章 18: Who Are You?
AARON
The next day, I planned to leave home rather early to prevent Clyde from meeting me at home when he came. I was sure he was going to come find me.
But as I stepped out of the door of the house, I met Clyde waiting for me by the front door already. "What the fuck?" I gasped in shock.
"I'm sorry for popping out like this; I know you don't want to talk, but please hear me out this once, please!" He begged.
"It's not that, Clyde. I'm just a really busy person, and I don't want to lose my job; you know how long I waited to get one." I said and made to leave, but the next words he uttered made me stop on track. "Betty has a brain tumor! Stage 3." He stated.
"What?" My eyes widened.
"Why am I just hearing this? How did she get it?" I asked in a rush.
Betty was a good friend of mine back in college, the three of us were basically best friends since birth until the two of them broke my trust and ran off to get married without my knowledge. They didn't even invite me to their wedding.
"I don't know, Aaron, we sold all we had for her treatment already, but we still need more, or she won't have much time left if the surgery gets delayed. Please, Aaron."
"What do you want me to do?" I asked, confused.
"Any amount you have, just help me with it. I promise I'm going to pay you back. I promise." He begged.
"Okay, fine." Even though I'm so angry at him, this is a matter between life and death. I have to do something when I can. "Where is she right now?" I ask.
****
CLAIRE
I was almost done getting ready for work when I got a call from Rachel. I didn't pick up at first, but her calls kept coming, and I had no choice but to answer it. "Hey, what's up?" I asked on the phone after I picked up.
"Can you come out already? I'm fucking tired of waiting for you already!" Rachel's voice screamed on the phone.
"Outside? As in, you're at my house?" I asked, surprised.
"Boom! You caught me, I was gonna make it a surprise, but I've been here for the past three hours, and still waiting, what's taking you so long, huh?" I chuckled, imagining her face right now.
"I'll join you right now!" I put down my phone after hanging up and checked myself out in the mirror, grabbed my handbag, and left my room.
Just as she said, I met Rachel outside, and my jaw dropped in surprise. Rachel looked like a total badass, rocking a new edgy haircut and a leather jacket, looking like she just stepped out of a plane from New York or something.
"Claire, you slowpoke!" Rachel exclaimed, opening her arms for a hug.
"Rachel, you bitch! You're back!" We exchanged tight hugs and laughter, and I couldn't believe my eyes. It had been six months since she left, and I missed her so much.
"I missed you so much, Rachel! How was your trip?" I asked, still in awe.
"It was amazing, but I'm so glad to be back. And guess what? Sophia is back in town too!" Rachel said with a sly grin.
"What? That's amazing! I've been trying to reach her for months. How is she?" I asked, excited.
"She's good, but she's sick right now, so she couldn't come with me to visit you. But we should all go out together, like, clubbing or something," Rachel suggested.
"I don't know, Rachel, I'm running late for work," I said, hesitant.
"Come on, Claire! You can't start your day without a proper hangout with your girls. We'll make it quick, I promise. And besides, you can't leave me hanging after all these months," Rachel pressed.
After a lot of convincing, I eventually agreed, and we both left for the club, ready to make up for lost time and paint the town red.
***
AARON
Immediately I got off from the cab I brought from the hospital, Betty was down to the company, I almost didn't want to wait for the cab to pull over before jumping out of the car.
It's 12 pm, and I'm just resuming work. It's a surprise that Claire hasn't called me yet, but I'm sure she's in a rage right now, I mean, she didn't even call or text me at all. What if she fired me? I don't even want to think about that, if I lose this job, I won't survive the next months, and mom's condition.
When I got to Claire's office, I didn't see any trace of her; I went to check the secret room we both had sex in the last time, and she wasn't there either.
Hasn't she come to work today? No fucking way; this is too weird, and I'm getting worried. I was still thinking of all this when the door opened, and Alexa walked in. She seemed a little shocked to meet me there, and I wonder why. "Sir Aaron, you're here." She flashed a warm smile.
"Don't put the sir, please; just call me Aaron; we're both coworkers here." I told her.
"No, sir; Ma'am Claire clearly instructed us all never to be formal to you, she asked us to give the same respect we gave to her to you. Sir, please, I don't want to lose my job." She pleaded.
Really? I never knew Claire would go to such lengths to make me feel comfortable. And we were supposed to be mere fuckmates and nothing more.
Why did she even need to do this? Didn't she think the workers would start to suspect something is going on? "Where is Cla- I mean, Ma'am Claire!" Thank God I was quick enough to correct myself before I called her by her name in front of her secretary.
"She told me she has something important to attend to; she'll be here soon. She told me to make you comfortable, and you should wait for her here." Alexa said.
"Alright, thanks, Alexa, you can go back to your post." She bowed to me and said, "Call me if you need anything, sir." She added and started walking out, just as she made to open the door, someone beat her to it and came in first, a guy.
"Sir Riley, what are you doing here?" Alexa seemed shocked as she bowed for the guy she addressed as Riley.
"Where's Claire? I need to talk to her." The Riley guy said authoritatively, as if he had been here numerous times.
"I'm sorry, sir Riley, but Ma'am Claire told us never to let you in here, and she's not even here,.please come with him and wait for her outside." Alexa begged.
"What the fucking nonsense are you saying? Have you forgotten who I am? I'm the owner of the company's best friend, and if that's not enough, I have enough shares in this company to be here and call Claire to come out right now!" Riley yelled on top of his voice.
"Sir Riley, please—" Before Alexa could finish her words, Riley pushed past her and came in.
"She clearly told you Claire gave her the instructions never to let you in, and you're insisting, which part of it don't you understand!" I spoke up boldly, even I was surprised I spoke up that way.
Riley turned to me and looked at me surprisingly, our eyes met, and he walked straight up to me. I knew I should be ready to answer a lot of questions, especially when I called Claire by her name.
"And who are you to Claire?" He asked me, staring intensely at me like he was going to scrutinize me.
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