DON'T GO 😭😭😔😔
A story that talks about her hidden darkness 🕳️🕳️
Chapter 3 🥹
CATHY P.O.V
"Ohh, that was close," I whispered under my breath, clutching the stack of papers tighter against my chest. My heart was still pounding from the awkwardness of standing in front of Mr. Jasper moments ago. Even now, I could still feel the weight of his stare—so cold, so sharp, as though he could see through every layer of me.
I shook my head, trying to chase the thought away. Why was I even staring at him? I scolded myself quietly. What did I hope to find in those eyes of his? Approval? Attention? The questions kept spinning, and no matter how much I tried to dismiss them, they clung to me stubbornly.
Lost in my spiraling thoughts, I barely noticed when someone tapped me lightly on the arm.
"Hi," a voice said.
Startled, I turned to see a tall young man standing beside me. He had warm brown eyes, a gentle smile, and a nervous energy that made him seem approachable.
"Hi," I replied, forcing a smile to mask my unease.
"I'm Frank, by the way," he said, shifting awkwardly on his feet.
"I'm Cathy," I answered, nodding politely. "Please, what do you want from me?" My tone was cautious but not unkind. After all, I was still new here, and I didn't know who to trust yet.
Frank chuckled nervously and scratched the back of his head. "Well… I was actually wondering if maybe you'd like to, uh, have lunch with me sometime? Just, you know, a friendly lunch."
I blinked, surprised. His words were clumsy, his cheeks faintly red, but something about the way he said it felt sincere. For a moment, it almost eased the tension that had been coiled so tightly in my chest all morning.
"Ohh… okay, we could—" I began, but the words died on my lips.
Because then, I heard it.
That voice.
Cold. Deep. Commanding.
"Cathy."
The sound of my name rolling off his tongue froze me where I stood. My head snapped up, and there he was—Mr. Jasper—standing a few feet away. His eyes pinned me down with that same piercing intensity I had felt in the elevator. For a brief second, I forgot how to breathe.
"Yes, sir," I replied instantly, my voice a shaky whisper as I abandoned Frank mid-sentence and hurried toward my boss. My heart thudded wildly in my chest, a mix of fear and something I couldn't quite explain.
"Tell the driver to get my car ready. We're going for a conference now," Mr. Jasper said. His tone was flat, cold, leaving no room for negotiation.
My mouth opened slightly, the words slipping out before I could stop them. "We? But sir, I just started work today…"
His eyes darkened, and he stepped closer, towering over me. The weight of his presence pressed against me, his voice dropping low and sharp like a blade.
"Are you questioning my order, Cathy? Or do you want to lose your job already?"
The entire hallway seemed to fall silent. My chest tightened, shame and fear twisting inside me. Why did I even open my mouth?
"No, sir," I whispered quickly, shaking my head in panic. "I'm sorry for questioning your order."
"Good." His eyes lingered on me for a moment longer before he turned away.
I clutched the papers tighter, swallowing hard as I spun on my heels and rushed off to find his driver. My legs felt like lead, my palms damp with sweat. It was only my first day, and I was already walking a fine line between survival and disaster.
As I darted toward the parking lot, I caught sight of Frank standing where I had left him. His hopeful smile was gone, replaced with something softer—disappointment, maybe even pity. His eyes followed me for a second before he turned away, pretending to focus on a file in his hand.
A pang of guilt tugged at me. I hadn't meant to embarrass him, but the truth was, when it came to Mr. Jasper, I didn't have a choice. His words carried too much power, his presence too much weight.
Still, deep inside me, another feeling stirred. It wasn't just fear. No… it was something else. Something I didn't want to name.
Because no matter how much I wanted to deny it, his voice, his eyes, his control—they drew me in like a flame that could either warm me… or burn me alive.
JASPER P.O.V
"And as for you—what are you doing here? Get back to work." My voice cracked like thunder, sharp enough to silence the room. Frank flinched, mumbled something, and scurried out like a guilty child.
