CHAPTER 2

I looked at my watch and quickly collected my things, gently knocked on the door of Mr. Roble's office and upon hearing a statement between and I found Demetrious and my boss chatting, so I focused on my boss

-Mister. I'm retiring - I said ignoring Demetrious - don't you need something else? - I asked for

"No Brianna," he smiled at me, "now you can go," I had a lump in my throat, I knew that this was his last day at the office and even though I would see him go visit my child, it wouldn't be the same, he noticed my sadness. because he stood up, approached me to give me a hug that was well received - do not be sad my girl you know this is not goodbye - I nodded and when I parted I smiled

"I know, but it won't be the same," he denied, amused.

"But you're not alone," she said, pointing to Demetrious. "I'll leave you with an excellent boss." I doubt it. I thought, but I bit my tongue, I looked at the one mentioned and he just watched us carefully, I needed to get out of there I was drowning in his presence

"I don't doubt it," I said ironically, "well, I'm leaving, it's about five o'clock," I said and he understood perfectly what I meant; the company daycare closed at five and I had to go get Dylan

"Go easy my girl," he said giving me another little hug before turning around and sitting back in his chair. Look at Demetrious before leaving

"See you tomorrow sir," I said professionally.

"See you tomorrow, Miss Manson," he said coldly and curtly. I left without saying anything else. I bolted into the elevator cursing Demetrious, what are you up to? I berated myself, he's nothing but a cowardly bastard

I arrived at the lobby and to my surprise there were two men there and I immediately recognized them as Demetrious's bodyguards since they were the same ones that were the day Demetrious took me out of his life, apparently they recognized me since their faces reflected surprise, I ignored them and I walked quickly to the nursery where Kloe the nursery teacher was waiting

"Hi Kloe," I greeted her, "how did you behave today?" - I said referring to my son

—Very good - he smiled - you know he doesn't give much to do - I nodded and looked for him with my eyes and found him concentrating on one of the many educational games that there were for them, he raised his head and saw me

-Mommy! - My baby screamed running to me, I bent down to pick him up while he hid his face on my neck I could kiss his little head to smell it and it served as a tranquilizer, he came out of my arms to look at me excitedly - today Klo showed me more numbers - he said proud

"Like this," I said smiling and adjusting her hair, "as far as you know it."

"Fifty," he said flamboyantly and I am amused.

"You are more than ready to go to school next year with older children," I said, standing up and with him in my arms while he hung his backpack around my neck with his little hands and frowned.

"You have to leave Klo," he said half-tongue, which I have been correcting little by little.

—I think that if my love - I said as I said goodbye to his teacher and we went to the hall - I don't think they will let you take Kloe - continue with fun but I noticed that the elevator opened and Demetrious left I panicked and walked faster until get to the street to look for a taxi, in which we were lucky since we found one and I immediately put Dylan in and before going up I looked in the direction of the main door of the company and there he was looking at me intensely accompanied by his bodyguards, I went up quickly to the taxi and I asked him to start, I needed to keep my son away from his father's contempt that thought stirred painful things in me that I immediately discarded.

******************

We got home and I felt calmer, Dylan and I lived east of Los Angeles, in a middle-class urbanism that thanks to Mr. Francisco I was able to obtain since once I started working with him we made a deal that he would provide me with a house in a healthy and stable environment for me and my son and I would pay it little by little as if it were a mortgage; Of course, the amount I paid for the house was very low compared to a real mortgage and that is something I will be eternally grateful for, I had a home for my child and it was ours since last year I had finished paying Mr. Roble.

It was a medium-sized house with a beautiful garden in front with roses and tulips that I had planted and cared for myself, it had three bedrooms, two of them with bathroom and another in the hall for visitors, the living room was spacious and bright, it was decorated in light colors and a black leather sofa, I would prefer the white ones but with Dylan still small I don't think the poor guy would survive, the kitchen is equipped with everything you need and it was spacious it also had a sliding glass door with blinds that led to the huge backyard where he had a couple of swings, a slippery one, a seesaw for Dylan a beige rocking swing for three people where I sat reading or watching my son play with his uncle.

You could also see his different balls since he loved to run for that he had my brother Bruno who lived fifteen minutes from us with his wife Sofia and their two-year-old daughter Mackenzie, my brother moved some time after Dylan was born and He does not know who the father of my son is, when the moment came I told him that it had been something sporadic and that I did not want ties. In a few words I lied to him and he did not judge me, he only supported me, we only have him and I since our parents died in a car accident when I was barely fifteen and twenty; so I take care of myself until I came to study at the university.

At first I didn't tell him anything about my pregnancy and he thought I was still studying it wasn't until Dylan was six months old that I told him and at first he got angry, but then he met my baby and fell in love with him. The following year he met Sofía and they have been married for three years and now he has his family, but he loves my son madly. I climb the stairs and walk to my son's room and find him playing with his toys on the carpet, his room is painted in blue and white with ship themes and his bed is in the center and on the back wall there is drawing a rudder that my child loves, I crouch down to his height before speaking

"Dylan." I'll be downstairs making dinner, in a while I want you to bathe and come down to dinner — I tell him, he puts down his toys and looks at me nodding — okay — I get up and walk to the door.

"Mama is my uncle coming today?" -asks me. I stop and look at it

"I don't think so darling, maybe he'll come tomorrow." He frowns and looks more like Demetrious, his eyes just like mine look at me asking an unspoken question, and I wonder if he's just like his father needs to be explained everything. —My love, your uncle should take care of Mackenzie too, but what if we call him and invite your uncles to come over tomorrow — their eyes light up.

"And I'm going to play with him," he affirms to himself and I nod.

