Reckoning her feelings

The feeling of those words was like a heavy weight on my chest, making it hard to breathe. I knew that I shouldn't feel this way, that it was irrational and unfair, but it was like a fire burning inside me, consuming my thoughts and emotions as Noah continued,

"She's a CEO of a company I forgot the name of. Though, I never saw her." He shrugged, showing uninterest.

I tried to distract myself by saying, "Well, he could just reject it if he doesn't like it."

Noah scoffed, "You don't know anything, do you?"

He shook his head before glancing at me, "How do you think he became a CEO at this age?"

"His hard work?" I felt childish answering that way, but there was no other reason I could show.

"Well, I won't deny he has skills and talents, but this isn't everything that's needed in the administrative era."

As I sat there, listening to Noah, a sense of unease began to wash over me. It was like a slow realization that everything I thought was wrong.

The feeling of not knowing anything when I thought I knew everything was like a heavy weight on my chest. It was disorienting and unsettling, like a sudden loss of identity. I had always prided myself, on thinking Ethan had an easy life. But it appeared I knew nothing about him.

"Listen, Irene, you need to hear everything from him. He's not the honest person you think he is! He's someone who's ready to dirty his hands for his desires,"

His words instantly boiled my blood as if the switch was slipped, and I could feel my anger rising. Since I had an idea why Ethan did all these and now he made himself look bad to others. I stood up, clenching my teeth and glared at Noah, who flinched seeing my expression. I was barely holding back, "Thank you for your time in explanation," My voice clipped, "But as much as I don't know anything about him, you don't know anything about him either,"

With my face turned away, I walked off, my steps heavy with the weight of my emotions.

All I wanted was to find a taxi and return home as soon as possible.

Finally, I spotted a taxi and made my way towards it, my heart pounding with a mix of fear and relief.

As the taxi pulled away, I looked out the window, my face turned away from the world. I knew that, something inside of me was changing. All the expressions Ethan showed me every time I was with him, he showed them only to me.

I clenched my phone, I wanted to hear his voice, but it was late at night. I didn't want him to find out that I was out with Noah until this late.

The whole night passed by me tossing and turning being unable to sleep. My mind was consumed with thoughts of someone else taking him away, and the ache in my heart was almost too much to bear.

I finally gave up on sleep and dragged myself out of bed, feeling exhausted and disoriented. I stumbled into the bathroom and splashed cold water on my face, hoping to shake off the fog of sleeplessness.

As I got dressed, I tried to shake off the feeling of emptiness that had settled over me. But the more I tried to push it away, the more persistent it became.

I rushed out the door and made my way to the office, my mind racing with thoughts of Ethan. I wanted to see his face as soon as possible.

As usual, his car arrived at sharp 7.58, and he stepped out with his gaze falling on me first. He was the same as ever, dressed impeccably in a sharp suit, his hair perfectly styled. But to me, he looked like a vision, and I felt my cheeks flush with heat as if I was watching my childhood crush after decades.

"Is something wrong? Do you have a fever?" He asked, his voice laced with concern.

I flinched back, not realizing he was standing before me.

"No, I'm fine," I managed to say, my voice barely above a whisper. "Thank you for asking."

As we entered the elevator, I could feel his eyes on me, and I fought to keep my composure. I didn't want to embarrass myself any further.

"Father called," he said suddenly, breaking the silence. "He wants us to visit tomorrow. I understand if you feel uncomfortable, but I don't want Father and Mother to feel hurt." His voice was tinged with a bit of hurt as if he was anticipating my rejection.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves. "No, let's go!" I said, surprising even myself with my eagerness.

He turned and stared at me for a moment as if seeing me in a new light. "...Ok then," he said finally, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

As we stepped out of the elevator and walked towards our offices, I could feel his presence beside me, steady and reassuring. I couldn't help stealing glances at him, marvelling at how handsome he looked even in the dim light of the hallway.

Throughout the day, I found myself distracted, unable to focus on my work. All I could think about was him, and the way he had looked at me in the elevator.

"Argh! Snap out of it!" I mumbled to myself, feeling frustrated and restless. That was the 6th time I went to get coffee.

Suddenly, my phone vibrated, and I looked at it to see Naveah's text- "Guess what? We're coming to the UK." My heart leapt with excitement and anticipation. I couldn't believe it - my best friend was coming to visit me in the UK!

I called her immediately, feeling a sense of urgency. I needed to pour my thoughts out to someone, to share my feelings and worries.

As I spoke, Naveah listened silently over the phone, her breathing calm and steady. But when I finished, she spoke up, her words cutting through the air like a knife.

"I knew you were always slow on things, but are you this dense like a kindergardener!" she exclaimed. Her words offended me, and I felt a flush of anger rising on my cheeks.

But before I could say anything, she continued, "Stupid! I don't think you can live without Ethan. You were like that in Zurich too. Girl, you're madly in love!"

Her words hit me like a ton of bricks, and I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. It was true - I couldn't deny it anymore. I was in love with Ethan. Despite being a married woman, I felt like a teenager again, caught up in the heady rush of first love. It was a feeling that I had almost forgotten, buried under the weight of my responsibilities and obligations.

And for the first time in a long time, I felt like I was on the right track.