When History Repeats Itself

Chapter Twenty- Two

When life hands you lemons, make lemonade. I had suffered enough at Chase Men to make lemonade.

First I date the boss, so his ex fiancée came after me and my family. Then the boss who is my boyfriend assigns me a simple task that I've done several times before. Safe delivery of luxury items to a safe in the Chase Men vault. Then diamond earrings go missing and I'm slapped in the face with a theft accusation.

So I'm sitting at home alone with my bag and Sumaya's divorce papers in my possession, trying to type a resignation letter. My dad had called to know why he had not been his first call. Of course I reminded him that I thought time was an important factor so I called the person in town to help me.

If I hadn't met Dominic Chase, none of this would have happened. I thought to myself and then all the good memories of us together swept through my mind like a flood. My heart ached just thinking why all these bad things were happening to not just me but...us?

My dad was probably speeding down the highway to come home to me. How many times did I have to call my dad to clean up a mess that I had not created but found myself in?

Damien was back at the Chase Men having a meeting behind closed doors with the Storage manager, Paba, Dominic, Mr. Chase, Lucas Wole and the security that conducted the search of my things. Damien had told me that some other items were stolen from the vault in the previous weeks but this was the first theft from the safe itself. I hugged myself at the thought of me naively carrying fake diamond earrings to the safe, escorted by a guard. No camera footage showed a break-in and with the guard present during delivery, it only meant the swap must have happened before the earrings landed in my care.

Would Dom and I survive this too? So soon after our last hurdle? Dom and I may be having communication problems lately but I didn't want to lose him. Oh my goodness, I love him too much to lose him. That's why it hurt so much that he did not immediately say he didn't believe I would steal those damned earrings.

Damien who had been briefed was immediately convinced of my innocence and said so. He didn't just say that because he was my appointed lawyer but because he knew me. I felt I had forced Dom to say he believed me. Dom knew me too, didn't he?

I felt so overwhelmed by the myriad of emotions taking over me. I could not handle all this thrown at me in succession. I was only human. I felt a headache coming on from thinking too much and went to aunt Jamila's medicine cabinet.

I pulled it open and my hands froze gripping the door. There it was. Staring right back at me. A prescription bottle filled with amphetamines. I reached out slowly and held the orange container in my hand.

I should put this back now. I shouldn't be holding it.

My hands started to shake as I reached back into the cabinet to put it back. My knuckles were turning lighter as my grip stayed strong on the cabinet door. I stood fixed in that position.

I'm a stupid addict. I should close this door now, drink a glass of water and go back to sleep.

I had not battled my urges in so long and they hit strong as my mind filled with all the reasons I should take the pills instead of walk away.

Eight years sober. Eight years of dealing with my problems instead of running away. Escaping was not an option.

Then I reached the next phase in seconds. Just today. I needed it for just today. I had been through a lot this past couple of days. Just today, get a little help to deal with the pain. I was going to take a pill for the headache, why not take a pill for the emotional ache too?