I leave the room and go to mine that is opposite, I take off the skirt and the blouse that I put on for work and I put on a tracksuit and a T-shirt today I just want to feel comfortable, I go down and go into the kitchen where I start doing a little meat accompanied with roasted vegetables accompanied with a little rice. Half an hour later my son comes down, bathed and ready to eat, we do it between laughter and my little one's witticisms, every time I observe him it is like seeing Demetrious, but what terrifies me the most is the day when I have to answer the question of the million. Mom, where is dad? I don't think I'm ready for that. Once we finish dinner, he sits down in the living room to watch the cartoons while I clean the kitchen. At eight thirty I'm already harassing Dylan and I go to my bedroom, I take a shower, I put on my pajamas and I get between my white sheets, tomorrow will be a long day since Francisco is no longer my boss and I know that Demetrious me a yogurt will make life, if I could get another job it would be great, but as the economy is currently I don't think I will get anything that will give me the income necessary to support Dylan and a house. But I don't think I can handle the pressure of working for the man who hurt me the most in my life, I toss and turn and curse Demetrious Johnson for coming back in my life.

****************************

The next morning I drop off Dylan early at the nursery and go up to my work area, when I get to my desk the office door opens and a Demetrious in a dark blue suit comes out.

"Miss Manson to my office," I bark. I enter the office again and slam the door, I look at the clock and there are barely five minutes until my workday begins and this does not start well I snort and take the agenda before walking to the door, I run my hand over my black dress that I put on this morning and I give myself the go-ahead, professional and serious I play softly and I hear a grunt, I walk in and there he is sitting in his chair and looking at me seriously — sit down — I sit upright in one of the chairs

"You need something," I say trying to calm down.

-Yes. I need to make things clear - spits this will not end well - q uiero his resignation on my desk - said ¿ what ? He gritted my teeth and tried not to jump on him — I don't think it's good for us to work together and I don't really feel like it.

—Well, I'm sorry — I'll get over it — if you want to fire me, but I'm not going to resign — he narrows his eyes and leans forward.

"I won't, it would be very suspicious if she fired the secretary that yesterday in front of the whole world praised her old boss," he says, retiring again in his chair, "it would be more credible if the secretary was so faithful that she left when her boss did." He did too - I wanted to send him to hell, but what pissed me off the most was the tone in which he said faithful, mockery? No disgust?

"I'm sorry that you can't be professional and leave the past behind," I said, getting up, "but I need my job and I'm not going to throw it away for your stupid things."

—Care how you talk to me - he got up from his chair and immediately had him in front of me and I could smell his lotion - you don't know what I'm capable of - he told me in a whisper, my body reacted, but I moved away from him and I could see confusion and like he's fighting an internal battle

"I'm not going to quit," I said bluntly and opening the office door

"It will be as you want then," he said with a mocking smile, "I need you to bring me before noon the latest reports from the most important partners of the company in the last three years.

"You will have them sir," I went out and after carefully closing the door, I let out the air that I didn't know I was holding, you damn bastard! Wanting to kick me out, I will not make it easy for you and also what was that? I shouldn't feel that way but his closeness woke up in my thing that I thought I had already buried, I refused and set out to find what he asked me to do.

At noon I gave him the customer's order and he seemed surprised, ha! You don't know who you're dealing with, what fucking pissed me off was the constant search for coffee and that the idiot realized that it bothered me to be his servant; my mistake now lived by asking me for coffee every two hours, but I was not going to bend. During the rest of the day I try to fill my patience, I breathed in relief when it was four thirty, I turned off my computer, took my bag, knocked on the door and entered, Demetrious was on the phone and when he saw me he raised an eyebrow and ended his call

—I'm leaving - announce the obvious

-Where? I ask as if I don't understand

—It's my departure time

"But I need you to stay a couple of hours - no." That is not true —But I never…

—If you work for me you know there are no schedules - tyrant - they are hours that will pay you double - I looked at my watch and remembered Dylan

—I can't do overtime, I have a responsibility, I must go pick up - I stopped immediately.

"I know you have to go for your son, but tell the father to stay with him," Mondas said, "I need someone professional and willing to work side by side with me."

-I can not. My son

—I don't care about your personal life - he interrupted me again - it just meets my expectations - I thought about throwing my bag at him, but I held back, I would have to carry my son to his uncle

—If you'll excuse me, would you give me a little time, I need to look for my son in the nursery, I leave him in good hands and go upstairs - he didn't look at me, he just had his hands in fists

"Do it," I roared and I shot out and in less than I thought I called my brother and agreed to take care of Dylan, I went down and looked for him at the nursery and I was happy because his uncle was going to take care of him, when Bruno picked him up I felt relief and I went back up to the office and just in between Demetrious handed me a folder - I need you to fix this for the meeting first thing tomorrow morning - I nodded and walked to the door, but I saw myself recoiling thanks to someone's arms. Demetrious leaned in and kissed me without warning. I tried to push him away and protest, but it only got him to take more control of the kiss. I felt my legs faint and I staggered when he let go of me - maybe he kisses you like me - I didn't say a word. I was stunned, and her comment infuriated me

-How dare you! - I raised my hand with the intention of hitting him, but he stopped me and kissed me again these times I responded as I did before and when I realized he was lying on the sofa in the office with him on top of me

—Does he not know how to treat you, that you give up like a whore - my livid disappeared and I felt retching, I took it off me and remembered that this was the man who abandoned me with a son on the way and now he was speaking incoherently, I got up and I took the folder leaving with the little dignity that I had left and feeling a great desire to cry for having been weak, I sat at my desk and minutes later Demetrio left his office, got into the elevator and left without saying goodbye, leaving me with a I hate myself How did I fall so low?