Chapter 5. Please, kill me right now

I entered the press office with mixed feelings haunting my mind. River's statement about her relationship with Evan still plagued my mind, as if I couldn't believe it. Every step I took felt so heavy, and uncertainty crept into my mind.

It's still unbelievable that I made the decision I did. The bait River had laid out ... I had eaten it whole. He managed to fool me, doing it as if I decided everything myself. Come on, everything seems easy for that man!

Emma, who was busy organizing files on her desk, was the first to notice my presence. She raised her head when I entered the room. Her face immediately turned thoughtful, probably because she saw my very gloomy expression. "Hi! Mia, how was your interview with River Lynch?"

Almost everyone in the room immediately turned to me, hoping and worrying.

"Pretty good,'" I replied, not entirely honest. As they continued to watch, I looked at Cody who was grimacing. I hurriedly changed my expression to match what I was saying, making myself look as if I was excited and satisfied. "The interview with River Lynch was great!" I then walked to my desk. People weren't paying much attention and went back to their work.

My steps stopped when I passed Emma's table. I placed a pomegranate juice on her table, a drink she had started to consume frequently since becoming pregnant. "I'm so grateful to you. I really am."

Emma's face lit up at the sight of the drink I gave her. "My baby really likes it. You are welcome." She drank the juice right away. Her eyes were closed as she enjoyed it. I smiled and patted her shoulder before walking over to my seat.

Cody approached a second after my ass touched my chair. "Tell me what exactly happened!" he whispered very softly.

"What?" I asked back, pretending to be busy by immediately turning on the computer.

"I know you're hiding something! Come on, tell me what happened." He kept insisting, pressing his ergonomic chair against mine. 

"Later, okay?" I huffed in annoyance and pushed his chair away. I searched my eyes for someone. "Lukas!" Cody glared in panic. "Cody volunteered to try on our clothing collection!"

"Sure!" exclaimed a man who was hidden behind a rack of clothes. It was Lukas Cheadle, the editor of the fashion section at Pamela Magazine. He poked his head out, looking at the sluggish Cody. "Come here, dude!"

"Coming!" Cody exclaimed back. He then scowled at me before getting up from his chair and walking over to Lukas.

I exhaled. At least I could get away from Cody for a few minutes.

My head couldn't stop remembering what had just happened. When I kissed River in front of Evan. When I indulged my impulsive will driven by my overwhelming emotions. What people say is true. Don't make decisions when your head is overloaded and your heart is filled with anger. As a result, this is what happened. I squeezed my head, feeling both ashamed and desperate.

"Fuck!" I cursed, not realizing it came out loud enough to make several people notice. "No problem, no problem! Everything's just fine," I grinned, making some of them shake their heads.

The pressroom door opened. Rory walked at a brisk pace into her room carrying a paper cup that I guessed contained a piccolo with extra sugar.

I looked at Emma, who was encouraging me with her two hands clenched in the air. After taking a deep breath, I got up from my seat, hugging the two objects to my chest. I am ready to face Rory!

I knocked on the glass door of Rory's room and opened it. Rory looked up from her tablet. She leaned back in the chair, placed the flat object on the table and looked at me intensely.

"I've met River Lynch," I began. There was no response from the woman with greenish-gray eyes. "The interview went well." And I even kissed him. I pushed that thought away. You need to focus, Mia Abreu! In front of you is Rory Burnett, the one who holds the key to fulfilling your dreams!

I caught a movement of her body that I interpreted as her asking for whatever I was currently carrying. "I've written everything down. And here's also a recording you can listen to." I placed both items on her desk."I think River Lynch is a great businessman. He has a lot of experience. And I also think he has the potential to be a breath of fresh air for Pamela Magazine."

Rory still didn't answer.She skimmed over the notes I'd written while nodding. I waited for her with my heart pounding.

"Not bad," she commented in the end, making me breathe a sigh of relief. A smile etched on my face. "You can start writing the article. Just send me a copy of this recording. I'll listen to it later." Her hand held out my notebook.

I hurriedly accepted it and then picked up the recorder on the table. "Thank you! I'll work on the article earnestly!" My body was ready to turn around until I finally remembered what my main purpose here was.

"Do you still have something to say?" she asked when she noticed my sudden halt in movement.

"I want to apologize about Marcel Monaghan," I said quietly, a little worried.

Rory sighed. She leaned forward and looked at me. "We've already got River Lynch. I thought the Marcel Monaghan thing was behind us. But, Mia ...." Rory paused her sentence, making me sick to my stomach. I set my ears and heart intently. "You remember, don't you, the purpose of you working with me?"

I nodded. "I remember it very well."I had it engraved on my heart.There was no way I could forget it."Well, I hope you don't make mistakes like this again in the future."

I looked at her smiling face.She was one of those people with a kind and sweet face. However, sometimes what she said was in stark contrast to the gentleness on her face. Even though she was often foul-mouthed, I knew she cared about all of us. Rory cares about me.

"I'll guarantee it."

"Good," she responded. "You can walk out now."

I nodded, thanked her once again, and walked out of Rory's room where the temperature was lower than the other rooms in the press office.

***

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Cody almost exclaimed, drawing attention from the people in the restaurant. I almost managed to hit him if he wasn't so good at dodging. "You're not fucking kidding me?" He continued in a smaller voice.

I clucked lazily. "You think I'd joke around with a topic like that?"

"But really? Evan? Our beloved Evan... cheated on you?" he asked affirmatively, I rolled my eyes as I ate my fries. "Okay, well, he's no longer our beloved."

"I caught him red-handed with my own eyes. And he didn't even deny it or try to lie his way out of it."

Cody leaned back in the chair. His brow furrowed deeply. "I can't figure it out."

"And about River Lynch ...."

"What's wrong?" he asked quickly, straightening up again.

"He's Evan's uncle," I replied, prepared for his response.

" WHA-WHAT?! How is that possible? What's Evan's last name?"

"And I kissed River in front of Evan."

"Fxck, Mia! You kissed him?!"

I calmed down Cody who was really attracting people's attention. "Husssh, settle down a bit ...."

"ARE YOU INSANE?!"

"Cody!" I whispered firmly.

He finally looked around, then leaned towards me. "What's the fucking story? Gosh, I'm suddenly full."

I then told him what really happened. From Addy telling me about Evan to the time I kissed River a few hours ago.

Cody gaped, his eyes wide as if he couldn't believe what he had just heard. "So, you kissed Evan's uncle in front of Evan himself?" he said in a mixed tone of amazement and astonishment. "And you guys slept together last night...."

I nodded slowly. "Yeah, I did. It's totally a mess. I'm not thinking straight, and River seems to be luring me in on purpose."

Cody squeezed the edge of the table, trying to absorb the information he had just received. "What are you going to do now? Are you sure about everything?"

"It's like a never-ending nightmare," I said as I reached for my drink.

Cody seemed to digest all the information quickly. "About River, what are you going to do?"

"I don't know, Cody. It's all too complicated," I said in a frustrated tone.

Cody took a deep breath. "I never thought you'd get caught up in this much drama." But then he grinned. Cody's original side reappeared. "Well, Mia... but I'm honestly curious about this River Lynch."

I stared at him in disbelief.

He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. "I'm going to g****e him right now."

"Please, kill me right now."

***

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27012024, Anne Joyce