𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙲𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚘𝚏 𝚊 𝙻𝚒𝚏𝚎𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎 ✓ (𝟷𝟾+)

The Act

Arin

Crap fucking hell.

How did this happen. How did he know? He called me by my name. My fucking name. Did he know all along? Or was it something that he came to know when I put down my papers.

God! My head was spinning. I could hear my heartbeats thumping inside my ears. I could taste the bitterness arising in my mouth.

He knew!

I didn't know what I could do now. All this while, I had run scenarios in my head if ever Roger came to know about me. If ever, my identity was disclosed. But now that I was faced with the reality, I was scared to see what would happen. His words, Arin, revved up in my mind. He called me by my name. Had it been a normal situation, I would have been on cloud nine. I would have danced and sung and hopped on my bed so hard, its legs would have given up. 

But it wasn't a normal situation now, was it?

The worst of thoughts drove up into my mind. It was in situations like these where I have realized I wasn't a calm person. I was a host for chaos and every time it knocked at my doors, I had flung to the safety of my nerves. Yes, I was a ball of nerves and what remained of me was consumed by my anxious thoughts. How would I face Roger in office? 

I wished for the earth to be parted into two and swallowed me whole. The mere thought of him knowing, of thinking of scenarios where I would have to face him drove me crazy. In my state of delirium, I picking up the call and dialed Selene. 

She might have told him. It was the only logical explanation to Roger knowing about me. Although knowing how dearly she treated confidentiality, doubts did their dance across my mind, I shoved them to a side. Like a drowning person, I was looking for anything to keep me afloat and Selene's name held me up. 

I walk around the apartment and the moment she answered, in a fit of nervousness and anxiety, I blurted. "Didyoutellrogeraboutme?"

She chucked, heaving for air. I had to repeat my question by when she decided it was time to greet me again. "What happened Arin? Is everything alright?"

Pacing around the apartment, I inhaled deeply. Anger would not be the right weapon in this situation and neither would be blaming someone without proof. I somehow managed to compose myself, oxygenating my lungs and heaving through my mouth. "Did you by any chance tell Roger about my identity? About who I am?"

Her voice stuttered, she sounded confused, "Who Roger?" It dawned on me, she wasn't the one who revealed anything. Anyone who would have done it would have reacted differently, tried hard to justify or sounded guilty. Selena depicted none of those reactions. "Wait are you talking about Roger Murphy of the Murphy Enterprises?"

With a "yes," to her, all faded doubts rushed back. "How did you know I was talking about Roger Murphy of all people, Selene?" Letting out the question with a gush of air, I asked in a stern tone.

Pondering over my question, I could hear her breathing over the call. On the other end, I was fully prepared to catch her red handed if indeed she was lying. "Because he acquired the call center a while back. We are now owned by the Murphy enterprises."

Ahh..

Like missing puzzled, everything fit in place. It was clear how Roger would have discovered the truth about me. He must have gotten his hands on the employee list and my name would have appeared in it. In a way it was strange that an observant guy like him took so long to discover my secret.

"Is there a problem?" Selene's voice brought me back to reality.

"No no problem."

"Okay because I thought there was a problem with the payment of something for you to have called back."