Mr. CEO (15 page)

I
’m completely immersed
in going over contracts when the phone rings and disrupts me. The ID says it’s a call from Hastings. I don’t want to stop what I’m doing, so I ignore the chimes of my ringtone, but he doesn’t give up, immediately calling again. Damn it. I sigh with slight irritation. I’m exhausted and I don’t have time for interruptions, but this must be something important.

“This better be good,” I grumble before picking up the phone and subtly clearing my throat. “Hello?” I answer in a professional tone.

“Charlotte, you finally answered,” he says, voice low and carrying a tone of urgency. “I need to see you in my office. Now.”

I glance at the pile of contracts sitting in front of me. “Is this something that can wait? I really need to get these last few things done…” I feel bad being so forward. “A lot is riding on this,” I add.

“No,” Hastings says firmly. “I want to see you this instant.” My eyes widen and my heart skips a beat in my chest. Something’s wrong, and I can’t help that a sickness stirs in the pit of my stomach.

I’m silent for a moment, and it’s long enough that he adds--

“Now, Charlotte... You need to hear about this in person.”

“I’ll be right there,” I answer quickly and hang up. I can’t shake a bit of dread.

I sigh and smooth down my chiffon dress as I walk down the hall. I feel a prick of distress as I think everyone seems to be turning to look at me as I make my way over to Hasting’s office, but I brush it off due to the fact of what I’m wearing, a brightly colored dress. Still, I feel a little uneasy. The stares aren’t normal.

I knock lightly on Hasting’s door, my heart beating a little faster and my palms a bit sweaty before stepping in into his office. I freeze when I see who else is there. Eva. It looks like she’s distressed, her large eyes filled with worry as they fall on me.

A feeling of dread runs through me and numbs my body.

Hastings nods at me, his lined face drawn and serious. “Close the door, Charlotte,” he orders.

The intense feelings grow stronger and my chest starts feeling tight.

With my heart racing, I do as he commands. The door closes with a loud click and I walk over in a daze and sit down next to Eva. She takes my hand in hers, squeezing it lightly, causing me to shake like a leaf in the wind. I don’t make eye contact with her even though her eyes are boring into me.

Hastings leans forward across his desk, clasping his hands together. “We have a problem,” he tells me.

I nod my head rather than speak around the lump growing in my throat. My heart’s racing so fast it’s about to beat out of my chest. There’s no doubt in my mind that this is bad.
Very bad.

I’m about to pass out, and I haven’t even heard the news yet.
I’m fired,
I think to myself.
This must be it. I’ve just lost my job.
My mind is racing at light speed with a number of dark scenarios.

Hastings sucks in a deep breath and my eyes dart back to his, waiting anxiously. “I don’t know how to tell you this Charlotte, but we… were emailed photos of you this morning.”

Hastings lowers his head as if he’s almost ashamed. “Of you and Logan Parker… together.” His last words leave no doubt about what he means by ‘together’. My face heats and my blood goes cold. I try to speak, but I can’t.

Hastings turns his monitor and Eva pulls her hand away, leaving me feeling alone, but I reach out and grab onto her. She’s quick to lean forward and hold my hand. I need her. I’m thankful she’s here.

My heart jolts in my chest when I see a picture on the screen and I immediately start to hyperventilate. It’s hard to look at and tears prick my eyes, but I don’t let them fall.

Eva gives my hand another squeeze and rubs my back, but it doesn’t help. I’m shocked, angry and hurt beyond belief. I can hardly breathe.

Seeing the shock and anger on my face, Hastings raises his hands out to me. “Now now, Charlotte, I want to assure you that no one here thinks any less of you.” He nods at the envelope. “Do you want to see them? I know it’s a horrible thing to ask, but you should know what was sent to us. Take all the time you need before you look.”

I stare at the desk for a moment, feeling a mountain of shame pressing down on my chest, and then burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably.

Immediately, Eva pulls me into her arms, whispering comforting words in my ears that I don’t hear.

“We're going to help you get through this, Charlotte,” Hastings tells me firmly. “I promise. Whoever is responsible for this vile act will be held accountable. I’ve already contacted the authorities.”

His words barely register, and they do little to comfort me. The damage has already been done. I’m ruined. I’ll never be able to come to work again without feeling like a cheap whore.

Shame drives me from Eva’s embrace and out of my seat. I have to see Logan and tell him what’s going on.

