Tempting Fate

29 Chapter 29: Broken Trust

It surprised Emy to see Lorie standing outside their office door. She just stood there, staring at her. Avery and Jasmin both gazed at Lorie.

“Isn’t that Lorie, Miss Emy?” Jasmin asked.

Emy nodded. “I’ll be out for a second.”

Emy didn’t wait for her two friends to respond. She smiled as she exited the building and approached Lorie.

“Why are you here?” Emy asked as she approached her. “Day off?”

Lorie gulped and nodded her head. She didn’t know how to open her lips, but Reed whispered he was next to her and Emy couldn’t see him.

“Invite her out for coffee,” Reed whispered.

“A-Are you busy?” Lorie’s voice was trembling. “I-I wish I could talk to you.”

“No, not at all. Let’s go inside...” Emy replied, clutching Lorie’s hand. He observed Lorie’s fingers shaking and becoming chilly.

.....

“We must discuss, therefore I’d want to...” Lorie remarked.

“OK, let’s go to the coffee shop,” Emy said. “Wait for a second. I’ll just notify my friends.”

Emy hurriedly turned her back on Lorie and walked inside the building. Lorie’s tears fell. “What are you sobbing about? I know I’m horrible, yet it insults me since I did nothing to make you weep like that. ”

“After I tell Emy everything, what do you want me to do?” Lorie asked.

Reed smiled and then placed his hand on Lorie’s jaw. “Aren’t you human? You should think about it. Reed let go of Lorie’s jaw. “Fix yourself.”

Lorie brushed her tears away right quick. And turned to face Emy, who had approached her. “Let’s go?” Emy asked.

Lorie nodded. Lorie looked at Emy’s hand, which was wrapped around her arm.

——

The coffee shop is next to Emy’s office building. Lorie sat down in the unoccupied seat as Emy placed her order at the counter. Lorie was restless. Reed sat on the other side of the chair, staring at him. Her finger stroked both of her hands several times.

“You’re nervous,” Reed commented. “Are you scared of me?”

Lorie did not respond. Instead, she stared at Reed. “Are you okay, Lori?” Emy asked.

Emy saw Lorie was weeping, and she sat down next to her, but Lorie pushed Emy away. “Don’t sit close to me,” Lorie said.

Emy followed. She sat on the other side of the table, close to Reed, without Emy noticing.

“I’m worried about you. Do you have a problem? You used to be like this since you came. ” Emy said.

“I don’t want you to be worried about me anymore,” Lorie said.

“W-what?” Emy asked, surprised.

On the counter, Emy heard their name called. “Listen to what I have to say, Emy,” Lorie said.

“I’m upset at you, I’m so mad at you!” Lorie’s voice became louder, but no one else could hear it but Emy and Reed.

“Disgusted? Why are you so upset? ” Emy asked, confused. “What did I do? Is there something I did? ”

“Emy listens,” Lorie said. “I am the root of all the evil that happened in your life. I am to blame for your trauma. ”

“It isn’t your fault, Lori. What are you saying? ” Emy asked.

“Is that what you’re going to say when you find out the truth?” Lorie asked. “I was the one who encouraged our team leader to court you.”

“W-what?” Emy was confused. “W-what are you saying? ”

“I told our team leader that you were a prostitute,” Lorie said.

“W-what?” Emy was surprised. Emy recalls how their team leader dealt with her. She hadn’t given it much thought before.

Reed looked at Emy, astonished, and seemed to remember what had happened. He wants to hug her, but Lorie needs to tell Emy everything. In this way, he might help Emy.

“I put the presents in your locker,” Lorie chuckled a little more. “It would have been simple to suspect me, but you didn’t. Because you gave me your code, you know I’m the only one who can unlock your locker. ”

Emy remained silent, replaying what had happened before in her head. Lorie went on with her story.

“I also told the team leader that you were alone in the locker room at the time, and while you were chatting, I summoned his wife to come,” Lorie explained. “She is furious because I always take photos of you and him. Send them to his wife. That’s why his wife is so furious with you. I didn’t expect her to hit you. That is not in my plans. ”

Emy’s tears began to fall. All of those memories flood back into her thoughts. She tightened her hand and just listened to what Lorie was saying.

