Today was a really bright day or maybe it was just my happy sight. The small smile on my face was inevitable and permanent.
The entire department was bustling with chatter, clamors and tapping of the keyboard, pens or fingers on the desk. All of this commotion was the cause of the near end of our advertising campaign. Everyone was putting in their very best efforts to make it remarkable and successful.
Ms. Maxwell's office was continuously occupied and the door was pushed open every two seconds. I was preparing a spreadsheet about the entire campaign and it was too much of a "headache" work but I felt calm. At peace because I couldn't stop replaying my kiss on Skye's cheek.
Every time my mind would conjure up that image, a signal was sent to my heart at that exact moment to beat at an abnormal rate while the butterflies in my stomach would amplify.
I hadn't gotten the time to properly have a conversation with Chelsea because the designing team was called together to choose or reject whatever they wanted.
I was brought out of my reverie when I saw someone's hand on my desk through my peripheral vision. My eyes trailed it all the way to their face. It was Samantha and truth be said, I was getting tired of seeing her face. She didn't do anything to me personally but every time she has come here, she's been the messenger. Always bearing the bad news.
"Jones, be honest with me. Are you getting promoted or something?" She asked me dubiously. There was not an ounce of playfulness in her voice. She was being serious.
I wanted to scoff at her question so hard because it was a far cry from that. It couldn't even be possible, especially since I just got left off with a warning.
My eyes widened when a theory, more likely what has happened in actuality hit me. What if Ms. Maxwell knows about that kiss? Which is why she's sent Samantha to call me again?
"I highly doubt that," I told her earnestly.
My eyebrows were both lifted up, causing creases to form on my forehead. My hands were slightly shaking which she seemed to notice as well. I placed them on my desk flatly to look somewhat unknowing. "Are you okay, sweetie?" Her motherly instinct kicked in and I almost caved in but I knew how risky it could get.
"No. I'm-I'm fine. Just stressed out, that's all," I replied with a phoney smile.
She nodded her head. "Okay but if you scared of getting a promotion, thinking it might be too much work then, chillax. On the contrary, it's so much fun because you get nothing much to do except for during the campaigns 'cause it's the biz time, y'know?"
"Yeah," I agreed, not really caring about what she's saying. Her words didn't put me at ease because I had a bad feeling of getting fired, let alone being handed a cool promotion. My eyes were blurring a bit but I blinked them quickly.
"All right, I gotta go now. Ms. Maxwell's pretty pissed today and she had filled her mug more than ten times the entire time I was in there. So, you better make a move too because she's asked for you. Forgot to tell you the real thing, sorry." She laughed heartily and scurried off toward her cabin.
All of a sudden, my happiness paled and the gloom fell upon me. The bad feeling resurfaced and I understood what it meant. It meant my doomsday.
"And like I always say, I hate to repeat myself." Ms. Maxwell's brick built voice echoed in my head. I did exactly what she didn't want me to do. I not only disappointed her but myself as well.
I made my way to her office after gaining some strength through my 'good for nothing' pep talks and knocked on her door feebly.
"Come in," she snapped. It was as if she knew that I was on the other side. Pushing open the door, I saw her head leaning on her steepled fingers.
"Ms. Maxwell," I whispered shakily.
She lifted her head slowly and that's when I noticed the photographs on her desk. My jaw unhinged when I saw that they consisted of me and Skye. The angle at which the photographer took our pictures clearly showed that they had the perfect sense of "framing". Pun intended.
They knew how wrong it would look. I lifelessly walked closer to the desk to have a proper look. There were pictures of us when we were cycling around the city, when we were cosied up together on the bridge with hardly any space between us and last but not the least, it was of me pecking him on his cheek. However, it was manipulated into showing that we were really kissing.
At that particular minute, I felt hurt, mortified, livid and abashed. I wanted to hide in a corner, away from Ms. Maxwell's accusatory stare.
"They… these are…" I breathed, frightened.
"Yes. They're all your pictures with Mr. Williams," Ms. Maxwell's calm voice broke me even more. When I glanced at her properly, I could tell that her bottled up anger was anything but calm. "Where… was I wrong, Ms. Jones?" She asked me, her arms crossed in front of her.
A tear rolled down my cheek and all my futile attempts at keeping up with my resilience burned down. I knew that I was heartbroken but for what exactly? For losing my dream job or not in the slightest bit feeling regretful?
When I didn't answer, she sighed and stood up from her seat. She was standing at an arm's length from me but I could feel the reproachful vibrations from her. "I had warned you." She shook her head and looked away.
