Damage Control

Chapter 39

After leaving Creed Industries for the last time, I swung over to the pharmacy, picked up my medication, and wasted no time popping a few pills into my mouth without reading the instructions. I just needed to pain to go away.

Now that I was officially fired, there was so much I needed to get done, but I had no idea where to start. As soon as I got home, I threw off my spy clothes and slipped into a t-shirt and leggings, making myself comfortable.

My stomach growled with hunger as I sat down at the kitchen counter with my laptop in front of me, but I had no desire to eat. The simple thought of putting food in my mouth made me nauseated.

I sighed heavily and rubbed my temples, staring down at the bright laptop screen, wondering what I should do next. I don't know how long I sat there copying and pasting the same email, sending it to everyone that had worked for Faye Industries, telling them the devastating news.

Many responded right away, but I didn't have the guts to open it. I promised them I would get Faye Industries back on its feet, but I couldn't deliver, and now we were all suffering because of it.

Tears pooled in my eyes as I continued sending emails back to back until my fingers were aching, telling me to stop. My eyes shifted to the top corner of my screen to check the time, and I was surprised to see it read 5:30 PM.

In that time, I had sent over 500 emails with about 10,000 more to go. Having an assistant right about now would've been a dream come true, but I lost that the moment I signed my life over to him, a mistake I'll spend a long time regretting. And If I could go back in time to rip that contract apart, I would.

My stomach growled again, begging me to put food in my system, but I still wasn't feeling up to it. I settled by taking giant gulps of orange juice, hoping it would ease my hunger for now, but instead, it had the opposite effect.

Nausea flooded my body, and the urge to throw up was stronger than ever before. My mouth was clammy, and my head spun in all different directions. I knew I wasn't going to make it to the bathroom by the time the vomit slipped out of my mouth, so I scurried over to the sink in the kitchen and threw up the liquid I had just put into my system.

The sour taste of orange juice mixed with stomach acid made me want to throw up even more, but nothing else came out because I had nothing inside of me. I stood there over the sink, gagging until my stomach was screaming out in agony.

A flood of tears poured down my face as I slid down to the floor, curled up in a fetal position gasping for air. I counted to 10, once, twice, until my strangled breathing returned normal. A splitting pain erupted through my body, feeling as if someone was smashing a metal bat against my abdomen as I lifted myself off the cool floor and staggered into my bathroom.

After brushing my teeth 5 times and gargling mouth wash 10 times to get the nasty vomit after taste out of my mouth, I plopped down on my bed and snuggled deep into my covers, my eyes fluttering shut from the sleep beginning to take over my body.

As soon as I felt myself drifting off into a peaceful slumber, the elevator leading to my penthouse dinged, and the sound of heavy footsteps followed right after it. I cursed lowly and sunk deeper into my bed, praying it wasn't who I thought it was because if so, Jeff was a dead man walking. I specifically told him to restrict his access to my penthouse, but I should've known that wouldn't have stopped him.

The moment I heard my bedroom door burst open, I flung the comforters over my head and held my breath as I heard his heavy footsteps stop right beside my bed. I was silently praying this was just a dream, not because I hated him and wanted him nowhere near me, but because I didn't want him seeing me like this.