Alarmed by my behavior, Hastings rises out of his seat and reaches for me as I storm toward the door. “Charlotte, wait!”

I ignore his command and I hear Eva say something to him, but I don’t catch what it is. I’m too consumed by my emotions to care. On the way up to Logan’s office, I ignore the dubious stares l get. When I hit the top floor, I march past Eleanor’s desk without a word.

I burst into Logan’s office, swinging the double doors open wide, feeling the last bit of control I have slip away at the sight of him. Logan, who’s sitting in his chair and on the phone, looks up with surprise.

“It’s over,” I say and my voice cracks, barely able to keep myself from collapsing.

“I’ll call you back,” Logan says quickly into the phone, hanging up. He jumps out of his seat and makes his way over to me. “What’s going on, Rose?” he asks, pulling me into his arms. I collapse against him, a blubbering mess.

I try to tell him what’s going on, but my words come out all garbled as I cry and sob. I’m a mess. I can’t help it. I’m practically shaking.

He shakes me gently, trying to get me to stop sobbing. “Rose, I need you to calm down.”

How can he begin to tell me to calm down? There were pictures of us screwing being circulated around everywhere. I bite back my anger, he doesn’t know.

“They have pictures of us,” I manage to push out the words as I pull away from him, tears streaming down my face.

“Pictures of what?”

“Pictures of us screwing!” I yell.

Logan’s face turns hard as he pushes me to the side and takes large strides to the door. Several people are looking in, making my heart still as he slams it shut and turns to look at me with a deadly expression I’ve never seen.

I
close
the door and lock it. Charlotte’s hysterically crying on the sofa with her phone in her lap. She’s practically shaking and I need to comfort her, but first I need to end the web conference. I quickly stride to the other side of my desk and type in a message that the meeting is canceled. Voices from the executives fill the speakers, but I shut off the microphone and the monitor, my heart racing in my chest. I doubt they heard. Even if they did, I wouldn’t give a fuck.

She’s hurt though.

Photographs
.

Of us fucking… so
new
photographs. My heart hammers in my chest as the anger rises, threatening to consume me. I’ll fucking kill him. I’ll destroy him and everything he’s ever touched.

I walk slowly to the sofa and kneel on the floor.

I pet her hair as she wipes her eyes and looks up at me. “Everyone,” she says as her voice cracks and she wipes under her eyes angrily. Her mouth stays open, but nothing else comes out.

“It’s going to be okay,” I say as calmly as I can.

She pushes my arm away. “It’s not! How can you say that?” She looks up at me with a pained expression. “Everyone saw me…” Her face falls, and she can’t finish. She manages to look away from me and the anger courses through her. Her hands ball into fists as she looks up and past my desk.

“Right fucking there,” she says and points to the window. “No one will ever respect me.”

She heaves in a breath and continues, “They’re going to think I only got this job because-”

“Stop it.” I stand up, cutting her off. “What they think doesn’t matter,” I say and my voice is hard and full of venom. “This will be dealt with.”

“Dealt with?” she asks incredulously. “My job is ruined.”

“It’s-”

“I rely on presentations, I can’t hide behind a computer ignoring everyone. Everyone I ever meet will have seen them.”

She reaches for her phone, and my heart slows as I realizes she’s bringing them up. Her shoulders rise and fall heavily as the shock and sadness leave her and anger takes the forefront. She finally passes me the phone, angrily wiping the tears from her reddened cheeks.

I look down with the intention of it being a glance, but I focus on it. She looks beautiful, in complete rapture. Every inch of her on display. My grip tightens on the phone.

She’s for me and me only.

I don’t want anyone else to see that look on her face. It’s for me. Anger consumes me as I throw her phone onto the sofa and push my hands through my hair. It’s my fault.

“It’s my fault,” I can barely breathe out.

“No.” She brushes her tears away, shaking her head. “This was a mistake,” she says in a small voice and doesn’t look me in the eyes.

Mistake
.

My heart slows, and my blood turns to ice.

“Whoever did this,” I start to say although I already know who. Patterson. I’ll confirm it and then he’s done. “I’ll make sure they pay.”

She rises from her seat and slowly grabs her cell phone as she heads for the door with a look of defeat and despair.

“Rose,” I call to her, but she ignores me, intent on leaving. No. I stare at her, my heart thudding painfully in my chest. No. “Rose!”

“I’m sorry, Logan,” she says in a pained voice, reaching for the door.

