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.

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

the paperwork, frowning. "Why are there

the format and the font... We had to keep revising. And after all that, she said it couldn't be signed. What do we

for it if the company faced losses. And a price hike from

stormed into Clyde's office. Kayla was there, nibbling

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

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

trying to get this sorted for hours. It is on you." I

mess started because of me, but I wouldn't let Lina and the others take the fall. That was a responsibility no one could

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

Spot

and it was up

act.

had overestimated him. With a sneer, he pushed the documents back to me. "This is your department's problem. You

the head of

are all recorded. Maybe we should go through the

as a ghost. She probably only wanted to make

our regular go-to. We only partnered with them due to a sudden shortage. They had given us a bargain, and Patterson Group's failure to

reviewed the documents again. "How much are they raising

percent. It will likely increase our

sat up, fixing his gaze on

lie about