There's One Thing I Like About Him

Chapter 15

Heathcliff

I followed Trisha at a discreet distance, my footsteps muffled on the polished floor. Her stride was hurried, and the tension in her shoulders was tangible. I could see that something was deeply troubling her, intensifying my own unease.

As she entered the office and closed the door behind her, I positioned myself near a window, peeking through the blinds with careful precision. The office was dimly lit, shadows stretching long across the room. I watched as Trisha approached her desk, her movements slow and deliberate, her mind clearly preoccupied.

When her gaze fell on the letter I had left, her reaction was immediate. Her eyes widened, and she paused, her breath catching in her throat. She reached for the note, but I couldn't make out her expression or the exact words she was reading. From where I stood, I could only see that the letter had a profound impact on her.

A wave of guilt washed over me. I had seen those notes before—three months ago, while sorting through Ethan's belongings.

*Flashback*

It was a dreary afternoon, the kind where the clouds hung low and heavy, casting a muted gray over everything. Ethan's office, usually bustling with life and ideas, felt hollow. The silence was oppressive as I carefully opened the door, the creak of the hinges echoing through the empty room.

His desk was a mess of papers, books, and little trinkets he had collected over the years. Each item seemed to hold a piece of his life, a memory now frozen in time. As I began to sort through the clutter, I tried to keep my emotions at bay, focusing on the task at hand. But it was impossible. Every object I touched felt like a reminder of the void he had left behind.

I found the notes tucked away in the back of a drawer, barely visible under a stack of papers. The edges were frayed, and the ink had slightly faded. My fingers hesitated as I pulled them out, a part of me curious about their contents. But the weight of the moment was too much. I couldn't bring myself to invade his privacy like that.

Instead, I had folded them neatly, placing them in a small box with the intention of delivering them to Trisha later. She deserved to have these pieces of him, whatever they were. Yet, time had slipped away, and the box remained untouched in the corner of my room, gathering dust.

۝

Now, seeing Trisha's emotional response, I felt the weight of my delay. I hadn't even read the notes myself; I had only intended to give them to her as they were. The delay in delivering them made me acutely aware of how much more they might have meant to her if I had been quicker.

Just as I was about to retreat, the sound of footsteps approached. My heart pounded as I quickly ducked behind a stack of crates, the shadows of the room enveloping me. Through a narrow gap, I saw Alexa heading towards their office. As she opened the door, she was shocked to see who it was—Trisha. I couldn't hear what they were talking about, but I could see that Trisha was upset about the letter she had read and that Alexa was comforting her. Trisha is lucky to have a friend like her; they're like sisters with different parents.

Just as they were about to leave, I quickly tiptoed inside their office and walked towards Trisha's table, where the letter lay. My expression was a mix of curiosity and concern as I approached, eager to understand what had troubled Trisha so deeply.

I was about to open the letter when I heard a familiar voice behind me.

"Cliff?" I turned around to see who it was—Isabelle. My eyes widened in surprise; I hadn't realized she had returned to the Philippines already.

Isabelle's gaze sharpened as she noticed me. "What are you doing here so late?" she asked, her voice taut. "And what's your business in the IT department?"

I tried to keep my anxiety in check. "I was just—"

"Just what?" Isabelle cut me off. "We had a deal, Cliff. Don't ruin my plan, or else," she threatened, pointing a finger at me.

Fuck, how did she know I was even here? I clenched my teeth, trying to mask my frustration and fear. Isabelle's gaze fell on the piece of paper I was holding.

"What's that in your hand?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. I was still trying to compose a response when we heard a door creak open.

"What are you two doing here?" Trisha asked in confusion.

Isabelle turned to face Trisha, her expression quickly shifting from stern to a practiced mask of calm. "Oh, Trisha," she said, her tone smooth. "I was asking Cliff the same thing," she turned to me, her eyes fixing on mine with a hint of challenge.

I cleared my throat before answering."I was just passing by when I noticed the lights were still on, so I was going to turn them off before leaving." My voice was steady and firm, trying to sound nonchalant.

Trisha looked from Isabelle to me, her eyes narrowing slightly as if trying to piece together the situation. "Oh, well, I guess I'll just turn it off now since this is my department and I'm in charge of everything here, right?" she said, clearly not buying the excuse.

I nodded, trying to keep my composure. "Yes, of course. I just wanted to make sure everything was in order before heading out." I forced a smile, hoping it would smooth things over.

Trisha's gaze remained skeptical, but she shrugged and walked over to the light switch. "Alright, but let's make sure we're all on the same page next time," she said, flicking the switch off. "We wouldn't want any misunderstandings, would we?"

Isabelle, who had been silent throughout, finally spoke up. "Trisha, maybe we should just focus on wrapping up and heading home."

Trisha nodded in agreement, though her expression remained carefully neutral. "Fair enough. Let's get going, then." She gave us her sweetest smile before turning to leave. As she faded from view, I began walking toward the door, but Isabelle's voice stopped me. "Don't even think about messing things up, Cliff, or you'll regret it," she warned. I chose to ignore her and continued on my way.