The Poppy Field

Chapter 23

I returned to the office a few days later, one morning that I knew Mr Walsh wouldn't be in the office as he had a meeting that I'd arranged for him just a couple of days ago. I walked into my office, which luckily hadn't been cleaned out yet, and grabbed every damned file that he had spitefully given me to photocopy. I guess the joke was on him. I cleared out the other few personal items that were in my office and left before I bumped into anyone else.

'Hey Poppy.' I heard Caitlyn's voice from behind me. 'I'm sorry to hear that you're leaving. Did you get another job?' She asked kindly, looking up at me with wide, expectant eyes.

'No... It's not quite like that.' I tried to explain but I didn't have the words. 'I just... I can't do this anymore,' I told her. It was the only way to explain without telling her the whole story. She didn't ask any further questions, although I'm sure she had many, especially after walking in on me in the bathroom just a week or so ago.

'Well, we'll have to meet up for drinks in a couple of weeks to see how you're getting on,' she offered. I hadn't thought I would miss anyone in this office when I'd finally decided to quit, but Caitlyn had always been so kind to me and I'd never properly returned that friendship.

'That would be lovely,' I told her, genuinely meaning it. How had it taken me until my last day to make friends with anyone in this office? 'Listen Caitlyn,' I said as I picked up the last of my things and headed towards the door. 'Be careful okay?' And with those final words, I left. I took my cardboard box of possessions and stood silently in the empty lift as it took me down to the ground floor. A bell rang out and the doors slid open and there was something so refreshing about knowing that this was the last time that I would have to use this lift. I walked out of the building for the last time, holding my breath until I was sure that I wasn't going to run into Mr Walsh.

I practically ran home. I had decided not to bring my car with me today, after all I no longer had a staff parking space and probably would have had to park pretty far away anyway. I hurried down the high street, as I had done so many times previously, although I felt much more triumphant than the last couple of times that I'd been here.

'Poppy?' It was Ben.

'Shit,' I muttered, why was he always here when I didn't want to see anybody. There wasn't anything I could do about it now. 'Hey,' I added, looking up at him.

'How are you?' He asked, shifting awkwardly from foot to foot.

'I'm alright.' I said.

'What's that?' He asked, gesturing towards the cardboard box that I was still holding, my fingers clasping it so tightly as if my life depended on it.

'I quit my job.' I replied, giving him a weak smile. His face lit up as I said those words. He stretched his arms open wide and stepped towards me as if to hug me. Although half way through it was obvious he had realised that it wouldn't be appropriate and he took a step back.

'That's incredible.' He replied. 'I'm so happy for you. Are you going to focus on the case now?' He asked. I hated that he knew so much about my life. I hated that I had trusted him with so much information that I now could never take back.

'Yeah, hopefully we'll be able to take it to court.' I replied. I didn't particularly want to share anything else with him, but a part of me felt as if I owed it to him. He'd stood by me for so long and had really encouraged me to do this. Keeping it from him felt wrong.

'What changed your mind?' He asked.

'About what?'

'About quitting your job? After everything that had happened you were still so adamant to stay. What changed your mind?' He repeated.