Chapter 19- Had Enough!

Feeling the weight of the tense silence, Carissa plastered on a fake smile and conjured up a lie. "Uh, it was just the breeze. I think some dirt particles got into my eyes, and I ended up tearing up trying to clear them out."

Rita nodded, though her skepticism was evident. She turned to David with a coy smile. "She's quite stunning, isn't she?"

David's brows furrowed at the unexpected comment. "Why are you telling me?" He stole a quick glance at Carissa, his gaze lingering for a moment before he averted it, hoping she hadn't noticed.

Rita let out an exasperated sigh. "You two young ones are always so secretive and awkward," she muttered loud enough for both to hear.

Carissa's lips parted in disapproval. "We're not a couple," she interjected, her voice barely above a whisper.

David, feeling slightly insulted, straightened up and attempted to defend himself. "I have boundaries, Mrs. Rita," he said with a hint of irritation, shooting Carissa a disregarding glance.

Rita scowled, unimpressed. "Hush now, boy. Your mother wouldn't appreciate you talking down to such a lovely lady."

David bristled at the comment but was silenced when Rita placed a finger on her lips, signaling him to stop.

Turning her attention back to Carissa, Rita flashed a warm smile. "Would you like something to drink, dear?"

Carissa shook her head. "No, thank you. I should be leaving now. Perhaps another time."

David raised an eyebrow, surprised by her sudden departure.

"Goodbye," Carissa waved, making a swift exit to avoid further tension.

After the door clicked shut, David turned to Rita, his annoyance simmering beneath the surface. "You've been rather bold and domineering lately."

Rita met his gaze with an unyielding stare. "And what of it?"

He almost snapped back but caught himself, opting for a feigned annoyance instead. "Why single me out for this treatment?"

"If he were here, I'd be the same with him," she retorted coolly.

David furrowed his brows, taken aback by her response.

"Let's drop it and sit down," she instructed, disappearing briefly only to return with a bottle of oil. "Sit, boy."

David hesitated, eyeing the bottle warily. "What exactly are you planning?"

"Just a simple head massage," she replied, her tone softer now.

He scoffed, moving away. "Absolutely not. I won't entertain that idea." He rolled his eyes, bracing for an argument.

"Well… my grandson would have allowed me to do it if he were here," she remarked, her expression darkening. "But he's gone."

David softened, his irritation dissipating. He sighed and relented, sinking into the nearest chair.

She smiled, approaching him with the bottle of oil. "Trust me, it'll be relaxing."

As she massaged his head, his thoughts drifted to Carissa. "She's trouble," he muttered under his breath.

Rita pretended not to hear him, continuing the massage in silence. After a moment, he spoke again. "She let me down. She abandoned me. "

"Is it Carissa?" Rita inquired gently.

"No," he lied, his voice tinged with bitterness. "Someone else."

Rita kept quiet, understanding his need to vent. After a while, she explained, "There might be a reason, you know. If a woman really loves you, she can do anything unpredictable for you."

"There's no excuse for betrayal," he declared firmly, standing up with a resolute expression. "I need to rest."

Rita nodded in understanding as he retreated to his room.

Meanwhile, arriving home, Carissa was about to enter the house when she heard footsteps approaching. She turned to see Duncan on the porch, her expression hardening.

"Hi." He waved with a smile.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, her tone cold, still angry over his recent actions.

"Um, is Sophie around?" he inquired with a forced smile.

"She left with Daniel earlier," Carissa replied tersely, her irritation palpable. 

"Oh. They're probably home by now."

She nodded and reached for the doorknob, ready to step into the house, but his words halted her in her tracks.

"I saw David around here yesterday," he revealed, his tone hesitant.

She froze, her stomach sinking as she turned to face him, her expression tense. "What do you mean?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

He shifted uncomfortably before continuing, "Do you think he's in the city and living a better life?"

She could read his own uncertainty in his eyes. "I don't know," she replied bluntly, her mind racing with worry. With a tight-lipped nod, she turned and entered the house, closing the door behind her with a heavy sigh. 

Carissa couldn't shake off the feeling that her brother's words held some truth, stirring up a whirlwind of emotions within her.

 Days later, Carissa sat at her desk with a pleasant smile, having just received recognition for a job well done from George on the presentation David had assigned her. However, her moment of pride was short-lived as the sound of a file being dropped on her desk made her look up to meet David's cold stare.

"What's this nonsense you've come up with for the presentation?" he groaned, tossing a flash drive at her, causing her to scramble to pick it up from the floor. "This is rubbish!" His sharp tone drew the attention of nearby staff.

Stunned, she struggled to find words. "Dav_" she stopped herself from referring to him by his name as she glanced at a staff member and inhaled. "Is there a problem, sir?" she managed to ask, her voice trembling with disbelief.

"The problem is your presentation. Fix it!" he snapped before storming off, leaving her bewildered and humiliated.

Feeling a mix of frustration and hurt, she settled back into her seat, swallowing down the sting of his words. With a heavy heart, she started working on the presentation once again, determined to prove herself despite his harsh criticism.

After pouring her heart into it and resubmitting the presentation, he curtly rejected it yet again. Frustrated and exhausted after redoing it for the tenth time, she marched back to his office to submit it.

"Trash," he scoffed, tossing it at her with a scowl. "Go work on it again."

Fed up with his insolence, she slammed her hands on his desk in anger, causing him to lift his gaze to her.

"Enough of this, okay? Enough!" she exclaimed, her voice trembling with indignation and frustration. "I can't tolerate this anymore!"

He stood up, glaring at her. "How dare you?"

"I know why you're doing this," she continued, her voice shaking with emotion. "You're making my life miserable just to satisfy your own selfish desires. Why are you treating me like I'm insignificant to you? Why?"

She sniffed, trying to hold back tears as he approached her, his expression unreadable. "You've become like a cold stone, punishing me without any valid reason. Tell me the truth, David! Tell me!"

"You don't know?" he growled, grabbing her jaw tightly, causing her to gasp in pain.

"W-why?" she managed to ask, trembling as she searched his eyes for answers.

He stared at her with a mixture of anger and disgust, his grip tightening even more, eliciting a pained moan from her lips.

Despite the pain, she maintained eye contact

, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Is there another reason?" she wondered, seeing the torment reflected in his eyes.