Pride and Promises ✔

Chapter 17

Love. Hate. Rage. I called it a triad of intense emotions. Each with potential to be equally toxic. Which is why I've always avoided these emotions as much as possible. Because I knew, indulging myself with any of these emotions would only mean that I would eventually lose myself into them.

Sure, I love some people. I love my sister Eva to death. I love my best friend Allie, Jake, and I love my granns. Similarly I hate some things which I've already given a good introduction earlier. Spiders and irresponsibility for instance.

But rage was an emotion I have always tried to stay away from. I do get angry at times, in fact, quite a lot of times with my employees, especially my assistant. But rage is something different. It's not just a mere anger at something that goes away after some minutes. I feel that rage is stronger than anger in so many levels. In fact, I've always thought it to be the most dangerous of the triad. So I wanted to avoid it at all costs. And I have been successful at that. Until now.

I don't know if it was because of his words, or because it was his words, that made by entire being overcome with rage so intense that I could hardly see anything other than red. I never paid attention to what people said about me, what the world thought of me. Only those close to me and their opinion mattered. And unbeknownst to me, Adrian mattered to me.

It was a mistake from my part. I did not let anyone close to me but unknowingly, even in such a short period of time, I let him. And that was the reason that, along with rage, I felt hurt. And betrayal. Although I never said it out aloud, I considered him a friend. A good friend.

I know he is said to be cold and ruthless but in all my interactions with him, not once did I get that impression from him. Until now. I finally experienced the ruthlessness of Adrian Stone and surprisingly or not, it hurt. A lot.

My office was dead silent apart from our harsh breathing. We were still stood in the same position; him with his hand nursing his left cheek and me with my fist clenched, trying to ignore the sting in my hand, although it was nothing compared to the one in my heart.

I shook my head and looked into his eyes filled with anger, defiance and remorse. "I see. I've finally got a glimpse of the real Adrian Stone. The Adrian Stone whom I considered a friend, whom I asked to stay with me last night because I needed his comfort the most was the imposter all along. The real Adrian Stone is this cold, ruthless man in front of me. The man who throws back my moment of vulnerability right on my face without thinking its consequences."

I ignored the look of regret in his eyes,  or that's what I thought it was. But in truth, I didn't know if he could feel regret at all. I continued, "Is that what you think of me? A two-timing bitch who is desperate for male attention? A cheater? I can't believe I thought of you as a friend. And one more thing, why would it matter to you? It's not like you are my boyfriend. Or anyone important to me. I asked you to stay because I needed someone with me at the time and you were already present. If you had denied, I would've called someone else. It was no big deal. So I don't see why you, of all people should be concerned that I have an affair with Dr. Keith Jenkins. Why do you even care?"

I thought his outflux of accusations was over, but I was wrong. Something shifted in his eyes, making his electric blue ones look dark, almost black and he yelled, or more like roared out. "That's the problem, Evelyn! I DON'T KNOW! AND I DON'T CARE, OKAY? I don't care if you love the doctor or if you're seeing dozens of men at once. But I will not be made a fool of. I will not have my name scrawled over the tabloids as the CEO who was played by some attention seeking woman like you!"