The door shut, but my anger didn't. It churned inside me like fire in a closed room. How dare he hover around her? How dare he think he could take liberties with her when she worked under me? I paced once, fists clenching at my sides, fury tightening every line of my body.
Then her voice.
"Hi, my love."
I froze. Of all people, of all moments, it had to be Cecilia.
I turned, my face hardening instantly. There she stood, perfectly dressed, her perfume flooding my office as if she wanted to suffocate me with it. She leaned on the doorframe with a smile too sweet to be real.
"Stop calling me that," I snapped.
She blinked, feigning innocence. "Seriously? Why? We're engaged."
"Engaged by family, not by me," I spat, my voice like ice.
Before she could utter another poisonous word, salvation came.
"Mr. Jasper, the car is ready."
Cathy's voice—soft, respectful, grounding—pulled me back. For a moment, just hearing her steadied something in me. I adjusted my tone. "Okay. Give me a few minutes," I said, sounding more like the professional I was supposed to be.
But Cecilia wasn't done. She followed my gaze, and her eyes narrowed like a snake spotting prey. "And who's she?" she asked, her tone laced with disdain.
"My secretary," I replied flatly. "Do you have a problem with that?"
Her lips curled into a cruel smirk. "But she's… black."
The words hit the room like a slap. I froze. Slowly, I turned toward her, rage twisting inside me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Cathy stiffen, her head bowing slightly as if she wanted to disappear. Shame and pain shadowed her features, and it struck me harder than Cecilia's words ever could.
"And so what?" My voice dropped lower, more dangerous than a shout. I let every ounce of venom I had coat those words. My eyes locked on Cathy, and what I saw nearly shattered me—hurt glistening in her eyes, her lips pressed together, her whole frame trembling as she tried to stand tall.
"Get out of here," I barked, my fury boiling over.
Cecilia let out a harsh laugh. "Are you talking to me?"
"Yes," I said, my voice like stone. Then the anger inside me surged uncontrollably, spilling past reason. "Both of you."
The moment the words left my mouth, I regretted them. Cathy froze as if struck. For a split second, her eyes lifted to mine—raw, wounded, disbelieving. Then she clutched the folder to her chest and walked out. No protests. No explanations. Just quiet dignity wrapped around visible pain.
The door closed softly behind her, but the silence it left was deafening. My chest tightened as the image of her retreat seared into me. I had protected her from Cecilia's venom, only to cut her down myself with careless rage.
"No, I won't go anywhere," Cecilia's shrill voice snapped me back. She planted her feet, arms folded, acting as though she had any power here.
"Security," I barked into the phone. "Remove Miss Cecilia from my office immediately."
Within moments, two guards arrived. She tried to protest, tried to cling to her so-called status, but they were unyielding. Her shrieks echoed uselessly as they escorted her out, her heels scraping against the floor until the door slammed shut again.
Silence.
For the first time in years, I slumped back into my chair, running a hand over my face. My office, usually a place of control and authority, suddenly felt hollow. Her absence was loud. Cathy's hurt eyes haunted me, replaying over and over until the guilt pressed down like a weight I couldn't shake.
I had wanted to protect her. Instead, I had become another source of her pain.
And for the first time in a long time, I wondered if the cold mask I wore had finally cost me something I wasn't prepared to lose.
CATHY P.O.V
I was so sad after my boss's girlfriend—or should I say fiancée—hurled those cruel words at me. The sting of them clung to my chest like a heavy stone I couldn't shake off. Still lost in thought, I suddenly caught sight of security dragging Cecilia out of the office.
"Hey, you useless thing! I'll make sure you pay for this!" she barked at me, her voice sharp and venomous.
Her words pierced me, leaving me frozen in shock. My heart pounded painfully in my chest, and for a moment, I felt so small, so powerless. The humiliation and intensity of that moment settled in my stomach, twisting into something almost unbearable.
But what hurt me even more was the way Mr. Jasper had spoken to me earlier. The harshness, the dismissal—it wasn't my fault, yet I carried the weight of it as if it were. Still, I told myself I wouldn't blame him. No. I'd blame the woman who came storming into his life like a hurricane, throwing daggers at anyone she saw as a threat. His sick fiancée.
