Tainted Desires | 18+

15 - Office Chaos

Mirabelle Morrison

It was Saturday afternoon now, meaning I did not go to work for half of Thursday and Friday. I had sent George a message to call in sick for me because I was too ashamed to show up at work in case I ran into Eloise or Terrence. I hadn't realized how much the marriage announcement was going to affect me. I did not understand why I felt uncomfortable hearing about Terrence getting married to another woman. At that time, all I cared about was what he had discussed with Eloise because the news had yet to hit me.

When George came over last night to check up on me because he had the feeling that I was not sick. Hesitant at first, I finally gave in to the desperate need for an outlet. I found myself pouring out the entire story to him about my unrequited love for Terrence and Eloise's unexpected announcement. It felt liberating to unload the burden weighing on my heart, but now, my heart and body ached as realization dawned upon me. It was then I realized that the feelings I had for Terrence were more than what I thought I had for him when we were teenagers.

As I lay in bed, my mind was consumed with thoughts of Terrence. Memories from years ago flooded back, but now they felt more potent, more alive. It was as if the universe was conspiring to remind me of our connection. I found myself unable to shake off the thoughts of Terrence. It was as if I had unleashed a floodgate of emotions that had been dormant for far too long. Every memory we had shared, every inside joke, every stolen glance - it all came rushing back with newfound intensity.

I couldn't shake the feeling that I had missed my chance, that I had let the opportunity slip through my fingers. That was even if I ever had a chance to begin with. It has always been Terrence for me. But now, it seemed like Terrence had moved on, and I was still stuck in time when I was the eighteen-year-old girl who waited with the hope that he would finally like me.

The weight of regret settled heavily on my shoulders, reminding me of the moment I had caused him to slip away. I couldn't blame him; after all, it was I who had confessed my feelings so abruptly, without considering the consequences.

Despite the urge that I had to call him after lunch on Thursday, I still couldn't bring myself to. Fear of rejection and the possibility of hearing him utter words that would crush my heart held me back. I desperately wished for a sign, something that would give me a glimmer of hope that he still cared. However, I knew that was a wish that was going to go down the drain.

Suddenly, my phone rang, dragging me out of my thoughts for the umpteenth time since Thursday. Calls had been coming in from my work colleagues, Kennedy and Stacey, but I had no will to respond to any of them except for sending an I-am-fine message.

However, I decided to pick the call that had my phone vibrating and disrupting the peace of the room. Reluctantly, I reached over to my nightstand and grabbed my phone, tapping my finger against the screen to answer the call.

"Hello?" I said, my voice still groggy from being pulled out of my deep thoughts.

"Hey, it's Diane," came the familiar voice on the other end of the line.

Diane is an intern and was my closest colleague in the department mainly because she was interning under me. I knew she wouldn't be calling unless it was something important.

"What's up, Diane?" I asked, trying to inject some energy into my tone.

"Sorry to bother you, but we have an emergency at work," she replied, sounding anxious. "I have been trying to handle it, but we really need your help."

My curiosity piqued, I sat up in bed, suddenly more alert. "What happened?" I inquired, concern lacing my words.

Diane took a deep breath before she began explaining the situation. "Well, you know that project we've been working on for the past weeks, the one that's supposed to be presented to the CEO on Monday? It's a mess."