Her Assistant

[33] Hurting

This is as usual, unedited.
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Chloe couldn't retort so the whole day meant her injured fiancé isn't around because he'll be joining Jesse instead of her. She was just sitting inside her old office, blankly staring at the computer screen while waiting for Phil to drop by at least.

It was more comfortable sitting on Jesse's chair. However, the amount of stress she got in that very office was intense. Unlike in her blue one, it's cozy, simple, and she's the one who's searching for the things to do, ergo, rendering her to be one of the most hardworking persons in the company.

Out of nerve-wrecking boredom, she scanned through the folders Phil left there and she even meddled with his iPad that has a lot of photos of her that he gathered online. Some were professionally taken, and mostly were from the event photos posted on the company website. Another has Mikey cropped out of it, she's sure of that because it is a paparazzi photo, that made her laugh a little. Then she realized, she never had a decent photo taken with Phil. Even when they were in college, the shots they have together are with other people, it was never just the two of them.

Realizing that this furtive relationship is difficult for the both of them, it made her lonely. She dreamed of having a normally functional relationship with a guy, not like this.

She decided to take a walk outside instead of posting the application for her new assistant or thinking of a way for the company to earn more profit. In the middle of the day, Chloe was feeling rebellious so she ditched her work and put on her coat as she stepped out of the office.

I've been taking too many breaks.

Despite having that thought, she went on and passed by a block already. There were people she knew years ago that she just ignored because she didn't feel mingling them. She recalled one of them to be one of her closest friends, but she denied it.

"Hey Chloe!" A familiar voice called from a near distance. "Chloe!"

She turned around and Mikey walked up to her. "Hey," she awkwardly said, thinking that this is the perfect time to end things between them. She made a promise to Phil.

"I have an unexpected photoshoot, I was actually going to visit you tonight because you weren't replying that much to me. I called at your office and Jesse and they said you took off somewhere." He spoke with genuine concern which made it harder for her to break the ice.

"I needed time for myself, I'm sorry for going away like that without telling you."

Mikey took her hand, "Is everything alright?"

She withdrew her hand from his. "I can't do this with you anymore." It was easy for her to break up with much hotter guys with whom she had sex with but with Mikey, it isn't for he was the one of the few she could actually date.

"Why? Is it because I wanted an answer when I get back here? I'll wait, seriously, if ever you felt pressured."

"It's me, Mikey. I'm sorry. I-I don't know how to tell you this. But we can't see each other anymore."

Then silence between them posed as a barrier for a few seconds when Mikey internalized what she said. It hurt him, like a knife pierced through his chest.

"It's Phil, isn't it?" He spoke, breaking the silence.

She didn't answer.

"You never stopped loving him," he concluded.

"Mikey, I didn't mean to hurt you. You really are a great guy."

"I understand, Chloe," he held his tears. He set an ultimatum because he wanted to be sure that Chloe is certain that she wanted to be with him and not Phil. Unfortunately for him, she chose the other man who caused her pain. "I still have this shoot, I gotta get back."