When Love Becomes a Cage by Nora

Chapter 21

Chapter 21



Kayla stormed out, tears streaming down her face, leaving everyone in the office shocked and staring at me.

I grinned at the onlookers. "Looks like you're all just slackers without your big-shot backers, huh?"

I could tell they were astonished that I, the usual pushover, had finally stood my ground. I didn't mean to make things tough for Kayla, though.

I would've been happy to live and let live if she hadn't messed with me. However, she had other ideas.

When I returned to the Design Department, I could feel the shift in how people looked at me. For a big company, they sure had a knack for gossip. When checking my messages, I saw a flurry of chatter about the incident.

[Has Melanie been possessed or something? She's been looking skinny lately. I hope she's okay."

[Maybe she's just had enough? Who could put up with being cheated on for three years without snapping?]

[Kayla ran crying to Mr. Patterson's office. I bet $100 Melanie will get an earful!]

[I'll put down $20 that Melanie gets off scot-free.]

Everyone was betting, but most people figured Clyde would back his girl and go against me. It seemed their opinion of him was unanimous. Over the years, he'd seemed to have my back.

I didn't get the anticipated dressing down. Things seemed oddly calm. Until, close to quitting time, Lina approached me in tears and with a stack of paperwork. "Melanie, the secretary said Mr. Patterson

"Why are there so many

explained, "Ms. Osborne kept finding issues with the format and the font... We had to keep revising. And after all that, she said it

have to answer for it if the company faced losses. And a price hike from the supplier, even a small

Clyde's office. Kayla was there, nibbling on a cupcake and cozying up by

sign the documents?" I slid the paperwork across his desk. "Since you haven't signed off yet, finance hasn't made the payment and now the supplier is talking about raising

"It's after hours. Can't Mr. Patterson have

to get this sorted for hours. It is

and the others take the fall. That

a cold look, then glanced over the documents, his brow furrowing. He didn't become the heir to the Patterson

Spot

and it was up to

act.

he pushed the documents back to me. "This is your department's problem.

but I'm the head

documented. Lina's communications with Ms. Osborne are all recorded. Maybe we should go through

wide, cheerful smile, then glanced at Kayla, who turned pale as a ghost. She probably only

had given us a bargain, and Patterson Group's failure to pay on

the documents again. "How much are they raising the

without hesitation. "Half a percent. It will likely

sat up, fixing

wouldn't lie about work