Chapter 25

"Now, it's time for you to explain it to me, Rachel."

Xavier pulled Rachel by the shoulder to face him. Now was the time for him to demand an answer from Rachel, about the woman's closeness to his cousin.

"How come you know, even have a close relationship with my cousin, Rachel? Why!"

Xavier said those words with great stress. It doesn't sound like a question, but a demand for an answer.

Rachel reluctantly removed Xavier's grip on her shoulder. Xavier's question greatly cornered her. It's like being judged for having an affair by our own lover, even though Xavier is nobody anymore.

"Why should I tell you?" Rachel couldn't control her annoyance. Xavier acts like an angry girlfriend, doesn't he remember that his current status is just an ex?!

"Don't forget, X, our relationship is over." Rachel said it flatly. "And you're still asking, how come I know Dimitri?"

Rachel also glanced at Xavier with a cold gaze. "You should ask yourself. Where have you been all this time? Until you don't know what I've been through, how was my life journey, until I got to know Dimitri..."

"Rachel..."

Xavier was about to come closer, but Rachel chose to take a few steps back while staring at Xavier with pain.

"You don't know anything, X, what kind of bitterness I've been through all this time," Rachel said, shaking her head weakly.

"You're not there, X! You're not there when I cry because I'm scared because I'm a victim of someone's abuse, you're not there when I'm down because of people's judgment, you… you're not there, X, when I need you to lean on."

"And Dimitri was one of the people who helped me when you weren't around." Rachel wiped away the tears that had unconsciously rolled down her cheeks. "So, don't act like you're the one here who feels the most lied to or betrayed."

The woman reached into something in her bag and walked away towards the gate which was still locked. Leaving Xavier who is now frozen in place.

Rachel took the time to look back at her ex, who now seemed to be clenching her fists, looking angry but no longer having the strength to vent.

Moreover, everything Rachel said was like a whip that made Xavier realize it was the truth. The fact that everything has changed a lot since he left.

The woman smiled coldly, then said again, "You should look in the mirror, X. It's not other people who make you miss a lot of things….

"All of that happened, because you've been gone too long."

Rachel went into the house, leaving Xavier who was now only looking down with his hands clenched into fists.

The man fell to his knees limply until his knees hit the ground. It hurt because he couldn't help but admit that what Rachel had said was true.

"Arrgghhh!!!!!!" Xavier aimed his fist at the ground, hitting him multiple times, releasing a burst of emotion that seemed to burn him even more.

This is all Xavier's fault. It was Xavier's fault for being away for too long, and finding her too late.

.

.

(*)

"What kind of report is this? This is rubbish!"

Xavier threw the files that were handed to him until scattered on the table.

"This too! A proposal like this that you guys are preparing to submit to me?! If you're not serious about working here, please put your resignation letter on my desk!"

The head of the marketing division who submitted the proposal was shocked by Xavier's tantrum which was quite deafening. It was really bad luck, because this time he was the easy target of his boss's anger.

"S-sorry, Mr. Alexandre," he squeaked softly, his knees shaking. "We will revise everything soon."

"I don't want to know, after lunch the revised results should be on my desk." Still with a look on his face like he wanted to pounce on someone, Xavier stood up from his oversized chair. "Meeting over!"

Xavier left the room followed by his secretary and assistant from behind. It was only then that the staff who attended today's meeting could breathe a sigh of relief.

"Lately Our Boss is in a very bad mood," complained one of the staff.

The sentence received another nod. "It seems that no matter how perfect what we are doing right now, nothing is right in the eyes of Mr. Alexandre."

"Yes, that's true! In fact, while I was working here since Mr. Alexandre took over the leadership three years ago, this is the first time I've seen him so angry that he cursed other people."

Lately, the meeting room has always been hot, because lately the boss seems to be never satisfied with their performance—the meeting members are leaders from several divisions, who have been highly dedicated to the company.

"Exactly right! Because of how good and perfect he is in the company, Mr. Alexandre is nicknamed The Perfect Boss by everyone. Has his true nature just come out?"

"Oh, no way!" denied one of the staff sitting at the very end of the chair. "No one there are people who can hide their true nature for years. Maybe Mr. Alexandre is just stressed right now. he get married soon anyway."

Then they prepare to left, tidying the files on the table while continuing to gossip about their boss.

"It's true what the saying goes. People who are always calm, when angry are scarier than angels of death!"

One's emotions are like the ripples of the sea before a storm.

Sometimes what appears calm on the surface, without waves, as if still, actually holds enormous power to create storms that can destroy the entire plain.

They just don't know, it's not that Xavier has changed, or is in the middle of being camouflaged to be the perfect person everyone wants.

Xavier just hid himself for a while.

Deliberately letting the demon within him sleep for a very long time, for the sake of a big goal that he had planned very carefully.

.

.

(*)