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I hold out my hand to her, stopping her from coming closer. I keep my eyes on hers.

“We are not pretending we’re friends or anything even remotely close. Get out of here. You and I will never be anything.”

Her attempt at a smoldering look begins to melt away. That is when her voice goes low, and she tries to lean into me. But I turn my face, leaning further into the chair.

“I know this is just some setup, honey,” she says as she takes her hands and places them on the back of my chair. “There is no way that you met that woman and have become engaged already.”

I feel a pit in my stomach begin to grow but instead of giving into her, I take her by the shoulders. She looks a bit startled when I firmly stand up, gazing down at her with great conviction.

“Ada, how many times do I have to tell you…”

Suddenly, Ada’s hands are on the back of my head, pushing me down into her lips. We collide, and she tries to put her tongue inside her mouth. I push her away, enraged by her audacity.

“What the fuck!” I call out. “Get out of here, Ada! Now!”

I am shouting, which is unlike me. But she has pushed me to the edge. She simply cannot let go of me, and she begins to express her own irrational fury.

“No one is going to be able to have you, Aiden!” she yells back at me. “Not this woman, not anyone!”

I look around through the transparent walls of my office. People are staring, once again watching the play of my life unfold.

I grit my teeth, holding back the true venom of words I would love to spew in her direction. Ada has always been a spoiled brat, even when we were together. I had hoped she would mature, but this display has shown me that my thinking back then had been a pipe dream.

I squeeze the bridge of my nose and try to pick my words carefully. I have already sworn at her, which isn’t good. She is still the daughter of an important investor that my father works with. I may not want to marry her, but I can’t screw up our relationship entirely.

“Look, Ada,” I say, trying to be reasonable. “We used to have something great, then it fell apart. I’m sorry if seeing me with someone who makes me happy upsets you. Truly, I am. But you have to let it go.”

Her expression flickers, going soft for a moment, then vanishes like a candle being blown out by a gust of wind. Her fists clench, and she stomps a foot, exactly like a toddler.

“Did you not hear me?” she sneers. “No one else is going to have you. Ever. Never, ever.”

I realize that Ada is finally a lost cause. I go back to my computer, not wanting to make the scene seem even more dramatic than it already is. I begin to type on my computer, acting as though she isn’t here at all.

“Have it your way, then,” I mutter.

I go on with my work, feeling cold but also tired of her crap. She stands there, frozen with anger for a moment, then finally leaves my office. I see her leave just as quickly as she arrived.

I let my face fall into my hands once she leaves. I then get up and close the blinds of my office so I can have a moment alone. I fall into the chair, finally bringing that delicious cup of coffee to my face.

I try to think of Josephine. Sweet, cute, lovely Josephine. It would be far better to be sitting with her here, enjoying her presence and the sweet beverage.

This wedding, frankly, cannot come fast enough.

21

JOSEPHINE

Work has become something that is harder and harder to focus on. With everything happening with the possible eviction, the fake engagement, the damaged car, and more, my mind feels like a soda bottle about to explode.

I still manage to find times, though, where work still soothes me. It is usually when I’m away from customers, making cookies in the kitchen with the baker. It has a trancelike effect that takes me back to when I was a kid, helping out my parents and applying some childlike decorations.

Doing it now still makes me smile.

My father comes into the back room, smiling from ear to ear. I look up, and my heart begins to ache with joy.

“Dad,” I say, voice trembling.

He holds his arms out, and I fall into them like a little girl. We both weep under the weight of the potential irrevocable loss we only narrowly avoided. There are no words required for this moment, only love.

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
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