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.

stick? Yet, 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 was too busy to see me, and these documents still haven't been signed. The

frowning. "Why

to keep revising. And after all that,

tears, and I completely understood her frustration. Someone would have to answer for it if the company faced losses. And a price hike from

and stormed into Clyde's office. Kayla was there, nibbling on a cupcake

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 their prices.

up, visibly shaken. "It's after hours. Can't Mr. Patterson have a break? Does he always

you want. Lina has been trying to get this sorted for hours. It is on

mess started because of me, but I wouldn't let Lina and the others take the fall. That was

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

Spot

it was

act.

sneer, he pushed the documents back to me.

the

And everything's documented. Lina's communications with Ms. Osborne are all recorded. Maybe we should go through the company's internal investigation process

smile, then glanced at Kayla, who turned pale as a ghost. She probably only wanted to make my life difficult, not realizing the magnitude of the

due to a sudden shortage. They had given us a bargain,

reviewed the documents again. "How much are they raising the

hesitation. "Half a percent. It will likely

sat up, fixing

wouldn't lie about