Serendipity

Chapter 21

Numb.

I feel numb all over.

My CEO of my company phoned me.

He said that there were bugs in a few packages and they got sent out all over the country, he said that this happened while I was in that Hurricane, but the company got sued, we lost the case, and now it's being forced to shut down.

And Tyler is...

He's got another girl.

He's basically cheating.

I mean, come on.

We were obviously a thing.

The whole damn world knew it.

I bet that slut was in his room, not wonder the other side of the bed was a mess.

She could've moved rooms when she heard me come in.

I'm standing in this big condo, alone.

My parents are in the city, Delaney and Blake are happily married, Tyler is with his whore, and god knows what Shaun is doing.

I don't want to live like this.

I don't want life to be like this.

I just want to be happy. And I've got the business, I've lost Tyler, i

I've basically lost Delaney, now that she's married.

I need to make a change.

Silently, I stand up, walking into my bedroom from the terrace.

I pack a bag of clothes, and anything I find valuable, and I take the elevator to a lobby, not bothering to leave a note.

I walk to the desk, waiting patiently, my fingers drumming against the counters until the woman gets off the phone.

Finally, she puts it down.

"How can I help you?" she asks.

"I need a chauffeur." I say quietly.

She nods and picks up the phone again.

"There's one outside." She smiles.

"Thank you." I mumble.

I walk outside and let the chauffeur put my bag in the trunk, and then I get in and he does too.

"Uh, the airport, please."

He nods and starts driving.

"Running away?" he asks, smiling.

I hesitate.

"Uh, yes, actually."

He frowns.

"Why?"

"Well, uh, this guy and I were just together and I've always had a hard time being with guys, and somehow he was the exception, and I came back to his place because I had left my phone and there was a girl there, pantless, in his shirt." I mutter. "And my company just crumbled to the ground, so I don't have that. My best friend is happily married and I'm sitting here, alone.

Again."

"Well, did you ask him for an explanation? Like why she was there? Or who was she?"

"No, she was obviously his whore."

He's completely silent until we get to the airport.

He puts the car in park and twists in his seat.

"Ms. Moem once said that in the pursuit of happiness, don't exepct the worst. Happiness is a bubble and negative thoughts can cause it to burst."

I nod slowly.

"Thanks." I say awkwardly. "Can you not tell anybody you saw me here? I'll give you like, five thousand." I mumble.

I hate using money to get what I please, but I really need him to keep quiet.

"You don't need to pay me. Just think about what I said."

I nod slowly.

"Uh, yeah, thanks."

He gets out, opening my door and getting my bag from the trunk.

<><>

I paid the man in cash for the plane, and I took it private.

I had no clue where I was going, but I bought the first ticket and got the hell out of there.

I find myself in a hotel in Sacramento.

I'll have to buy a place.

My phone has rung eght times from Mom, seven from Dad, six from Shaun, fifteen from Delaney, twice from Blake, and six times fro Tyler.

I've not answered any of them.

Even my Facebook messenger has gone off, and text messages.

<><>

I sit, motionless, in front of this dingy hotel.

I didn't bring my phone charger, and it's been about a week, and I've nt used the phone once. I've been getting room service, paying only in cash, laying low.

I'm a missing person and my family are beside themselves.

Tyler is beside himself.

Fuck Tyler. He's just a whore. He broke your wall.

He hurt you.

For the first time, my phone rings, and then Tyler leaves a voicemail.

He's not left me a voicemail yet.

My heart is pounding as I pick it up to listen to it.

My phone is one 1%.

I press play on the voicemail?

"Carmen, hey..." he hesitates. "I'm really worried about you." He whispers. His voice cracks. He sounds like he might cry. He clears his throat and begins to talk a normal volume, his voice trembling. "If this is about the girl that uh, was at my Condo, there's a legit explanation. I'm not a whore, Carmen. I want you, okay? I-I-I can see us getting married and having kids. I can see myself-I want myself to spend the rest of my life with you. I don't know what's going on, but we're all worried about you in Philly." He whispers, "Sunshine...please, call me."

He hangs up.

My heart longs for him.

My phone shows a loading sign, and then the screen goes black.

I sit there, staring at the screen, watching my tears drip onto the screen.

Sniffling, I wipe my eyes.

I need a real estate agent. I'm not going to let a scum like Tyler get in my head.

I know exactly what's going on. Tyler doesn't have a sister, he doesn't have any Aunt's that are young her age, and all his female cousins are young, like, under the age of eighteen.

I sigh, using the hotel phone to dial an agent I see on the hotel computer.