Total pages in book: 43
Estimated words: 40741 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 204(@200wpm)___ 163(@250wpm)___ 136(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 40741 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 204(@200wpm)___ 163(@250wpm)___ 136(@300wpm)
Once she was alone, she looked around and noticed a thin layer of dust covering everything. It felt as if she had walked into a tomb.
Her tomb.
And although she knew her place would be painfully bare, all the empty space just reminded how her empty her own life could be...and would be...if Lucius were to never come back.
Tassy fumbled for her phone with shaking fingers, but her call didn't even push through...with Lucius having already blocked her number.
Please God.
Please.
Please.
Her body curled into a ball on the floor, her eyes still dry even as her heart still hadn't stopped from breaking. The pain she felt when Xylan had broken up with her...suddenly felt like nothing. It was just nothing compared to how much she was hurting now, and oh God...
That said everything, didn't it?
Wind rattled the windows of her apartment, but apart from that, all she heard was silence.
Her phone buzzed, and Tassy snatched it up, hoping against hope it was Lucius.
But instead it was a message from Stella.
Want to see how crazy fake news can get?
Underneath this was a screenshot of a photo of Lucius having dinner with none other than Fontana Ferrer.
It was the perfect revenge, and it got the message across just as perfectly.
Chapter Sixteen
THE VOLUME OF OFFICE noise abruptly dropped as soon as Tassy showed up at her workplace the next day. There were more people than ever avoiding her gaze, and while she gave her colleagues credit for doing their best not to talk while she was around, some weren't that good at measuring how much distance needed to be kept for one to be truly out of earshot.
Poor thing...
Twice with the same girl...
Can you just imagine how humiliating that is?
Every minute she spent in front of her computer screen was agony, and Tassy eventually came to realize that as much as she loved her job, it was not worth her sanity. It was time for a fresh start, time to be away from everything and everyone.
The company's HR manager didn't seem surprised at all to receive her resignation letter. "I'm sorry about this, Tassy."
The pity in the older woman's gaze spoke volumes, but Tassy somehow managed a smile.
"I'll process this as quickly as I can, but I'll still need you to come back tomorrow to sign the final paperwork. Is that alright?"
"That sounds perfect. I'm sorry to cause you additional work."
"Oh, hon. What I really hate is having you leave, but I also understand why it's necessary. I just wish things could've been different. You don't deserve this, Tassy. You of all people..." Melody shook her head with a sniff.
"There's no need to worry. I'll be fine, I promise."
She stepped out of Melody's office, but the mere thought of going back to her desk had Tassy's heart shriveling.
I can't.
I just can't anymore.
I just can't.
Her knees started knocking against each other, and Tassy had to press a hand against the wall to keep herself from swaying. All day she had tried so, so hard not to think about it, but this time there was no hiding from the images that flooded her mind without mercy.
Lucius and Fontana staring at each other...
Lucius smiling at the other woman...
Fontana leaning towards her husband...
And then there were all those things that the media was saying about them.
Perfect couple alert!
Could wedding bells be ringing soon?
Are they San Antonio's next It Couple?
"I guess we're on the same boat."
The voice was familiar, laced with bitterness. She slowly looked up, knowing already who it was.
Xylan stood before her, his Burberry tie slightly askew, dark circles under his eyes suggesting he'd had as rough a night as she had.
"You've seen the photos, too?"
She nodded.
A resentful smile twisted his lips. "Do you know what that bitch said when she broke up with me?" he asked, leaning against the wall beside her. "That the only reason she wanted me was because she kept hearing how perfect we were together."
"I'm sorry."
Xylan stared at her. "And?"
"I don't know what else—-"
"We need to get even," he burst out. "We need to show those two that we don't give a fuck about them. Let's get back together—-"
"I can't."
Xylan's lip curled. "For fuck's sake, Tas. Do you really think he'd still go back to you? And even if he does, why the fuck would you take him back? He dumped you—-"
"You dumped me, too," she couldn't help pointing out.
Xylan's mouth opened and closed. "Fine, okay, you got me there. But it's different with him."
Yes, it was.
"When we broke up, the whole world didn't know about it. But when that asshole dumped you—-"
"He didn't." The words felt torn from her throat.
Xylan stared at her incredulously. "Why can't you just accept the truth? He—-"
"He left me—-"
"What the hell's the difference?" Xylan demanded impatiently.
"Because he thought I m-married him to h-hurt you."
But instead she had ended up hurting herself.