The Affair

Chapter 21.1 - Forced Confession

Wednesday, July 20, 2022, 9:44am

The following workweek is hectic. The first round of the McCallen Offshore docket comes in heavy, dumping a bulk of immediate deadlines onto Fallon and Amy. Given the urgency, the girls are glued to their new company laptops with no time to bicker. As such, their wild fight at the bar goes unaddressed. But a soft camaraderie starts to bloom between them, a happy consequence of their shared workload. They weren't friends—far from it—but for now, they were able to work together professionally without any further conflict.

The days trudge along, each hour slurring into its own lifetime. At the office, Dylan remains distant, his cold indifference cutting sharper than Fallon wants to admit. Each cheerful greeting falls flat, met with only cold glances if she was lucky enough to even get a reaction from him. Mr. Reiner, swamped with new deadlines, offers little reprieve. She longs for his attention. Just one minute of his time to settle her fears. But he is too busy—too busy to appease her selfish desires and silly wants. Even Amy's sudden refusal to engage—insults and all—only isolates her further.

The loneliness hurts, the familiar gnaw of it ripping old wounds in Fallon's heart she had done so well to keep stitched shut. It steals her appetite, triggers crying spells, and keeps her tossing and turning through sleepless nights. Still, she shows up to work with vivacious vigor, determined to not let her inner turmoil show. Doing so would acknowledge her feelings as real, and she knows nothing good could come of that.

Now Wednesday, Fallon watches her phone as the minute passes into 12:00. She groans softly, letting her head fall into her palms. Another day is slipping away, and she once again would have nothing to show for it. Her computer screen casts an irritating blue light, the same unfinished task glaring back at her. She had been suffering through it all morning—still incomplete, and still due by the end of the day.

Every little detail of the day nags at her in her mother's voice, reminding her just how useless she is. She's on the verge of screaming, but her body saves her by jolting upright, retreating a step away from her workspace. At the other end is Amy, unbothered and honed in on her work like the flawless woman she is. Fallon frowns, her fingers twist anxiously as she waits for something from her—an insult, a taunt, even a backhanded compliment. But nothing comes, and she leaves feeling invisible.

She makes her way to the break room, trusting that cold orange soda would fix whatever was broken inside her. But upon entering she sees Dylan at a table, AirPods in and attention down to his phone. She freezes, gawking at the handsome boy. He had gotten a haircut, replacing his lush, thick locks of wavy hair for a shorter, more primp and proper, side-part style. The change suits him, complimented further with his evolving wardrobe, which she had been noticing.

No more did he wear plain polo shirts with those boxy khaki pants that did nothing for his physique. He had become so much more dapper in his presentation and today it was all on display. A white button-down, pressed clean and tucked into tapered grey slacks, both garments filled out by his built arms and legs. A charcoal-grey leather belt divides the colors, pairing well with the black loafers on his feet and a thin silver-faced watch on his wrist.

Her bottom lip tucks under her teeth, but she doesn't realize it.

She runs her hands down the curve of her hips, chasing away the stubborn wrinkles in her dress. It is a chic piece—a deep, rich black with long-sleeves. The garment hugs her body, flaunting the curves of her bust down to her hips before flaring outwards and falling daintily at her thighs. A delicate sheer fabric is stitched at the neckline and each wrist cuff, white, ruffled, and finished with shimmery embroidery. Her posh high heels, a soft almond shade, help her stand a bit taller and add a subtle grace to the neutral palate she had cultivated. She feels pretty, but her frightful green eyes suggest otherwise.