Secrets Revealed

Chapter 2

©2012 Neroli Laverack

CHAPTER 2

It was another early morning at the office. It’s Friday, thank goodness. Lillian has been short with me ever since Tuesday when I was late. In her own words, I was a complete fool who had no propriety for time and therefore my job. I have basically been treading on egg shells around her. The meeting was fine, I guess a learning experience and all, but with Lillian breathing down my neck and constantly staring, I felt on edge and uneasy.

I hated the feeling that at any moment I could lose my job.

I sat at my desk, sorting through the recent contacts on my computer that I had to sign off for upcoming meetings, when I heard a buzzing, I looked to my right and left and over my shoulder, wondering where the hell that noise was coming from. I listened more closely, barely moving a muscle, trying to stretch my hearing, eventually I honed in on my handbag.

“Crap! That is my personal phone ringing.” I shrieked to myself.

Quickly bending down in my seat, I grabbed my phone and straightened up while pressing the accept button on my touch. I saved the document while saying hello to the person on the other end; I didn’t bother looking at the caller ID. I was too busy.

“Hello, Louise Masters speaking.”

Silence.

“Hello?”

More Silence.

Getting frustrated my tone was harsher, wanting to know who this person was, “Who the hell is this?” my tone sharp with each word.

I heard a loud intake of breath before I heard the common sound of an uninterrupted dial tone. Scrunching my eyebrows in confusion while pulling the phone away from my ear, I looked at the number and found that it was the international calling code from home.

What?

Who would ring me from across the other side of the world? The only people who should be ringing would be…my family!

I felt a stab of panic. Something must have happened, it better not be something bad! It has to be something good. Like my sister getting married or my brother coming home from being deployed after eight months. It shouldn’t be something bad!

Stop panicking! It’s going to be fine! Your family is fine! Everything is fine!

“Stop saying fine!”

It took me a moment to realise that I spoke that last thought out loud. I looked around my office wearily to see if anyone heard me. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw everyone glued to their computer screens. I really didn’t know how people could stare at a screen so long and not have something wrong with their vision. I have to stop every two hours otherwise my eyes would itch and everything would get blurry and I’d sure fall over something.

Placing my phone in my handbag I resumed my workings on the document that Lillian assigned for me to do. Before I could get the first word into start a new paragraph, my office phone beeped, signalling I had a call waiting.

Lillian’s voice came through my speaker.

“Miss Masters, someone’s on the phone for you. Don’t be long.” She snapped.

I felt my heart pump a little faster when I realised Lillian had answered the phone and not me. Once I heard the static shut off before picking up the phone and introducing myself to this mysterious caller.

“Hello, Louise Masters speaking.”

“Louise?”

My eyes widened as I recognised the voice.