He couldn't detest me that much, right?

However, as I caught up with him, he shoved me to the side as though my touch burned him.

"Security! Throw this woman out of my company this minute! "