CH 0006

Skylar had been sitting behind her desk and seated in her chair, her fingers drumming rhythmically on the polished wood surface, with all manner of thoughts and angst going through her mind and almost driving her crazy.

It was the first time in a long while that she was sitting at her desk in the early hours of a Monday morning, and also that Ivan had gone somewhere which he termed ‘private business’ without her.

She didn't know what to do at all. In her life, for the first time in a long time, she was so confused about the right step to take, even if it took only a few seconds to hand in her resignation letter to him and save herself all the awkwardness.

However, that was not the main cause of her anger, which seemed to be rising by the minute. It was because Ivan mentioned those words to her like they meant nothing, and said that they should be adults about what happened between them

Her fists clenched into a ball, as the repetition of his words continued stoking the flames of her frustration, “I hope we can be adults and forget about it,” he had said, his tone quite cold and dismissive. The way he had brushed it off so casually made her blood boil, and acted as if he could dictate how she should feel and move on, as if she were merely a pawn in his game.

A wave of bitterness washed over her, making her chest tighten in anger, the more she felt like all she had worked so hard to build, and how she had established herself as a competent, and reliable professional had been tainted by that one reckless night.

Even his words seemed to undermine everything she had worked for, as if she had been reduced to a mere object of his convenience, and she didn't like that feeling at all.

But deep down, if she wanted to be rational, it had to be bygones whether she wanted it or not. No one could ever know that she accidentally had a nightstand with her boss, Ivan Hamilton, who was a young, eligible young billionaire, with whom she would never be able to compare to only a tenth of him.

‘They would call her names. They would say she schemed what happened or had seduced him. She would face scrutiny and people would judge her family and background. There was no way there should ever be anything of such between them, but yet, she still felt so pained.

‘He could get anything the lady wanted, so he probably thought that she was cheap, and that is why he spoke to her in such a manner,’ Skylar told herself, feeling so sad and dejected at that moment.

It wasn't supposed to be a big deal to lose her virginity, but she wished it wasn't to someone like Ivan. If it were to a man she loved, then it would have been better. Not to someone with whom it will hold no meaning.

“I'm so sick and tired of trying so hard! Nothing is ever worth it at the end!” she spat angrily as soon as she was reminded of her father's words to her when she was younger, and the torture he had constantly put her through with his harsh labels, which was the reason why she had never had a proper boyfriend.

“You skank! You want to be a whore just like your mother, don't you?! You are such a hoe! Wearing lipstick at this young age? To attract men, right?!” he would drag her by the hair whenever he saw her with any man.

It was the pathetic life Skylar was subjected to while living with a man, who transferred his aggression to her, gambled away everything they had, and made them lose their house and properties to pay debts.

He had made her so miserable and reduced her self-esteem to ground level every single time, that she could not bear it anymore after he had beat her endlessly whenever he was drunk. That was when she left home in high school to be with her mother, whose financial situation was even worse than her father's. However, she was happier.

But his words haunted her every time. Even while attending college and working her bones out, she could never have fun. She could never date someone properly because of the fear of being judged. The cane and beating marks from her father's constant battering on her were so recalcitrant, that it would draw questions to anyone whose eyes might caught a sight of them.

‘And yet now, it seemed like her father's words were true after all? Ivan had probably seen those ugly scars, had he not? Just one touch from him, and she lost herself to him so foolishly, had she not?’

Skylar imagined walking into his office, handing him her resignation letter, and walking out with her head held high so many times that she lost count. The thought of leaving it all behind - the stress of the job, the shame she was going through, and the suffocating presence of her boss, was indeed relieving.

To Skylar, It seemed like a hard decision, but she knew that she really needed to resign and give herself peace from self-judgment. She could not keep delaying it because she was having second thoughts and doubts.

‘Would she be able to find another job as well-paying as this one? She had dedicated her most precious time to working as tirelessly as possible. Would she be able to leave just like that?’ Skylar's mind raced endlessly, as she struggled with her conflicting emotions again and again. She felt trapped and caught between the desire to save herself from shame, as well as the fear of losing everything she had worked for.

And even when she checked her phone to see if any of the jobs she applied to had sent an email that could offer hope, it was only one that had sent her a reply, with a ridiculous job offer and terrible pay. It made her even more miserable.

“Just let it go, Sky. Another better job would still come,” Skylar encouraged herself as she stood up languidly behind her desk, and began to pack all of her property neatly into one of the boxes they used in his office.

She knew it was better to drop it on his table since he was not in his office, so that his imposing presence would steal her words again, and make her fail to make her mind up.

As she rose to her feet and stood by her desk with the crisp white envelope in her hand, trembling slightly and her heart pounding with anxiety, the sudden ringing of her phone startled her, breaking her disorientation. She glanced at the screen and saw an unknown number flashing as the caller, which made her hesitate a few seconds before picking up.

“Hello?” Her voice was tentative.

“Am I speaking to Kate Bailey's guardian?” The voice from the other side of the phone came through.

“Yes, please,” Skylar was a little tense, wondering what was wrong, “Is anything wrong with my mother?”

Her heart fell as soon as she heard what the person calling said next, “She has been rushed into our hospital, and your attention is needed.’