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Dominic ended up passing out on the couch while Nicola got not a blink of sleep. It felt like her heart was being ripped apart when she entered the only place that held any kind of memory with the love of her life. She made a note to abuse her power and make her assistant pack her things for her because she did not want to revisit that space anymore.
She got ready for work in her casual attire - PaperCloud, her publishing company, had no dress code. She didn't try to wake Dominic nor did she care that he would be late for whatever disaster was waiting for him at the company after 'The Anniversary Mishap' and scandal.
She only cared about herself. Because honestly, there was nobody else out there to do that for her.
Stepping out of the elevator, she raised a brow as she looked up from her phone. The open space office was empty.
She checked the time. It was half past nine. She was half an hour late than her usual time. Had her people thought she would take a day off because of the scandal and decided to play hooky?
What were they? Sixteen?
"Boss!"
She jumped, clutching her heart when her assistant, Blair, appeared out of nowhere.
"Where is everyone?" She asked, rubbing her chest from the scare.
"Umm... Conference room? We commenced the meeting because we thought you weren't coming."
Nicola's eyebrows pinched together. "What meeting?"
"'Our book is becoming a movie' meeting?" Blair shrugged as she air-quoted.
"Isn't that on Friday?"
"You moved it!" She chirped, holding the tab out for her to see the schedule. "Let's go."
Nicola was not one to mix things up or forget moving meetings. But maybe she had because she had the divorce on her mind. Well, soon it would be out of her way and she would get to concentrate on things that actually mattered to her.
The two climbed the spiral stairs that led to her office and the conference room. The smart glass panes of the conference room had been turned opaque. That was new.
Blair pushed open the door for her.
As Nicola stepped in, party poppers burst and confetti filled the air along with commotion and "Congratulations!"
The first thing her eyes focused on after recovering from the shock was the streamer that said, "YOU DESERVE ONLY THE BEST! LET HIM EAT SHIT!!"
Nicola took in her team of twenty-four, all wreaking havoc in the conference hall like teenagers as they blew whistles and party horns.
"Hit it, Calum!" Blair yelled and the senior editor turned on the music.
Woman by Kesha.
They started to dance around her.
"Buy my love!" They chorussed to the song.
George took hold of Nicola's hand and started to spin her around. It took her a moment but Nicola finally smiled, realizing she should be celebrating like her team was encouraging her to.
"I am a motherfucker!" She joined the howling and started to dance.
Jessica wheeled the cake which looked like an awful caricature of Dominic and passed her a butcher's knife.
YOU ARE READING
Always The Second Choice
RomanceNicola married Dominic, a man twelve years older than her, in place of her sister for the sake of her happiness. It was a sacrifice she never regretted but when rumors of an affair fly, she decides that she had had enough. But Dominic cannot afford...
