07
C
“Jared, please let him go. He has nothing to do with what’s going on between us. I promise he’s just dropping
me off home.”
“Why does he get to drop you off and I don’t even have access to you?” He let my boss go down slowly.
My boss asked with a shocked look, “Do you need the police?”
There was no point in dragging my boss into my relationship with Jared. Even though his family was connected,
it was nothing compared to Jared’s. I didn’t want to put his life in danger.
“He’s just someone I have some unfinished business with but I promise he won’t hurt me.”
10:33 AM
After the Fireworks Faded
My boss gave me a lingering look but Jared pretended that he wanted to punch my boss. My boss flinched then turned to his car and hurried away.
I turned to Jared, angry. “Thank you for chasing away the only good thing that happened to me all week.”
“You can’t just enter any man’s car. What if he’s working with my enemies?” Jared held me close.
I made a show of smacking his chest as an answer. “The only enemy that I have to be worried about is your
official girlfriend.”
I refused to speak more about the matter that had happened this morning because I wasn’t sure how he would take it. He could flip up and accuse me of trying to fight Sara.
“I want us to talk.” He fell into step beside me
I hurried to my building knowing that once I was in my house he couldn’t get in because he no longer had
access to a key card.
“You and I have nothing to talk about.”
He grabbed me by my waist, “I’ve dropped over a. hundred thousand dollars and the most important project just so I could meet you. I and Sara-”
I shut my ears with my palm. “I don’t want to hear anything about your mistress.”
“She’s not my mistress.”
At that point, his phone started to ring.
I thought he was going to drop the phone call and listen to me and then we would go upstairs and talk but when I saw how his mood changed, I already knew who called.
“You have to leave, don’t you?” I asked, not allowing the situation to hurt me as it would have before.
“Sara has an emergency. She’s in the hospital.”
“Well, I guess you made your choice then.”
“You don’t actually expect me to leave someone who’s in the hospital for you, right?”
I smiled. “Jared baby, I’m used to you dropping me for her. I’m used to you leaving me in pain just to make sure
that she has a blanket over her body. Go to your lover. I don’t need you.”
Jared had to understand that I was giving him a final choice between me or her. Because if it really was an
emergency, she would have other people around her. There was nothing Jared could try to do that the medical staff
could not do better.
But it was his choice to pick me and me or Sara.
“Baby?” I called, waiting for his choice.
“Ashley, please don’t make me choose.”
“I don’t even know why I’m even asking you to consider choosing because you and I are done. Last time I
remember breaking up with you at dinner.”
“You’re right. It’s selfish of me to want you to drop everything for Sara. But you have to understand her
condition.”
I raised my voice, “I don’t want to understand anything that has to do with that woman. So, I’m going to make a
choice for you since you’re too cowardly to make one. Go to Sara and never come back to me. I will never take you
back.”
The next few days passed by in a blood for me. Mostly because I was finally coming to terms with the fact that
Jared and I had been done a long time ago but I was the one holding onto the skeleton of a relationship.
While I waited for my boss to send me some reports so that I could continue my tasks, I got a call from Kimberly.
I didn’t want to pick her call but I wanted to hear what she would have to say. Maybe she would finally come
10:33 AM
After the Fireworks Faded
clean about how she felt about me and Jared.
Her words were filled with panic and worry. “Ashley, don’t you know Jared is in the hospital?”
Before this time, when I heard those words, my whole afternoon would have been ruined. I would drop everything including this report and rush over just to make sure that he was fine.
it.”
But now it just seemed like random news about a random person
“I don’t know why you think I should be concerned about him.”
“I know you’re mad at him, but his condition is really serious. Doctors can’t even tell what’s wrong.”
“Whatever Sara has is contagious and he caught it from her. I also think you have it too and I don’t want to catch
“Ashley-” she called my name with fear.
“Never call me again. Sara can give Jared all he needs. After all, you said it yourself; they are a good match.”
With that I cut the call and blocked her line on my phone. I blocked her on every other platform.
My boss came into the office with the report. He stopped in front of me. He was in a much better mood. Especially since I had explained everything that had gone down with me Jared and Sara. Of course, I had to tell him because he almost lost his life trying to defend me.
“Seems like you got some bad news.”
“It’s no worse than the weather.”
“I have something to brighten your day. I was able to get in touch with Victoria. She has an open spot for a
two–year program.”
“Boss, are you trying to fire me?” There was humor in my voice.
“I won’t if you give my wife an exclusive look of all your future dresses. And if you train your replacement to be as
efficient as you are. So, what’s your answer?”
There was a time when I wouldn’t dare leave this city At least not without Jared’s permission.
“Give me a few days to think.”