The Man She Betrayed

15. Side effects Of Rain

Clara

"I have sent the email to Diane Riley, I think she will send a response by tomorrow." I informed Amber as she typed something on her laptop. She nodded but I didn't think she actually heard me.

"If you're busy, I can come back later." I asked and hearing this, she shut her laptop and flicked her eyes towards me.

"Pack your bags, Clara." she said and my mouth hanged open.

"I am really sorry Amber. You don't have to fire me. I'll be careful next time-"

"What are you talking about?" she said, drawing her eyebrows closer.

"Umm"

"I was asking you to pack your bags because we are going to New York this weekend." she cleared and I heaved a sigh of relief.

"Oh Thank God." I said, my mouth widened in a huge smile.

"You don't have to worry about me firing you sweetheart. You are an excellent employee." she said and I danced with joy internally while keeping a straight face externally.

"I am thinking about starting a new project in New York. Heads of all the departments will be going with us. We'll meet with few clients and some potential sponsors." she said and I nodded.

"That's great." I commented and waited for her to dismiss me. When she engrossed herself once again in her laptop, I took it as a cue and turned around to leave.

On my way to the cafeteria of our floor, I met Mia and Jake, two of my only friends in the office. I often spend my lunch breaks with them. With their silly banter and funny stories, the time passes really quickly.

"So Clara, you're going to New York too. Right?" Mia asked when the topic of our conversation turned towards Amber.

"Yeah." I nodded, sipping my orange juice.

"Lucky you. Amber is a lavish spender. I once travelled with her and got a chance to stay in a freaking five star hotel, even though I was just an intern then." Jake told me with an amazed expressions on his face.

"Yeah. And in your spare time, she'll take you to all the famous restaurants, clubs, beaches, etc. It will be like a week in heaven." Mia added.

"Sounds nice, I guess." I said, feeling overwhelmed by their experiences on their respective business trips.

...

"It's fine. You don't have to pick me up." I told Ava who was panicking right now. She had a business dinner and if she picked me up, she would have been late for the restaurant.

"But its raining outside. How would you find a taxi?" she asked in a stressed voice.

"I'll call an Uber Ava." I said as I arranged all the files and got ready to leave.

"Are you sure?" she asked and I could imagine her glaring at me with her big, brown eyes filled with apprehension.

"Yes. I am sure." I said and cut the call. Exiting my office, I shut the door and took a peek inside Aaron's office. The office was empty by now and he was probably the only person beside me on our floor.

I turned my attention to my phone before I could arrange a ride for myself, my phone screen blacked out. "Shit." I whispered to myself, staring at the empty screen.

I had two options. Either I could ask Aaron to help me call a ride or I could just find a taxi from outside. The latter option sounded a whole lot better so putting my mobile inside my handbag, I walked towards the elevator and pressed the button to the first floor.

The moment when I stepped out of the building, I realised that the weather was harsher than I thought. Bracing myself, I ran from the building to the small shelter beside the main gate of the building and even in such small distance, I ended up drenching from head to toe.

"I don't think you'll find a taxy in such weather." The security guard said to me. He was an elderly man, probably in his sixties, with a kind smile on his face.

I pouted while observing the heavy rain pouring in front of me. "Can I wait here for few minutes?" I asked him. He smiled at me and then stood up, passing his chair to me so that I can sit down. I thanked him for his proposal but refused because he was older and had more right to sit there.

The rain grew more intense as the seconds passed. Even under the shelter, I could feel the splatters on my skin and clothes that were already dripping wet.

When I lost all the hope of finding a taxi, I decided to walk back into the building. Wrapping my arms around me, I scurried towards the building, ignoring the rain that felt like a bucket of water over my head.

Once I reached inside the building, I let out a deep exhale. But the moment I turned around, I found Aaron leaving the elevator and when his eyes trailed down my body, my cheeks flushed red in embarrassment.

I was wearing a white button-up shirt made of very thin material with black pants and I knew the shirt must be sticking to my body by now in a scandalous manner. Immediately, I turned around to hide the view from him.

Ignoring me, he walked past me towards the parking lot. Water trickled down his beautiful face and tall built as he walked through the parking, looking for his car. Once he found it, he unlocked it and settled inside.

'Did you really think he would help you?' I asked the part of me, the part that still hoped there was any empathy left in his heart for me.

Shaking my head in disappointment, I walked towards the seat beside the reception and sat down on it. The water trickled down the glass of the door, creating different patterns. I was busy observing the patterns when the door suddenly opened and Aaron came inside, water dripping down his slightly crooked nose.

"If you need help, you are supposed to ask for it. Nobody serves it on a silver platter." he gritted, a frown settled on his face. I didn't know how to react at first so I just kept staring at him with a blank face.

"Do I need to give a ride to my car too?" he asked, throwing daggers at me with his gaze and that's when my dumb brain finally understood what he was saying. Standing up, I followed him as he opened the passenger door for me and sat inside.

He curved around the car and flopped on the driver seat. The interior of the car smelled like him and his cologne, soft and soothing. My eyes shifted to his sharp jaw and the ticking of the muscles of his face, clearly indicating that he wasn't happy with my presence inside his car.

Well here goes nothing.

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