Chapter 8
Chapter 8:
Phyllis rushed to play peacemaker, her tone soft and apologetic. “Don’t blame Gabriela, Dustin. She has the right to be upset with me since I hurt her p>
Dustin wrapped his arms around Phyllis, glaring daggers at Gabriela. “This isn’t on Phyllis,” he said, his voice low and defensive. “If you’re upset, take it out on me. I told you—my feelings changed, that’s all. Don’t blame her for it p>
Gabriela couldn’t keep up the charade any longer. Her lips curled into a cold, dazzling smile. “Oh, couldn’t sleep? Sounds serious. Maybe get it checked out—insomnia’s no joke. I’d hate for you to drop dead from missing a few winks p>
Her words sliced through the room, and Phyllis’s face drained of color. Tears sprang to her eyes, shimmering on the verge of falling.
“How could you say something like that, Gabriela?” Phyllis’s voice wavered with feigned hurt. “You loved Dustin for so long—I get how much this must hurt. But you can’t blame me for everything. Dustin and I, we genuinely love each other p>
Dustin’s expression twisted, his jaw clenched in irritation. “Gabriela, I never imagined you could be this bitter and petty. Honestly, I’m disappointed in you p>
Phyllis immediately stepped in, pressing a gentle hand over Dustin’s lips and gazing at Gabriela with an overdone look of sympathy. “Let’s not be too harsh, Dustin. Poor Gabriela might never find another man as extraordinary as you. She’ll just have to settle for a guy who is way beneath your league. I can only imagine how much she’s hurting. I feel for her p>
Gabriela let out a cold, dismissive laugh. Please—she had just spent the night with someone like Brenden. She didn’t like Brenden, but next to Dustin, he was practically a prince. Gabriela refused to sink to Phyllis’s level—she didn’t have the energy for such pointless bickering.
𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗗𝗙𝘀 𝗼𝗻
Without a word, she retreated to her room and locked the door behind her, shutting out the noise from the hallway.
A hot shower washed away some of her tension. Soon after, she sprawled across her bed, staring at the ceiling as the whirlwind of the past few days replayed in her mind—ridiculous, almost absurdly overblown.
She braced herself for a sleepless night, certain her worries would keep her tossing and turning. Instead, exhaustion took over and she drifted off almost instantly.
When morning came, Gabriela shrugged off the gloom like an old jacket, determined to reclaim her usual carefree self.
At the office, she barely had time to set down her bag before Aubrey appeared at her side, eyes sparkling with mischief. “Did you hear the news? Mr. Saunders is getting transferred to one of the branch offices p>
Gabriela’s spirits soared. “Wait, what happened p>
For once, fortune seemed to smile on her. Things were working in her favor.
Aubrey leaned in, voice hushed. “Everybody knows he’s connected to Mr. Moss. Naturally, only Mr. Moss could have arranged for his transfer.” She added, barely able to contain her smirk, “He must’ve crossed the line with Mr. Moss p>
But Gabriela’s happiness faded as quickly as it arrived. She abruptly remembered she’d left some things with Brenden, and a fresh wave of anxiety rolled in.
She turned to Aubrey, her voice tense. “Do you know when Mr. Saunders is leaving p>
Gabriela’s pulse kicked up a notch—she had to retrieve her things before Brenden disappeared from headquarters for good.
“I heard he’s already clearing out his office. He’ll be gone any minute,” Aubrey murmured, glancing around warily.
Without wasting another second, Gabriela rattled off a quick excuse, brushed past Aubrey, and ducked out of sight. She fished out her phone to send a message to Brenden.
“You’re really invested in him, aren’t you p>
The sudden, icy remark sliced through the air behind her. Gabriela’s grip faltered; her phone nearly slipped from her hands.
She turned around, heart pounding, to find Wesley standing just inside the doorway. What on earth was he doing in the sales department?