The Perfect Gentleman ✔

35: Proud and stubborn

"You are fired!"

Those were the exact words Jeremy Benson flung at Sara the third time she submitted a wrong catalog for their new client that needed office designs. According to Jeremy, he was an important client, not as rich as the billionaire, but very important nonetheless. Jeremy wasn't at fault for reaching that harsh decision with her, she had brought it upon herself. The reason wasn't farfetched either. The name was Lucas Caspian-Asiegbu.

He occupied her everyday thoughts. He appeared in her dreams at night and he plagued her nightmares like an avenging angel. She reasoned he probably had cause to if what happened in Calabar was taken into consideration. With her head in the clouds, thinking and strategizing whether or not to make peace with him, it was little wonder her overdue expunging from Valiant decors.

That was two weeks ago actually and she'd been forced to use her tongue to count her teeth when she realized she was gradually falling into square one again just like five years ago. Broken both emotionally and financially. To make matters worse, she now had a five year old son depending on her. How could she even begin to demand to be in his life if she had nothing to offer him?

The situation at this time was worse. Unlike initially when Donald had helped her get back her job, it wouldn't be possible anymore, not that she would go back anyway. She had her dignity to consider. She and Donald had ended things bitterly in Calabar and she could sense he, in consequence, had removed his support from Valiant after that trip if Jeremy's constant scowls and random outbursts in the office were any indication.

Thinking about that trip brought her back to the day she left amidst tears. She had the common sense to hold her crying fit until she was safely in her apartment with Jules in tow. Then she had narrated every single detail, leaving nothing out while Jules listened patiently. They talked about it, trying to see if she could have been wrong but knew undoubtedly how furtile it was. So, Jules had asked the important question.

"Why are you not telling him you're sorry for lashing out and jumping to conclusions?"

In reality, she had no answer to that. She knew Lucas well enough to know he'd welcome her back with open arms. Someone that attracted to you definitely will but what was the use? Start a relationship with him again that will end up in flames if he so much as takes another business trip? Karen may have been malicious but she had hit the nail on the head. He was a playboy and fidelity was a virtue he obviously knew nothing about. Because he wasn't interested in Karen in Calabar didn't mean some other woman would not catch his fancy soon. And he would fall once they did. So why bother?

"There's no need. I don't trust him not to cheat on me again and I don't trust myself to stay calm and listen to his side of the story when that time comes," she had responded glumily.

That was three weeks ago and even though Jules pestered her to reconsider her decision since she was willing to look away if Lucas was the love of her life but Sara didn't agree. The memory of his betrayal was all too clear, all too real to be swept away that easily. So she had reminisced the events after the scandal when he broke her heart and trust, to convince herself she was doing the right thing.

She had seen the news the night after the scandal broke out as the nurse who was tending to her stitches, following her Caesarean section, helped tuck her in for the night. Numb was what she felt at first, feeling as if she was floating and someone else was in her body until she saw his companion and the pain set. Being careful of her stitches, she had sent everyone out, then curled her fingers around the pillow case and wept till there were no more tears. The next morning, she had a splitting headache, a blocked nose, sore eyes and aching fingers from gripping the sheets too hard, all these on top a betrayed heart.