The disappointment was evident and I choked back a sob. "I am sorry, Ms. Maxwell," I mumbled, my tears flowing down my cheeks with no intention to stop.
"I just... I wish I could have told this to you earlier but I thought that you were smart. I thought that you'd listen to me. But I guess I was wrong," she quipped in her usual manner. All the disappointment and anger was gone. Now, all there was to see was an indifference in her expression and stature.
My eyebrows knitted in a newfound confusion. Could have told me what?! I thought while crying harder but noiselessly. I felt devastated and mostly mad at myself for breaking down in front of my boss. "Wh-what do you mean?" I sniffled, wiping away my tears.
"I've been receiving pictures of you two together since the last two weeks. The first ever picture I was mailed was when you were hugging each other on the shoot field. Then I was messaged another picture of you guys cycling and goofing around. Then another... so I decided to confront Mr. Williams. I cannot believe that he didn't take my advice into consideration. You know how scandalous this could be for our enterprise? I've been getting these pictures from that day on," she explained to me with her gaze hard but I heard a slight tremor in her voice too. "I am unable to contact him back but I've been praying that these don't go public."
I understood her position at that moment. I understood how unprofessional and inappropriate it's for the boss to hangout with an employee with no limitations to stop them. Another sob wrecked through my body and I covered my mouth with a fist. My whole body was shaking and I didn't know what to do.
I felt a hand on my shoulder and I looked up to see Ms. Maxwell giving me that motherly look. "Have a seat." She gently pushed me down on the plush leather seat and put a glass of water in front of me. "Drink," she ordered softly.
With trembling hands, I did as she told me to and chugged the water in one go. "Thank you, Ms. Maxwell," I croaked.
Like the intelligent person she is, she assembled all the photographs and put them in the same envelope I had seen just two days ago when I was called in by her.
I paid all my attention to regaining my breath and pulling myself together. I wanted to cry more but the thought of drenching my face with tears at night comforted me. I couldn't just let my emotions get the best of me at my workplace, especially not in front of Ms. Maxwell.
My attempts at seeming sound didn't work much because I couldn't stop shaking. A few hiccups didn't give me any consolation either. "Ms. Jones." I looked up to see Ms. Maxwell still standing in front of me. "It is with deepest regret," she paused, pursing her lips for a few seconds. "That I am going to have to inform you that… you're fired."
I stopped breathing and my back stiffened hearing those worst words. My ears rang and my mouth felt like cotton. Albeit, I hadn't expected anything less from my actions.
I was jolted out of my depressing thoughts when I heard someone walking in without knocking or anything. With my blotchy eyes, I lifted up my head to see Sebestian strolling in with an iPad in his hands. He looked shriveled but most of all incredulous and scared.
Ms. Maxwell wasn't very pleased when he just barged in but it soon dissolved when Sebestian practically shoved the gadget in her hands. "You gotta see this, Ms. Maxwell." From the looks of it, he hadn't noticed my presence yet.
There was a nervous crackle in the air around us with the way their postures went rigid when they saw what they saw. I didn't like the looks of it and just when I'd thought that nothing could put me over the edge at this moment, Ms. Maxwell handed me the iPad.
Sebestian reeled back from shock and there was something else in his eyes that I couldn't quite decipher. Maybe, pity? Taking the iPad from her hands delicately, I watched the screen. I was in a state of stupor but I swallowed deeply and all my emotions went down the drain.
The picture of me kissing on Skye's cheek was all over the media. The news channels and internet were getting off on it. My fingers had an accord of their own because I scrolled through everything in just about five minutes, reading only the headlines. All of them were disgustingly atrocious.
Numb.
Given that I cared for my job like a mother would for a baby, I had imagined to feel even the tiniest bit of emotion. At least something. It might be because I had already known the outcome before I had stepped inside this room. I knew that I was going to be fired but this?
Limp.
My arms and legs were motionless while I blankly stared at a small blot on the desk. On any other day, I wouldn't have even cared enough about it but right now it was in my eyes. Once it was stuck in my head, I couldn't get it out of my mind even if I roamed my gaze anywhere else.
That's how I felt. An insignificant stigma of this huge and reputed corporation. Now, all they could see was me. Their thoughts would involve me. I stood up from my chair and put on a forced smile. Ms. Maxwell opened the drawer from under her table and pulled out another envelope. Reading the scribbled writing on it, I saw that it was me officially being fired.