“The woman was not imprisoned, and they did not fire the team leader from the company. They were just moved to the branch. Our bastard manager was first reluctant to agree, but eventually agreed when I told him I would offer him my body until you were well. For two months, I served as our manager’s sex slave.” Lorie cried. “Your father paid for the hospital bills. He acts as if he knows nothing when he’s with you, yet he knows what happened to you. I had to tell him a lie for him to believe. And I wasn’t mistaken; you’re both idiots. ”

“Lorie...” Emy whispered softly but firmly. “Why did you do all that? Are you angry with me? Why? ”

“Because all eyes are on you. You receive everything, even though you don’t deserve it. You didn’t even go to college.” Lorie said. “When I found out that the company was planning to promote you as team leader, I did all I could to prevent that from happening.” And I was successful, therefore you were terminated... ”

Lorie cast a glance towards Emy. “I envy you. That is my reason. ”

Emy bit her bottom lip and turned to face Lorie. She wiped her tears away.

“I love you, Lorie,” Emy said. “In the locker room? I know the team manager is clueless about my code, and only you know of it. But I still believe you because you are my friend, even if I felt you couldn’t do that to me. ”

Lorie cast a glance towards Emy. “You know what happened to me, and you know how long it took me to recover from my trauma. You know what I was thinking and feeling back then.” Emy became enraged. Her fist was clenched. “Are you still making fun of me? A dumb and ignorant moron who considered you a friend? I love you, Lorie, I trust you, and I will forgive you even if you hurt me.”

Emy’s words surprised Lorie. As she glanced at Emy, tears streamed down her cheeks. “What I can’t accept is that you involve my father in your insanity,” Emy said. “You are the reason my father is in debt. You are the reason we have suffered so much. Are you pleased that we accept your help, smiling and thanking you as if you were so kind?”

Emy’s emotional weight at the time. She seemed to be delving into her heart and pressing it hard till the blood inside drained. Emy, on the other hand, controls her anger.

The woman behind the counter with the tray approached them. Reed looked at her.

“Emy and Lorie?” The woman asked.

“Y-yes,” Emy said. Her breathing was deep in the suppressed emotion that had earlier threatened to overflow on her.

The woman placed their coffee order on the table and promptly left. “You’re so proud of yourself, Lorie,” Emy said. Lorie said nothing. “Despite all you’ve done, you’re still high on your brow and can look me in the eye. You didn’t even apologize to me.”

“Why? Will it make any difference if I apologize to you? Will anything change what I did, huh? ” Lorie asked.

“There is,” Emy said. “But you don’t seem to have a plan, so don’t do it; I’ve changed my mind.”

“What?” Lorie asked.

Emy looked at the cup of coffee in front of them. She knew what Lorie liked, so she purchased it. She opened the coffee in front of Lorie and poured it over her head. Emy was shocked since, aside from the cold, she had not expected Emy to do that.

“I never want to see your face again, Lorie,” Emy said. “I hope you’re pleased with what you did to me.”

Emy hurriedly collected her frap, stood up, and went out of the coffee shop. Reed moved his face closer to Lorie’s.

“You do not know how important what you let go,” Reed said as he rose and followed Emy.

He left Lorie weeping, and as she wept, everyone stared at her.

—–

Emy was so angry when she walked out of the coffee shop that she did not know where she was heading. She dumped her coffee in the garbage and continued walking. Her knees trembled. She collapsed at that point as if her entire body had been shaken by what she had discovered. As she continued to cry, she felt a weakening. She continued weeping, and she didn’t know whether she’d ever make it to her workplace. Her vision clouded and was about to fall when someone held her arms.

“Miss Emy... Miss Emy, what happened?” Avery asked.

“Avery?” Emy asked.

“Emy...” Reed said as he immediately lifted Emy.

“Sir, I’m not sure what happened...” said Avery.

“I’ll look after her,” Reed said.

Emy heard Reed’s words, and she clung her arm to his neck.

“Take me away from here, Reed... please ... Take me away from here,” Emy whispered as she slid into Reed’s chest.

“I’ll take care of you,” Reed promised. “Just cry.”

Emy couldn’t restrain her emotion anymore. She was already crying into Reed’s chest.