Chapter 15
The person who walked in wasn’t the one Brad had been hoping for–it was Ava.}
She’d definitely heard him blurt out Christine’s name. Ava just couldn’t understand it. Christine was only a secretary, so why did it always feel like she was her biggest rival?}
Ava looked at Brad, taking in the disappointment on his face. The way he deflated made her chest ache with frustration.
“Why is it always Christine?” Ava snapped, voice shaking. “Brad, do you actually like her?”
Brad didn’t say a word. The second he realized it wasn’t Christine, he’d mentally checked out.
Seeing him like this only made Ava angrier. Tears pricked her eyes and her voice rose, desperate and raw.
“She’s just a secretary! She’s nobody! The day I came back, I could tell she was after you. It’s good she’s gone! Brad, didn’t you say you loved only me? What’s going on? Have you fallen for her?“>
Brad’s head was spinning, Ava’s questions pounding at him from every direction. He remained silent, jaw clenched.
Ava, who’d always lived a life where she got whatever she wanted, only grew more spiteful the more he ignored her. In a fit of rage, she swept everything off his desk. Coffee spilled, papers fluttered everywhere.}
“I heard you just now! You asked where Christine went. You still want to find her, don’t you? You want her back! Just admit it, Brad–you love her!”
That was it. Brad’s patience snapped. The look in his eyes changed–whatever love he’d once felt for Ava was just… gone. He couldn’t understand how he’d ever fallen for someone so unreasonable, selfish, and cruel–someone who’d driven Christine away.
His chest tightened. He couldn’t hold back anymore, his voice coming out rough and trembling.}
“Yeah, I love Christine. So what? Do you even realize what you’ve done these past weeks?“}
Once he started, he couldn’t stop. He took a step toward her, voice cold and accusing.
“You ran off every assistant I had. You deleted my work emails and almost tanked deals with our partners! I gave you access at the office, and you used it to boss people around, bullying the staff until they all wanted to quit. Do you have any idea how much damage you’ve done to my company?“>
“I could’ve looked past all that. But why did you have to push Christine away? You set her up again and again, until she couldn’t take it anymore and left!”
“You’re right, Ava–I do love Christine. While you were gone all those years, she’s the one who was always there for me. Who are you to talk about her like that?”
He was shouting now, eyes dark with anger. Ava shrank back, tears finally spilling over, but she couldn’t let it go.”
“She’s just a secretary, Brad. She’s nothing–“>
Slap!?
Before she could finish, Brad’s hand came down across her face. The sound echoed through the office. Ava stared at him in disbelief–he’d actually hit her.”
Her tears fell in a torrent as she lashed out, wildly clawing at him.
“You hit me! Brad, you actually hit me! You said you loved me, and now you’re hitting me because of some secretary?“>
But her resistance was useless. Brad, finally honest about his feelings, looked at her with nothing but disgust. He grabbed her wrists, holding her tight, and slapped her again, even harder.
Ava’s head whipped to the side, her cheek swelling, but the anger in Brad’s eyes only burned hotter. His voice was ice.
“Christine put up with way more than this because of you. You think this is bad? I want you to apologize to her.”
O855