Just as I had left, I heard Ms. Maxwell's angry voice booming, "Why the hell would they publish it all over?! I had strictly told them-"
I didn't hear it any further and left the premises. I was leaving in a hurry because I didn't wish to stumble upon anyone. I decided to collect my belongings from the desk some other day.
At that instant, all my thoughts revolved around getting out of this place. Pretty ironic since all I could think and be excited over was to be a part of this huge establishment when I'd joined here.
Whimpering, I took the elevator and sloped down toward the parking garage. Once inside my car, I felt torn and broke down. Not only was I looking messy but I was also feeling messy.
Why don't I feel any regret?
I wiped my face with the sleeves of my shirt rather roughly and put the key in the ignition. Just as I had driven outside the building, the paparazzi were surrounding the gates. They were like bees but were held back by the burly looking security team.
Fucking pests! I was livid and all I could see was red. Raging red.
All my resolve quickly turned into a puddle though when my gaze landed on Skye. A smile took its place on my lips and I parked my car to the side. I don't know what he was doing in the middle of nowhere but he looked pretty pissed off.
That's when I realized that I had been driving around aimlessly for almost an hour. It was a sweet coincidence that I came across Skye. Possibly it would be the last time. My heart wrenched and a fresh set of tears wanted to escape my eyes but I blinked them back furiously.
Getting out, I made my way to him. His phone was pressed against his ear while he was raking his hand through his hair in exasperation. I almost did a double take because the Skye in front of me seemed like a totally different person right now.
"What do you mean by that?!" He yelled and waited for the person on the other end to speak. "No. No, don't give me that. I don't care, okay?! I don't care. Just… just order them to unpublish the damn articles, Conner."
I stood rooted on my spot with a thumping heart. He was angry because of me. Our pictures were being circulated everywhere and he had every right to not seem so pleased about it.
Still talking, he turned his head sideways with his hand on his hip. His gaze softened and his lips weren't curled up in disgust anymore when our eyes locked. I wanted to take a step back but I felt like I was compelled to stay.
Skye said something in a low voice, probably ending the call because he put his phone back in his pocket. He walked a few steps toward me and we both stood facing each other. "Valerie." It was a sigh but I loved the way he said my name or maybe all the stress was taking a toll on me.
"Skye… I-I… I am sorry," I croaked, my lips quivering. I wiped my upper lip and stared at his chest because I couldn't bring myself to face him. I couldn't even make out whose fault it was.
"Hey, hey. It's okay. Don't be sorry, all right? It isn't your fault," he told me slowly in an assuring tone. I shook my head, my eyes watering again. He pulled me in for a hug, his arms wrapped around my shoulders with his chin resting on my head. "Shh, it's okay. You're okay."
His voice only made me cry harder and I wound my arms around his waist while he tightened his. "I don't know what's happening." I sobbed. It was true. I couldn't tell why all of these chain of events were transpiring. This job was what all that mattered to me a few months ago. It was not sheer luck that I had been recruited two months ago either. It was my gritting determination and hardwork and yet here I was. Jobless because of an innocuous friendship with my head boss. Or is it?
"I know, Val." He rubbed my back, soothing my tight and anxious nerves. My tears had almost stopped but I didn't stop hugging him. I just couldn't. I wanted this to keep myself sane. I couldn't lose him too.
I had to hesitantly break the hug but we were still wrapped up in each other's arms. I felt something fuzzy in my heart when I saw him looking at me intently. It was beautiful, this moment was beautiful, no matter how much my life was spiraling against my command.
He held my face in his hands and sent me an assuring smile. I think I might have clung onto him more if I weren't feeling so downtrodden. "How do you feel now?" It was like a caress and I couldn't help but smile back at him.
"Better." I nodded my head. He just kept on staring at me, his thumbs swiping my cheekbones lightly. It was soothing and if it were in my hands, I would have stopped the time.
However, like every good thing, our tranquility together was broken too. The cocoon of silence was destroyed when I heard the ruckus from behind me. Loosening my hold on him, I looked over my shoulder to see the paparazzi vans and cars circling in on us.
My panic rose and I turned to them fully when Skye retreated his arms back reluctantly. From the corner of my eye, I could tell that he was standing rigidly. How the hell did they come here? Is someone tipping them off or they're just really good at tracing?
"You need to leave." It was directed toward me because his voice was low and borderline… dangerous? But I knew that he was all bothered because of and at the paparazzi gathering around us.
They were zooming in on us speedily and I wanted to be absolutely far away from them. My breathing was getting labored because bad attention was something I'd never wanted and never would.
