Going Off-Script - Chapter 8

Chapter 8 Patrick stood at the doorway of my office, looking more haggard than he did at the press conference. His suit was wrinkled, his tie hung crookedly to the side, and his eyes were bloodshot. Peeking from behind me, Arabella scoffed. "I believe you are lost, Mr. Suede." Not giving her the time of day, Patrick stared right into my eyes. "I need a word with you, Skye." He took a step forward, only for Arabella to shield me behind her. I gave Arabella a pat on the shoulder. "It's okay. Let him speak." Arabella shot him an angry look before reluctantly giving way. Still, she stuck around.

Putting her weight on the desk, she didn't take her eyes away from him. Patrick inhaled deeply. "It's over for Suede Corporation." Isaid nothing. "T know I deserve it. I tried to salvage your business proposal, the one I dumped in the trash can, but it's too late." His voice trembled. "Skye, I'm not asking for your forgiveness. I just... I just want to let you know that you're the most intelligent, diligent, and kindest person I've ever met. I was blind not to see that." Imet his gaze with composure, feeling absolutely nothing.

"Patrick, do you know why I fell for you all these years?" He was taken aback. With downcast eyes, I let out a self-deprecating smile. "See? You don't even know. You just assumed that I was a gold digger after the Suedes' wealth, looking to social climb through you. The reason is much simpler than that. I lost my father five years ago. I traveled to the city to find family, only to be humiliated by a snobbish security guard. You stepped in out of nowhere to help me. That was all it was." Patrick was stunned, his lips quivering, but no words came out.

"For five years, I pushed myself to get better just to be a better version of myself to stand by your side. I never blamed you. It was my choice to fall for you, but I still want to thank you. Because of you, I became the person I am today." Patrick fell silent for a while, not saying anything more. In the end, he simply uttered, "I'm sorry." Since then, I never saw him again. Ayear later, Brimble Network's AI chips dominated the market, and the company's shares tripled in price. Letting herself go at the celebration party, Arabella hogged the microphone.

She shouted at the hundreds of employees, "The best decision I've ever made was poaching Skye from the God -awful place!" Applause filled the air. Sitting in a corner, I clutched my wine glass and giggled. My phone lit up with a message from an unrecognized number. "Congrats." I quietly glanced at the text with no intention of responding. Adistance away, Arabella called out to me. "Skye, come and cut the cake! It's a strawberry cake!" With a big grin, I approached her. She threw her arm around my shoulder with glee. "We're going to ring the bell at Nasdaq, then we'|l travel the world. Next...