My Vengeful-Ex

Chapter 7

Christina

Shit.

How did it skip my mind to call HR and tell them I wouldn't be coming to work? Logan would have one more thing to torture me with. But how could I go to work, leaving Mom alone?

"Joan, I can't leave Mom alone," I said.

"Tina, I don't know, but you must show up. It went out of hands," she said in an insistent voice.

What was I supposed to do?

"Okay, I will be there in half an hour," I replied and disconnected the call.

Cursing Logan and Jonathan, I told Mom there was an emergency at work, and I needed to be there. I didn't have time to change my clothes, so I had no choice but to show up in what I wore. It was a simple top and a pair of jeans, which I had changed into before coming to the hospital.

Tying my hair into a bun and applying gloss on my lips after I washed my face in one of the restrooms in the hospital, I hired a cab and went to the office.

I headed straight to my cubicle and placed my handbag there and was thinking about looking for Joan when I heard a voice from behind me.

"Did she spend the night with someone and come to the office directly from there?"

I looked at my crumpled clothes. Which had creases all over, and it didn't take a genius to figure out I had been wearing it for a long time.

"The nerve of the woman to show up here in her sex clothes," Cynthia hissed.

"Don't you have work to do?" A girl from the cubicle beside me glared at them.

She was new in the office and didn't know the hostility of Cynthia and her friends towards me. I fisted my hands and then turned towards the three women. I had never imagined they might stoop so low and would accuse me of something like that.

Closing the distance between Cynthia and me, I was about to tell her to fuck off when Joan's voice stopped me.

"Christina, Mr. Smith is waiting for you in the office," she called out, ignorant of what was happening.

I pressed my eyelids together and controlled myself. Cynthia and her bitches could wait, but I needed to handle Jonathan.

Praying that Logan was not with Jonathan, I followed Joan to his cabin.

"I am so sorry you had to come," she said in a guilty tone.

"It's not your fault, and you don't need to apologize to me," I tried to lessen her guilt.

It wasn't Joan's fault that Jonathan and Logan were acting like complete assholes. My life had always been a shitshow, and it was about only to get worse. There was nothing she or anyone else could do for me. Not unless Logan decided to leave me alone, and that I didn't think was ever going to happen if his actions from yesterday were any indication.

"How is your Mom?" Joan asked.

"She isn't well. I don't know how I will get through this," I responded to her in a wearied tone.

"Everything will be fine," she pressed my shoulder to comfort me as we reached the door to Jonathan's office.

I took a deep breath, knocked on the door, and entered it. Jonathan sat on his leather chair behind the desk.

"Where were you, Ms. Williams? Is this a time to show up at work?" Jonathan said, grinding his teeth.

"I am sorry, Sir. My mother is in the hospital, and I was with her," I informed him.

"If your mother was in the hospital and you planned not to show up at work, you should have at least informed the HR," he taunted.

"I am sorry about not informing HR. It slipped my mind, and I will make sure this never happens again," I repeated the exact words I had been saying to him for the past year about not repeating the mistake.

"Make sure you stick to your words," he glared at me.

"Yes sir," I nodded, then asked, "Can I have the day off?"

"No, you can't. Mr. De La Roche is waiting for you," he replied.

My stomach dipped with terror. Was Logan waiting for me? Wasn't yesterday's humiliation enough for him?

"He is taking office in Roger's cabin until the completion of this project," Roger was Jonathan's business partner and was staying home because of his illness.

He had Dementia, and Jonathan looked after the business alone because of it. Roger's office was out of use until then and kept locked.

"I need to get back to the hospital," I was on the verge of breaking down.

"Ms. Williams, if you want this job, you will need to see Mr. De La Roche now, " Jonathan's voice held a warning.

I gulped the lump in my throat. I wanted to be there for Mom, but I needed this job badly. If I lose my job, we would need to live on the streets.

"Okay," I said to him and then left his office.

"How did it go?" Joan asked as soon as I stepped out.

"Awful," I said, rubbing my hands on my face.

I stood in front of her desk, which was in a room outside Jonathan's office. That day couldn't get any worse. I had to face Logan. My stomach churned even thinking about it.

"Are you okay?" Joan's voice was full of concern.

"I am fine. Jonathan asked me to see Mr. Creed," I told Joan.

"Creed?" Joan's eyebrow shot up.

I cursed myself, realizing the slip. I couldn't comprehend why Logan changed his last name since when he acquired the name De La Roche. I would have given it a thought, but I had more important things to do than to ponder over his last names.

Joan's eyes filled with sympathy for me. I knew she was worried about me, but I had no choice left. I needed the job badly, and if it meant I had to face more humiliation at Logan's hands, then I wouldn't hesitate.

Assuring Joan once again, I left the room and came to Roger's office, which was Logan's. They replaced Roger's nameplate with Logan's.

I sighed, then mustered up all the courage to face him. Knocking on the door, I waited for him to permit me to enter.

"Come in," his deep voice sounded from behind the door, increasing my heartbeat.

"I can do this," I assured myself and entered his office.

Logan was seated on one of the couches in the room, and I went pale, noticing the woman seated on his lap and Logan's hands under her skirt.