I stared at the battered ring in my palm. John had told me just the other day he’d lost his,
that I could pick him out a new one when I got
my bonus. Turns out, he just lost something he
didn’t value.
I gave a tight–lipped smile and started my car. I
barely made it out of the parking space before
Sarah slammed her accelerator, smashing into
the back of my car. The impact threw me
forward. As I regained my senses, I heard
Sarah’s dramatic shriek.
“Amelia! I know you’re upset! Anyone would be
after having their project stolen! If you need to
hit me a couple more times to feel better, go
ahead!” She closed her eyes and offered her
head, a picture of martyred innocence.
Before I could even speak, John’s hand cracked
across my face. “What the hell is wrong with
you? I said a few things in the meeting, do you have to take it out on Sarah?” One glance at
the position of the cars would have told him I
couldn’t have possibly caused the accident.
He threw a credit card at me. “Get your car
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fixed. We’ll talk about this at home.”
Right then, Sarah clutched her chest and groaned, slumping against her car. John,
dropping the credit card, rushed to her side, his face etched with worry. He helped her into his
car and sped off to the hospital without a
backward glance.
I stood there, numb. Five years ago, John’s parents died in a car crash. He was the sole survivor, haunted by nightmares. I was the one who helped him through it. He hadn’t driven since. I’d become his chauffeur, happy to do it. And now, for Sarah, he’d overcome his trauma
just like that.
I picked up the credit card and drove home
alone. The first thing I saw was Sarah’s new
Facebook post: “For love, I’d cross oceans and
start again.” The photo showed John in an
apron, making soup in her kitchen. In five years,
I’d never known he could cook. How pathetic. I
clicked “like“. The post vanished. John’s phone
call followed immediately.
“Honey, you know how much pressure I’ve been
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under to bring in new talent. It’s been really tough. Once this rocket project is finalized, we’ll go public, okay? I worked hard to get where I am. Sarah’s international experience and connections will be a huge asset to the project. I’m just thinking about what’s best for us.”