I slam my hand against the door above her head before she can open it. “Where are you going?” I ask her as calmly as I can, although I’m not anywhere near that emotion.

“I knew I should've never gotten involved with you,” she says in a soft voice that cripples me.

She tugs on the doorknob, but I lean my weight against the door and cage her body in. “Rose, don’t leave.”

“I have to, Logan.” She stares straight ahead and closes her eyes as I lean forward and kiss her neck.

“Don’t.” Her voice cracks and tears slip down her cheeks. “Please, just let me go.” She wipes the tears away and swallows thickly. “I need to go.”

“You don’t.”

“I do,” she says the hard words with conviction. Shaking her head, she says, “I can’t stay here. This was wrong. I knew it; I’m sorry.”

I can make this right. I can calm her down and make her understand that everything will be fine. But as I try to think of a way to ease her pain and have this blow over, I can’t think of anything. I’m paralyzed with the fear of her leaving me. My heart slams against my chest, willing me to do something, to say something.

But I have nothing. For the first time in my life, I feel true panic and it cripples me. I’m failing her, and I know it.

“I’m sorry, Logan,” she says with her eyes still closed.

“Nothing to be sorry for.” I’m quick to say the words, shaking my head, completely aware that I’m in denial. She’s not leaving me. She can’t.

“It’s over,” she says as she covers her face with her hands, finally releasing the doorknob.

Her shoulders shake and I pull her closer to me, but she pushes me away, shaking her head.

She turns to look up at me with tear-stained cheeks and puffy eyes as she says, “Just let me leave.”

The words resonate with me. I’ve heard them before. My mother told my father that I don’t know how many times. I do what my father never did, and back away from her. I stare at the wall of frames and try to ignore the sound of the door opening and then closing. Leaving me alone as I struggle to breathe.

This was going to happen. It’s the way these things work. I try to convince myself I’m telling the truth, but it doesn’t stop the pain. I brace myself against the wall, in complete shock and disbelief. It hurts. The crippling pain brings me to my knees. I lean my back against the door, not wanting this to be real.

I finally had something I never thought I would. And I let her slip through my fingers. It’s my fault. It’s all my fault.

I stay in that position for I don’t know how long. Letting the scene play out again and again. I finally move, but I feel as though I’m not really here.

At least she’s away from me now.

I walk out of the office, and it all falls into a hush. A few phones are ringing and some people are typing, but the sounds of keys clicking dims as I lock my office door.

I don’t make eye contact with anyone, although I can feel them all staring at me. This is what she went through. I fucking hate them all. I clench my hands into fists and ignore my secretary as she stands and says something. I don’t hear it, it’s all white noise.

I take the elevator to the parking garage. I don’t even know if my car is here. I’ve been using the limo so I can spend quality time with my Rose.

I don’t know if her car was here. I call her as I head to my car. I need to make sure she’s okay.

It rings and rings. She doesn’t answer.

My car’s there, parked in my spot.

I get in and sit there for a moment. And then I finally put the keys in the ignition. I don’t turn it on though. I keep hearing her words play in my head. It’s over.

She’s sorry. She knew she shouldn’t have.

My head falls back against the headrest and I stare at the cement brick wall ahead of me.

I don’t know what to say to convince her otherwise. I shouldn’t. I shouldn’t try to convince her otherwise. But what we had felt so good. So right. It felt
real
.

The sound of a car’s horn from outside the garage wakes me back to the present. I finally turn the car on and drive home.

A long time passes with no sound, and I don’t even realize it. I debate on turning up the volume, but I don’t want to. I wouldn’t listen to it anyway.

When I walk inside, my house feels colder and emptier than usual as the keys clank against the table.

Charlotte’s dry cleaning is on the entry table. It’s there to greet me.

I walk past it and straight to my bedroom.

I lay on the bed fully clothed and look at the ceiling. My chest hurts. My body hurts. I can hardly stand the pain. The cell phone’s right there. I know where she lives. I need her in this moment. I know she’s what I need.

I pick up my phone to call her, but can’t press send. It’s my fault he did that to her, and I can’t take it back. There’s no fix to this. I deserve this pain. I knew I was no good for her.

I close my eyes, hating that my actions caused her pain. That I
ruined
her.

I never thought this would happen though. Anger simmers beneath the pain. I grip onto it. Needing it and feeling alive again with it.

I’ll ruin Patterson. I’ll make sure he pays for what he did to her.