Charity Night (english)

28

The first steps out of the building aren't difficult for me because I'm still trying to process the fact that someone was in the office. The fact that it had to be Lucas of all people didn't make the situation any better. I slowly walk towards my car, which I have parked across the street from the building. Pack my things in the trunk and dare to breathe deeply again after I sit in the driver's seat.

Completely exhausted, I drop my head on the steering wheel and burst into tears. What have I done wrong in the past that I have to go through all of this? How can Zac do this to me? Now everything is in shambles in front of me. Within a day I lost my job and with it the career I had worked hard to build and the man who I believed could be the right person. I realize I didn't have to resign, but I also couldn't have continued working for this family. It hurts too much! How could it come to this? If only I had never gotten involved with him...

A soft knock on the window startles me. I hesitantly lift my head and look into the face of Lucas, who seems to have followed me. I can't talk to him now. It's still too fresh and despite the external differences, they somehow look similar.

So I just shake my head and start the engine. He continues to knock on the window, but this time much more insistently. I can't do that now. I can't explain to him what makes me throw my whole life away. Besides, he probably has no idea what happened between his brother and me anyway. So I slowly press the accelerator pedal and just drive away from him. Tears continue to stream down my face the entire journey and I'm amazed that I get home safely.

In my apartment, I take my cell phone out of my pocket and see that I have 20 missed calls. Ten of them are from Lucas, Nadine tried to reach me five times and the rest are from my sister and my parents, who I haven't contacted yet.

I take three deep breaths and then press my sister's name. Now my acting talent is in demand. "Hey Sophie. Sorry for getting in touch so late, but I stopped by the office on the way back from the airport and picked something up." I explain to her. It's not really a lie. "Hey sis, I didn't know you were even back in England. "Didn't you want to be back in two days?" she asks, surprised.

Only then did I remember that in all the chaos I hadn't told anyone that I would be flying back earlier.

"Oh yes, I totally forgot to let you know that I'm back early because I have to prepare something here." "How was your trip?" "Oh actually quite okay. Unfortunately we couldn't talk to each other because we never saw each other alone. There was too much to do and we even had business dinners that evening." The lies come so easily from my lips that I scare myself. I talk to her on the phone for a few more minutes and make her promise to tell my parents. Lying probably wouldn't be so easy for me with them and I don't feel like talking about the drama.

I just send Nadine a message that I'll be in touch in the next few days so she doesn't worry and then curl up on the couch with a blanket. In front of me is a bottle of my favorite wine and chocolate. One bad romantic movie after another is playing on Netflix and I'm wallowing in self-pity. I have no idea how long I lay there like that, but at some point I see the sun rise and I still haven't closed my eyes. The tissue box that stands in front of me is almost empty and the bottom is full of used paper. I only know scenes like this from bad films that my sister always watches when she's in a bad mood.

Sighing, I stand up and take my laptop out of the bag I carelessly stuffed it into yesterday. I have to look for a new job, otherwise I could really ruin my career.

The quiet ping coming from my email inbox stimulates my curiosity and I hesitantly click on the icon to open it. Lucas Hyde wrote me an email and I don't know if I even want to open it. However, since I canceled my notice, I haven't checked to see whether it was even delivered. So I gather my courage and start reading.

But what it says is something different than I expected. He doesn't want to accept my resignation and asks me to stay because he will be heading the London office in the future. That means Zac won't be coming back. I'm not sure what to think about this. On the one hand I'm happy when I don't have to see her anymore, but on the other hand it kills me to know that he spends his life there with her and just took advantage of me. I know that my termination is legal and Lucas cannot force me to take it back. Still, his email makes me think. I love my job at the agency and my colleagues, but the thought of working in this office again where we shared such intimate moments... I can't imagine that.

So I answer him that there is no turning back for me. Then I open another bottle of wine and lie back on the sofa and stare into space.

I have no idea how long I lie here, but when the doorbell rings the bottle is empty and I stagger to the intercom. I trip over my bag and hit my head against the coat rack.

My head hurts and I barely manage to open the door. Lucas looks at me dumbfounded. "Charlotte, is everything okay? "You're bleeding!" he shouts in shock and just manages to grab hold of me before I collapse into his arms.

When I wake up again I'm lying in a dark room and next to me I hear a monotonous beeping. It takes a moment for my eyes to adjust to the darkness. I slowly look around and realize I'm in the hospital and a man is sitting on a chair next to my bed. He sleeps while holding my hand. Carefully, so as not to wake him, I pull mine out of his grasp. But unfortunately I'm not careful enough. He moves slightly and then slowly opens his eyes. Amber colored. That's the first thing I see when our eyes meet. I know I've seen her before, but I can't remember when or where. The light coming in through the blinds illuminates his face and he smiles softly at me.

"You're awake!" he whispers and then clears his throat. I have no idea how I know this man, but he acts like we know each other better. He comes closer and I almost think he wants to kiss me, but then his fingers come closer to my head and he gently strokes my forehead. I wince in pain and suck in a hissing breath. I also touch my head and notice that I have a plaster underneath my hairline.

"What happened?" I ask in a scratchy voice and look into those incredible amber eyes again. "You fell and hit your head. You also had a lot of alcohol in your blood. What was wrong with you and why did you quit Hyde Inc.?" Quit? Why should I quit and who is this guy to know about it?

"Quit? Does Tom already know about this?" I ask nervously and visibly irritated. The young man in front of me frowns. "Tom? He's been retired for a few weeks now. Why should he know about it?" "I don't quite understand. We have an appointment tonight and we want to go to this event that the company is organizing." It sounds more like a question and I'm starting to get scared.

"Charlotte, do you know who I am?" my counterpart wants to know from me. I just stare at him through wide eyes and shake my head.

What's going on here?