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.

down to me versus one of his flings, guess who got the short end of the 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

the paperwork, frowning. "Why are

the font... We had to keep revising. And after

understood her frustration. Someone would have to answer for it

into Clyde's office. Kayla was

busy. Too busy to even 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 their prices. Let's figure out who's going to take the heat when the blame game kicks

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

Lina has been trying to get this sorted for hours. It is on you." I said my piece and wasn't

me, but I wouldn't let Lina and the others take the fall. That was a

documents, his brow furrowing. He didn't become the heir to the Patterson family by being a

Spot

was up to him

act.

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

I'm the

Maybe we should go through the company's internal

then glanced at Kayla, who turned pale as a ghost. She probably only wanted to make my life difficult,

shortage. They had given us a

documents again. "How much

hesitation. "Half a percent. It will likely increase our construction costs by about

attention. He sat up, fixing his gaze

about work matters,