"Valerie. Leave." I should have listened to him but I was paralyzed and I didn't want to leave Skye alone. His hand wrapped around my wrist gently and his expression was blank but I could see the raging storm behind his usually calm, gray eyes.
"Skye, I-"
I stopped myself short because something changed. He closed his eyes and inhaled a sharp breath in. I was bewildered for only a second because he opened them back. This time, he didn't look so generous. A dark scowl was etched onto his features.
"What… what's wrong? What happened? Are you okay…?" My hands itched to touch his face and smooth out all the creases but his countenance screamed anger. I didn't intend to unveil his volcano. This was definitely his new side and honestly I was scared but I trusted Skye too much to leave the spot.
"Ms. Jones," he began tersely. To say that I was stupefied would be an understatement of all time. I wanted nothing more than to punch him at that moment. I couldn't for the life of me believe that he just addressed me formally. "I am asking you nicely to leave me alone," he said, more loudly this time.
It was only at that instance, I noticed that I was almost tightly packed among the hungry reporters. All they wanted was a raunchy story to cover their respective media stations. Human emotions were the least of their concerns.
A sarcastic laugh bubbled out of my lips and I glared missiles in Skye's direction. I knew that I almost lost everything dear to me but this? Skye backtracking in the worst way possible hadn't occurred to me. Heck, he was hugging and consoling me just minutes ago. "Stop - stop acting like I need you. 'Cause I clearly don't!" He exclaimed, making me scoff in disbelief.
Hurt was written all over my face. He seemed to notice it too because I saw guilt flashing in his eyes. Though I took that as my imagination because it wasn't there the next instant. I really couldn't believe he just said that. Heights of being bipolar. "You can't be serious," I deadpanned, expecting him to laugh and lose his indignant stare but he didn't.
"But I am." This brought out more wildness from the reporters and they continued shouting things that we both completely ignored. They did maintain some space though, considering Skye's upper strata in the society.
"Really?" I asked him through clenched teeth and he nodded.
The whole time he was avoiding eye contact with me. The whole time, giving me some hope that it was all some sort of a bad scammy joke. But boy was I stupid to even believe that.
"Then repeat it! Say it again!" I yelled, all my anger coming out now. I didn't care even if the whole world would witness this drama unfolding. But that's the point. It wasn't a drama in my perspective. I was hurting. Hurting so bad because all my regret was starting to pour in.
"Leave, Ms. Jones," he said, more firmly this time. He gulped but still didn't meet my gaze.
"Oh yeah?" I fisted my hands too tight to the point where it got painful. Although still a little pale as compared to my inner battles. "Look in my eyes and say that," I seethed, venom lacing my voice.
He seemed to recoil from my tone but I didn't blanch. His eyes widened for a fraction of a second, the clattered voices a background noise. "Don't make me do this…" He whispered in a really low voice that only I could hear and shook his head as if trying to tell me something.
I completely ignored his pleas and smiled wryly. "I am making you do this, all right. Look. In. My. Eyes and repeat that bullcrap. Don't want you to seem all cowardly, now do we?" I whispered back the last sentence in his ears and quickly pulled back.
My heart felt like it was being squeezed brutally and the aftermath of all the stress was getting on me. Skye looked into my eyes and narrowed them. "Leave, Ms. Jones."
That did it because I was praying that he wouldn't do that. I was praying he'd pull me in his arms just like he did a few minutes ago and caress me like a baby. I was praying to see the original Skye again.
That's when a thought struck me. I never really knew who the real Skye is. He's always been an enigma, a mystery full of facade and covered up emotions. Just like how the media portrays him. I had actually thought that they're all wrong about their assumptions but I wasn't so sure anymore.
What if he got close to me just to fire me? That thought however seemed ridiculous to me because I never even did anything wrong to him. Then why?! What's he playing at?
Biting the insides of my cheeks, I gave him a smile. A smile with nothing good but complete emptiness.
"Okay," I mumbled. "Okay," I repeated, nodding. I lifted up my fist and punched him square in the jaw. Hard.
Without waiting to see his reaction or if he was in pain, I pushed past the horde of nosey reporters. Their cameras were being shoved in my face, trying to capture my murderous visage. However there was one thing that struck me as odd.
Tilting my head a bit, I saw a paparazzo smirking at me. I frowned at him angrily. It was as if he knew something that no one else did. His camera was in his hands, not capturing anything. I tried to take note of his pompous features but somebody else pushed forward with her camera and shouted something.
Something's wrong. He seems fishy.
Before I got inside my car, I flashed all the camera people both my middle fingers with so much fury that I had to restrain myself from kicking all their camera equipment as well.