Madison
We split up for a while.
When I’m away from him, I feel empty inside. It’s like the life has been drained from me. I’m a part of him now. A piece of his heart belongs to me.
I never understood those platitudes. I always thought it was a lie they told themselves. However, once you’re in this spot, you start to realize just how real that connection is.
Trust me, you’ll do anything to keep it.
When I get to Byron’s office, I’m wearing a tight dress. It’s business appropriate, but I can feel his eyes dart back and forth from my breasts down to my hips. My nerves twist as he comes closer to me.
“I’m ready to commit to this business one hundred percent,” I say.
“Why the sudden change of heart?” he asks.
He brushes his hand over my skin, and I have to do my best not to vomit all over his new suit.
His breath reeks of booze. His eyes are bloodshot and heavy. His teeth look like they haven’t been cleaned in years. In short, I feel as if I’m talking to the devil himself.
His slicked back hair and gold chains glitter against the light. It all points to one thing: power. But I’m in the business of ruining his.
When his hands fall to my waist, it’s beyond my control. I fall back against the wall. He’s so close to me I can smell his breath.
“Why the sudden change of heart? What are you thinking?”
I tremble. “Nothing,” I choke. “I want my job back. It’s not fair that I have to sit at home. I’m not about to get pushed out of my father’s company.”
He nods, appearing like a reptile from the dinosaur era. Backing away, he grabs a bottle of scotch, pours himself a glass, and stumbles to his desk.
When he sits, he crosses his leg and examines me.
“And Rocco? What about him?” he asks. “Did you guys end your summer fling?”
I nod and grab my wrists for comfort. I push them close to my body.
I’m so shaken by this man. I hate that this is our plan of action. Does he know what we’re cooking up?
“Rocco?” I pretend to be confused. “You didn’t hear? I must have told you.”
“I didn’t hear anything,” he says, grabbing a cigar from the top drawer of his wooden desk. “Go ahead. Enlighten me.”
He slams it shut and lights the end, puffing erratically. Big plumes of smoke fill the room, and I have to wonder how he expects to breathe in here.
“He cheated on me,” I say. I let my eyes fill with tears. It’s easy to fake cry when you’re this scared of the man in front of you. “With his bitch of a secretary.”
“And this hurt you quite a bit, I presume.” He smiles, puffing away.
He kicks his boots against the top of his desk, darting his eyes at me.
“Yes, it did,” I say. “I’d rather not talk about it.”
“You want to hurt him now, don’t you? You want him out of the picture for good,” he says.
“I don’t ever want to see him again,” I tell him, choking up. “Never again.”
“I presumed that’s why you went out the other night. To that strip club,” he says. “By the way, who knew you were such a naughty girl?”
“I, uh—” He cuts me off.