Whispers Of Unseen Wounds

Episode 2

*The Next day...

In the morning, I woke up to the sun's rays streaming through the window, casting light on my face and scattering across my tousled hair. The blaring alarm, which pulled me from the scant rest I had managed to get due to the turmoil in my mind, added to my sense of disorientation. I reluctantly got out of bed, made my way to the bathroom, and freshened up. After a quick shower, I emerged from the bathroom and started getting ready for the office.

As I was preparing, it dawned on me that today was my friend's promotion day. The thought brought a smile to my face, but I then remembered her request to dress up nicely for the party. I decided to forgo my usual office attire and opted for a simple floral top and wide jeans instead, adding light makeup and a neat hairstyle to complete the look.

Stepping out of my room, I noticed that aunty had prepared breakfast and set it on the table. My behavior towards her the previous night suddenly replayed in my mind, stirring up feelings of guilt. I quietly took my seat at the table, and as aunty turned to me with surprise, she asked what was wrong.

I apologized, saying, "Sorry, aunty. I shouldn't have spoken to you like that last night. I don't know what came over me. I'm really sorry." Aunty laughed gently and said, "Oh, I'm not concerned about that. I was just wondering why you're so dressed up today. You usually keep it simple, but you look lovely."

I thanked her, and she playfully teased, "Are you going somewhere special?" I quickly clarified, "No, it's just that my friend's promotion is today, and she asked everyone to dress up for the party. That's why I made an effort." Aunty chuckled and said, "Well, you look great!"

After breakfast, I gathered my laptop and other essentials and after saying bye to her I headed out for the office, feeling a mix of excitement for my friend's special day and relief from the morning's worries.

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A little while later, I arrived at the office, which is conveniently close to my apartment, so the commute was quick. As soon as I stepped onto my floor, where I work, I felt everyone's eyes on me, filled with surprise and curiosity. I knew exactly why-my outfit and the effort I had put into getting ready were unusual for the office.

Some of my coworkers greeted me with a "Good morning," and I replied, moving swiftly to my office. Once inside, I let out a deep breath and started on my tasks. After a short while, my friend, the one celebrating her promotion, walked into my office. Seeing me, she playfully said, "Who are you? My friend works here, not you. What are you doing here?"

I responded with a smile, "Just like everyone else is looking at me, you seem to be doing the same with wide eyes." She laughed and said, "Oh, I was just kidding. You look great today-really stunning. Although You look good every day but, today you're something else."

I thanked her and asked, "Forget about that, tell me when is the celebration in the office?" She replied, "In a little while," and then left to prepare for the event. I watched her go, then headed to my boss's office to present the presentation for today's meeting.

I knocked on the door and was invited in. I said, "Sir, the presentation is ready." He reviewed it and, with a smile, said, "You've done a great job. With this, the deal is definitely in our hands." I thanked him and left his office.

Soon, we were all called out to greet and congratulate Lyna on her promotion. Everyone got up from their work, applauded, and congratulated her, then returned to their tasks.

...

A short while later, the CEO and team from Cisco Corporation, a tech company with whom we aim to collaborate, arrived at our office. They headed straight to the presentation hall. My boss, a few coworkers, and I joined them in the presentation room. I began the presentation, which went exceptionally well from start to finish. The young CEO of Cisco and their team were impressed with my work, and we secured the deal.

After the presentation, everyone left the hall, and my boss asked me to come to his cabin. I followed him, and there I met the Cisco CEO again. I greeted him warmly, and he complimented my work, and then he said, "We're of the same age, so there's no need to be so formal. You can speak to me comfortably." He then extended his hand for a handshake. I hesitated for a moment but shook his hand, feeling a bit nervous, and then withdrew my hand.

After the meeting, I returned to my own cabin. As the end of the workday approached, my coworkers and I gathered outside the office to head to the restaurant for Lyna's party. We made our way to the venue she had booked, excited to celebrate her promotion together.

We arrived at the restaurant and, as soon as we settled in, everyone placed their food orders. The atmosphere was filled with laughter and chatter as we all enjoyed our meals. We raised our glasses in a toast to Lyna, celebrating her promotion. While others had their drinks, I, along with a few others who didn't drink alcohol, raised our glasses of cold drink to join the cheers.

As the evening progressed, the group started playing games, singing songs, and having a great time. But then, someone brought up a topic that instantly filled me with unease. The topic was love .It wasn't because I held any grudges against him for not liking me because it's a personal feeling we can't force it , but rather because the subject stirred up emotions I had been struggling with for a long time-feelings that never seemed to go away, despite knowing better that he can never be mine and he will never have feelings for me like I do.

I tried to push those thoughts aside, but as I listened to everyone sharing their stories of successful love, I couldn't help but feel genuinely happy for them. It was comforting to know that true love existed for some, even though a deep ache in my heart reminded me that it wasn't something I had been fortunate enough to experience. When the conversation shifted to breakups, I grew quieter, retreating further into my thoughts.

A coworker noticed my silence and asked, "Miss Emyrin, why are you so quiet?" I simply replied, "It's nothing." But this drew everyone's attention to me. Another coworker then asked, "Miss Emyrin, have you ever been in a relationship? We've never seen you date anyone." Hearing this, everyone, including Lyna, nodded in agreement.

Their questions made me feel uneasy, but I didn't let it show. I calmly responded, "No, I've never dated anyone." This seemed to surprise them, and one of them said, "Why not? You're so beautiful and kind. Hasn't anyone ever proposed to you?"

I replied, "They have, but I'm not interested in that. Love just isn't meant for me." The group responded, trying to reassure me, "That's not true! You'll find your love too. Have you never loved anyone?"

At this point, I tried to steer the conversation away, saying, "Let's not talk about this." But they persisted, pleading with me to share. Reluctantly, I admitted, "Yes, I did love someone once... and maybe I still do. But I don't want those feelings to come back."

Intrigued, they all urged me to tell them my story. I hesitated, saying, "It's a long story, and I don't want to bore you all." But they insisted, eager to hear what I had to say. Because of seeing their eagerness and so much interest to hear my story I decided to tell them everything from the start .....from where the chapter of love, which was only from my side started in my life but it's not anymore.

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