"Hey. You guys are still around?" I blurted the first words that came to my head as I stepped aside for them toe in and I was thankful to God that my voice didn''t quiver like it normally would have. "Yeah, we are putting in our best in the project the boss asked us to work on. Who doesn''t want to impress the new boss?" One of them answered as she pressed the button to the floor they were going. Oh my God. We''re all going to thest floor. Now there was no hope of being alone again. More reason why I really had to leave here.


    The rest of them gave nuanced responses that I couldn''t even keep


    track of.


    Then one of them frowned, "I''m surprised you''re still here though. Your usually leave earlier than this."


    Oh. I usually leave early to pick my daughter in school but now she''s stuck in a hospital bed and is mad at me because she doesn''t have a


    dad.


    "I''m also workingte. You know, with the trip and all, the part of my work was left unattended to for a week. I''m trying to cover up for that


    week as fast as I can."


    "Yeah, that''s true," another from the back nodded. "The others who also went for the tripined that they had quite a workload to deal with. now that they were back."


    "But they don''t regret going for the trip," one of them quipped and everyoneughed.


    I think I also let out a sound that sounded like augh. At the same time, I remembered the brief moment we had in his room, me finding out that he never cheated on me and a tear slid down my face. I had to


    quickly turn my face away to wipe it.


    After theughter, all conversations kind of died down except a murmur and ament here and there but neither was directed at me and I was


    grateful as firmly trained my gaze ahead, trying to hold back the tears.


    let out a yelp as one of them put her face infront of mine, her curious. eyes searching. "Are you okay though?"


    "What?" I squeaked, puzzled.


    She moved her face away and shrugged. "I noticed that your eyes look. swollen. I tapped you and called your name but you seemed miles away. "Y''know, work," I breathed as I looked back to the rest who were also looking at me. "My mind is just upied."


    I prayed that she wouldn''t mention my swollen eyes again but she did.


    "Are you alright?" Her brows pulled down in concern. "Your eyes are swollen."


    "Really?" My brows furrowed deeply as I lightly touched my cheeks.


    She nodded.


    "I didn''t even realize." I sighed, "Though I''d admit that I''ve been feeling pretty tiredtely."


    "Aww," she cooed and ced her hand on my shoulder. "Take care of yourself, okay? I''m sure the boss would grant you leave if you apply."


    I tried not to overthink herst sentence and just smiled. "Thank you."


    "Take care," the rest of them murmured with pity in their eyes.


    I murmured my ''thank you'' apanied by a sweet smile, then they let me be.


    But them they started to gossip among themselves and no matter how I tried, their words reached my ears and went straight to my head for me. to process.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    "Yes, the samedy." That was the first words my ears captured.


    "I think she''s his girlfriend."


    "I think so too," another answered. "Cause she was like, Tell Aiden I''m here."


    My ears almost jumped off my skin. Aiden? Girlfriend? Now I listened. more attentively and they talked more about Aiden''s girlfriend.


    My eyes welled up again. What was I thinking? That he''d be stuck up on me for years? Of course, he''d moved on. With that thought, the stupid. tears rolled out of my eyes on their own ord but thankfully, just then, the lift stopped, the door opened and I rushed out.


    I walked straight to my cubicle to fetch my bag. Then I headed for the building''s exit.


    That woman in his office is definitely the girlfriend, I concluded. Howe I never knew? And why didn''t he tell me anything about it? Well, we weren''t best of friends but it wouldn''t have hurt to make it known instead of giving false hope and appearing every where I was, trying to talk and holding my gaze in crowds..


    What the hell!


    The tears stoppeding as I gritted my teeth, livid with rage. What exactly was his aim? Yes, I made a mistake and judged him without hearing from him but that was years ago. Was he back to toy with me or something?


    I was about to hail a taxi when someone said behind me.


    "Hey, you dropped this!"