My Vengeful-Ex

Chapter 12

Christina

Mom had been in the hospital for the past three days. Her condition got better, but it was nowhere near being good. The doctor told me honestly she needed hospice care and that it wouldn't be easy for me to handle her at home without any professional help for long.

I didn't have money to admit Mom into hospice care; all I could do was make sure to take care of her as much as I could at home. The doctors were clear in warning that she only had a few months left. They couldn't tell how many, but four or five months at the max.

"Hi," a male voice diverted my attention from the design I was working on and my thoughts about Mom.

"Hey," I replied with a polite smile.

It was Julien, an engineer from Logan's company. He was part of the team that had come with Logan to the US to work on this project.

"Christina, right?" He inquired, settling at the edge of my desk.

"Yeah," I answered, but I was getting uncomfortable from his constant attention.

Men were trouble, especially French men who were in a foreign country. I knew he might be looking there for a fling for the time being, and there was nothing wrong with it as long as the object of interest was not me.

"I am Julien," he introduced himself at my reply.

"Nice to meet you, Julien," I spread my lips in a forced smile.

The last thing I wanted was someone from Logan's team to take an interest in me. Julien was good-looking, but the trouble was just not worth it. Logan had already accused me of whoring around, and his harassment had only increased after he saw me with Sam in the pantry. If he learned I was mingling with his employees, I had no idea what he might do to me.

"It's a pleasure meeting you too, Christina," he offered his hand for a shake, and I forwarded my hand after contemplating for a few moments.

He shook my hand for a few moments longer than necessary and didn't drop it even after that. Instead, he turned my hand palm up in his hold.

"Excuse me," I tried to pull my hand from his hold, but he tightened his grip.

"I know palmistry, and I can see a few exciting lines in your palm," his eyes were focused on my palm, but I knew he was pretending.

I rolled my eyes internally; it was too much of a cliche way of hitting on someone. I decided I didn't like Julien but thought of playing along for a while.

"Really?" I asked him with fake curiosity, "What does it say?"

"The way your lines cross here means you are going to meet someone very special," he told me dramatically.

"Are you sure I haven't already met the person?"

"Ohh wait, I think you already met him," he replied excitedly.

"So, is this special someone going to sweep me off my feet?" I said, pulling my hand away with all my strength, and thankfully, Julien let me.

"Maybe, I can't say for sure. But he surely wants to ask you out for coffee," Julien smiled sheepishly, realizing I had understood he was hitting on me.

"Coffee?"

"Yeah, there is a very nice cafe nearby, and I was wondering if you would like to join me for one after work?" Julien asked.

I was about to refuse him because I had a no-dating policy at work when I heard Logan's voice behind me.

"Sorry to disrupt your tete-a-tete," his strained voice made my eyes shoot up to his, standing behind Julien at the cubicle entrance.

"Ms. Williams, I want you in my office now," he emphasized, then continued, "Julien, have you completed the task I assigned you yesterday?" Logan's voice clanked like icicles as he addressed Julien.

I noticed Julien's embarrassment as he scratched his neck and then excused himself with a sorry. I was left alone with Logan as everyone else had gone for lunch. He was looking furious, so, so furious that it made my stomach dip in terror.

It was clear from his expression that he had heard our conversation. A shiver of fright passed through my spine as I dreaded how he might react, seeing one of his employees hitting on me. The vein on his forehead throbbed as he glared at me with his smoldering gaze. I didn't doubt if, given a chance, Logan wouldn't think twice before strangulating me.

"I want you in my office, now," he hissed, making me jump in fear, and then left in the direction of his office with long, angry strides.

I hurried after him, not wanting to piss him off more than he already was. The moment I entered his office after him, he kicked the door shut and then pinned me against the door with his hand around my throat.

"How dare you flirt with my employee?" He growled in my face, tightening his hold on my throat.

I clawed at his hand to free myself, but he held me in an iron grip. I struggled for air, and Logan kept watching me with sadistic satisfaction on his face.

"I.. I... didn't flirt with him. He was asking me out for coffee," I replied, gasping for air.

"Don't you fucking lie to me," he roared as he pulled his hand from around my neck, making me pull deep breaths to fill my lungs, then grabbed my chin roughly, "I heard and saw everything, how you let him hold your hand while he read out your future," his deep brown eyes bore into mine, making my breath hitch.

I gulped the lump in my throat. For how long was he standing there? And how could I have acted in such a stupid way? I knew Julien was hitting on me, and I didn't stop him. I led him on. Even though I was going to turn down his offer for coffee, Logan wasn't aware of it. From his point of view, it would look like I had been flirting with Julien.

"You are hurting me," I hissed out from the intense pain in my chin, from where he was holding it in a death grip.

Logan ignored my cry of pain and continued mercilessly, "You will turn down his offer for coffee," his voice was cold, and his eyes were burning with rage.

Logan terrified me, but he had no business threatening and harassing me. He didn't have any right to decide who I go out with.

"Why?" I blurted out, despite being uninterested in going out with Julien.

Why did he care if I went out with Julien? When he hated me to the extent that he didn't lose any chance to humiliate me.

"Don't try my patience, Christina," he said, grinding his teeth and seething angrily.

"You don't have any right to decide who I go out with," I said to him in a shaking voice.

Logan needed to understand that he couldn't treat me like he owned me. Whatever happened in the past was my mistake, and I regretted it. It didn't mean he could dictate my life like this.

"I don't give a flying fuck who you whore around with, but stay away from my employees, understand?" He snarled with a voice filled with hatred and his brown eyes filled with loathing.

I felt like someone had pierced a knife in my heart and was twisting it. The pain in my chin felt insignificant in front of the pain that Logan's words left in my chest. That was the second time he accused me of sleeping around when I had not been with a man in years.

"I can go out with whomever I want after work," I snapped defiantly.

"Defy me again, and I will fuck you right against this door," Logan's tone was dangerously calm, and the threat in his words was clear.

I gasped in horror at the crassness of his words. Looking at his expression, I knew he wouldn't hesitate to go through with his threat if I didn't do as he ordered.

"I am not afraid of you," I tried to act strong and make him realize he couldn't terrify me, though the truth was far from it.

"You just defied me, Ms. Williams," Logan's chest rumbled with his low growl, making a shiver of fright travel down my spine.      

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