Minutes later, I heard his voice call me back into his office. My hands trembled slightly as I pushed the door open.
He looked at me with a seriousness I hadn't seen before. "I'm sorry for what she said," he apologized, his tone quieter, almost… human.
The words caught me completely off guard. My eyes widened slightly. Could a CEO apologize? The thought rang in my mind over and over. It didn't seem real, didn't seem possible that a man of his stature would lower himself to utter such words to me.
Still lost in those thoughts, I didn't notice how long I'd gone silent until his voice cut through the haze.
"Cathy—aren't you going to say anything?" he asked, his eyes fixed on me with an intensity that made my heart stutter.
"Oh… thanks so much, sir. That's all I wanted to say," I replied softly, my voice almost breaking, but I forced a small smile. Without waiting another second, I excused myself, turned on my heel, and left the room—desperate to breathe again, desperate to calm the storm inside me.
JASPER P.O.V
I could see the shock written all over her face, the way her eyes widened and her breath hitched, as though she couldn't believe what she had just heard. Cathy… she looked so fragile in that moment, yet there was a strength in her silence that pulled at me in ways I couldn't ignore.
She couldn't believe that I—the man everyone described as cold, ruthless, untouchable—had apologized. And yet, for her, I did. I don't even know when the words slipped from my lips, but they felt right. She deserved to hear them.
As she whispered a soft "thank you" and turned to leave, I felt something stir deep inside me. Watching her retreating figure, I realized how much she unsettled me. Not in a bad way—but in a way that stripped me of the walls I'd spent years building. Her presence chipped away at my armor, leaving me bare, vulnerable… human.
Leaning back in my chair, I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. My mind replayed every detail: the way her voice trembled yet held steady courage, the way her eyes spoke volumes even when her lips said nothing, the way her sadness pierced me deeper than I wanted to admit.
Why did her pain matter to me so much? Why did her smile linger in my head long after she left the room? And why, when I thought of her, did I feel this unfamiliar warmth blooming in my chest—something dangerously close to longing?
"I guess I did the right thing," I muttered, but the truth was clearer than ever: an apology would never be enough. I didn't just want her to feel safe here. I wanted her to look at me without fear, without doubt… to see me not only as her boss, but maybe—just maybe—as the man who could protect her, cherish her, and never let her go.
~AT 6:00PM~
CATHY P.O.V
"Shit, I forgot about the appointment and conference," I muttered under my breath as I quickly gathered my things, my heart racing with guilt and worry.
Just then, I heard that cold yet strangely captivating voice behind me.
"Hey, Cathy."
I froze instantly. Slowly turning, I met Mr. Jasper's piercing gaze.
"Good evening, sir," I said nervously, my palms already clammy.
"I… I wanted to apologize because it was my fault you missed the important conference," I blurted out quickly, bowing my head low to avoid his eyes. My voice was shaky, my chest tight.
He studied me for a long moment before finally speaking. "Hmm. What punishment do you think you deserve for this mistake?"
The way he said it sent shivers down my spine. My throat went dry, and fear gripped me. I opened my mouth, but only broken sounds came out.
"Uhmm… uhmmm, sir… I—I…" I stuttered, but no words could form. I was too nervous, too overwhelmed.
Before I could completely fall apart, he sighed and said flatly, "See you tomorrow." Then, without another glance, he walked away, leaving me standing there in shock.
I sank against the wall and let out a deep breath. "Geez… my first day at work is so stressful. Gosh, I'm so tired," I whispered to myself, my voice a mix of exhaustion and defeat.
"Are you serious?" a voice said from behind.
Startled, I spun around, and there he was—Frank, standing with that same easy smile.
"Hey, Frank," I said, managing a weak smile, though my heart was still heavy from the encounter with Jasper.
Watch out for chapter 4
To be continued....🥹
KÃRMZY 💋 💋 ❤️🩹