The Man She Betrayed

1. A Blast From The Past

Clara

A wave of indifference masked the anger on his face and he averted his eyes from my face. He had lost the extra pounds and his face was thinner than before. The way his black shirt hugged his forearms told me that he had spent his share of time in gym. There was a stubble covering his strong jaw and his hair was gelled to side with perfection.

But if the last six years had taught me anything, looks are deceptive. I am not that girl anymore who ran after beauty, that girl died years ago.

"Miss...?" he assessed my face with his calculative eyes, waiting for me to tell him my surname. The file was in front of him but he didn't bother to look into it. He wanted to hear it from my mouth, as if he wanted me to feel the guilt reverberating through each cell of my body.

"Clara." I said, lowering my head so that I won't have to look into his eyes.

"Clara Vincent?" he asked in a serious tone, his piercing gaze boring hole in my forehead.

"Avery. Clara Avery!" I said, my voice thickened with guilt and embarassment.

My eyes flickered to his hands which were balled into fists, indicating that he was trying to control his anger. If he was, he was really good at it because his face didn't give away. A faint hint of smile played on his face, probably at the cruelty of destiny that it brought both of us together after so many years.

"Do you think of yourself as a loyal person?" he asked, his light brown eyes holding me captive.

"What?" I asked, dumbfounded.

"Loyalty is an important quality Miss. Avery, something we like to see in our employees." he stated in a cold, distant voice. "So tell me, do you consider yourself loyal?"

"I.. Um.." I didn't know what to say. If I say yes, he would probably laugh at me. "I don't know." I said and the corner of his lips moved slightly upwards.

"You can go now, Miss. Avery. Our team will contact you if you get the job." he dismissed, lowering his head to my file. I whispered thanks to him and then stood up, but not before committing his face to my memory. Because there was high chance that we won't meet again.

...

"Are you sure it was him?" Ava asked and I narrowed my eyes at her.

"Yes Ava. I am sure." I rolled my eyes. Of course It was him. Even if I hadn't heard his name, I'd still recognize him. His eyes had haunted me for years in my dreams. Whenever anything bad happened to me, his face would appear in front of my eyes, telling me that it's karma for what I did to him.

"I'm not getting the job, right?" I sighed, putting the slice of pizza in my mouth.

"Do you want me to lie?" she said, looking equally worried.

Ava had been a constant support to me since I met her and I owe her a lot but I needed a job now. I couldn't be a burden on her anymore. To regain my self-respect, I needed to be independent and I couldn't do that if I stay with her without rent or don't pay my share of bills.

"Don't worry Clar, you'll be fine. Come on, let's watch a movie." she said and turned the TV on. A romcom was playing on the TV so I brought two cans of soft drink from the kitchen and passed one towards her.

I tried my best to focus on the movie but my mind kept diverting to Aaron Vincent. The contempt in his eyes, the ticking of his jaw, the hatred on his face, everything played in front of my eyes and I felt like drowning in guilt.

...

"How did your interview go?" Troy asked when he noticed me in the cafeteria. I had changed into the waitress' uniform and was now starting my shift. I told him that the interview went really bad and I might not get the job.

"So you'll continue working as a waitress here?" he asked while making the coffee. He was a barista in this cafe and he makes the best coffee in the world. He was the one who taught me how to make coffee.

"No." I let out a long sigh. "I might try my luck at any other restaurant or cafe with a better salary." The owner of this cafe was a single mom and she couldn't afford to give me a reasonable salary as she had three children. But despite the salary, working with such people was a nice experiment.

After my shift, I changed out of my work outfit and picked up my bag, strolling towards our apartment. The weather was really pleasant today. Stars sprinkled like salts on a black marble and moon shining in its full glory, I relished in the cold weather and wrapped my hands around myself.

Once I reached the apartment, I walked into the kitchen and pulled out a carton of orange juice, bringing it to the couch with me. When I sat on the couch, my phone started ringing. Exhausted, I dragged myself to my bag and pulled out my phone to answer it.

"Is this Miss. Avery?" a masculine voice said from the other side. My mind automatically went to Steven Industries and I prepared myself for rejection.

"Yes. You're talking to her." I mumbled under my breath.

"Miss. Avery, I'm talking from Steven industries and you're being appointed as the personal assistant of Amber Steven. You are expected to be here this Monday at sharp 8am." he said and without waiting for my answer, cut the call.

I stood there frozen, still surprised at my selection. I heard the opening of door and Ava's voice reached my ears but I didn't move, just kept staring at mobile screen.

"Hey, what happened?" Ava asked when she noticed me glaring at my mobile in a weird way.

"Um.. I got a call from Steven Industries." I informed her without any expression on my face.

Her face turned sullen at the mention and pity appeared in her eyes. "It's okay sweetheart. You'll find another job. Don't worry." she said and attempted to hug me.

"I got the job." I whispered and her eyes widened. A full blown smile appeared on her face and she excitedly jumped towards me, enveloping me in a hug.

"You got the job." she screamed in her loud voice, putting all her weight on me. Though she looked really happy, I couldn't help but feel worried. He gave me job despite everything and I couldn't figure out why. I wondered if it was a revenge for my actions or there was any other motive in his mind.

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