BLACKMAILED BY THE BILLIONAIRE

Chapter 25: Voided Contract

"Wait just a minute—are you saying Harry actually voided the five-year contract you had with him? How did that even come about?" Lisa's voice was thick with disbelief, her shock mirroring my own initial reaction.

I nodded, letting out a slow breath. "Yes, that's exactly what happened. He told me it's no longer in effect. I'm free from what felt like an endless commitment, and he's not going to use it against my dad anymore. He even apologized for everything, Lisa. Believe me, I was as shocked as you are now. I still can't fully understand his reasons, but it's real. I'm free, truly free," I explained, the words feeling surreal even as they left my mouth.

Lisa paused, her mind visibly churning over the information. "I'm just...shocked. A few weeks back, he seemed so determined to make you stay, by any means necessary. And now, he's just canceled the contract?" Her confusion mirrored my own, the abruptness of Harry's decision leaving us both trying to catch up with reality.

"It was strange, Lisa. The way he looked when he told me—it was like seeing someone else entirely, not the Harry we know. He seemed so...defeated, like he had finally stopped fighting against whatever it was that was haunting him. Seeing him like that, so utterly lost, it did something to me. I've never seen him that vulnerable before," I confessed, the memory still vivid in my mind. "His whole demeanor, his expressions, even his voice, they all spoke of a man who'd given up on trying. It was disconcerting.

Pausing, I gathered my thoughts, the image of a dejected Harry still fresh in my mind. "Seeing him in such a state left a mark on me. That memory has firmly lodged itself in my brain. I spent all of last night turning it over in my mind, wondering what could've driven him to such despair. He didn't look or sound like the Harry I know at all."

Lisa mulled over my words, her eyebrows knitting together in contemplation before offering her take. "Perhaps he came to a realization, you know? That being an asshole doesn't really pay off in the end. It's high time he figured that out."

The gravity of her words couldn't pierce the veil of emotions I was wrapped in. A part of me wanted to break down, the vivid memory of Harry's defeated posture haunting me. "It's not that simple, Lisa," I sighed, feeling the weight of unshed tears. "If you had seen him... the level of defeat in his eyes, it was more than just a moment of clarity or guilt. It looked like something was eating him alive from the inside. And for some reason, I feel guilty for not asking, for not trying to understand."

Lisa seemed to wrestle with her thoughts for a moment, then shifted gears, trying to steer the conversation towards a more positive note. "Well, whatever his reasons, you're finally free from him. Isn't that what you've been wanting all along? Let's not dwell on him anymore. Here, let's open some wine and celebrate your freedom," she declared, fetching a bottle from the counter.

As she poured the wine, her curiosity peaked through. "So, when's your last day then?" she asked, bringing the conversation back to the practical matters at hand.

A bittersweet smile played on my lips as I faced the impending departure, a transition I had longed for but now found laced with a touch of melancholy. "I've informed Harry about my three-month notice," I confided, my voice imbued with a gentle warmth. "Seeing how he took the news, it just didn't seem fair to leave him scrambling with just two weeks to seek out and train a successor. I've committed to assisting in finding and preparing someone new, aiming for as seamless a transition as possible."

Lisa's response was immediate, laced with her characteristic bluntness. "You're too good, you know that? I would've left him to deal with his own mess, especially after the way he treated you."

I chuckled weakly, acknowledging her point. "He's apologized multiple times for what he said, Lisa. And somehow, I believe he's truly remorseful. He seemed genuinely upset with himself for his actions."

As Lisa and I shared stories and reflections, our evening together served as a poignant reminder of the complex emotions I was navigating. The wine, rich and soothing, seemed almost symbolic, a toast to the end of one chapter and the uncertain start of another. Yet, amidst the laughter and the shared comfort, a gnawing sense of doubt began to take root within me. The thought of distancing myself from Harry, of not seeing him every day once my month's notice was up, churned in my stomach with an intensity that felt like acid. It was a realization that unsettled me more than I anticipated.

After Lisa bid me goodbye, the quiet of my apartment felt more pronounced. Lying in bed, the events of the past few days replayed in my mind, with Harry's forlorn expression at the forefront. The vulnerability he had shown, so out of character from the man I thought I knew, haunted me. His eyes, filled with an indefinable mix of regret and resignation, lingered in my thoughts, prompting endless questions about the real reasons behind his actions. The more I thought about it, the more I found myself unable to detach from the memory of his despair.

Sleep eventually claimed me, but it was a restless slumber, filled with dreams that echoed my waking thoughts. And as I drifted off, the last image that imprinted itself on my mind was Harry's face. Despite everything, despite the anger and the hurt, I found myself yearning for his presence, for some form of reconciliation that might never come. It was a realization that, perhaps, I wasn't as ready to leave Harry behind as I thought I was. The emotions he stirred in me, complex and conflicting, painted a picture of a connection that was hard to define yet impossible to ignore.